December 12, 2005
Lakecrest Community Baptist Church
Pastor Jorge L. Acevedo
Series: Narnia Explored
“Living In Their World”
We begin today with a new series of messages called “Narnia Explored.” Of course, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe opened in theaters Friday. Anyone go see it? The book was written by Christian author C.S. Lewis. For those of you not familiar with it, the book is an allegory or a story with characters and storyline that have symbolic meaning. What I want to do in this series of messages is bring out Biblical teaching that can be drawn from the book.
The Basic story setting happens during World War II. Four children are sent away from England to a big house in the country where they can be safe from the war. In this big house there are many rooms and in one of the rooms the kids find a wardrobe that leads them to a new world. A world called Narnia. In this world there are incredible characters and that’s where the story takes place. The plot of the book bears some resemblance to a similar story in the historical account of Jesus Christ and Him saving the world from sin. There are three key elements in the world of Narnia that are very similar to three critical elements we need to understand and deal with if we want to live a successful life in our world. Understanding these will give you an edge your world, will help you achieve your highest potential, and can help overcome the challenges you face in life.
All I want to do this morning is explore and understand what these 3 key elements are:
1. The Wardrobe
When you came in this morning you had to come through hanging coats and winter clothes, what seemed like a wardrobe. In the story, the kids open what seems like an old wood cabinet. It seems like any other old piece of furniture but this incredible wardrobe leads them to a fantastic land called Narnia. A place they had never been to before where it’s always winter; where there are incredible characters and talking animals; where they get caught up in a developing conflict between good and evil.
The wardrobe brings to our minds God’s Word. And even though it’s an old book (that looks like any other book) it is a fantastic book of incredible power that leads you to a world you have never known before. A world that is new to you when you are not a Christian. God’s world!
I grew up without it. But at 16 years old I started going to church and my parents bought me a Bible and I slowly began to read it. When by faith I turned my life over to Jesus Christ to be my Savior, God began (thru the work of his Holy Spirit) to reveal this new world to me as I read.
It happened to me. It happens to everyone. I want to tell you, there’s some fantastic stuff in this Book of Books. You talk about awesome looking creatures in Narnia? The Bible describes living being that have four faces, two in the front and two in the back (Ezekiel 1:10); there are also creatures in it with a bunch of little hands and eyeballs all over their bodies, front and back (Rev. 4:6). These are angles God made. Powerful, and they fly and fight evil. Like in the Narnia movie, a war between good and evil breaks out in God’s word, “War broke out in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought the dragon. The dragon and his angles fought back.” Revelation. 12:7 Msg. The Bible world describes giants in the land, one of them you know as Goliath (I Samuel 17). At least one of those rascals had 6 fingers in each hand and 6 toes in each foot (2 Samuel 21:20). In the Bible there are flying horses (Revelation 19:11-14) and fire breathing people (Revelation 11) and a man that’s faster than any horse or leper or animal you can think about (1 Kings 18:46). And I am just skimming the surface. But let’s get away from the amazing for a second.
The Word of God also describes to us a real world beyond this one, heaven. A world where there will be no more death or pain or sadness. God’s world is one full of joy and bliss, where you will be given a new body, what the Bible calls a glorified body, capable of doing things beyond your imagination… and more. A world where gold is “cheap” compared to other things. A world where Christmas is all the time and God rewards his followers with gifts and mansions of their own (John 14: 3). That place God is going to lead us to is extravagant. Why? God gives good gifts to those he loves. (Matthew 7:11) The difference between the wardrobe and God’s word is that the wardrobe takes you to a story/fantasy world. The Bible’s world is real.
How do I know? How can I be so sure and you be so sure? God inspired his book. “All scripture is inspired by God” (2Tim 3:16 NLT). And here’s what God says of himself “I, the Lord, speak only what is true and right” (Isaiah 45:19 NLT) In other words, God can’t lie. It would be against God’s own character to speak or inspire something other than truth. In fact, Jesus said “I am truth” (John 14:6 NIV) Was Jesus and all he stood for and how he lived and what he did on the cross and his resurrection, was that all make believe? No! He proved what he said. The book he inspired is just like him. The Bible tells us where we came from, how mankind started how the Middle East struggle began and continues even to this day. The Bible tells us where we are today as well as the where we’re heading. How this whole thing is going to end, what’s going to happen at the end of times. It’s critical for you and me to get to know the Bible’s world. Listen carefully. Your journey into God’s amazing world begins when you surrender your life to Jesus Christ. At that point God begins to reveal his world to you. The apostle Paul put it this way, “you must be spiritual to see spiritual things. The spiritual man has insight into the meaning of everything, though his insight may baffle the man of the world” (1 Corinthians 2:14-15 J.B.Phillips)
Get into the Bible and you will discover a new world.
