(Sound and video techs: This weekend we’re doing the same thing before the service that we did last week. Prelude music should be some good Christmas music. This music should be started as early as possible i.e. immediately after the band finishes their rehearsal. At 5 minutes til start the Christmas countdown video muted)
Opening Song
Holy is the Lord
Hear our Praises/Gloria Medley
Welcome and Announcements
Advent Candlelighting
Sermon Song:
Open Up Your Eyes
NARNIA: OPENING THE DOOR TO ADVENTURE
Maybe you’ve heard the new Christmas Carol called "OH, LITTLE BANK AMERICARD," sung to the tune of "O Little Town of Bethlehem?"
Oh, little Bank Americard, you bring me Christmas Cheer. Without your clout, I have no doubt no gifts I’d give this year.
Your credit line allows me to run up bills quite large And when I’m through exhausting you, I’ll use my Master Charge.
(Same tune, sung in late February) Oh, little Bank Americard, you bring me discontent. I calculate your interest rate is over twelve percent.
Each month, your cry for payments my letter-box bombards; I’m one more sap caught in your trap. Next year I’ll just send cards. --
It may seem a little strange that we are building our Advent series around a “fairy tale” as C.S. Lewis called his series, The Chronicles of Narnia. Let me set your mind at ease, we’re going to do what Lewis himself hinted at concerning all of the Chronicles of Narnia: enjoy the truths in the stories and learn from the truths behind the stories.
The series has sold over 85 million copies in 30 different languages. But unlike other fantasies, where stories glamorize witchcraft, evil potions & dark spells. CS Lewis clearly defines good and evil and as you’ll find out over the next nine weeks, presents a world Narnia where the spiritual truths of the Scriptures become crystal clear.
Ultimately, Narnia is about righting what has been wronged through the only means possible – a term we call redemption, paying the price to buy back what has been taken away. So the seven books in the Chronicles of Narnia series are about redemption –If that sounds Biblically familiar it was meant to be.
Lewis’ desire was to portray good as good and what happens when evil is allowed to rule. The story is filled with Biblical truth, some of which we will discover together over the coming weeks.
We will use the journey of four children as a springboard to some important Christmas truths. So, let’s get started by watching a video that will help you to understand the story better.
Roll “The Story” Video Here from the Narnia DVD
Though none of us have seen the movie yet, the pivotal scene near the beginning features Lucy. Lucy walks into the room and stands before the cloth covered object. A decision is made and she pulls back the cover revealing a wardrobe. Slowly she opens the door...
“To her surprise it opened quite easily, and two moth-balls dropped out. Looking into the inside, she saw several coats hanging up – mostly fur coats. There was nothing Lucy liked so much as the smell and feel of fur. She immediately stepped into the wardrobe, and got in among the coats...she took a step further in-then two or three steps-always expecting to feel woodwork against the tips of her fingers. But she could not feel it...And then she saw that there was a light ahead of her...” [from, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, chapter one)
The story begins with one little girl opening a door and beginning a journey that lasts a lifetime in another world. Soon others follow, but it seems that even though they are mostly together, each is on a journey of their own.
If you’re going to begin the journey you have to open the door.
Do you long to go beyond this ordinary life, to find adventure in magical lands like Narnia? The quest is not to be taken lightly. You just may discover there is another Kingdom out there—closer than you realize, as near as your heartbeat, just through that door. Are you ready?
There was something very special about that particular wardrobe and that specific door. But more importantly there was something that made her open that door and step inside. There was something that kept her moving toward the back of the wardrobe and eventually into Narnia.
Once in Narnia, once she saw the light of the lamp post, something kept her moving. Later when her brothers and sisters joined her something kept them moving as well. The call of Mr. Beaver in chapter seven summarized their journey: “Further in, come further in.” Mr. Beaver called.
In many ways the first Christmas story chronicles a similar journey. The world on the other side of Christmas was a cold, dark place.
As Mr Tumnus described Narnia it’s “Always winter and never Christmas, think of that!”
“Never quite Christmas” That’s a good description of what it was like before Christ’s Advent. Always winter, always spiritually dark. Never quite Christmas – at least not yet.
The inhabitants of Israel lived in spiritual darkness: speaking of Jesus, the Apostle John wrote: The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:5 (NIV) It was a dark world that the Messiah was born into.
Matthew quotes Isaiah when he prophesied about Jesus, the people living in darkness
have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Matthew 4:16 (NIV)
The birth of Jesus in many ways was like that light post in a dark world. It marked the place where spiritual journeys began.
