TITLE: WHAT’S THAT SMELL?
SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 8:21 / PSALM 141:2 / REVELATION 5:8 / EPHESIANS 5:2 / II CORINTHIANS 2:14-16 / ROMANS 8:37 / II CORINTHIANS 4:7
(This is not an original sermon, portions have been gleaned from various writers from Sermon Central and other sites, however; it has been adapted and changed for my particular points and style of preaching)
I know this may sound like a strange question -- what is your favorite smell? I would have a hard time answering this question because there are so many candidates.
• Freshly cut Christmas Trees
• Bread baking in the oven
• Sweet Potato Pie fresh out of the oven
• Freshly popped Popcorn
• Fresh Brewed Coffee in the morning
• Smell of chicken being fried in the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon
• I am sure you have your own list
Most of you know, some weeks ago, Sis. Lawson and I had all 11 of our grandchildren at the house from 1 year old, a 2 year old, a 3 and 4 year old the rest preteens and teens to the oldest which will be 16 years of age next week. I don’t share this for you to feel sorry for us. For the past two weeks we have had five of the grands and now down to just four with us full time – that is to say all day long. It has been a challenge as Michelle, and I are accustomed to being empty nesters – just the two of us. During this time of having these little lives running around the house, I have found myself constantly walking around the house asking – “WHAT’S THAT SMELL?” More often than not, the smell is not very pleasant!
All of us know, as human beings, we have five basic senses –
• Sense of Touch
• Sense of Sight
• Sense of Hearing
• Sense of Smell
• Sense of Taste
Of these five senses, the sense of smell is considered to be the strongest. Michelle has always told me I have a super-sonic sense of smell.
• Certain smells are Nostalgic
• When you smell that particular thing, it brings back old memories
• Have you ever experienced just out of nowhere a certain smell that triggers a wonderful memory from days gone by?
• There is a study that says the sense of smell is closely linked with memory, possibly more than any of our other senses
Cologne and Perfume companies love to sign celebrities because they know people will buy that fragrance just because they think the celebrity is wearing it. Like Michael Jordan Cologne -- Curious By Brittany Spears -- Derek Jeter - Hillary Duff - Jennifer Lopez - Paris Hilton - Naomi Campbell – Elizabeth Taylor - Grace Kelly - are just a few of the celebrities that have put out a product that is guaranteed to help you smell better.
• We buy into it because we so desperately want to be popular or want to be like someone else
• So, we spend our money and buy into the product
• We think if we smell like them, people will like us more
Last year alone celebrity scents brought in 2.9 billion dollars. Why are we so caught up in trying to imitate?
• We spend so much time and money worrying about how we smell to the world that we put off worrying about how we smell to God
• God not only wants you to learn to look like him
• He wants you to have a fragrance that is spiritually pleasing
You can do things to dress up and make everything smell good for a short time but after a while those clothes wear out and the cologne wears off and you are left with the truth. But when you look and smell like the character of Christ that is a fragrance that is not only pleasing to our Creator but will be contagious to the people around you.
Interestingly, God also exhibits this sense of smell. In GENESIS 8:20, NOAH sacrificed burnt offerings - A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving. Consider God’s reaction -- The next verse says, “THE LORD SMELLED THE PLEASING AROMA AND SAID IN HIS HEART: "NEVER AGAIN WILL I CURSE THE GROUND BECAUSE OF MAN’S SAKE, EVEN THOUGH EVERY INCLINATION OF THE MAN’S HEART IS EVIL FROM CHILDHOOD. AND NEVER AGAIN WILL I DESTROY ALL LIVING CREATURES, AS I HAVE DONE.”
The anger of God was replaced by Peace, because of what He just smelled.
