“The Wardrobe”
12/4/05 – John Laeger
#1 in “Narnia: More Than A Fantasy”
I. Introduction
a. ATTENTION GETTER
i. This Friday a long awaited movie opens up here at Marcus…
ii. Fantasy story about … (briefly tell story without ruining movie…)
b. TRANSITION
i. I highly encourage you to go see it – take your entire family, take a friend, take a date – you know that girl you have been wanting to ask out or the boy you have been praying would ask YOU out…
ii. Did you know that C.S. Lewis wrote “The Chronicles of Narnia” without the intent of it being a spiritual allegory?
1. He wrote it as a simple fantasy.
2. BUT… C.S. Lewis was a strong Christian and as he wrote this amazing fantasy, his strong faith and spiritual truth began to weave itself all around it with the end result being a powerful allegory of spiritual truth and life.
iii. You see, Narnia is far more than just a fantasy.
II. The Wardrobe
a. THERE REALLY ARE TWO WORLDS
i. (explain Lucy discovering The Wardrobe, hiding in it, and discovering a whole ‘nother world on the other side)
ii. World of…
1. Coldness
2. Strange creatures
3. A “battle” between those who stand for good & right against those who are bent on evil and destruction & pain.
iii. That is the world of Narnia – the “fantasy”
iv. But did you know … that that is more than just a fantasy.
1. There REALLY is another world.
2. An unseen world of good and evil.
3. Where there are struggles – continually, every day, every moment – at work, at home, at school, driving down the road, when we pay bills, when we go shopping, when someone cuts us off, when we get homework piled on…
4. It is real and it is a fight.
5. A fight between what is good & right & honest & true against what is evil & painful & destructive & deceptive.
v. Eph 6:12 “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
vi. Here’s the truth I want you to nail…
1. I AM IN A BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL
2. A struggle and battle that we do not see – but one that we fight.
vii. We do not see it – but it is there.
1. We fight it when parents lay awake at night praying for their children to grow up with a pure heart.
2. Teens fight it when they hear day in and day out that they are ugly or fat or stupid or unpopular.
3. Nations and countries fight it when one side wants to create terror and murder and another wants to bring peace and prosperity.
4. Husbands and wives fight it when their marriage looses that spark, over-spending leads to indebtedness, sex is not what they expected or what they have grown up seeing portrayed on TV or the movies – and they begin to wonder if it would be best to separate or divorce.
5. Men and women fight it at the office when someone of the opposite sex gives you that look or brushes up against you in a provocative way and for a fleeting moment you wonder what it would be like if you…
viii. Don’t you think for one minute that this “fantasy” battle between good and evil is only a fantasy.
1. It is very, very, very real.
2. And we fight it every waking moment.
b. THERE REALLY IS A WHITE WITCH
i. Now, I don’t want to give away too much of the movie – BUT…
1. When you go, you will meet the “Queen of Narnia” or the “white witch”
2. She appears good, but there is something sinister and evil about her – something that just sends cold shivers up your spine.
3. You will see that she is evil to the core, without even a hint of goodness within her.
4. She is merciless, cruel, power-hungry, and sadistic.
5. She claims the throne of Narnia by brute force.
6. She enchants the land so it is always winter and never Christmas.
ii. THAT is the “fantasy” … BUT … it is far more than just a fantasy.
iii. There REALLY is a “white witch”
1. Evil to the core. Merciless. Cruel. Power-hungry.
2. Who is it? … Satan himself who is very, very real friends.
3. The Bible calls him the devil, Lucifer, Accuser, Adversary, Angel of the Bottomless Pit, Dragon, Enemy, Father of Lies, Evil Spirit, Great Red Dragon, Murderer, Old Serpent, Power of Darkness, Power of Death, Tempter…and more.
iv. And the world we live in is under the spell of Satan.
v. 1 John 5:19 “The world around us is under the power and control of the evil one.”
vi. Now…the devil is not some dude wearing red long underwear, two horns, a long horned tail, carrying a pitch fork.
vii. There are so many misconceptions of Satan…
viii. *** video from Saturday Night Live
ix. In fact, the Bible tells us most of the time, you will not even recognize him as something bad or evil.
