“Winter in Narnia” Mark 13:24-37, Rom.8:18-25, 11-27-05 Sermon #1 of 4 in series “Glimpses of Naria: A Kingdom on the Move”
Children’s Message: Over the next 4 weeks, we’re going to be getting ready for Christmas by thinking about a story called, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” from the Chronicles of Narnia. Have any of you ever heard of that story before or heard about the movie that’s coming out soon? Let’s start today by reading some of the first part of the story. [from the Narnia “Movie Storybook” read pages 1-6, ending with, “We haven’t had Christmas for a hundred years.”] Can you imagine that?! Always winter but never Christmas! What would it be like to have it always be winter? [take responses – cold, depressing, some fun things like skiing, sledding, etc.] When it gets to be winter, what do you start looking forward to? What makes winter bearable? Christmas! But what would it be like if it was always winter but it was never Christmas? [take responses – bad, sad, etc.] What makes Christmas what it is? [not Santa, Jesus!] He’s what makes not only Christmas what it is, but He’s what brings joy to our lives every day! I’d like you to listen today as we think about things like winter and not having Christmas but especially how we need to watch for Jesus every day and know the wonderful difference He can make when He is in our lives. Pray.
How many of you have read or are familiar with C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, specifically “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”? C.S. Lewis is considered by many people to be one of the foremost Christian writers of our modern era, by some even as one of the greatest writers since St. Paul himself! When Lewis published this little volume in 1950 it was the first of what would become a seven volume series on this mythical world called Narnia. Lewis does an amazing job in these stories of making some wonderful connections to the Christian faith and to the power of Jesus. As I mentioned with the children, we’re going to use this delightful little story to open our eyes more and more to see the real Kingdom on the move in our lives today as we journey toward Christmas. Over the next four weeks, even for those of you who are unfamiliar with the story, you’ll be getting bits and pieces of it. If you’re interested in reading it for yourself, there are resources available to order today in the entryway – feel free to check those out. To give us a quick flavor of the story, I want to show the movie trailer, a 2 minute teaser. [show trailer from :08-2:21]
Wardrobes, open doors, new worlds, a witch, a lion, wars, mythical creatures of all sorts, an epic battle of good vs. evil. All of it sounds perhaps a bit ominous, mysterious, and definitely exciting! We heard from Jesus in the reading from Mark 13 today also sounded a bit ominous, mysterious, and even exciting as well. Just glance over those verses again and you see things like, “distress,” the sun being darkened, the moon going dark, stars falling from the sky, the heavenly bodies shaken, be on guard, be alert, keep watch because you don’t know when the owner of the house will come back (He’s talking about Himself returning at the end of time) and you don’t want him to find you sleeping, and it ends with, “Watch!”
In Narnia, the White Witch cast a spell over the land and it has been winter for over 100 years, but never Christmas. The White Witch is C.S. Lewis’ depiction of the devil and his working in our world. The White Witch has had her way as Aslan has been away. Aslan is the hero, the lion who is the depiction of Jesus. [10:30 Behind me on the screen will be scrolling a number of winter scenes, helping us to think about the winters of our lives. (all winter pics from the movie storybook on a 15 sec loop)] As we think about winter in Narnia, how often has it felt like that in your life? As I asked the kids, I’d like you to think about this from your “adult” perspective – what does that look like in our world today, the “Narnian winters” of life? Another way to look at the “winter” times of life is to see those times in our lives when sin seems to be getting the upper hand, those times when our Aslan, our King, our Jesus seems to be far, far away and we are all alone, cold, dark, depressed. So what do those “winters in Narnia” look like as you see them? [10:30 get responses]
Times of loss – of jobs, friends, loss in death
Times of brokeness – broken relationships, marriages, hearts
Times of sadness, loneliness, depression
Times of being caught up in addictions, unhealthy behaviors, and feeling frustrated and powerless to do anything to overcome them
It can be so easy in those times of our lives to feel like Jesus isn’t around, like He doesn’t care, like He’s galaxies away and can’t see what’s happening in my life, or if He sees it He’s either powerless or unwilling to do anything about them.
But friends, as we hear in Narnia, you need to know that Aslan is on the move. Spring is starting to show, for us hints of Christmas are all around, God’s presence is here, and His power is able to disarm and melt away the winter that Satan has cloaked us in. As people of the King, as followers of Jesus, He has assured us time and again that He IS here, that He DOES care, and that He is more than powerful than anything Satan may try to throw in your life. He’s proven that by His willingness to lay down His life for your sin, for your winters, to fully pay the price that needed to be paid. When He rose victorious on that first Easter morning, know that the Son has never stopped shining since! His victory is our assurance and our hope. [stop the scrolling pics]
Look at that reading from Rom.8. :20 “For the creation was subjected to frustration (winter)…, in hope (:21) that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. :22 talks about the whole creation groaning and :23 includes us in that pain as we wait for our redemption, our being redeemed and made new/whole/perfect once again. Then :24, in this hope we were saved, :25 if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
Fact is, there are a lot of times in this life that it’s going to feel like winter – even winter with no Christmas in sight. But don’t let Satan blind you to the truth or fool you into depression – he’s been defeated and Jesus is on the move. He’s here, He loves you, He’s for you, and He’s with you. He is here in the winters of your life and is constantly warming your heart, raising your eyes, giving you hope in knowing that the Kingdom is here and the Kingdom is near. Watch! Watch, as Jesus warned, and don’t forget, don’t lose hope. Have your hearts and eyes open to see the coming King.
I’m guessing that you know someone who is in a winter time of their life. Turn to the “What Now?” in your announcements, the bottom right hand corner tear-out. [“What Now?” is a weekly item that I include in our worship folders. It’s a tear-out that helps people take the message home with them in some simple, practical way.] What I encourage you to this week is to talk with that “someone” about how they are feeling, or at least think for yourself how being in a winter time of life might feel. Pray about how you can share the hope that Jesus is on the move and then act on it. In some practical ways, offer Jesus’ hope and encouragement to that person. Where does our encouragement come? It comes as we live life together in community, encouraging one another, supporting and loving each other when there are down times. It comes as we gather weekly for worship to hear again the promises we know so well but need to hear over and over. It comes as we gather at the Lord’s table to receive His touch, His forgiveness in bread and wine, body and blood. That encouragement can come as a phone call, a short note, sharing some coffee together, inviting them over for supper, going out to a movie, sharing Scripture. There are lots of ways we can encourage and support one another and need to – because for us, friends, we know that it will not always be winter in Narnia. We are people of hope, people of a Kingdom on the move, people of a King who wants all people to know Him and the love He’s come to bring.
