Clap your hands, move your feet, GET UNDIGNIFIED
I wanted to take a minute to talk about getting undignified.
We can get undignified and still be in reverence to and in awe of, our God!
Here’s the best definition I have found for undignified:
• Having your composure disturbed (repeat)
• Excuse me while I have my composure disturbed (take off my boots)
2020 during worship right here @ CPC, God spoke to me “your move”. I knew immediately…
2022 @ Men’s Summit during worship, God spoke “quit making excuses”. Again, I knew
2023 @ Men’s Summit during worship “Get undignified”.
Here’s my point: We usher in the Holy Spirit during worship!
With that in mind, next week you may notice a couple of minor changes in the order of service here @ CPC.
10:15 fellowship- we’re going to talk about fellowship in just a few minutes
10:30 service begins
BODY
I am awakening by the smell of bacon and eggs frying in the skillet, on a Saturday morning.
In my youth, there were many Saturday mornings that the sweet aroma of bacon roused my senses, to start my day.
Title of today’s message: A Sweet Aroma
There are other aromas that I love:
• Honeysuckle
• Cedar wood burning
• Smell of a new car
• Smell of the ocean
• How about this one?
o The smell of a newborn baby
? I did some research on why newborns smell the way they do.
• Although nothing scientifically did I find that explains it, I did read that mothers can identify their newborn solely by its’ aroma.
• As I was reading that research study, almost immediately, a commercial from years ago came to mind.
• Pepsi, RC Cola, Coca-cola taste test.
• Of course, they could always taste which one was Coca-Cola.
• I thought of these blind-folded mommas, picking up a baby and smelling it…nope, nope, NOPE, ahhh, that’s mine!
• Our sense of smell can produce some amazing results!
Today, I’d like us to look how we can be a sweet aroma to God, just as a newborn is to his mother.
Let’s consider 5 ways:
A couple of weeks ago, we examined 5 ways of equipping of the saints.
They were:
• Through fellowship
• Worship
• Discipleship
• Ministry
• Missions
Let’s look at these 5 and see how they are a sweet aroma to our Lord.
The phrase “A sweet aroma” is found many places in the OT and NT.
Let’s begin in Ezekiel.
God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel with:
• A message of doom
• A message to other nations
• A message of hope- God always has a message of hope for His people.
In that message of doom in the first 24 chapters, we get a glimpse of hope, found in 20:41.
Let’s begin in v39 (read 39-42)
Key word: serve (What is ministry about? Service)
Who are the ministers? 1 Peter 2:5, 9
• v5:You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
• v9: You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Therefore, one way we bring a sweet aroma to God, is through service to Him.
Let’s consider a second way we bring a sweet aroma to God:
Numbers 15:14
• and if a stranger dwells with you, or whoever is among you throughout your generations, and would present an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord, just as you do, so shall he do.
• I believe scripture is teaching us here, the importance of fellowship.
o Yes, it is speaking of an offering by fire, but it also is telling us to bring others along with us. Teach them how to be a sweet aroma to God.
Fellowship is a way to bring a sweet aroma to God.
Another means is through missions. I love how Paul puts it in Philippians 4.
Let’s start in v15. Read 15-18 from bible, then wrap up with v19.
The Sweet Aroma here is being obedient and sharing the Gospel.
We can also be a Sweet Aroma through discipleship.
Ephesians 5:1-2
• v1Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children.
• v2And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling aroma.
o Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk
o Discipleship is about DOING!
I want to wrap this up today, with another way to bring a sweet aroma to God and that is through worship.
Let’s begin in Leviticus.
We are shown 5 types of sacrifices in Leviticus, that brought a sweet aroma to God.
I’d like us to look at the 3 that Jesus Christ represents.
Burnt offering- it is to bring peace and reconciliation between God and the worshiper.
Sin offering- focus is on cleansing
Guilt offering- focus is on payment
Jesus Christ is a sweet aroma to God because:
• He brought reconciliation. No one comes to the Father except through Jesus
• He cleanses us of our sins.
• He paid the price in full!
Our final passage today, is the key passage found in 2nd Corinthians 2:14-17
Stand with me as we read 2nd Corinthians 2:14-17
v14- always (the victory we have in Christ is constant, not occasional)
Triumph – explain the procession.
Conquering General
Captives: ones who surrendered, ones who didn’t
Aroma in the city
Paul is telling us several things in this verse, but for me it is that the preaching of the Gospel brings a sweet aroma to the Lord.
v15 read then say: saved and perishing- Fragrance of Christ
v16 read then talk about essential oils.
• Who is sufficient? Paul answer in 2 Corinthians 3:5 “not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.
V17 NLT- you see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christs authority, know that God is watching us.
We present a sweet aroma to God by living with Christ in us and being in continual worship!
A sweet aroma by:
• Service in Ministry
• Fellowship
• Discipleship
• Missions
• worship
Call the worship team up as I begin my 3rd closing, I want us to think about Mary as she extravagantly poured that expensive oil on Jesus.
• She got a little undignified as she dried the oil with her hair.
• When we get undignified and pour our heart out to Jesus, that is a sweet aroma to our Savior.
Say goodbye to online viewers:
• Maybe you are desperate for Jesus today.
• Maybe you just need to worship at the feet of Jesus.
• Or maybe you just need to surrender, and be captivated by Christ.
Whatever it is:
We should strive to smell as a sweet aroma to God, just as a newborn to its’ mother.