• In the book of LEVITICUS, God instructs His people to give offerings and burn incense
• In the New Testament, the sacrifice of Christ is a fragrant offering unto God
• We read that in EPHESIANS 5:2 “AND WALK IN THE WAY OF LOVE, JUST AS CHRIST LOVED US AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR US AS A FRAGRANT OFFERING AND SACRIFICE TO GOD”
• God smelled the offering of Christ and it is a sweet aroma to Him
• Then the book of REVELATION talks about our prayers being a sweet aroma
• REVELATION 5:8 – “AND WHEN HE HAD TAKEN THE SCROLL, THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES AND THE TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS FELL DOWN BEFORE THE LAMB, EACH HOLDING A HARP, AND GOLDEN BOWLS FULL OF INCENSE, WHICH ARE THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS”
Let’s consider another important verse that talks about how we as god’s people can spread the fragrance. II CORINTHIANS 2:14 “NOW THANKS BE UNTO GOD, WHICH ALWAYS CAUSETH US TO TRIUMPH IN CHIRST, AND MAKETH MANIFEST THE SAVOUR OF HIS KNOWLEDGE BY US IN EVERY PLACE.” Here we see the word “Savour” which means “Aroma” or “Fragrance.” As you first read this verse, you can picture something. You can picture a great victory procession wherein Christ is at the head of the procession.
• We follow Him
• Celebrating Him as the universal conqueror or the victor
As Paul was writing this, he had in mind the picture of Roman triumph. Romans were ruling at that time. Everyone who lived in that period in history probably would have been able to witness at least once the magnificent victory procession. There was a custom that the Romans followed. When a Head of the Military team wins over some other country or city, and brings them as captives, he was given a grand welcome into the city of Rome. There was literally a procession that took place to celebrate the victory.
• In that procession, the victorious generals marched in a certain order through the streets of Rome
• The Roman Caesar or the General who won, led the parade
• It was the highest honor one could receive
• He sat on a chariot of white horses
He was followed by different groups of people --
• The city magistrates - state officials - Roman senate - and then the trumpeters
• Soldiers carrying their spoils from the conquered land
• Pictures and models of the conquered citadels and ships
• The white bull for the sacrifice
• The captive rulers, their leaders and captured generals in chains, ready to be executed even as the white bull would be sacrificed
• Finally, the musicians and priests swinging their censers with sweet-smelling incense burning in them
Wherever the parade went, people could smell the pleasant smell of the incense. For the victorious army and for the Roman citizens, the fragrance has the sweet aroma of victory. The smell made them extremely pleasant and happy.
On the other hand, for the victims who were captured, the smell of incense was frightening. They know they are going to die. They are going to be executed before the end of the day. so, the smell for them was the smell of death. It was unpleasant and brought in fear. I mention this because this was the picture Paul had in mind, even as he penned these verses -- II CORINTHIANS 2:14-16 “BUT THANKS BE TO GOD, WHO ALWAYS LEADS US AS CAPTIVES IN CHRIST’S TRIUMPHAL PROCESSION AND USES US TO SPREAD THE AROMA OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM EVERYWHERE. FOR WE ARE TO GOD THE PLEASING AROMA OF CHRIST AMONG THOSE WHO ARE BEING SAVED AND THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING. TO THE ONE WE ARE AN AROMA THAT BRINGS DEATH; TO THE OTHER, AN AROMA THAT BRINGS LIFE.”
Christ is our conqueror who is leading the procession. We follow Him as His chosen warriors, enjoying the benefits of what He conquered. That is why, Bible says in ROMANS 8:37 – “YET IN ALL THESE THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM WHO LOVED US.”
• We did nothing, but as Christ conquered, we are enjoying all the benefits
• And as we march along with Him, we are emitting everywhere the sweet fragrance
• What is this fragrance?
• The fragrance that results from knowing Jesus Christ
• The fragrance is the knowledge of Him
The Apostle Paul charges Christians to spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ everywhere. The knowledge we proclaim is that Jesus Christ was crucified for the sins of mankind, and all who repent and appropriate his sacrificial death on the cross through faith will be saved by God’s Grace.
We are witnesses of the knowledge that Jesus died to bring us to God forever, for our greatest joy.
