Narnia: Choices In The Wardrobe Series

This message is the second of a three part series on Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The "SLIDES" below are power point slides used during the message. The picture slides were copied from web sites or scanned from an illustrated book on the Chronicles of Narnia.

WHAT IF THERE WERE NO CHRISTMAS?

Choices in the Wardrobe

Genesis 3:1-7

Introduction:

It is the Christmas season and many of us will be traveling. I am reminded of a story of a couple that traveled to Disneyland during the holidays. The husband needed to use the restroom, so he left his wife to go to the bathroom. Wife decided she needed to go to bathroom, so she walked into women’s restroom, looked under the stall doors to find an opening, and noticed some familiar shoes in the first stall. It was her husband.

Sometimes it’s funny when you make a mistake. Other times it’s tragic.

This last week an airplane at Midway airport in Chicago slide off the runway, hit a car, and killed a six year old boy. This tragic mistake had a terrible result

Today we come to the place in our story where Edmund makes a tragic mistake, a mistake that ends in death.

Last week I told you about the Land of Narnia. This is an alternate reality that four children in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe entered through the wardrobe. This wardrobe was a piece of furniture that was used to hand fur coats in the spare room of the Professor’s house where they were staying. The youngest sibling Lucy discovered Narnia by herself one day during a game of hide and seek. As Lucy walked through the wardrobe she discovered a place where it was always winter but never Christmas. This was because Narnia was under the spell of the evil White Witch.

Shortly after Lucy’s original entry into Narnia, Lucy again went into the wardrobe Edmund followed Lucy into the wardrobe.

SLIDE: PICTURE OF EDMUND AND LUCY

Lucy and Edmund become separated as Lucy goes off to visit Mr. Tumnus, the faun. Edmund comes upon the White Witch.

SLIDE: PICTURE OF EDMUND SEATED WITH WITCH

The witch at first seems bothered by Edmund, but then asks him if he is cold, offers him some hot drink, and asks him if he would like something to eat. Edmund responded that he would like Turkish Delight. Turkish Delight is a type of candy.

SLIDE: PICTURE OF EDMUND BEING OFFERED TURKISH DELIGHT

A dwarf of the witch produced a container that turned out to contain several pounds of the best Turkish Delight. Each piece was sweet and light to the very center and Edmund had never tasted anything more delicious. As the queen asked him questions about his brother and sisters he couldn’t get enough of the Turkish Delight.

As we see this scene, we are reminded of some truths about the evil one in our world as well.

In Genesis 3 we read that after creation, when Adam and Eve are in the Garden, the evil one, satan takes the form of a serpent and approaches Eve.

Turn to Genesis 3

SLIDE

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” Genesis 3:1

SLIDE

IN OUR WORLD, AND IN NARNIA, THE EVIL ONE WANTS TO:

1. Get you ALONE

When we are alone Satan will tempt us to turn away from what God wants.

Edmund: alone with the Witch

For some, while away on business trips, alone at work, greater temptation

For others, while away from the church, their faith grows cold, make bad decisions and sometimes don’t know it.

Today, there maybe some of you who have wandered off, you are alone, apart from God. Maybe you have been away from the church, away from a Bible study, away from friends who will help you stand strong.

SLIDE

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. Genesis 3:4

SLIDE

IN OUR WORLD, AND IN NARNIA, THE EVIL ONE WANTS TO:

1. Get you ALONE

2. Tell you LIES

Narnia: Queen wanted Edmund to bring his brother and sisters back to her castle so she could kill them, so she told him lies.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Bottom of 38-39

“It is a lovely place, my house,” said the Queen. “I am sure you would like it. There are whole rooms full of Turkish Delight, and what’s more, I have no children of my own. I want a nice boy whom I could bring up as a Prince and who would be King of Narnia when I am gone. While he was Prince he would wear a gold crown and eat Turkish Delight all day long;