Two groups of people saw the light and began their spiritual journey that first Christmas. They didn’t need a wardrobe, but they did see the light. The two groups of people were the wise men and the shepherds. Both opened the door to their spiritual journey after experiencing the light of Christmas.
QUESTIONS TO ASK MYSELF AS I APPROACH THE DOOR
AM I SEARCHING?
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem [2] and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." Matthew 2:1-2 (NIV)
It’s a simple yet profound thought: the wise men were searching.
That’s a perfect place to begin. Some of you are here this morning because you are seeking, searching. You were drawn to Horizons because there’s something you’re looking for. Seekers are to be commended.
We don’t know their entire story; a lot can be historically surmised about these wise men from the East. These were educated men who were seeking a king. They knew enough to be looking; they knew enough to follow the star they had discovered, and they knew enough to bring gifts of worship. For seekers, that was enough!
If you’re going to begin the journey you have to open the door, you must begin by searching.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)
Seek the Lord and live, Amos 5:6 (NIV)
The principle is this: God reveals Himself to those who are looking for Him.
If we are going to discover Christ this Advent we need to be looking for Him.
Yes, this applies to those who need salvation, but the thrust in these verses is to God’s people. God wants us to continue to seek Him; to continue to look for Him.
The call to every believer is still “Further in, come further in.”
What’s holding up your search for Christ this Christmas? As we saw last week, is it indifference? Is it fear? Is it preoccupation?
If you’re going to begin the journey you have to open the door, you must begin by searching.
The Wise Men opened the door to their spiritual adventure by searching.
AM I WILLING FOR GOD TO INVADE MY SPACE?
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. [9] An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. [10] But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. [12] This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
[13] Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
[14] "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
[15] When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
[16] So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. Luke 2:8-16 (NIV)
These shepherds were just minding their own business. They weren’t searching for anything. They were just trying to eek out a living, doing thier job.
God disurupted them. He inconvenienced them with this nocturnal announcement.
You couldn’t find two groups that were farther apart in their social or spiritual status that the wise men and the shepherds. Too far apart to be comfortable even placing them in the same narrative.
The magi were wealthy, powerful and highly educated. The shepherds were poor hired hands, without much power, and uneducated.
Yet even in their differences there are common threads – the same bonds that hold all of us together who have opened the door to a journey with Christ.
In Revelation 3:20 we have some of the final words spoken of Jesus in the Bible. He’s actually speaking to a church when He says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in… Rev. 3:20 (NIV)
If you want to see God work in your life, you have to be open to His intervention. You have to open the door to begin the journey.
Lots of people want to say they are willing for God to invade their space, but few really want to do what He asks them to do.
What would have happened if the wise men had waited? What if they decided they needed more information that what God had already revealed? What if they had simply listened, but then decided not to act on what they had been told? They would have ended up like the religious leaders in Jerusalem who even knew the village where the Messiah was to be born, but couldn’t be bothered to make the short walk to see Him.
What if the shepherds had thought, “maybe we should wait until we know what we’re supposed to do after we find Him”?
Neither group was given the next step until it was time to take the next step. In both cases they simply had to act on what they had been told and trust God for the next step.
AM I OPEN TO WONDER AND AWE?
The wise men brought gifts and the shepherds shared the story: giving and telling. Both are acts of worship.
When we talk about opening the door to your spiritual journey we are talking about a relationship with Jesus Christ. The journey is all about relationship and nothing builds relationship more than worship, focus on Jesus Christ.
At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Matthew 11:25 (NIV)
And he 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)
"Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." Matthew 2:2
Let’s begin a journey together through Advent. Let’s open the door and step inside and see where it takes us: a journey into a deep relationship with our Creator and Lord.
In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Narnia’s creator and lord is seen in Aslan, the Lion. (We’ll learn more about him soon.) In our world we know the real Creator is our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s go on a journey to meet Jesus.
Commit today to searching for Jesus in your life every day this week. Start with his WORD to you in the Bible. Let’s learn some things about Jesus together this week.
Then commit to listening. Listen to what He’s telling you. You’ll know you are listening, really listening, when you obey what you hear.
Roll “Silent Night Vibe” video with titles
Worship Set:
How Great Thou Art
Agnus Dei
You Are The One
Better is One Day/Noel medley
Water Baptisms
Offering and Celebration Song
Send Out Song