1. 2 Cor. 11:14-15 “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”
2. Now … why would he do this?
x. You see, he is out to spread evil and darkness and pride and lies and break up friendships and marriages and families and bring companies down and kill…
1. And to do this, he cannot appear to us as harmful or evil – or else we would immediately reject him.
2. ***** clip from Alien *****
3. What if Satan appeared to you like that? What would you do?
xi. Tell me … how would you react if…
1. …you went shopping and as you stood there looking at that 42” plasma screen for your 10 x 12 bedroom and the sign said, “Go ahead buy me. Just put it on your credit card. It will lead you into debt that will keep you awake at night, arguments with your wife, you won’t be able to use your money to do good in building the kingdom of God because you have to make that monthly payment, you will have to get a second job …”
2. …as that person of the opposite sex gives you that provocative look he/she also gives you a note that says, “Have sex with me. Love me. It will lead to the destruction of your marriage. Your integrity will vanish. Your kids will loose their trust and faith in you. You will loose your job. You will live the rest of your life with regret…”
3. “Drink me … you will get behind the wheel and crash and kill those riding with you, yourself, and/or some innocent driver.”
xii. It doesn’t happen that way.
xiii. It doesn’t look bad.
1. It looks good.
2. It looks like it will add value to your life.
3. It looks like it will give you lasting pleasure.
xiv. Satan makes things appear good because if it looked evil, you and I would not get involved, or take it, or buy it, or touch it, or drink it.
xv. Here’s the truth I want you to grab on to…
1. SATAN MAKES EVIL LOOK GOOD
2. He is an angel of light.
3. He is a white witch.
4. And I must be alert and watching and aware.
xvi. He has twisted truth – subtle moves throughout time that we have fallen to and have been duped into believing.
xvii. *** video: “Conspiracy” ****
xviii. Some of you here, right now, are reasoning in your mind that ...you have religion.
1. You have gone to all the prescribed classes and you are following the traditions … so you are set.
2. Friend – you are being duped by Satan.
3. Mark 7:7-8 (GW) “Their worship of me is pointless, because their teachings are rules made by humans. You abandon the commandments of God to follow human traditions."
c. I PUT ON GOD’S ARMOR
i. When you become a follower of Jesus – you switch sides.
1. You are no longer on Satan’s side
2. And because you are no longer on Satan’s side, Satan puts you in his crosshairs in this spiritual war of good & evil.
3. God has given us a set of armor to wear to win this battle.
ii. Ephes. 6:11, 13-17 (Living) “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand safe against all strategies and tricks of Satan. So use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will still be standing up. But to do this, you will need the strong belt of truth and the breastplate of God’s approval. Wear shoes that are able to speed you on as you preach the Good News of peace with God. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. And you will need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit--which is the Word of God.”
iii. (use armor on stage to help teach this)
iv. Belt of Truth
1. The Facts of Spiritual Life.
2. As a belt, the Truth binds all the armor together.
3. If our faith is based on a lie - all the rest of the armor falls apart and becomes ineffective.
v. Breastplate of God’s Approval
1. Being Right before God.
2. As a Breastplate, God’s approval protects us from the attacks of Satan’s accusations.
vi. Shoes that “speed you on” as you share your faith
1. You have a story to tell others … the good news of peace with God.
2. The Good News is what we stand on as Christians.
vii. Faith = shield
1. His sacrifice applies personally to me.
2. As a shield, faith protects us from the arrows of doubt that Satan hurls at us.
viii. Helmet of Salvation
1. We battle this in our minds – we fight doubt in our minds.
2. We need no longer worry about our eternal destiny.
ix. Sword of the Spirit
1. The Word of God
2. Heb 4:12 …
3. As a Sword, The Bible speaks to the heart of life issues
x. Here’s the truth I want you to nail…
1. I CAN WIN THIS BATTLE
2. God does not want me to loose.
3. He has given me the armor I need to win.
4. If I put it on – and use it as intended – I will win!
xi. You use it to defend against and win the battle between good and evil.
1. You DO NOT use it against other followers of Christ!
2. God has given us “gifts” to use in the church.
3. God has given us “armor” to use outside the church.
4. You are “equipped” and “trained” on how to use your armor in the church.
xii. (cast vision for the church here – equipping you to win the battle, being a shelter and place of healing and rest from the battle…)
III. Conclusion
a. NEXT WEEK
i. Assignment – go see the movie this week.
ii. Invite a friend to go with you
iii. Bring them with you next week.
b. PRAY
i. (trust Christ)
ii. Pray for ourselves. Pray for our friends
