"12 Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia.
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? 17 For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God."
II Corinthians 2:12-17
Good Morning Beloved,
Welcome to worship, we're so glad you're here with us today.
Thank you all for joining us.
Take a look around our world, our culture is desperately crying out for love. Though I am quite certain, many would never admit it. Many today, perceive that needing someone, is a form of weakness. Every one needs to be loved, but especially when someone has failed, they really
need to hear that they are loved. That’s why Paul says to reaffirm your
love for the one who has failed. You may be thinking, "But pastor Brian, they don’t
deserve to be loved!" Well beloved, guess what, neither do we! And yet, God loves us anyway, even while we are yet sinners and not a single one of us deserve His love.
I John 4:19 is such a great verse, a magnificent verse, spoken with just seven powerful, elegant words, "We love because He first loved us."
One important truth that our culture needs to learn in this present day, we need to practice forgiveness and restoration because there will assuredly be a time, when we ourselves will need it. I know that some of you may be saying to yourselves, "Not me, I would never do what they've done!" I have a revelation for you, we all make mistakes. We all make mistakes.
Let's bow our heads in prayer.
Heavenly Father,
Lord, we thank You for Your Word for us today. We thank You for the love and the fellowship of those You have gathered with us. We thank You Lord, for the clarity of the Word and the powerful message it speaks to our hearts. Holy Spirit, grant us knowledge and wisdom and provide an opportunity to
proclaim the glorious message of the gospel as You have called for us to do, to know
nothing but Christ and Him crucified. Use us bring honor and glory to Your name, especially in these disparaging days. Fill our hearts with joy!
May it all be for Your glory
This we pray in Christs' name
Amen
Today's Message: How Do You Smell?
Open with me your Bibles to the second book of Corinthians, chapter 2. Today, as we come to the end of chapter 2, we'll be looking at the last few verses of this brief but powerful epistle. Follow along with me as I read to you from our text,
II Corinthians 2:12-17.
"Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia.
But
thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and
manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every
place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For
we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity,
but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God."
As you may remember, from our last study, as we read this chapter, all of a sudden you come to an unexpected
reference to Satan. What does the devil have to do with restoration?
Nothing - in fact he hates it!
Let's look at verse 11 again, this time I'll be reading to you from the translation in The Message. "The fact is that I’m joining in with your
forgiveness, as Christ is with us, guiding us. After all, we don’t want
to unwittingly give Satan an opening for yet more mischief—we’re not
oblivious to his sly ways!"
The Holman translation says it this way, "I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes."
The word used for the devil’s "schemes" or "sly ways" is the word methodia,
for which we get our word method. Now, I have heard some say, "I guess that proves that the devil
is a Methodist!" No, that's not what the passage is saying! However, it does mean that Satan has certain schemes or
methods he uses and when we know his methods we can resist him.
Satan’s
two main methods are Divide and conquer and To tell lies. In Genesis 3, his strategy with Eve in the Garden of Eden when she was alone, and he fed her a
lie, "if you eat this fruit you will be like God." Believe it or not, Satan isn’t very
innovative, in fact, he still uses the same methods he used in Genesis 3.
Satan works hard to spread lies in order to create division and discord, especially within the church.
Satan wants to divide every family, every church, and every friendship.
He loves to see people angry at each other, and the angrier we become,
the more he likes it. That’s why the Bible says in Ephesians 4:26-27, "Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity."
When you are angry at a brother or sister in Christ, that animosity
gives Satan access to your mind. If you give Satan an inch of opportunity
in your mind, he will poison your personality, soil your soul, and sour
your spirit. That’s why Satan hates for Christians to resolve their
differences. When we consider restoring someone, Satan whispers into
our ear, "They don't deserve to be forgiven. After what they did,
don’t you dare accept them back again!" And, when you begin to think that way, you need to say, "Satan, you are a liar. Get behind me." And whenever we
gently restore a Christian who has messed up, Satan says, "Foiled again!" And, when we have restored a brother or sister in Christ, you can hear the applause of the
nail scarred hands in heaven.
In the book of II Corinthians Paul tells that we are to be the
aroma of Christ among people. He tells us that our personal
relationship with Christ and our followership of Him express themselves
to others in the same way an aroma fills a room and affects people. Well
as I read that passage it spurred me to do a little research about the
power of smell that I want to share with you.
