GOOD NEWS FOR STICKY SITUATIONS
-- Pastor Mark Thornton --
Sunday, December 4, 2005
(Note – This is more of an outline than a manuscript – I shared more in the way of content and illustrations than what is printed here. I also want to acknowledge that the inspiration and seed thoughts for this message came from the message “Ten Tasty Tidbits about Turkish Delight” by Pat Cook. Thanks Pat!!)
INTRODUCTION
What was your favorite book or story when you were growing up? (invite comments, or share with person next to you)
* For generations, people have harnessed the Power of Story to express the magic and meaning of Christmas. Last week we took note of the fact that a good Story has the Power to CAPTURE OUR IMAGINATION and STIR US TO ACTION. It can both thrill our spirit and motivate us to respond.
One of the most compelling books ever written was a book of fantasy by author C.S. Lewis, entitled “The Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.” This book, along with the 6 other books in the series has entranced readers of all ages for over 50 years – and now it is coming to the Big Screen as a production by Disney and Walden Media.
The exciting part for us as Christians is that the book itself contains many biblical parallels and truths that can help people to understand and know Jesus Christ more deeply. Last week, we began a message series last week based upon the land of Narnia entitled “Capturing the Wonder of Christmas.” I believe that this book (along with the movie) can help each of us to have a greater appreciation and understanding of the miracle of Christmas seen from a different perspective. I also believe that the book and the movie offer us a tremendous opportunity to share Jesus with our neighbors, and as such, we want to assist and empower you to community the Truth behind the story.
Last Sunday, we looked at the similarities between the land of Narnia and the world in which we live. Today, we want to consider one of the primary characters in the book, and the trouble that he gets himself into.
(Note – at this point, I introduced the character of Edmund, his rotten attitude, the way he stumbled into Narnia, his initial impressions, and his encounter with the White Witch. I finished this introduction by describing how the White Witch offered him “Turkish Delight”, thus getting him into a sticky situation.)
When I first read the story as an adult, I was struck by the many similarities that we can find between Turkish Delight and sin/temptation.
MAKING THE CONNECTION – Like Turkish Delight…
1) Sin Often APPEARS VERY APPEALING.
Right off the bat, the White Witch (also referred to as the Queen) asked Edmund a question: WW: “What would you like best to eat?” E: “Turkish Delight, please.” said Edmund… Instantly there appeared a round box… which when opened turned out to contain several pounds of the best Turkish Delight. Each piece was sweet and light to the very centre and Edmund had never tasted anything more delicious. (LWW, ch.4)
When the White Witch appeared to Edmund, it was not obvious that she was evil. She wasn’t ugly and repulsive; she was beautiful and elegant (though in a cold and aloof way). She appeared to be attractive and good and caring – she offered him her cloak and something to eat and drink. To gain Edmund’s confidence and lure him in, the White Witch decided to offer him something that he desired more than anything else – Turkish Delight. TD is an ultra-sweet confection that we don’t see very often in North America, but for Edmund, it was heaven.
If you think about it, there are many similarities between this and sin. When sin comes our way in the form of temptation, it doesn’t appear as something ugly, disgusting or repulsive. Wouldn’t that make resisting temptation so much easier… if it came with a sign that said “Beware, I will destroy your life… I will ruin your marriage… I will draw you away from God!!” If that were the case, almost all of us would resist temptation. Instead, it usually comes in a form that is very appealing.
In fact, this is what happened in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. The serpent did not hold up some awful, repulsive fruit to Eve, but one that was very appealing to her.
-- “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3:6 – NIV)
Why are some forms of temptation so strong? Because they appeal to our own selfish desires and lusts.
-- “A man’s temptation is due to the pull of his own inward desires, which can be enormously attractive. His own desire takes hold of him, and that produces sin…” (James 1:3 – Phillips)
As much as we would like to blame our failures on Satan and his evil forces, when it comes down to it, we ourselves are to blame. He is simply presenting an option to us that is personally appealing.
