This Friday, Disney pictures will be releasing “The Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, a movie based on the children’s book of the same name by C.S. Lewis.
Now I know that there are quite a few of you here this morning that figure it’s a whole lot easier to just wait for the movie to come out than to actually read a book. But I’ve got bad news for those of you who fit into that category – I’m going to spoil the movie for you by giving away the ending.
The Chronicles of Narnia follows the adventures of four English children – Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan - who discover another world, the magical land of Narnia. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Narnia is held in bondage under the spell of the evil White Witch who has rendered it “always winter and never Christmas.” The redemption of Narnia, however, and the end of the White Witch’s reign had been prophesied. And the prophecy also spoke of the arrival of humans—“sons of Adam and daughters of Eve”—as a sign that the coming of Aslan as the rightful King was near.
Edmund is deceived by the Witch and agrees to bring his brother and sisters to the Witch. Edmund thinks he is going to become a prince, but the Witch actually intends to turn all of them to stone. He finally sees the error of his ways, but is captured and sentenced to death as a traitor by the Witch. The only hope for Edmund—and for Narnia—is the great Lion, Aslan. Aslan lays down his life for Edmund, taking Edmund’s punishment and dying in his place.
The Witch believes that with Aslan’s sacrificial death, the prophecy would be broken and her magical hold on Narnia would be complete. She was not aware of the more powerful “deeper magic” that brings Aslan back to life. His resurrection breaks the power of sin and death in Narnia, allowing him and the children to lead an army to defeat the evil Witch. The four children are then seated on four thrones as the kings and queens of Narnia
Scholars have argued for many years about whether or not these books are to be taken as spiritual allegories. Lewis did not believe that the books met the strict definition of an allegory – he called them supposals – but he left no doubt that he intended for his stories to give insight into Biblical truth. In a 1954 letter to a group of Maryland 5th graders, Lewis wrote:
I did not say to myself “Let us represent Jesus as He really is in our world by a Lion in Narnia”; I said “Let us suppose that there were a land like Narnia and that the Son of God, as He became a Man In our world, became a lion there, and then imagine what would happen.”
At the end of The Voyage of the “Dawn Trader”, Aslan tells the children that they will never come back to Narnia and the children are devastated. There is then this exchange between the children and Aslan:
“It isn’t Narnia, you know,” sobbed Lucy, “It’s you. We shan’t meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?”
“But you shall meet me, dear one,” said Aslan.
“Are—are you there too, Sir?” said Edmund.
“I am,” said Aslan, “But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.” (pp. 215-216)
Years ago, after reading that passage, a little girl named Hila wrote to Lewis, asking him to tell her Aslan’s other name. Lewis replied to her:
Well, I want you to guess. Has there ever been anyone in this world who
1) arrived at the same time as Father Christmas,
2) Said he was the son of the Great Emperor,
3) Gave himself up for someone else’s fault, to be jeered at and killed by wicked people,
4) Came to life again, and
5) Is sometimes spoken of as a lamb (see the end of Dawn Trader)? Don’t you really know His name in this world?
Think it over, and let me know your answer.”
There can be no doubt that the power of Aslan that the children encountered in Narnia represents the power of Jesus Christ that God wants each of us to encounter in each of our lives. In fact, although the concept of power is present throughout the Bible, it receives much more emphasis in the New Testament, where is it almost always associated with Jesus Christ.
In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul wrote about the power that God wants us to encounter through Jesus Christ:
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:18-21 (NIV)
I want you to underline two phrases in this passage. First of all, underline the words “you may know”. Those words are very significant. They communicate the idea that God wants us to know with certainty the things he is about to describe. It is the kind of knowledge gained by experience. It’s not just head knowledge or wishful thinking.
Then I want you to underline the words “his incomparably great power”. Paul then goes on to describe what that power is like. It is the very same power that God used to raise His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, from the dead. That’s some power. In fact, that is the greatest power ever known to mankind – far greater than any atomic bomb that man has ever made. Think about it. Although man has been trying for many years to figure out a way to live forever or to bring the dead back to life, it’s just not possible. Only God has that kind of power.
So what does it look like in my life when I know with certainty this incomparably great power? What good is that kind of power in my life? This morning, I want to briefly share with you three aspects of that kind of power and then let you know how you can get that kind of power into your life.
When I encounter Jesus Christ, I encounter…
1. The power to deal with my past
On his first trip to Narnia, Edmund meets the White Witch, who is masquerading as the Queen of Narnia. She feeds Edmund the most delicious Turkish Delight he has ever eaten and then she promises Edmund that if he returns with his brother and sisters that she will make him a prince and that one day he can become the King of Narnia.