So as I was preparing for today's message, I googled the word "Smell" and I discovered that there is actually a real research institute called
the Sense of Smell Institute. No, this is no joke. This is a real place, that actually exists
and there front page boasted of a researcher who had won a Nobel Prize
for smell research. Anyway, one of the links on their website was Fun
Facts About The Sense of Smell with Professor Nosetradamus. I’m
not kidding. They even have a picture. So here are a few interesting facts about
our sense of smell.
The average human being is able to recognize approximately 10,000
different odors. Dogs can recognize about 200,000 different odors. I
have learned that little boys can make about 300,000 different odors.
A woman’s sense of smell is keener than a man’s. This answered one of
the great mysteries of life for me.Why women change after marriage.
Everyone has his or her own unique odor-identity or “smell fingerprint”. I don’t think that needs further explanation.
Our sense of taste is greatly influenced by our sense of smell. Our
sense of smell in responsible for about 80% of what we taste. Without
our sense of smell, our sense of taste is limited to the taste
sensations of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. All other flavors that we
experience come from smell. This would seem to say that we smell before
we taste. That we choose to taste something because it smells good to
us. That we smell our food and wine before we taste and drink.
That
reminded me of what David said in Psalm 34:8, "O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."
Beloved, I believe that when we think about our community, the Christian community, we need to think about
how we "smell" to them? Are our lives so saturated with the person of
Jesus Christ that our "aroma" causes people to want to discover for
themselves how good the Lord is? Turn with me to the book of II Corinthians. Let's take a look at II Corinthians 2 verses 14-17 and see how Paul put this, allow me to quickly read it to you.
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God."
Here, Paul
is drawing on a common experience that many of his readers would
understand. He uses the phrase "triumphal procession" to draw us toward
the event of a victorious general coming home from battle leading his
soldiers and their captives through the city streets. These ancient
processions or parades were spectacular events that could last for days. Imagine for a moment as I describe to you a Roman victory
parade.
Just imagine, a conquering general in his chariot slowly riding through the
streets of Rome as the parade winds its way from the dusty outskirts of
the city toward the center of the city and the temple. The city was
massive and the streets are lined with thousands of people. People are
lined up 4, 5, 6, 7 deep. The parade moved slowly because celebration is
meant to be enjoyed and not rushed.
And, at the head of the parade came
the city politicians: senators and magistrates, wearing full ceremonial
regalia accompanied by a large number of trumpeters announcing the
parade. Then followed the spoils of war carried on the backs of men or
in wagons. The wagons moved slowly under the weight of silver plates and
cups and gold tables and lamp stands that had been plundered from his
defeated foes. Other carts carried weapons and armor. Still others were
filled with treasures such as sculptures, scrolls and banners. A group
of big burly men came along with gold statues and local gods from the
defeated country on their backs. A host of musicians accompanied this
part of the parade playing local fights songs stirring the crowds to
celebration.
The spoils of war were typically followed by prisoners of war;
usually the royal family or conquered general or other important
prisoners. These came bound in chains, to further demonstrate their defeat. Then, came the priests and their attendants carrying censors of burning
incense and leading white bulls that would be sacrificed at the temple.
Just like the music, the incense was intended to saturate the area with
the pungent aromas of victory. To the victors the incense was the smell
of triumph and supremacy but for the defeated it was the smell of death.
You see, the incense was meant to remind the prisoners that when they
got to the temple the bulls were not the only things that were going to
be executed. For it was a common custom to use incense to cover the
smell of death.
Lastly, the general himself and his soldiers were
seen. He would stand erect in a chariot of ebony and silver drawn by
four great white stallions. He would be clothed in a purple cloak thrown
over a toga sown with golden stars. In his right hand he would carry a
scepter crowned with an eagle and in his left a laurel branch; both
symbols of victory. The soldiers were behind him cheering with words
such as "Hurrah, triumph!" and pointed toward their leader.
The
general had been sent off to battle and has returned victorious. He now
enters the city to celebrate; to give thanks; to proclaim victory.
Everything you see, everything you hear and everything you smell
communicated victory, supremacy and strength.
With that in mind, let's go back to our passage. Paul is describing a victory parade but there is no
ordinary general being celebrated. The One in the chariot is the true
King of the universe, Jesus Christ. The conqueror is the One who left
from heaven on a mission to conquer death and Satan and to restore life
to humankind. He was victorious and now sits enthroned in power awaiting
the day He would culminate His kingdom. But wait, there's still more...
