Life Without Restraint Series

WHAT IF JESUS HAD NEVER BEEN BORN?

LIFE WITHOUT RESTRAINT

Philippians 1:27

S: Jesus’ Importance in all of Life

C: The essentiality of the Incarnation

Th: What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?

Pr: WE HAVE STANDARDS.

?: How? How is it observed?

KW: Culture

TS: We will consider several cultures that demonstrate the difference Jesus has made in the world.

Type: Clarification

I. CANAAN

II. GREECE

III. ROME

IV. BARBARIANS

V. VIKINGS

VI. AUCAS

PA: How is the change to be observed?

• Understand the impact Jesus has made in morality.

• Live the faith.

Version: ESV

RMBC 18 December 05 AM

INTRODUCTION:

What if it was always winter and never Christmas?

That is the question one finds in the book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

ILL Narnia – no Christmas

In the book, in describing the White Witch to her siblings, Lucy says:

“She has made an enchantment over the whole country so that it is always winter here and never Christmas.”

I have begun to wonder if the enchantment has moved from Narnia to this world, because so many churches are closing for Christmas.

Many churches are keeping the doors closed because, as they say, seekers are not looking to go to church on Christmas day, and/or worship is a matter of every day, not just one day of the week.

So, if Christmas is missed, this is not a huge problem.

I disagree with those conclusions because I believe it gives in to a consumer mentality and our culture of individualism.

We are afraid to make church inconvenient, or worship a “have-to” instead of a “want-to.”

Personally, I am rejoicing in the opportunity to worship on Christmas Day.

Christmas is certainly a family day.

But before it is a family day, even more it is a commemoration of our Savior’s birth.

We should not get the priorities of the two mixed.

In addition, we send a mixed message to our culture.

We complain that retailers refuse to say “Merry Christmas,” but then apparently believe that Jesus’ birth is not important enough to go to church for.

What if it was always winter and never Christmas?

I believe it is worthwhile to see the film, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

I think our outing last Sunday afternoon was a tremendous success, along with our supper and discussion time afterwards.

We were intrigued by the parallels that are drawn by C. S. Lewis in the land of Narnia.

And we better understand Lewis’ view of Jesus in his own life, for when he writes about the four children from earth entering into Narnia, Lewis views himself as Edmund, the betrayer, for he had long betrayed the Lord with his atheistic belief.

Lewis puts it this way…

“I wrote fairy tales because the Fairy Tale seemed the ideal Form for the stuff I had to say.”

Perhaps you can relate to the experience of Lewis, for it is Jesus that has come to you and broken the spell in your life.

It had always been winter, and never Christmas.

The story that you have longed ended up coming to life for you.

The promise that was given was true (Isaiah 9:6)…

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

You see…

Jesus has come, and He has made the difference.

TRANSITION:

Now, let me ask you this…

1. Is there such a thing as right and wrong?

I contend there is, for if I brought you up here and stomped very hard on your foot, you would not only have a hurt foot, you might think I am not very nice.

Even more, you might say that it was wrong for me to do so.

Why would you say that it is wrong?

Who says there is right and wrong?

It is C. S. Lewis again, that directs our thinking in this area.

In his book, Mere Christianity, he encourages us to understand that God has set into the heart of every person a sense of right and wrong.

We may not always agree in what is right and wrong, but we do agree that right and wrong exists.

In other words, we have standards.

Further, I want to propose to you today that because Jesus came, the standards that he set for us as believers in Him, have had a profound effect on this earth.

Wherever the word has gone about Jesus, and His standards truly lived out, it has been effective, changing the world for the better.

Now, as Christians, we are not naïve.

We know a lot of bad has been done in the name of Jesus.