Envision with me the glimmer of a lamppost in the distance, and snow is falling ever so gently across the beam of light, allowing for you to barely pick up on the trees draped in their bridal gown of white. This is an unEXPECTED discovery, what lies ahead beyond the forest is a new world, a place you’ve never been before. But, in an odd way, there is something comfortable about the radiant glow that lies protected in that globe upon the post, a sense of purpose to it’s existence and somehow it seems to draw you forward and light the path you must follow, and so as brave as you can be…you venture forth to battle for the good of it!
Sound familiar? If you’ve been hanging around TFH the last few weeks, indeed you can easily imagine this scene from C.S. Lewis’ book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. And, if you’re new here, then let me tell you a bit about this fairytale, first published in 1950, has 85 million copies in print, in 30 different languages, and has now been made into a major motion picture in fact, opening in theatres this Friday, December 9th.
There are four siblings: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, who while playing, stumble through a wardrobe into a fantasyland called Narnia. It appears to be a charming, peaceful land with talking animals, dwarfs, fauns, and giants, until the children learn of the evil White Witch, who rules over Narnia where is eternally winter and never Christmas. Eventually, the kids meet Aslan the lion, the true King, who guides them to fulfill their purpose of freeing this earthlike land.
And so, you might ask, “what is the point of us turning to a popular fiction book, in church of all places, and examining the pages within?” It might help us to know that the author of this book, C.S. Lewis, had a purpose in writing the Chronicles of Narnia, and it was NOT to divert us with fantasy. But rather, with his fiction writing, he intertwined biblical truths, hoping we would discover the story within the story, and return to reality with a newfound desire to find the magic in own lives. Gosh…I want that….Christianity is supposed to be exciting and miraculous isn’t it? So, c’mon let’s take a closer look…
Now we are going to zoom in on this scene I mentioned. This is at the beginning of the book where we get a glimpse of this new land, Narnia, as seen through the eyes of Lucy, the youngest of the four children. She finds herself in a very critical point in time….have you ever experienced a critical point in time? Maybe a new job offer, enrolling in school, the birth of a new baby, marriage. Or maybe something more along the lines of sickness, depression, divorce, or loss?
Well listen, I believe we can actually learn about what to do in those critical times of our own lives by looking at little Lucy, who playfully discovers a hiding place in the wardrobe. Can you imagine as she investigates the interior belongings and makes her way past a mass of hanging fur coats EXPECTING to finally reach out and feel the backside, instead stumbles upon an opening and sees that lamppost glimmering in the distance.
Her next move is crucial!
And, we can all relate…in those times in our life when we are in that tunnel of transition, that uneasy place, where we make decisions. We waver, and I don’t know about you, but all too often, in my own mind, I’m trying to think and figure and calculate and predict the future to determine my best decision. My mind gets to spinning, and oh, believe me I’m looking good on the outside…controlled, together….I’m a Christian, but on the inside…reality…I don’t know which way to go. Proverbs 19:21 says: We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but GOD’s purpose prevails. Mmmmmm…I like that!
So, Lucy, she finds herself upon the threshold of this new land and indeed, much like us in our adult ways, she turns and looks back towards the comfort of where she has already been…but, with little hesitation, like a child, she moves forward, towards that lamppost, because she simply trusts that what lies ahead is purposeful and worthy of further exploration.
Matthew 18:3 Jesus says: "I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in.”
Somehow, that verse has some newfound meaning to me as I think of Lucy and the fact she could have turned back. She may have missed out on all the adventures that awaited her, and more importantly she may have missed fulfilling her entire purpose…which was, along with her brothers and sister, to reign as Kings and Queens of Narnia. Oh, Lord, I don’t want to miss out on my purpose and most definitely I don’t want to miss out on your Kingdom!
So, how do we get back to square one, like the verse says? Not childlike in our ways…but, how do we think like Lucy? How do we trust and move forward, like she did? How do we overcome the fear, the hurts, and the mistakes of our past – those things that often cause for us adults to miss the Narnia experiences in our own life. Well, if you look closely, Lucy did a couple key things in this most critical moment.
