¡§Life Returns¡¨ Eph2:1-10, Matt.11:1-6, 12-18-05, Advent 4, Narnia 4
Children¡¦s message: Well kids, we¡¦re almost there ¡V Christmas is coming next weekend! That also means that we¡¦re on the last part of our story, ¡§The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.¡¨ Watch the screen for the pictures as we read the last section. [see end of sermon for story adapted from the Narnia ¡§Movie Storybook¡¨ and the accompanying pictures. Have pictures displayed on screen so all in the congregation can follow along ¡V have children watch pictures on screen, too] What and who all came back to life in Narnia? Aslan did ¡V just like Jesus came back to life on that first Easter. Mr. Tumnus & others who had been turned into stone statues came back to life, too. How did that happen? Aslan did it, didn¡¦t he! He breathed on them and his breath was life. Listen in the sermon because we¡¦re going to talk more about how that happens even for us as Jesus breathes on us and helps us to really live! Pray and have kids return to their seats.
As we enter Narnia this week, we¡¦re watching life return to this magical world from the winter curse that the White Witch has put on the land. All of Narnia, for the past 100 yrs has been under her curse ¡V and, as you can see by the various pictures on the screen behind me [start looping various still pictures of winter in Narnia and statue scenes], that has included a dark, dreary, hopeless, and forever winter with no Christmas in sight, as well as hundreds of good creatures who have been turned into stone statues because they chose to defy her.
When Edmund first sees these beautiful statues in the courtyard of the Witch¡¦s castle, he finds them amazingly lifelike! They look real and we know why ¡V because that¡¦s the way they used to be, real and alive!
This world of ours is also under a curse ¡V we call it sin. Because of this curse, many in our world have been turned into stone statutes ¡V and they don¡¦t even know it! [If the congregation is comfortable conversing among themselves, do this: Let¡¦s talk for a moment about what that looks like in our lives, in our world today.] So many, even some of us, I would venture to say, are missing the life our Aslan, our Jesus is offering to us.
As we hear in Eph.2:1, we ¡§were dead in our transgressions and sins,¡¨ stone statues, if you will, that had no real life to them at all. That verse goes on to talk about things like ¡§following the ways of this world¡¨ and the ways of Satan, ¡§gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature, following its desires and thoughts.¡¨ We understand from the Bible that we were born into this world without the real life, the full and abundant life that Jesus has come to bring. In the words of John 3, we need to be reborn, we need new life breathed into us. The thing of it is, we can¡¦t fix this problem. No matter how good we are, how hard we try, how disciplined we may be, whatever, it is beyond us. We truly do need help. [stop the pictures]
What we hear, almost from the beginning of the story in Narnia, is that Aslan the lion, the Jesus figure in the story, is on the move. And because he is on the move, there are signs that the spell is weakening. Father Christmas shows up for the first time in a century, the ice over the rivers is starting to thaw, snow is melting everywhere, patches of green grass are starting to show. The children were surprised and amazed at what they saw. With Aslan here, winter was vanishing literally before their very eyes. In a matter of hours it was turning from January to May ¡V which is exactly what would happen when Aslan returned to Narnia.
And so it is for us today. We¡¦re told that it was our God who brought about creation, who made everything we see and know. In Him lies the power not only to create and give life but also to re-create life. One of the 1st things Aslan does after he returns to life from the dead is to head straight for the Witch¡¦s castle. He went to the courtyard filled with stone statues and he began to breathe on them. And by his breath, they started coming back to life!
We hear of this ¡§breath of life¡¨ in several prominent places in the Bible ¡V we hear of it at the creation of the 1st human as the Lord God ¡§breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and Adam became a living being¡¨ (Gen.2:7). We hear of it from Ezekiel and his prophecy of the dry bones and how the Lord breathed into these bones and they came to life (Ezek.37). We hear Jesus breathing on His disciples after He rose from the dead and speaking His peace to them and breathing into them the Holy Spirit, that breath of life.
Our Lord Jesus also breathes on us. We were lifeless stone statues without Jesus in our hearts and lives. In Ephesians 2 (:4-5) we¡¦re told that ¡§because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions ¡V it is by grace you have been saved!¡¨
„h We experience this gift, this breath of life coming to us.
„h We experience it in the waters of baptism, in the working of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God.