And by the way, have you noticed that what is appealing and attractive to one person often has very little appeal to another person? If someone wants to tempt my appetite, they can do so with ice cream or cheesecake; and yet neither of those really appeals to my son. Likewise, with the temptation to sin, Satan personalizes his attacks by appealing to the specific desires that each of us struggle with.
Whenever we face the urge to be selfish and self-centered, we can know for certain that this is not of God. As the Apostle John warned us:
-- “Practically everything that goes on in the world — wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important — has nothing to do with the Father…” (1 John 2:16 – Msg)
So the first connection we see here is that, like Turkish delight, Sin Appears Very Appealing.
2) Like Turkish Delight, Sin Always DISTORTS THE TRUTH.
When we come back to the story, we find Edmund still talking with the White Witch, munching away on Turkish Delight. And the White Witch is pretty perceptive – she realizes that there is something inside of Edmund, beyond the snack itself, that she can appeal to.
-- WW: “I want a nice boy whom I could bring up as a Prince and who would be King of Narnia when I am gone… While he was Prince he would wear a gold crown and eat Turkish Delight all day long… I think I would like to make you the Prince.” (LWW, ch.4)
Why was this so appealing to? First, Edmund was a middle child who always felt like he was getting a bum rap. He was overshadowed by his older brother, Peter, and did not get the special treatment of his younger sister, Lucy. So the appeal to, not only have all the Turkish Delight he wanted, but also to rule struck a chord in his heart and mind.
What Edmund did not realize was that he was already destined to be a king in Narnia. According to prophecy, “2 Sons of Adam” and “2 Daughters of Eve” would one day become kings and queens and rule over Narnia – but she appealed to his desire to be first; to actually have his brother and sisters under him.
The White Witch was a master at distorting the truth – she made herself appear to be a kind and caring person when she was actually a cruel witch. And she distorted the potential “reward” that would come Edmund’s way if he followed her directions.
Do you see the similarities between her and Satan? Satan does not come to us as some sinister being in a red suit with a pointed tail and a pitchfork – that would be too easy to recognize. Instead, Paul warns us that:
-- “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14 – GWT)
He comes in a form that disarms us. And he is full of lies although we don’t often recognize it at first. He takes the truth, and instead of telling a bold, outright lie that we would recognize, he twists and distorts it just enough so that it causes us to question ourselves and God. But at his core, he is a liar.
-- "The devil… has never been truthful. He doesn’t know what the truth is. Whenever he tells a lie, he’s doing what comes naturally to him. He’s a liar and the father of lies…” (John 8:44 – GWT)
Consider again the way he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden. God had warned them not to eat of that one tree in the Garden – or they would die. Every other tree was at their disposal but that one. But what did the serpent say:
-- [To Eve] "You won’t die!” the serpent hissed. "God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5 – NLT)
Notice his tactics: First, he contradicts God, and then he makes it appear that God is holding out on them. God “knows” (and is afraid) that when you eat this, your eyes will be opened, and you will become just like Him.
By the way, isn’t that what Satan continues to do to us today?! We hear God’s warnings and commands, and yet Satan undermines them and tries to convince us that God is holding out on us – that He’s keeping us from pleasure and enjoyment or fulfillment, or something else that we desire. He tries to convince us that wrong is fun and exciting while obedience is boring. He tries to convince us that God is just an old spoilsport, with rules that are irrelevant for today. He tries to tell us that we will be better off if we do what we want or what the world says is worthwhile. He doesn’t necessarily try to push us down a road that is obviously going the wrong direction, but rather he tries to get us to take another road that “appears” to be going the same direction as the right road, but ultimately takes us away from God.
Indeed, Satan tried to do the same thing to Jesus himself:
-- The devil said to Jesus, "I will give you all these kingdoms and all their power and glory… If you worship me, then it will all be yours.” (Luke 4:5-7 – NCV) Like Edmund, Jesus was destined to be king and rule over all the world; but Satan tried to get Jesus to take a shortcut – to take the “easy” way rather than the way of the cross.
Like Turkish Delight, Sin Always Distorts the Truth.
