The Wardrobe:
“Discover The Wonder”
I must admit that there are times when I am convinced that we have made Christianity far more complicated than what it was ever intended to be. Luke the physician recorded many of Jesus’ profound statements, but none is more profound than the one found in Luke 18:17. Listen to the Message version:
“Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom
in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in."
Luke 18:17 (The Message)
On another occasion, the disciples were arguing over who had the best seminary education or something of that nature, and so Jesus had a little child stand among them and then said:
"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:3 (NIV)
I don’t know about you but I find it a little more than ironic that while so many in today’s “Christian Culture” are terribly preoccupied with becoming “mature” believers and “growing up” in the faith, Jesus tells us the way is to, “become like little children”.
Clive Staples Lewis
No one exemplifies this principle better than Clive Staples Lewis. Better known to you and I as C.S. Lewis, one of the foremost scholars and keen intellects of the 20th Century.
By his own admission, Lewis was deeply affected by his mother’s death at the tender of age of ten and felt completely abandoned by his father. These dire circumstances led to his rejection of Christianity and subsequent gravitation toward atheism. An avid reader and lover of books, Lewis began to read Christian authors such as George MacDonald and G.K. Chesterton. One of MacDonald’s volumes, Phantastes,
powerfully challenged his atheism. "What it actually did to me," wrote Lewis, "was to convert, even to baptize … my imagination."
G. K. Chesterton’s books worked much the same way, especially The Everlasting Man, which raised serious questions about the young intellectual’s materialism. Says Lewis, "A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading," Lewis later wrote in the autobiographical Surprised by Joy. "God is, if I may say it, very unscrupulous."
In 1929, C.S. Lewis surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and became a born-again Christian. Almost immediately he began to focus the direction of his scholarship in defending his newfound faith. As a result, you and I are the beneficiaries of such great literary works as …
“The Great Divorce”
“The Problem of Pain”
“Abolition of Man”
“Surprised By Joy”
“The Screwtape Letters”
“Mere Christianity”
Just to name a few …
That’s why I find it so fascinating that among this great scholar and apologist’s greatest works, the one with the most far reaching and greatest impact has been and continues to be a children’s series entitled “The Chronicles of Narnia”.
It is just like God to reveal himself in this way.
25 “. . . you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. ”
Matthew 11:25 (NIV)
For our time together this morning, I would like to invite you to come back with me to that innate sense of wonder and child-like faith. I invite you to step away from all that you consider sophisticated and complicated and join me (if for just one hour) to the simple childlike faith of which Jesus said is necessary for kingdom entrance.
It’s this simple child-like faith that prompted C.S. Lewis to pen his classic “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe”.
And in this classic, four children have become victims of war and sent to stay with Professor Digory. During a harmless time of “hide and seek”, the youngest, Lucy opens up a wardrobe seeking a place to hide. But instead of finding a place to hide, the wardrobe opens up to her something totally unexpected . . .
*PLAY CLIP* (Lucy Opening the Wardrobe)
Instead of finding a place to hide, the wardrobe opens up to Lucy something totally unexpected; an alternate world that co-exists alongside her own, yet totally unseen and unknown by the masses. As she steps into the Wardrobe, she actually steps into the unseen and unknown world of “Narnia”.
What if a Wardrobe really existed? What if there actually were a portal through which we could step into an unseen world that exists simultaneous with ours? I know what some of you are thinking right now, “I think the Pastor’s been watching the Sci-Fi Channel a little bit too much”. But before you dismiss the idea of the existence of an actual Wardrobe, (The Big Idea) I would like to suggest to you that there is more to this world than what meets the eye. While Narnia is certainly fictional, the Bible implicitly and unashamedly tells us that there is such a thing as an Unseen World.
I would like to propose to you that Lewis’ young fictional character Lucy is not the only one to have walked through a wardrobe to catch a glimpse of the unseen. According to the book of truth, the Bible, there have been a number of individuals throughout history who have, (if you will) walked through their own wardrobe to see the unseen. And while time does not allow us to be exhaustive, I would like to highlight three biblical descriptions of this unseen world.
So if you’re ready, and armed with child-like faith, let’s dare to open the Wardrobe and enter the world of the unseen.
The Bible’s Description of the Unseen World Includes …
1. The Unseen World of Celestial Beings.
Hebrews 12:22-24 (NIV)
One type of Celestial Being in the unseen world are angels.
(1) Angels
You have come to thousands upon thousands
of angels in joyful assembly,
Hebrews 12:22 (NIV)
One of my favorite Old Testament stories in found in the sixth chapter of 2 Kings. The king of Aram was unsuccessful in his attempts to confront the Israelites because Elisha the prophet would inform Israel’s king of the enemies’ plans. Therefore the king of Aram sent a large contingency of chariots and horses to surround the city where Elisha was staying. Elisha’s servant woke up in the morning and saw the imposing army all around the city and was scared to death. Listen to their dialogue in 2 Kings 6:15-17:
"Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.
