Turkish Delight Series

TURKISH DELIGHT

A STUDY OVER THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: PART IX (TOPIC: DARKNESS)

INTRO: Last week, we did a Bible Study based on light, but hidden inside the verse is a phrase describing what a lamp looks like when it is under a bowl, which is darkness. So we are going to start there today, with darkness.

BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 5:14-15

You are the light of the world. A city upon a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives life to everyone in the house.

Turkish Delight: In the movie The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe, Narnia is under the frozen curse of the witch. When the children arrive, Edmund (the younger of 2 brothers) runs into the witch and is offered Turkish Delight. Remember, this is a horrible woman. Besides keeping Narnia frozen, she orders people/animals around as slaves and turns people to stone for looking at her the wrong way. Edmund asks for some Turkish Delight (a sweet, chewy candy served to British children at Christmas time).

And for Turkish Delight, Edmund is going to lure everybody into danger. Now, we could look at Turkish Delight as temptation, but it is not a sin to be tempted. So today we will look at Turkish Delight the same way we look at sin. And people who live their lives in sin, live their lives in darkness.

1. SIN IS APPEALING WHEN WEAK.

NARNIA: Edmund stumbled into the wardrobe, he didn’t want to go in, already complaining. By the time he found the witch, he was lost, scared, and grumpy. He was ripe for sin.

BIBLE VERSE: Genesis 4:3-7

4:3 At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the LORD. 4:4 But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock – even the fattest of them. And the LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering, 4:5 but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast. 4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast? 4:7 Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.”

OFFERING: God wants us to give an offering. God wants us to give our lives as an offering unto him. On the surface, this lesson makes no sense. Both people brought something to God, both brought what they work on for a living to God, both are doing what they are scripturally obligated to do for God. So why does Cain receive such a harsh punishment? He receives it because his sacrifice is not a sacrifice, it’s not a real offering, it is in sin.

TECHNICALLY: The Schofield Bible reveals that God was demanding a blood sacrifice. Others speculate that God must have personally told Cain to sacrifice meat. But, this was a dedication offering, and according to Leviticus 2, vegetables were fine to bring. So why was the offering of Cain ridiculed by God (allow time for answers)?

THE DIFFERENCE: Abel brought “the fattest of the firstborn, even some of their fat portions.” Abel brought his best with an attitude of sacrifice. He had a desire to give. Cain brought what was convenient. The difference is that there are two types of worshippers, one that merely discharges his duties, the other who goes way out of his way to please God. Hebrews 11:4 says that Abel’s offering was in faith, meaning it was all about motive.

MARRIAGE PROPOSAL WENT BAD:

Family Party Proposal Gone Wrong: All-American looking guy at a Christmas party stands up, makes an announcement, wearing his nice sweater, for his girlfriend’s hand in marriage. The people cheer, only for her to get up and run to the other room.

Timeout During a Rocket’s Game on Live Television: Man takes a knee to propose to his girlfriend, you see her whisper something down into his ear, shake her head no, and run off the court.

(Marriage Proposal Rejected At Basketball Game-Fail)

TOUGH POINT: Here’s a tough point. And the tough point is that we can do all we want to in order to please the Lord, but if it is done with wrong motives, our sacrifice/proposal will not be noticed. We have got to want to serve the Lord.

2. SIN’S PLEASURE DOESN’T LAST LONG.

NARNIA: “At last the Turkish Delight was all finished and Edmund was looking very hard at the empty box and wishing that she would ask him whether he would like some more.”