3) Like Turkish Delight, Sin Is ADDICTIVE, BUT NEVER TRULY SATISFIES.
It’s interesting to watch Edmund throughout this portion of the story. As he was sitting there eating, it tells us that…
-- Edmund… thought only of trying to shovel down as much Turkish Delight as he could, and the more he ate the more he wanted to eat. At last the Turkish Delight was all finished and Edmund was looking hard at the empty box…” (LWW, ch.4)
Edmund ate and ate and ate – he couldn’t get enough of this Turkish Delight. There were two reasons for this: first, he absolutely loved Turkish Delight – it was his favorite; but more significantly, this was “enchanted” Turkish Delight – the White Witch had place a spell on this snack so that anyone who ate it could not be satisfied, but would want more and more and more. In fact, it said that, if allowed to, the person would continue eating until they died.
Again, what a strong similarity this has to sin in our lives. How often have we entered into an action that we know is wrong, but which we rationalize in our mind, saying “I’ll only do this once and never again… I can control myself… I don’t have a problem… I can stop when I want to…” But what happens is that once we begin, it grabs hold of us and won’t let go. It’s like that snack commercial that says: “I bet you can’t eat just one!!” Or like someone who tries to drink seawater to quench their thirst – all it does is make them even more thirsty, craving more and more.
That’s why we have people who become addicts to alcohol or pornography or drugs or gossip or lying or sexual immorality. They try something once and it grabs hold of them – and even though the actual pleasure seems to diminish over time, the cravings grow stronger and stronger. Even incredibly wise people can be taken into the pursuit of pleasure and sinful temptations:
-- Solomon: “I explored ways to make myself feel better by drinking wine. I also explored ways to do some foolish things… If something appealed to me, I did it. I allowed myself to have any pleasure I wanted…”
** Before we continue: Does that sound like anyone you know? That pretty much describes the North American society doesn’t it. Pursuing one pleasure after another, seeking excitement and fulfillment, but like Solomon they discover:
“But I saw that it was all pointless…” (Eccles. 2:3,10-11 – GWT)
-- “You’re addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied.” (Proverbs 21:17 – Msg)
-- "There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them… All they want is easy street… But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods… all they can think of is their appetites.” (Philippians 3:18-19 – Msg)
So, like Turkish Delight, Sin is Addictive, But Never Truly Satisfies.
4) Like Turkish Delight, Sin Tends To CLOUD OUR JUDGMENT.
Not only was Edmund addicted to this enchanted Turkish Delight, it began to affect his thinking and his actions. The further Edmund got into the adventure, the more he discovered how evil and malevolent the White Witch was, and yet the story states that…
-- Edmund… still wanted to taste that Turkish Delight again more than he wanted anything else… He thought about Turkish Delight and about being a King… and horrible ideas came into his head…” (LWW, ch.4,7)
He craved the Turkish Delight and all the other things that the Witch had offered to him that he began to conspire more and more against his brother and sisters (and the rest of Narnia) – to betray them to the White Witch. Even though he really didn’t want something bad to happen to them, these cravings and desires became so strong that his judgment became clouded and he found himself turning into a traitor.
The Bible itself gives a number of examples of people whose judgment became clouded by sin and temptation and bitterness. Way back in Genesis, Cain became bitter by God’s unwillingness to accept his offering, and he ultimately murdered his brother, Abel. (Genesis 4)
And then we can point to King David (2 Samuel 11), who chose to stay at home instead of going to war with his armies. And there he was, wandering on the parapet of his palace, and he happened to see a woman bathing – and he was captured by her beauty. Instead of turning around and walking inside, he sought information about her – he pursued her – and then wound up committing adultery with her. And then, when she became pregnant, he conspired to have her husband killed in battle in order to cover up their sin. Now remember, David was described as being “a man after God’s own heart…” and yet his lusts and desires got the better of him, and he made some rash and foolish decisions that he later regretted.