16 "Don’t be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2 Kings 6:15-17 (NIV)
Friends, if our eyes could be opened like Elisha’s servant, we would see a myriad of angels all around us. Jesus certainly knew this when he told Peter that if he (Jesus) chose to, he could call twelve legions of angels to save him (Matthew 26:53). In fact, the writer of Hebrews tells us that sometimes we actually encounter angels and are totally unaware of it (Hebrews 13:2). Angels are real my friends. They are simply God’s messengers and sent by God to serve His purposes in our lives. We are not to worship them, nor seek to contact them. Just know and believe that they are actively involved in our daily lives.
If our eyes were opened to see into the unseen world of celestial beings, not only would we see angels, but we would also see . . .
(2) The Spirits of Just Men Made Perfect
“…to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,”
Hebrews 12:23 (NIV)
Listen to one of Peter’s “Wardrobe” experiences as recorded by Matthew:
1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Matthew 17:1-3 (NIV)
How many of you have a loved one who placed their faith in Christ but are no longer with us? Let me see your hands. Do you understand the implications of this passage of Scripture? What it tells us is that when our loved ones who know Christ pass from this life, they do not go into a soul sleep, no do they simply pass into non-existence. Far from it! On the contrary, I submit to you that your loved ones are more alive now than they ever were in this life! And they’re not floating around on clouds playing harps. Like Moses and Elijah, they are serving Christ.
Can you imagine how it would impact your life to have the veil pulled back from your eyes to get a glimpse of your loved one full of life serving Christ? To know that they’re fully alive with the love, light and life of Christ! Wow! Friends that’s a reality! But a word of caution here. While their spirit is fully alive in the presence of Christ, we are strictly forbidden by Scripture to attempt to contact them, pray to or “through” them or to worship them.
10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.
Deuteronomy 18:10-11 (NIV)
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV)
We simply need to be comforted in the knowledge that if Christ lives in our hearts we will see and know them again and live together in eternity. And may I just add, this is not wishful thinking on our part, it is biblical, Christ - spoken truth.
If our eyes were opened by walking through this Wardrobe, not only would we be able to see Angels and the Spirits of Righteous Men Made Perfect, but best of all we would see . . .
(3) The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit
“You have come to God, the judge of all men, …”
Hebrews 12:23 (NIV)
The Bible is full of examples of the “Wardrobe Experiences” of various individuals who have caught a glimpse of God almighty.
• Moses
• Isaiah
• Ezekiel
• Daniel
• John
• Paul
And in practically every case, when these people encounter Almighty God, they fall at his feet and are overwhelmed with his Holiness, Purity and Righteousness and feel the burden of their own unworthiness and sin.
“What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see. When I look upon his face, the one who saved me by his grace. When He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the promised land, What a day, glorious day that will be.”
If that were all that we would see in the unseen world, it would be wonderful. But just like Narnia that was under the spell of the White Witch, the unseen world that exists alongside ours also includes . . .
The Bible’s Description of the Unseen World Includes …
2. The Unseen World of Evil.
Make no mistake about it. There is an unseen world full of evil all around us and its leader is none other than . . . Satan himself.
(1) Satan
The Apostle Peter, a veteran of many wardrobe encounters, had this to say about Satan: (“Peter, Satan has desired to sift you like wheat …”)
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around
like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
If we could but see all the havoc that Lucifer has unleashed, we would be absolutely appalled and astonished. If we could but somehow actually see all the things that we have accepted as mere coincidence but were in reality, strategic and deceptive snares of the evil one, we would be amazed.
If we could but see his evil delight when . . .
• innocent unborn children are murdered
• helpless young people are molested
• loving spouses & parents fall prey to sexual seduction and addiction
• soldiers loose their lives to suicide bombers
If we could but see the pure hatred and murderous spirit of his putrid presence, we would never ever doubt his wicked & malicious influence, his wicked intent and his wicked impact in our lives again.
And according to the Bible, he’s not alone in this unseen world of evil. There are also:
(2) Fallen Angels
For 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.
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
I have no doubt that some who listen to this message might think, “Evil spirits? Come on! What do you think this is, the dark ages?” Precisely. Although we cover it up with cultural sophistication, make no mistake about it friends, we live in a dark age. John the Apostle experienced the Grand Daddy of all wardrobe experiences, and he even wrote it all down for us. You and I know it as the book of Revelation. Listen to what John says about Satan and his cohorts:
But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."
Revelation 12:12 (NIV)
If we could but see all of the evil activity, schemes and plans that are being launched against mankind, we would be never be the same.
But when considering the unseen world of evil, a warning must be issued. And in his classic “The Screwtape Letters”, C.S. Lewis stated in well when he said:
“There are two equal and opposite errors about the devil:
We tend take the devil altogether too seriously or not seriously enough.”
C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
Imagine if you will that on the last leg of our “Wardrobe Tour” we were somehow able to look into another unseen realm, what the Bible describes as . . .