Of course the Witch is actually plotting to turn the children into statues in order to break the prophecy that would spell her doom. Later on, Edmund sneaks out to go meet the Witch, but he soon discovers that he has been deceived. Edmund is overcome with fear and guilt for all the bad things he has done – for putting his life and the life of his family in great jeopardy.
I think all of us can relate to Edmund. We’ve all done things in our life that we’re not very proud of. The Bible calls that sin and makes it clear that every one of us is a sinner. (Romans 3:23) And when we sin, we often become fearful and full of guilt. So we try all kinds of ways to deal with that guilt:
• We try to ignore it or bury it, but that usually doesn’t work because there are constant reminders of what we’ve done all around us.
• We try to rationalize it, but that doesn’t work, because deep down inside we know what we did was wrong.
• We try to atone for it, but that doesn’t work either because whatever we do to make up for our sin doesn’t take away the guilt.
But there is good news. When Jesus Christ died on the cross and was raised from the dead through God’s power, it gave us the power to deal with our past.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18 (NIV)
In Chapter 12 of the book, Lucy is concerned whether anything can be done for Edmund to deal with his past:
“Please – Aslan,” said Lucy, “can anything be done to save Edmund?”
“All shall be done,” said Aslan. But it may be harder than you think.” (p. 124)
And then in Chapter 13 we find out how it is Aslan himself that takes the action necessary to deal with Edmund’s past:
At last they heard Aslan’s voice. “You can all come back,” he said. “I have settled the matter. She has renounced the claim on your brother’s blood.” (pp. 140-141)
In the very same way that Aslan settled the score for Edmunds wrongs by agreeing to die in his place, Jesus Christ died on the cross, to settle the score with God for all of our sins. That is the message of the cross that Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians. And it is that message of the cross that gives me the power to deal with my past.
Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, God says:
For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.
Hebrews 8:12 (NIV)
Unfortunately, a lot of us aren’t willing to do what God has already done for us through Jesus Christ – to remember our sins no more. We sit around wallowing in self pit and guilt. But we don’t have to do that because Jesus gives us the power to deal with our past.
But there’s more to his power. Jesus also gives me…
2. The power to delight in my present
It seems to me that most people view Christianity as a way to deal with the past – we’ve already talked about that – and the future – we’ll get to that in just a moment. But Jesus also gives us the power to live an abundant and fulfilling life here on earth right now. The apostle Peter put it like this:
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:3 (NIV)
You might want to underline the words “everything we need for life.”
Isn’t that an amazing statement? God’s power gives us everything we need for life. That certainly includes our material possessions – the Bible is clear that they all come from God. In fact, they still belong to Him. But it also includes God’s guidebook for living – the Bible. In there, we find all kinds of practical instructions on how to live our life here on earth so that it can be meaningful and fulfilling.
There are a lot of people who view God as some kind of kill-joy. They look at the Bible and all they see is a bunch of commands that they think will somehow keep them from enjoying life. But when we follow the instructions God gives us in His Word, we begin to recognize that God has our very best interests at heart and that life is actually more enjoyable, not less enjoyable.
When we moved into our new house several weeks ago, I tried to hook up a DVD player to the TV and the surround sound system. I figured that I didn’t really need the instructions, so I just hooked up all the wires. And sure enough everything worked. But the sound wasn’t quite what I expected it should be. So grudgingly I went back and read the manuals for the DVD player, the TV and the surround system and hooked up everything properly and set up each piece of equipment according to the directions. Wow! What a difference that made in the sound and the quality of the picture.
That’s how a lot of us are with God. Even though he gives us the power to live a great life, we just settle on the mediocre life we get when we try to run things our own way.
Near the end of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the four children find out what it’s like to live under the power of the King:
So the children sat in their thrones and sceptres were put into their hands and they gave rewards and honours to all their friends…
And that night there was a great feast in Cair Paravel, and revelry and dancing, and gold flashed and wine flowed, and answering to the music inside, but stranger, sweeter and more piercing came the music of the sea people. (p. 179)
With all the dancing and wine, we know that this certainly wasn’t a Baptist celebration, but it’s a great picture of the kind of abundance that Jesus wants us to experience right here and now. That’s what he tells us in His own words:
I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 10:10 (NKJV)
Jesus gives me the power to deal with my past, the power to delight in my present and also…
3. The power to determine my future
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe the power of Aslan conquered death:
“But what does it all mean?” asked Susan when they were somewhat calmer.
“It means,” said Aslan, “that though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes only back to the dawn of Time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that 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 backwards…” (pp. 159-160)
That’s exactly what Jesus did when He arose from the dead. By His resurrection, he proved God’s power over death and He also gave us the power to conquer death, too:
By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.
