Sermon Central
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Narnia: Breaking Free From Turkish Delight Series
Contributed by Scott Taylor on Dec 12, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: Edmund needed a strategy to avoid eating the Turkish Delight and so do we this Christmas, this strategy is found in James 1.
Breaking Free From the Turkish Delight Dec 2005
1. In the book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis tells the story of 4 children playing hide and go seek in a wardrobe that transports the children to a land called Narnia. With talking animals and half/men half/animal creatures and even trees that have personality. The 4 children who come to Narnia are named Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. There is a prophecy in Narnia 2 sons of Adam and 2 daughters of Eve will sit on the thrones in Narnia and reverse the curse of winter.
2. The bad guy in story - actually she. White Witch calls herself Queen of Narnia ... she has cursed the land.
She made it always winter, but it never gets to be Christmas.
The curse - dreadful, all the living creatures are affected.
The joy of the land is affected because the curse is so strong.
The curse devastates the lives of the creatures who live there.
3. Hero of this story is a lion. Aslan. A mighty Lion who arrives on the scene with power even greater than the White Witch. He is a talking lion who is both creator and ruler over Narnia. Everyone is hopeful and optimistic that the curse will be reversed because “Aslan is on the move.”
4. Today I want to focus on the story of Edmund. Edmund is the sort of kid that gets under your skin. The type that makes you pray a lot. He’s rude and arrogant, and enjoys teasing his younger sister to the point of tears. He has a chip on his shoulders and he generally acts like a spoiled little brat all of the time.
5. Edmund has just found his way into Narnia and the first person he meets is the White Witch. She is being traveling around in a sleigh and she is quite startled to discover a small creature in her kingdom. She can’t quite figure out who or what he is. This is where we pick up the story. Read pages 31-36. By tempting Edmund with this Turkish delight and a promise that he would be King of Narnia, she is able to lead him into deception, betrayal and treason. By eating Turkish Delight he crosses over the line and aligns himself with Witch.
6. This act of betrayal is what the Bible calls SIN. We don’t think too much of sin these days. Word rarely used.
Sin is viewed as a psychological weakness. Sin is against society and self. But the consequences of sin in Edmund’s life are deadly. His treason demands the death penalty. Deep Magic written before time… there is a moral law that runs Narnia. Right and wrong are not up for popular opinion. Deep Magic says ....the payment for treason is death.
Prop: Edmund needed a strategy to avoid eating the Turkish Delight. And so do we.
On a Personal level… few of us struggle with TD… Control tempter, tongue, gossiping, jealousy, drinking, gambling, pornography and the greatest sins of all loving people and overcoming our PRIDE. How do we not bite Turkish Delight. Jesus came on a Christmas Night 2000 years ago so that we can break free from Turkish Delight temptations.
The strategy that could have saved Edmund is found in James 1:13-18. This strategy could have saved Edmund … it will save you too this Christmas, if you have the faith to implement it. 4 tactics
1st Tactic … Know the source of temptation. 13 -14
a. If Edmund was going to triumph over temptation he needed to know the source of temptation.
In all cases… 2 sources of temptation… Outward – Inward.
Outward… In this case White Witch…. Who disguises herself and calls herself the “Queen of Narnia.”
For us: Satan, culture, friends, media…. 100’s of other outward tempters.
b. James says the 1st thing we need to understand is that God is NEVER a source of temptations. Why is that important? A lot of people blame God either directly or indirectly for the mess they get themselves into. Excuses:
1. God made me this way.
2. God put me into this situation
3. I don’t have the power to change. That is God’s fault.
4. If God would give me strength I wouldn’t be in this mess.
c. Do you know where this argument is used the most these days? Homosexuality. Still a lot of debate whether homosexuality is NATURE OR NURTURE caused. But either way people blame God for it. People say.. God made me this way… God put me in this situation. It’s God’s fault that I ate the TD. Vs 13… when tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.