Narnia: Finding Hope In The Middle Of Winter

Finding Hope in the Winter Narnia 2005

Intro: The land of Narnia was under a perpetual winter for over 100 years. The question we must ask ourselves is what was C.S. Lewis trying to portray with this image. The winter is a picture of what the Bible calls The Fall. It is result of Adam and Eve’s original sin in the garden of Eden. Because of their choice the whole world has been affected.

b. By the way, you say that’s not fair. If it had been you or me in the garden we would have committed the treason even sooner.

c. This curse is real. The darkness is great and it is devastating. Death has become the certain end of each person, human bodies subject to deterioration, evil people try to dominate good people all the time, oppression abounds, the natural realm has became chaotic and there is a great cosmic battle between good and evil … all because of this curse.

d. In a crowd of 200 there are at least 200 evidences of the curse found in this room right now.

1. Some of you are aware that your body is breaking down and your warranty has expired.

2. Some of you are healthy but you carry the burden of another person whos warranty has expired.

3. Some you will this will be the 1st Christmas without a loved one.

4. Some of your marriages are struggling. Great distance between you and your spouse. .

5. Some of you have children rebelling against you and God.

6. Some have larger family issues that seem unresolvable. Some just dread Christmas because all

those old wounds will be opened.

7. Some of you feel overwhelmed with life.

8. Some of you have an emptiness on the inside that won’t go away.

e. All of these and 100 more are evidences of the curse. For many people they are living in a perpetual winter. This curse has stolen your joy. You find yourself in winter without any hope of Christmas.

f. The question before us this morning… How does one find HOPE in a world under the curse?

How does one celebrate when winter is so strong? Romans 8 God gives us three reasons to have hope, even if we find ourselves locked in winter. There is a way to get to Christmas. A way to move from winter to Christmas in your heart. Look at these three reasons why we have hope on this Friend Day.

1st Reason we have HOPE. Our Past Can Be Forgiven. Rom 8:1-4

a. No condemnation for those who have placed their allegiance in Jesus Christ. Circle ..condemnation In

The word "condemnation" here describes a person who’s judged to be guilty of a crime and thus liable to

penalty for that crime. Describes both the verdict and the penalty.

b. But those who have trusted IN Jesus, there’s no longer a guilty verdict or a death sentence.

c. When we believe in Jesus we set free from the law of sin and death.

Law… states clearly that the person who sins must die. Lewis LAW Deep Magic. Says traitors must die.

Law comes from the holiness and justice of God. Law is limited… can’t set us free… if can only condemn.

When people say they are hoping to get to heaven by keeping the 10 commandments, being a good

person, having the good outweight the bad. They are placing their hope in the Law.

The law is powerless to rescue us from guilt, sin and death. Shows us we are guilty but can’t set us free.

d. Implications staggering. Who does Edmund represent in the book? Mankind, everyone of us, we are all guilty.

Edmund will never be set free by the law… law will put him to death.

e. What does this have to do with Christmas you say… Let me read some letters to Santa… .

letters that children wrote to Santa Claus. Some pretty good. One said,

1. Dear Santa, you didn’t bring me anything good last year. You didn’t bring me anything good the year before that. This is your last chance. Signed Alfred.

2. Thanks for the remote control car last year even though it broke the day after. I know you tried and that’s what counts. Alex

3. My favorite: Dear Santa, there are three little boys who live at our house. There is Jeffery, he is 2. There is David he is 4. And there is Norman he is 7. Jeffery is good some of the time. David is good some of the time. But Norman is good all of the time. I am Norman. But we aren’t Normans. We’re Edmunds. Everyone of us has broken the law of God at least once. Because of that we are guilty. We need forgiveness.