The Bible’s Description of the Unseen World Includes …
3. The Unseen World of Eternity.
Listen to what the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:18:
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)
Just think about that verse for a moment. “… what is seen is temporary … what is unseen is eternal.” Is it me or does that strike you and just a little surreal and/or strange? Literally, everything that we can see in this auditorium is temporary. It’ not going to last. That new car you just purchased, the new house you’re moving into, all the gifts that you will buy for Christmas … they’re all temporary.
For me, this is the intrigue of Narnia. Is Narnia more real than the world from which the four children come from?
The bible explicitly describes two unseen eternities . . .
The Unseen Eternity of . . .
(1) Eternal Separation
The people who will spend eternity in eternal separation from God are people who have rejected God’s Son and the merciful appeals of the Holy Spirit to surrender their lives to Christ. These are the people who time and again have said an unequivocal
“No” to God’s source of salvation, His Son Jesus, choosing rather to find their own way thereby condemning themselves to a Christless Eternity.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever rejects the Son will not see life,
for God’s wrath remains on him."
John 3:36 (NIV)
And upon their entry into eternity God will simply give them what they have wanted all their earthly lives, to be left alone by God. The ultimate and eternal destination of every person who has rejected Christ is the Lake of Fire. And make no mistake about friends, there’s nothing funny about it whatsoever. Jesus described Eternal Separation as hell. A place where people will be in eternal darkness, eternal torment and eternal fire. Without hope, without help, without love, without God. Period.
Someone has said that if we could spend five minutes in hell, we would live as different people. I have to be honest. I don’t think it would take that long at all. In fact, I think one split second of pure hell and eternal separation would do it for most of us. Make no bones about it friends, hell, the unseen eternity of eternal separation is real. But there’s another unseen eternity that is described in the bible and it is the . . .
The Unseen Eternity of . . .
(2) Eternal Life
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
John 5:24 (NIV)
You see, while evil does exist and hell is very real, we need to focus on the fact that there is another unseen eternity called “Eternal Life”. It’s described throughout the bible in different ways and is knows as
• “The Promised Land”
• “Paradise”
• The Throne of God
• “Heaven”
The bible even gives us eyewitness accounts of people who have been there, and come back to tell about it. One such person was the apostle Paul. And in his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul describes his own personal “Walk Through the Wardrobe”.
2 I was caught up into the third heaven fourteen years ago. 3 Whether my body was there or just my spirit, I don’t know; only God knows. 4 But I do know that I was caught up into paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be told.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (NLT)
If a split second of hell could change us then I think the same could be said about heaven, in that it would only take a split second of experiencing the peace, the purity, the love and the perfection of eternal life with Christ to make us never want to leave it. When Paul experienced it, he was never the same. And when confronted with his own mortality he could confidently say,
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21 (NIV)
So here’s the question of the morning. Who gets to go to heaven? What are the entry requirements? Listen to how Jesus himself answers this question:
"I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved”
John 10:9 (NIV)
Placing your total belief, trust and faith in Christ is the only requirement for eternal life. So many tend to think, “Wait a minute, there has to be more to it than that.” And that’s the problem, they try to make it too complex. Remember what we said at the start of today’s message?
“Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom
in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in."
Luke 18:17 (The Message)
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:11-12 (NIV)
Response:
More than likely, none of us will ever walk through a magic wardrobe and actually see the unseen world. But I do know this. There is a wardrobe or portal that we will all walk through which will usher us into an unseen and unknown world – you and I know it as death. That split second when our spirit departs from our earthly body, clothes itself with immortality and ushers us into the formerly unseen eternity.
If you’ll allow me, let me get real “Pastoral” and personal with you for a minute.
If you were to walk through the “Wardrobe of Death” today, what would be your eternal destiny?
If you can’t really answer that question, or don’t like the answer that comes to your mind, then listen to Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:20:
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
For some of you here this morning, your eternal destiny is hanging in the balance. Jesus Christ, who died for your sins and rose again from the dead is knocking at the door of your heart right now. And the determining factor in your eternal destiny is whether or not you answer his knock by opening the door of your heart and invite Him to come in and share his life with you.
Today is your day friend. Christ is knocking, waiting patiently for you to answer. He’s not out there wearing a robe with a gavel in his hand as your judge, but rather, He’s out there ready to embrace you with His arms spread wide open to welcome you into His family where you belong.
And if you’re ready to answer the door, then I’m going to ask you to do something really courageous right now. If you’re ready to invite Christ into your life, I’m asking you right now to stand up at your seat. Just like if you were at home and heard the doorbell, you would have to get up out of your seat and answer to door. Jesus said that if you’ll confess him before men, then he’ll confess you before his Father in heaven. You see, I know this about you, if you’re willing to take your stand in here today, then you’ll be more likely to take your stand out there tomorrow. But if you don’t take you stand in here, chances are, you’re not going to take your stand out there either.