„h We experience it through the celebration of the Lord¡¦s Supper as well as in His working through the people of our lives.
„h We experience it as we give of what¡¦s been given to us and share His love with others.
„h He comes into us and gives us life, gives us that life-giving forgiveness and grace, gives us purpose and meaning, gives us help, support, encouragement, companionship, and hope.
But it¡¦s not just about living, existing. It¡¦s a beautiful picture from Narnia as we watch spring emerging, I can¡¦t capture it in just a couple words ¡V you¡¦ve got to read it for yourself. Between Aslan coming to life again, the world being reborn, and statues becoming living creatures, there is a growing excitement that cannot be contained in the children, in Aslan, and in those being re-created. There is a giddiness, giggling, laughing, running, jumping, playing, smiles, warmth, excitement, and pure joy. As Aslan is breathing on the statues and bringing them back to life, everyone is following him around, excited, wanting to be a part of what he is doing, wanting to experience all that he is about.
Friends, as we hear of Jesus, He is the one who has come and in Him ¡§the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor¡¨ (Matt.11:5). That is exactly what our Lord desires for us. He wants us not simply to exist, but to live ¡V really live! His desire is that we realize what a gift this life we¡¦ve been given really is. He wants us to know the healing we¡¦ve received ¡V spiritually by way of forgiveness, perhaps physically, enotionally, relationally, and in every regard. He wants us to be energized and excited about our life in Him and with Him. His desire is for us to want to be following Him around, chasing after Him, to be doing the same things He is doing, sharing and experiencing the healing He has come to bring, offering hope and life to people who have none.
There is no doubt that this is a challenging thing to do and to experience 24/7. But how can you hold that up, how can you work at not taking this amazing God and His life-giving gifts and promises for granted? It doesn¡¦t have to be just in a church program or church sponsored ministry. It comes as we see Jesus and the opportunities He is opening up all around us and as we then see how we can join Him in His work. In the What Now? for this week, I encourage you to ask yourself: 1) How can you personally more fully realize, experience, and celebrate the new life our Aslan/Jesus has breathed into you? 2) How could you run alongside of Him and be part of and share in the re-creative activity that He is about in your world?
Let this coming week be a week filled not with undue stress. As challenging as it may be, look for Jesus. Look for the things He is about and the life He is giving to you. And see how you might join Him and step into the joy He is wanting to bring to our lives and to our world and be about the work, the healing, and the joy of the new life we find in Him.
Children¡¦s message script:
Picture #1 Aslan. Aslan was alive! Lucy and Susan climbed on Aslan¡¦s back and galloped across the countryside to the melting ruins of the Witch¡¦s ice castle.
Picture #2 apple blossom tree
Every moment the patches of green grew bigger and the patches of snow grew smaller. They could actually feel the warm sun on their skin. Lucy pointed at the flowers popping out of the earth. Even Susan had to admit something miraculous was happening. Spring was coming to Narnia.
Picture #3 Edmund and White Witch on bank
The White Witch had to admit it, too. Her sled was stuck in the mud ¡V she would have to go on foot. Wearily, Edmund trudged behind her. But he could see it, too. Edmund saw the ground covered in all directions with little yellow flowers. The noise of water grew louder as they even crossed a stream.
Picture #4 Mr. Tumnus hugging Lucy
Meanwhile, Lucy, Susan, and Aslan arrived at the White Witch¡¦s castle. In the courtyard they found the stone statues the Witch had created with her dark magic ¡V and one of the was Mr. Tumnus! Aslan breathed on the Faun until he came back to life. The Lion did the same for the thousands of other statues.
Picture #5 Witch fighting with stone statues around her
Then he led them back to the battlefield ¡V and not a moment too soon. Peter¡¦s army was on the verge of collapse. The Witch had turned many of his soldiers to stone.
Picture #6 Witch fighting Edmund
She was now closing in on Peter, her magic wand raised. Seeing this, Edmund brought down his sword and smashed the wand in two. Furious, the White Witch let out a horrible scream
Picture #7 Edmund surrounded by the other children
She wounded Edmund with what was left of her want and he fell to the ground. Aslan bounded down a cliff directly toward her. He pounced and roared ¡V and then the Witch was gone, with one flash of his mighty teeth.
