Narnia: Living In Their World Series

December 12, 2005

Lakecrest Community Baptist Church

Pastor Jorge L. Acevedo

Series: Narnia Explored

“Living In Their World”

We begin today with a new series of messages called “Narnia Explored.” Of course, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe opened in theaters Friday. Anyone go see it? The book was written by Christian author C.S. Lewis. For those of you not familiar with it, the book is an allegory or a story with characters and storyline that have symbolic meaning. What I want to do in this series of messages is bring out Biblical teaching that can be drawn from the book.

The Basic story setting happens during World War II. Four children are sent away from England to a big house in the country where they can be safe from the war. In this big house there are many rooms and in one of the rooms the kids find a wardrobe that leads them to a new world. A world called Narnia. In this world there are incredible characters and that’s where the story takes place. The plot of the book bears some resemblance to a similar story in the historical account of Jesus Christ and Him saving the world from sin. There are three key elements in the world of Narnia that are very similar to three critical elements we need to understand and deal with if we want to live a successful life in our world. Understanding these will give you an edge your world, will help you achieve your highest potential, and can help overcome the challenges you face in life.

All I want to do this morning is explore and understand what these 3 key elements are:

1. The Wardrobe

When you came in this morning you had to come through hanging coats and winter clothes, what seemed like a wardrobe. In the story, the kids open what seems like an old wood cabinet. It seems like any other old piece of furniture but this incredible wardrobe leads them to a fantastic land called Narnia. A place they had never been to before where it’s always winter; where there are incredible characters and talking animals; where they get caught up in a developing conflict between good and evil.

The wardrobe brings to our minds God’s Word. And even though it’s an old book (that looks like any other book) it is a fantastic book of incredible power that leads you to a world you have never known before. A world that is new to you when you are not a Christian. God’s world!

I grew up without it. But at 16 years old I started going to church and my parents bought me a Bible and I slowly began to read it. When by faith I turned my life over to Jesus Christ to be my Savior, God began (thru the work of his Holy Spirit) to reveal this new world to me as I read.

It happened to me. It happens to everyone. I want to tell you, there’s some fantastic stuff in this Book of Books. You talk about awesome looking creatures in Narnia? The Bible describes living being that have four faces, two in the front and two in the back (Ezekiel 1:10); there are also creatures in it with a bunch of little hands and eyeballs all over their bodies, front and back (Rev. 4:6). These are angles God made. Powerful, and they fly and fight evil. Like in the Narnia movie, a war between good and evil breaks out in God’s word, “War broke out in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought the dragon. The dragon and his angles fought back.” Revelation. 12:7 Msg. The Bible world describes giants in the land, one of them you know as Goliath (I Samuel 17). At least one of those rascals had 6 fingers in each hand and 6 toes in each foot (2 Samuel 21:20). In the Bible there are flying horses (Revelation 19:11-14) and fire breathing people (Revelation 11) and a man that’s faster than any horse or leper or animal you can think about (1 Kings 18:46). And I am just skimming the surface. But let’s get away from the amazing for a second.

The Word of God also describes to us a real world beyond this one, heaven. A world where there will be no more death or pain or sadness. God’s world is one full of joy and bliss, where you will be given a new body, what the Bible calls a glorified body, capable of doing things beyond your imagination… and more. A world where gold is “cheap” compared to other things. A world where Christmas is all the time and God rewards his followers with gifts and mansions of their own (John 14: 3). That place God is going to lead us to is extravagant. Why? God gives good gifts to those he loves. (Matthew 7:11) The difference between the wardrobe and God’s word is that the wardrobe takes you to a story/fantasy world. The Bible’s world is real.