A second element to become acquainted with in Narnia and in our world is the witch.
2. The Witch
The witch in Narnia brings Satan to mind. In Narnia, the white witch reigns by force. She’s made a mess of the Narnia World by turning it into ice and snow. In Narnia it’s always winter and cold but there is never Christmas. One of the witch’s goals in life is to capture humans (in the book called sons of Adam and daughters of Eve) and enslave them in order to eventually kill them. This white witch has a certain appeal about her. At one point she meets one of the children, Edmund, and she promises to make him prince and eventually king, if he brings to her his brother and sisters. During their meeting, the witch gives Edmund something hot to drink in the cold weather and gives him some delicious food call “Turkish Delight”. And food is so spell binding good, the boy can’t get enough of it and will do anything to get more, even betray his brother and sisters.
Eventually she gets Edmund under her power and enslaves him. She hates all humans. That’s exactly how Satan is. Let’s make this applicable to us. You and I have got to be aware of this, “Satan is the prince of this world.” (John 12:31; 14:30) The Bible calls him a liar, a murderer, and a thief. Satan hates you and wants the worst life for you. He wants you to have a life that’s empty and meaningless. And he knows that if he can keep you from God and following God, he’ll have your soul for eternity. So, your enemy will tempt and deceive you and me because he knows that it is when we sin that we are most distant from God. Satan makes sin look appealing and intriguing. The Bible says he comes at us from every angle, with every temptation imaginable to draw us away from the love of God. (Like the witch did to Edmund with the Turkish delight candy). Some people picture Satan as scary looking, having a red suit, pitch fork and tail. But if he was that way, and he tempted us with stuff that looks terrible or if we ever thought that a certain sin is going to mess up our lives forever, we would think twice before sinning. The last thing Satan wants to do is scare you. The thing he wants to do most is trap you like the witch did with young Edmund. If you are going to do well individually and you want to go far in life, be aware of that Satan is trying to spiritually trap and enslave you.
His goal is your misery and he will use people and things and circumstances to throw you off. Just like in Narnia, the witch was appealing yet she had ulterior motives. So does your enemy. He will entice you and lead you to believe that living without restraint or doing what you want without fear of consequences and living away from a commitment to God is ok. The Bible says that, “There’s a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 12:12 NIV) However, Christians can fight off the enemy by giving themselves to God, “submit yourself, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
In our world you have got to understand there’s evil to overcome, if you do not, you may fall just as young Edmund did. The third element we’ve got to think about is,
3. Aslan
In Narnia, Aslan is a lion. He is good and powerful. He created Narnia and wants to free people form the witch’s grip. Aslan wants to get rid of the witch as well. He represents Jesus Christ to us. The Bible describes him as, “The Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Rev. 5:5-6) One more thing about Aslan, he is awe-inspiring; people feel safe around him, at peace, delighted. And Aslan is willing to do whatever it takes to not only rescue Edmund from the witch but also to bring Narnia out of its frozen way into a beautiful, spring like place.
Now, let me tell you about this Savior of ours, he made the world. He is beyond anyone, anytime, anywhere. He is beyond compare! Jesus created everything. “For by Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible… all this were created by him and for him” (Col 1:16). And this all powerful Jesus has your benefit in mind. He said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10 NIV).
Do you see the contrast?
Satan, liar, Jesus truthful!
Satan destroys! Jesus Preserves!
Satan dries up! Jesus makes you flourish!
Satan makes you empty Jesus satisfies.
Jesus was willing to do anything, whatever it takes to bring eternity to your heart.
In conclusion, if you want to really live,
• You have got to explore God’s World
• You have to know you will be contending with the devil and you can overcome him,
• There’s a loving Savior to follow and serve and surrender your life to.
Let’s pray!