1. Keep your eyes on the light.
2. Walk straight towards the lamppost.
Psalm 27:1 Light, space, zest--that’s GOD! So, with him on my side I’m fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. Yes!
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. That’s the answer! God’s word will lead me straight to that magical experience of knowing Him, knowing Him more, and discovering the reason for my very existence.
I’m sure that when Lucy first stumbled upon that closet piece of furniture, she had to have initially seen it as simply a big piece of wood. Nothing more. I wonder…how often is it that we too, might be on the verge of a breakthrough towards a Narnia experience with God and do not notice the wardrobe in front of us, with the doors waiting to be opened. Or maybe you’ve stumbled upon God in your life, but when you find yourself amongst the fur coats, the things of life, the fear of moving onward is too much and you flee back to the safety of what you know.
I’ve been there! In fact, I have to tell you the mere fact I am standing here today, speaking to you, is because I STUMBLED upon a “wardrobe experience” hidden within the doors of this very church. You see, earlier this year I attended a meeting here at The Father’s House and I thought it was a make-up meeting for small group leaders, which had previously been scheduled and then postponed because of snow. Naturally, I expected, like Lucy expected to touch the backside of the wardrobe, well I expected to discuss bible studies that evening. So can you imagine my surprise when Pastor Marty shares his vision for raising up others in our congregation to come alongside him to PREACH and TEACH at TFH. Oh my gosh, this is not what I expected…I realized, I’m in the wrong meeting! This was the newly formed, “Preaching and Teaching” class that I had stumbled upon. Now, I would love to tell you that I recognized this mistake of mine to be the work of God, and I simply ran forward towards the light like Lucy. Well, no that’s not the way it worked for me…because I have to tell you, when I fully comprehended that I was in the wrong meeting…in my head I was just trying to work out the appropriate time to find the nearest “yellow brink road”, because I’m thinking “there’s no place like home.” Get me out of here! This is not what I EXPECTED! NOT preaching and teaching oh my, preaching and teaching oh my…lions and tigers and bears, oh my. That would be another movie! And, yet here I am….I walked through that space of fear…that wardrobe…right into new territory….like Lucy…
When Lucy finally arrives in Narnia with her brothers and sister…and together they investigate the forest filled with all kinds of animals -- some who are good and some who are evil and on the side of the wicked white witch, who has cast her spell over the land where is it always winter, and never Christmas. Any of this sound familiar? A land filled with strange characters like maybe in your neighborhood, your workplaces…are your coworkers odd? How about in your homes…do you have strange kids or maybe spouses? And, Narnia is a place where it is always winter, but never Christmas….does that sound like your life, sometimes sad and depressing? Like our world where evil seems to prevail? In spite of all this, the children learn that there is hope, and that the hope can be found in Aslan the lion…and it is when the kids meet Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, who are good, that the they learn of this Savior:
Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.
And, it is at this point that we will take a closer look at Susan who is the one to ask Mr. and Mrs. Beaver a very important question: ”Is he quite safe?” – she’s referring to Aslan. You see, Susan is the oldest girl in the family and she tends to mother her younger siblings and she makes mature efforts to grow-up before her time. And, so she is asking a sensible question, in wanting to know more about this lion they are soon to meet. “Is he quite safe?” she asks. Mr. Beaver tells the children, “Course he isn’t safe. But, he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Think about it…is God safe? If He were safe, I would have got up and walked out of that teaching and preaching class. It seems He should be, but if He were safe, I imagine we would probably stay in one place, mentally/physically/emotionally…stick to what we are comfortable with, whether it was good for us or not, and never enter into the God land that awaits us. So…safe? He is not safe….
Just at the sound of his name – Aslan – the children feel something inside of them jump – and for Susan it is not fear as we might expect, but instead she feels as if a delicious smell or some delightful strain of music has just floated by her. It’s almost as if she already knows the lion, even though she’s never met him, and in spite of learning that he is not safe, she has this deep-seated desire to really get to know him. So, she wants to know from the Beavers, everything there is to know…and the Beavers fill her in on all the great things of Aslan the King and the fact that he will be waiting for them all at a special location called the Stone Table, BUT, warns the Beavers – there is great dangers lurking throughout Narnia and Susan learns that the evil White Witch wants, her sister, and brothers dead.