Now, imagine that you and I are walking in this vast parade with King Jesus and the
reality of Jesus Christ in our life is flowing through us to our
community. Think of verse 14, which says, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place."
"Manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place." The picture here, is that our personal relationship with
Christ and our followership of Him acts as a fragrance that permeates
the places in which we walk. Now, I don’t want you to miss that key word "every place." He's saying, that our
personal knowledge of Him so transfixes us and so consumes us that we
express the living Christ in our words, actions and choices everywhere
we go. So when we take a walk in our community and encounter a neighbor
the aroma of Christ flows from us.
When we go shopping at the grocery store and talk
with the cashier, while we're checking out, the reality of Christ is expressed.
When we eat at a restaurant or shop at Target or to work or
attend a school …everywhere our feet touch the ground, the person
of Christ flows from within us. But there is more.
Let's look at verses 15 and 16 again, "For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?"
Here Paul is telling us that not only does the fragrance of Christ
flow through us but he makes the audacious claim that we ourselves are
aroma of Christ to God. Our followership of Christ creates an aroma that
pleases God and informs others of our spiritual condition of those around us. So the idea of a pleasing aroma go back to the Old Testament. Time and
again as the Israelites made their offerings and sacrifices by fire the
scripture says the aroma was pleasing to the Lord. Just read Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17. So
the idea is this, as our lives become more and more saturated with Christ and as we
proclaim Him, we delight the heart of God, because we're focusing on Jesus, the Son
whom He loves.
The last part of verse 15 and verse 16 show the results of our lives
flowing with the knowledge of Christ and our lives being the fragrance
of Christ. To those we encounter that are spiritually seeking we become
the fragrance of life because we have Christ to offer them. To those who
smell the aroma of Christ through us and turn away in disgust, we are
to them the smell of spiritual death.
How can we become the aroma of Christ in our own communities?
One way, is to include yourself as part of the community. Leadership in the
community, of which I am blessed to be a part. However, many have a tendency to forget that we
ourselves are the community. Many of us have a picture of our community without us in it. We cannot, however, separate our life from those where we live, shop with, attend school
with, play on sports teams with etc. It is not us and them. It is we, as the community.
In fact, we must think of our community as not
just the area around where we live, but also include ourselves as part of our nation. There are many situations occurring in our communities and around our nation due to the pandemic, record unemployment rates, families struggling to put a meal together to feed their families. I know that many of you have responded to this need and so have I.
Christ has won the victory and it is His parade that moves through
the streets of planet earth toward a culmination of His return. The
parade we walk in is clearly His and our first and primary role is to
cry, "Hurrah, Triumph! Christ is King," and to point to Him.
I Corinthians 15:54-55 says, "But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"
And, in II Timothy 1:10 "but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,"
Hebrews 12:2, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.."
In Revelation 17:14
it says, "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."
Another way we can do this is by inviting people to experience the parade with you. I believe, that is the
heart of what it means to lead in our community. Over the years, I have been to a number of parades, I’m sure that you have as well. As I think back
about all those experiences there is a common emotion that I felt. I
wanted to be part of what was happening. I wanted to ride on a horse or
in one of those really cool classic cars or on a float. There was something about the
excitement and the expression of the people’s faces that drew me in; that
made me want to be a participant rather than just a spectator.
So as we
walk in the parade of Christ you can rest assured that it is causing
people to wonder, to question and for many, to want to participate. So
invite them to join the parade with you. Invite them to taste and see
that the Lord is good by letting your life be a fragrant aroma of Him.
Perhaps there are some of you here this morning who are not part of
Christ’s parade. Then I encourage you to talk with myself or another
pastor or the friend you came with and ask them how you can join the
parade.
In Closing....
It’s all about Jesus Christ, not us. First let’s keep in mind that God’s power finds its full expression in our weaknesses. II Corinthians 4:7
says, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves."
As we are the aroma
of Christ to our communities, be wary of ever thinking that we smell good
in and of ourselves. We don't, in fact, apart from Christ, we stink! We really do. We're filthy rags.
Ephesians 5:1-2 says, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."
A second reminder: Modeling Christ means sacrificing yourself for others. What does it mean to imitate Christ? It means to love people. It means to love people. And how do we
imitate Christ’s love for people? We sacrifice ourselves just as He did. When we sacrifice ourselves
for people in our community the aroma of Christ spreads among them and
some of them are going to want to taste and see that God is good.
And when that happens...
Beloved, you and I will be there for that moment.
May it be so...
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen