Thoughts from Pastor Stan

Sermon Notes

Advent 2009

Narnia

The Lion, the Witch & The Wardrobe

What if it was always winter, and never Christmas

QUESTION

What is your favorite season? Fall? Winter? Spring? Summer? Why?

Lighting of the First Candle of Advent

Today is the first Sunday of Advent

From our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in thee.

Arise, shine: for your light has come,

And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you and also with you. As we light the First Advent Candle we are reminded that the people had to WAIT for the Messiah

Note: This is the typical Advent Lighting Concept: WAIT

Advent focuses on the first Advent of Jesus, and the first Sunday typically focuses on the people and how they had to WAIT.

CALL TO WORSHIP

Christmas is almost here

We can’t wait.

In the dead of winter Christmas came,

Praise the Lord!

QUESTION: What if you were waiting for Christmas, and it never came?

*Opening Prayer

Lord, Shepherds were the first to hear the Good News. They heard the Angels sing: ―Glory to God in the Highest. When the Angels departed , the shepherds responded, ‖Let’s go to Bethlehem.‖ This morning help us to go to Bethlehem to experience the ―Good News of Great Joy.‖ Amen

Passing of the Peace (then the WAITing was over)

Scripture: Luke 2:10 & 11

The Angel said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the city of Bethlehem, a child is born to you, He is the Messiah, the Lord.

Question: What if it were always winter and never Christmas.

Examples: No Church, No Dr. Martin Luther KIng, Jr., No (Med) art,

No (Christian) ethics (i.e. Nietzsche), No Bach, No Salvation Army

No Good Will, No (etc.)

Question: Have you ever had a dismal Christmas? (1967)

PURPOSE OF LIFE: RELATIONSHIP

1. God
2. Others

QUESTION: What word describes the lack of relationship? would you use to describe when we are not in relationship with God:

darkness? desert? loneliness? winter? separation?

INTRO TO NARNIA

C.S. Lewis, uses the concept of winter (snow) as depicting what it is like when we are not in relationship with God.

INTRO TO CLIP

The children (like many children during WWII) were sent to the country side to avoid the bombings. Four children were sent to their uncles home in the country. They are bored one winter day, and as it rained outside, they played hide in seek inside. Lucy the youngest is searching for a hiding place and she enters the spare room for the first time and discovers a wardrobe closet.

CLIP #1 - NARIA (11:17 - 17:44)

1. First Encounter with the Wardrobe
2. Wardrobe is a portal to the land of Narnia
3. The lam post is the beginning of the land of Narnia
4. First encounter with Mr. Tumnus (fawn)

POST CLIP

While preparing tea, Mr. Tumnus informs Lucy, “Always winter, and never Christmas...” (p. 16)

INTRO TO SCRIPTURE

OT (always winter, prophesy of Christmas (Messiah)

Genesis 49:10 (Messiah from the tribe of Judah)

Jeremiah 23:5 (Messiah descendant of King David)

Isaiah 40: 1-5 (& 9) (Messiah would be preceded by messenger (Elijah)

(Passover Meal & empty place setting or cup of wine for Elijah)

NARNIA: Prophecy of Aslan (and Christmas)

Intro to scripture: Ephesians 2

Paul’s word for separation from god is: Dead

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 2

1 As for you, you were DEAD in your transgressions and sins,

Note: in the OT, sin (breaking the rules of the relationship) separates or destroys the relationship with the sinner and God.

The OT is a long story of broken rules of the relationship between humanity and God

In our lives, “sin” (the breaking of the rules of the relationship) destroy (erode away) at the relationship.

Question: What do you do when the rules of relationship are broken in your relationship (by you and by the other)?

POINT: There are several words that describe the relationship when the rules are broken: DEAD, winter, etc.

NEED: restoration of the relationship

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 2:5

5 made us ALIVE with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God RAISED US UP WITH CHRIST and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

GOD’S PLAN: CHRIST

Easter (Christmas is required to have Easter)

NARNIA: Edmund (betrayed) his brothers and sisters

(broke the rule of relationships

RESTORATION PLAN IMPLEMENTED: began with CHRIST(mas)

SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:10 & 11

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

POINT

BEHOLD! I BRING YOU GOOD NEWS...CHRISTMAS IS A COMING!

Both here and in Narnia

The restoration of the relationship is coming

CHALLENGE/(Question Next Week): Why do we really need CHRISTMAS?