Why? Asks Susan. And the Beavers explain it is because the White Witch knows that when two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve sit on the four thrones at Cair Paravel, her magic powers are over and the land of Narnia will be free. So, Susan and the children are in particular danger…the Witch does not want to see them fulfill their purpose.
Now, most children, and may I say adults, would probably crumble at such news. But picture if you can, Susan, this 12-year old adult speaking child…you know the type….in seeking more wisdom from Mrs. Beaver she asks another sensible question: “…have we no hope?” Mrs. Beaver responds, “course we’ve got hope.”
Now…in Susan’s mind, she must have been battling to make sense of it all. Weighing out the risks involved and struggling to overcome her fear. She is not like her sister Lucy, who seems to skip and bound through the snow of Narnia, but Susan, she’s more adult-like and strives to make sensible decisions…we see that in her throughout the book, some of you may recall it is Susan’s idea to wear the fur coats from the wardrobe to battle the cold of Narnia, and it is she who points out the realities of this strange land, so she is very logical in her thinking…I like this girl!
She reminds me of me. Does she remind you of you? Levelheaded when gathering new information and motivated to make good decisions. Susan was like that – and that’s a good quality. But, some of us, and I’m not pointing any fingers…but, sometimes we get caught up in thinking and reasoning, and calculating, and some of us “sickies” get a real joy out of obsessing. Yesssss we do! We ponder and brood over it all, until pretty soon, before we know it, all those good brain cells that God gave us, are fogged over by fear, and worry, and anxiety. Imagine, if you will, Highway 30, on the bridge right next to the ADM Plant. Do you know where that is? On a day when the fog is so thick you can’t see the cars in front of you….well, that’s what it’s like…our minds are detouring quickly…and we’re caught up in wrong thinking and FEAR is causing for no room to hope.
So, what do we do? How do we get past the fear and risk hoping? A logical question don’t ya think?
Well, if we look closely at Susan and how she handles herself throughout her adventure in Narnia we will find that there are two reoccurring threads to her personality, which we can learn from:
1. Be cautious
2. Be brave
Susan was cautious in her walk through Narnia, but never paralyzed from moving forward. She was alert to her surroundings and recognized the wisdom to be found in the Beavers. Susan, she got to know the Beavers, she joined them in their home, cooking alongside Mrs. Beaver, questioning them both, weighing out their Aslan beliefs, eventually coming to a place where in her heart she must have trusted in Aslan, because she chose to be brave in what lie ahead when she took up her bow and quiver full arrows, ready to battle her way onward!
Josh 1:9 says: I command you--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
It does not appear that Susan became brave, in simply a moment, but rather it was a process…and in that process she engaged herself with the Godly Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. So, have you surrounded yourself with other Christians? Like Susan, have you become friends with others who are continually pointing you toward Jesus? Are you ready to choose bravery like Susan did, and meet Aslan at the Stone Table?
And, that my friends, brings us to the best part of the story….to the Stone Table….where we find Lucy, who has made it to this important spot because she was able to stay as “a child” and Susan is there too, because she was able to overcome her fear and risk being brave. And while, the sight of Aslan on the stone table…dead…killed by the White Witch is dreadful…the girls are the first to see the Risen Lion, just like the women at the tomb, Mary Magdeline, Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James…they were the first to experience our risen Lord, because death could not stop him. While they thought it was the end….in truth it was only the beginning…
So, close your eyes….and imagine yourself in this scene…and the Great Aslan is speaking to you…
READ from LWW
Page 171—“We have a long journey to go. You must ride on me.” to Page 172 …but, right across Narnia, in spring.
SO what…..is keeping you from the ride of your life?
Is it a lack of CHILDLIKE FAITH? Do you see the wardrobe in front of you? Do you see the light in the distance? Do you need to be more like Lucy and simply believe? What’s holding you back? Maybe it’s the FEAR OF HOPING. Do you need to overcome the fear and be brave like Susan?
CLOSING PRAYER