But, unfortunately, not everyone likes the scent of this truth, even when it’s spoken “with gentleness and respect,” as it always ought to be.
• While our witness always spreads the fragrance of Christ, it’s not always received the same by its hearers
• To those who are being saved, it is the lovely perfume of life everlasting
• But to those who are perishing, it is the sour stench of death eternal
The scent of flowers and the scent of perfume is intended to be attractive and to draw us. For many people, that is exactly what it does, but there are some people who are allergic to this scent.
• It causes them to have allergic reactions – I am not referencing sneezing - stuffy noses - headaches
• To them, it is not the pleasant experience it is intended to be
As we go around in this world being the aroma of Christ, it does not invoke the same reaction in everyone. We consider the knowledge of the gospel to be lifegiving and a word of peace and hope.
• For some people it is, and they are attracted to the scent of Jesus and are saved, but for many it is quite the opposite
• The Word of God has an impact on us whether we want to admit it or not
• Because we know that some people will hate what we represent and hate what we say about the Gospel
• We sometimes become shy about speaking and representing Jesus
• We want to hide the aroma of Christ
I know people who are allergic to the scents in perfume and after shave, I have seen those that have stopped using after shave and just use rubbing alcohol after shaving. They don’t want to be a cause of someone having a headache on Sunday morning because of their aftershave or cologne.
• When it comes to the Gospel, we can’t do that
• We can’t back off from being the aroma of Christ just because people are offended by the Gospel
• Just because, as Paul says, it is the aroma of death to them
Our testimonies produce a powerful fragrance which God delights in, for truth always smells good to God. Nothing pleases Him more than to see His Son glorified in the courageous testimonies of those he came to save. And if the Lord is pleased with us, “what can man do?”
Wherever we may be, whatever position we may be in, we are to spread the fragrance of the power of the Gospel. I imagine God must be pleased beyond explanation when we are a delightful aroma which he could breathe in all day long.
• All throughout the Bible, certain scents seem to hold specific meanings for God
• While some delight Him, others, unfortunately, cause Him to recoil
When we encounter the world someone whether they are saved or not, as we encounter them, they should be asking – what’s that smell? It’s not that they will physically smell an aroma of our Spirit.
• Rather it’s as if the divine perfume is an irresistible and inescapable attraction
• When we are real and authentic for the Lord, we should emanate a wonderful aroma
• Those we encounter will experience the sweetness of this attraction as though our Spirit were a delicious fragrance, like MORNING COFFEE - FRESH FLOWERS - OR AN OCEAN BREEZE - arising from within us and around us
Just like that Perfume or Cologne we put on our body early in the morning and the fragrance stays with us all day or at least for the next few hours. That is the same kind of Fragrance of the Holy Spirit we release and those around us should take note. As soon as we release the fragrance of the Holy Spirit it instantly slips through the cracks of our heart and a hint of the sweetness of Spirit is experienced by those around us.
• The divine perfume is an attraction to something within we had not known before, at least not in this way
• It calls forth images and sensations that flow as its fragrance brings the whole world into us
--Does a room change because you enter it?
--When you leave, does the fragrance of love and kindness remain?
--The Gospel is beautiful
--It makes our lives beautiful by the way we speak and act toward others
--Because Christ changes us, people want to be around us
--Although occasionally we may make people uncomfortable because we stand for truth in a dark world, our lives radiate His love
--Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ
--He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God
--Our love-filled lives spread the beautiful fragrance of Christ to a hurting world
--They are desperate for it
--When our love requires sacrifice, it is extra special to God, a pleasing aroma to Him
--When we walk in love, we give off His scent
--God is love, and when we abide in Him, we will smell like Him
--How sweet it is when He chooses to allow us to smell - THE FRAGRANCE OF HIS KNOWLEDGE - THE FRAGRANCE OF HIS LOVE - THE FRAGRANCE OF HIS ANOINTING!
--And if we will embrace that moment and allow that anointing to rest upon us, we will come out with a fragrance that will attract others to His heart
--WHAT’S THAT SMELL?
