Sermon Central
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Narnia: Life Without Value Series
Contributed by Paul Decker on Dec 4, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: We value life because Jesus has made the difference through history.
WHAT IF JESUS HAD NEVER BEEN BORN?
LIFE WITHOUT VALUE
S: Jesus’ Importance in all of Life
C: The essentiality of the Incarnation
Th: What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?
Pr: WE HAVE VALUE.
?: How? How is it observed?
KW: Issues
TS: Because we have God-given value, we will consider six issues that demonstrate the difference Jesus has made in the world.
Type: Propositional, Clarification
The ____ issue is…
I. CHILDREN
II. WOMEN
III. ELDERLY
IV. SLAVERY
V. GLADIATORS
VI. CANNIBALISM
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Don’t trivialize Jesus’ impact.
• Hold the same values about life.
Version: ESV
RMBC 04 December 05 AM
INTRODUCTION:
Have you ever read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe?
Forgive me from repeating myself from last week, but if you have children, it is a must read.
It is a story of four children who are magically transported into the land of Narnia, where they are confronted with adventures and the ultimate ruler of the world, the lion Aslan.
It is a story with themes of sacrifice, betrayal and forgiving love.
What is so striking about this story is that it is rooted in our history as it is the Christmas and Easter story wrapped into one…
This is why we are so excited about the debut of this film that will be coming out this coming weekend.
This is an excellent occasion, for it will be a great family film with a powerful message that speaks to spiritual truth about Jesus.
Won’t you join us on December 11 for the 4:00 showing?
The theater has already told us that this time will be sold out, and it is highly unlikely you will be able to walk up to the window next Sunday and get in for this particular showing.
So see Genny in the narthex before you go out and pay for tickets and I will purchase them after the service.
I also want to encourage you to not forget what we are about as a church.
We have a mission.
We are to bear fruit.
And here is a creative way to be active in this regard.
After the movie, we are returning here for pizza and discussion.
One of the issues that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe challenges us with is…
What if it was always winter and never Christmas?
ILL Narnia – no Christmas
In the book, in describing the White Witch to her siblings, Lucy says:
“She has made an enchantment over the whole country so that it is always winter here and never Christmas.”
The picture that is drawn is that it is a dead and stagnant time. Nothing grows. The creatures are left crouching around fires demonstrating that the outdoors has become something to be endured rather than enjoyed.
It is a concept that we should take to heart.
What would this world truly be like if there were no Christmas?
What would we be living like if Jesus had never been born?
I want to assure you this morning that I believe with all my heart that this would be a very different world, and it would not be a better one.
TRANSITION:
Think about this question for a moment…
ILL Life: Mining
1. What is the most important thing to come out of a mine?
You know…
There is coal.
That has been a staple for much of our country for many years, providing us a source of power.
Then there is iron ore.
This also has been huge, being the source for making steel.
We wouldn’t be in this room without the steel girders.
There are other important metals that are mined as well, like copper, aluminum, and nickel.
If we keep thinking, we will remember that there are some really valuable things we mine for as well, like silver and gold.
And don’t forget a girl’s best friend – diamonds!
There are some pretty important things that come from mines, but we still have neglected the most valuable thing!
What is the most important thing to come out of the mine?
It is the MINER!
If we fail to value life over the object, our priorities have gone askew.
On Friday night, I was speaking to a high school teacher from the Cheektowaga high school, and she said that there had been five fights this week.
We have been reading in the Buffalo News in recent weeks about the violence in the Buffalo schools.
It has gotten so bad that they have to return to having an alternative school, because it has not been safe for the students and teachers.
How can it be that life is treated so callously and so carelessly?
I believe that there is a direct correlation with a culture that fears God and one that does not.