Four Part Message series based on, “The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe” entitled - Beyond the Wardrobe
As we cross over into the world beyond the wardrobe we discover: deception, adventure, purpose and hope.
Message One, The Magic of the White Witch
Illustration from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”
First Reference: Tell the story from Chapter 4 about Edmund eating Turkish Delight for the first time. He becomes obsessed with the deceptive nourishment provided by the witch.
Second Reference: When Edmund ate at the home of Mr. Beaver, in Chapter 9, “He had eaten his share of the dinner, but he hadn’t really enjoyed it because he was thinking all the time about Turkish Delight – and there’s nothing that spoils the taste of good ordinary food half so much as the memory of bad magic food.”
Scriptures to use:
“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14
“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.” Hebrews 11:24-25
““but God did say, `You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’" "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."” Genesis 3:3-5
Application Points:
1. Things are not always what they appear to be
2. Short term pleasures can leave long term sorrows.
3. We have a tendency to become obsessed with that which is the worst for us.
4. After tasting the forbidden, we become someone that is much different from the person we thought we would become.
Message 2, A Winter without Christmas
Illustration from “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”
From Chapter 2, Tell the story of the Faun, Mr. Tumnus, meeting Lucy and explaining to her the world of Narnia and the White Witch.
““The White Witch? Who is she?”
“Why, it is she that has got all Narnia under her thumb. It’s she that makes it always winter. Always winter and never Christmas; think of that!””
Scriptures to Use:
Matthew 2:13-20
Revelation 12:4
Matthew 4:1-11
Matthew 26:39-42
Application Points:
1. There have been many threats made against Christmas:
- Jesus’ life threatened at his birth
- Jesus’ purpose questioned at the temptations as he began his ministry
- Jesus struggling with the sacrifice of the cross
- Constant spiritual warfare against Christ and His Church today.
2. We still have threats to Christmas, but Christmas will not be denied.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
Message 3, The Lion is on the Move
Illustration from “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”
Chapter 7, Mr. Beaver tells the children, “they say that Aslan is on the move – perhaps has already landed.”
“And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do: but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. . . .”
“. . . At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.”
Scriptures to use:
“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Luke 1:41
“Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"” Luke 24:31-32
“All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.” Luke 4:28-30
“Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?" "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.” John 18:4-6
“the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” Matthew 11:12
Application Points:
1. The real presence of Jesus can be felt.
2. Jesus will never leave us the same way we were when we first met Him.
3. Jesus forces us to take a side.
4. We find our real purpose by joining the movement of Christ’ Kingdom.
Message 4, When Death works backwards
Illustration from “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”
In Chapter 13, the deep magic of the witch claims Edmund and his life as her property. Aslan speaks with the witch about sacrificing His life for Edmund’s.
In Chapter 14, Aslan goes to give his life to the witch and seems sad. At the end of the Chapter the witch says to Aslan, “Fool, did you think that by all this you would save the human traitor? Now I will kill you instead of him as our pact was and so the Deep Magic will be appeased. But when you are dead what will prevent me from killing him as well? And who will take him out of my hand then? Understand that you have given me Narnia forever, you have lost your own life and you have not saved his. “
In Chapter 15, it speaks of the witches magic only going back to the dawn of time. There is a deeper and greater magic further back before time dawned.
“When a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward.”
In Chapter 17, “Does he know,” whispered Lucy to Susan, “What Aslan did for him?”
Scriptures to use:
Revelation 13:8, The Lion of the tribe of Judah became the Lamb that was sacrificed, slain from the creation of the world.
John 3:16
“I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1:18
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
“the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28
“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:25
Application points:
1. Our world is under a curse (magic spell) that takes life from us.
2. Christ came to break the curse of death.
3. When we sacrifice our life, we actually receive it back.
4. Do we really know what Jesus did for us?
