What’s that smell?
What are some of the things we experience as we walk through a cow pasture?
Usually we see cows, hay, and cow patties
The cow pasture is a place full of sights, sounds and smells
What is that smell? Some would say that the cow pasture really stinks
While others would say, no that’s the smell of money
Whether its cows or chickens or goats to the one who looks to those things as income
Those horrible smells smell like money
The same can be said of Christians
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?
Every year in Conway there is a very popular event known as Toad Suck Daze
And every year they choose a Toadmaster
He is the head toad, the one in charge, kind of
He dresses in this green tuxedo and wears a green top hat and poses for pictures and stuff
Also whenever there is any type of parade there is always a grand marshal. The one that leads the parade
God is our grand marshal
He always leads us in triumphal procession. Can you picture it?
God leading us through the streets in this grand parade
And we spread everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him
As we walk in this parade through this world
We spread the fragrance of God
We are like a sweet aroma to God, the Bible says
And others can smell it too
The crowd gathered to watch this parade can smell it
But just like this cow pasture may smell bad to some and like money to others
This fragrance of a Christian smells good to some and horrible to others
We are the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing
Everybody smells us
You ever met someone that had no sense of smell?
I have, and actually An estimated 2.7 million people in the United States have an impaired or absent sense of smell
Known as chronic olfactory dysfunction.
Most people I know can smell
When there is a certain powerful smell
Whether good or bad, everybody can smell it
People in this world, whether Christian or not can smell us
They pick up on that aroma of Christ that permeates from us
And that smell smells different to different people
To one group, fellow Christians, they smell the fragrance of life
They see within us that eternal life that we will experience together
They smell the blessings of living a life for Christ
It is a great fragrance that brings joy to fellow Christians
But to the unsaved, we are the smell of death
One of the worst smells on earth is the smell of death
It can really turn your stomach. It is a horrible thing
And that aroma that crosses the nostrils of a fellow Christian smells sweet
But as it reaches the unsaved nose, it reeks of death
For their destination is death. They are dead in their sins
They are facing death without any hope
And they will spend eternity dying an everlasting death
So remember, as we walk in this parade of life
Everyone watching us can smell of our fragrance
Is you fragrance like the one described in Ephesians 5:2
“live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”
We always hear or say the world is watching
Well the world is smelling you too
To some, we can’t help but smell bad
But hopefully to others we can smell even better than money
We will smell like the aroma of Christ
The fragrance of life