Can you identify with that feeling? I know that I can – many times I have made foolish decisions that flowed directly out my own selfish and impure desires (or the desire to cover those up), and I have paid the price for it. Look at what the Scriptures say:
-- “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another…” (Titus 3:3 – NIV)
And this is at the root of the problem with God’s own people, the Israelites:
-- “Your ancestors would not listen… They turned stubbornly away and put their fingers to keep from hearing. They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the law or the messages that the Lord Almighty had sent them…” (Zechariah 7:11-12 – NLT)
Like Turkish Delight, Sin Tends To Cloud Our Judgment. And finally…
5) Like Turkish Delight, Sin Produces TERRIBLE CONSEQUENCES.
As we indicated earlier, this “enchanted” Turkish Delight made anyone who ate it want more and more of it. In fact, the story said that, if allowed to, the person would continue eating until they died. But the worst of the consequences came about because of what Edmund did as a result of these cravings – he betrayed his family, along with the rest of Narnia. And as a result, Edmund ended up in chains – a prisoner of the White Witch. Instead of becoming a prince, she wrapped him in chains and then marched him around with her as a slave.
By the way, that’s exactly what happens to us, isn’t it? We think that sin will bring us pleasure and freedom, but in reality, all it does is entrap and enslave us. It holds us captive – unfulfilled and guilty. That’s why Jesus warned his followers:
-- Jesus: “I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave.” (John 8:34 – Msg)
Paul expressed the same thing in Romans:
-- “Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master?” (Romans 6:16 – NLT)
Back to the story - at one point, Aslan the king arranged for Edmund to be rescued from the Witch’s grasp, but that did not end the matter. The Witch confronted Aslan, demanding that Edmund be turned back over to her:
-- The Witch said to Aslan: “You know that every traitor belongs to me as my lawful prey and that for every treachery I have a right to a kill… That human creature is mine. His life is forfeit to me. His blood is my property.” (LWW, ch.13)
Under the “deep magic” of the land of Narnia, Edmund belonged to her because of his traitorous acts. And it was her intention to kill him as was her right. And there was nothing Edmund could do or say to reverse this.
We are in the same dilemma, aren’t we?
-- “Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval… The wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:16,23a – NLT)
Like Edmund, we also deserve death for our attitudes and actions – not just physical death, but eternal, spiritual death.
Now some of you noticed that I entitled this message: “Good News For Sticky Situations.” But I expect that some of you are wondering “where is the good news?” So far everything has been pretty sobering.
Here’s the Good News!
* The PENALTY For Sin Was Paid Through The DEATH OF THE KING.
In the story, Aslan and the White Witch go off to have a private conversation. When they were finished, Aslan announced:
-- Aslan: “I have settled the matter. She has renounced the claim on your brother’s blood.”
What exciting news – Edmund was free!! But how?! What everyone did not realize was that Aslan had promised to offer his own life as a substitute for Edmund’s. He would allow the Witch to kill him! And that is exactly what happened! Aslan left the camp in the middle of the night, and he met the White Witch and her cohorts at the appointed place, and he allowed himself to be bound and shaved. And then, just before she lifted the knife above him, she cackled:
Witch to Aslan: “Now I will kill you instead of him as our pact was and so the Deep Magic will be appeased…” (LWW, ch.13,14)
Aslan, the true king of Narnia, gave his life to save the life of Edmund. He allowed himself to be killed so that Edmund could go free.
And that is our story, too! The character of Aslan is molded after the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our king came to earth and offered himself up for our sins:
-- “For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us…” (Romans 3:25 – NLT)
-- “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8 – NLT)
-- “Jesus… is the sacrifice for our sins. He takes away not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” (1 John 2:2 – NLT)
Jesus, our King, gave his life so that we could be forgiven and freed from the fear of death and the chains of sin. He died so that we would no longer have to be weak and enslaved – but so that we could experience true freedom and healing and wholeness. That’s the story of Christmas – not just that God came to earth as a child (as amazing as that is), but the reason He came – to die for us!
THE MODERN APPLICATION.
* What Does This Mean To Me Today?
The truth is that there is a lot of Edmund in all of us!! All of us have a side that is selfish, rebellious, and sinful. And all of us have a need to be forgiven and freed.