1 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)
One day, every one of us in this room will die a physical death. But the Bible is clear that that is not all there is to life. Every one of us will either live eternally in the presence of God, experiencing the blessings that He pours into our lives, or we’ll spend eternity separated from God in a place of eternal torment.
Through His resurrection Jesus conquered death and He gave every one of us the opportunity to choose for ourselves which of those two options we will experience.
When I think about the power of God to deal with my past, delight in my present and determine my future, I get pretty excited. But at the same time I experience some sorrow, too, because I know that not everyone chooses to experience that power. You see, even though God makes this power available to all of us, the only way I can experience that power is to actually plug into it. God’s power is kind of like that socket on the wall. The power is there whenever I need it, but it doesn’t do me any good until I actually plug into it.
HOW TO PLUG INTO GOD’S POWER
For a long time in his life, C.S. Lewis never plugged into the power of God. Although he had grown up in a Christian home he became an Atheist. But then around 1930, due to the influence of his friends, including J.R.R. Tolkien realized that he needed to plug into that power. So how did Lewis plug into that power and how can you plug into that power? Let me share with you three simple steps:
• Admit my need for Jesus
In the self-sufficient world we live in today, there are many who think that they don’t need God’s power – that they will just make it on their own. But the Bible is really clear how God views that kind of person.
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)
When God looks at those things that we consider good, all He sees is filthy rags, because God knows that the sin in our lives can never be overcome by our own actions. So the first step to plugging into God’s power it to admit that I need God’s power – that I can’t do it on my own.
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe there was nothing Edmund could do to save himself. And once he realized that, he knew he was completely dependent on Aslan:
But Edmund had got past thinking about himself after all he’d been through and after all the talk he’d had that morning. He just went on looking at Aslan… (p. 138)
In Reflections on the Psalms C.S. Lewis wrote: "We are all in the same boat. We must all pin our hopes on the mercy of God and the work of Christ, not on our own goodness."
• Believe in Jesus Christ as the only way to God
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the only way the Deep Magic could be broken was for “a willing victim who had committed no treachery to be killed in a traitor’s stead” (p. 160). There was no other way.
Today’s culture tries to get us to believe that there are many ways to God and that Jesus is just one of many acceptable ways to God. But what did Jesus himself say about that kind of approach?
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14: 6 (NIV)
If I want to plug into God’s power, then I have to trust in Jesus Christ alone. I have to believe and acknowledge that His death and resurrection are the only things that are sufficient to pay the penalty for my sin and allow me to have a personal, intimate, eternal relationship with God.
• Commit my life to Jesus Christ as Forgiver and Master
By a choice of my will, I have to commit my life to Jesus Christ. It’s not enough to just admit I need Him or even to just believe he is the only way to God. I have to actually make a commitment.
Say the welcoming word to God- "Jesus is my Master" - embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not "doing" anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
Romans 10:9-10 (Message)
This morning, I want to invite you to encounter the power of Jesus Christ in your lives. Some of you have never taken the three steps I’ve just described and plugged into the power of Jesus. In just a moment, I’m going to lead you in a prayer to help you do just that. But I believe that most of us have plugged into that power sometime in our lives. The problem for many of us is that we’ve pulled the plug and gone back to trying to live in our own power.
I’d like to ask right now that everyone bow your heads. First, let me address those of you who have never plugged into the power of Jesus Christ in your lives. If you’d like to do that today, I’m going to say a simple prayer and ask that you repeat that prayer after me. The words themselves aren’t magic, but if they truly express the desire of your heart, then by praying this prayer you can plug into the power of Jesus Christ:
Dear God,
I admit my need for you in my life. I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that there is nothing I can do in my own power to deal with my sin. I confess that Jesus Christ, through His death on the cross and His resurrection, is the only way to You and I am trusting completely in Him as the basis for my relationship with You. I commit my life completely to You and ask You to forgive my sins and to take control and be the Master of my life.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
If you just prayed that prayer, then in just a moment I want you to fill out the information on the flap of the bulletin and hand it to Denny or me after the service or place it in the offering plate. That way we can contact you and give you some help so that you can stay plugged into that power.
Many of rest of you have already plugged into God’s power in the past, but maybe you’ve pulled the plug and you’re living your life on your own. In just a moment, we’re going to have a time of response and during that time, I want to encourage you to confess that sin to God and to ask Him to help you get plugged back in again. I can promise you that that is a prayer God will answer in your life.
Father,
Thank you for Your power that is at work in our lives. Help us to keep plugged into that power every day by allowing You to be the Master of our lives.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
