What’s That Smell?
2 Corinthians 2:14-16
November 11, 2002
Introduction
What are some of your favorite smells? Maybe it’s a favorite cologne or perfume. Maybe it’s the smell of your home – especially after you have been gone awhile and you walk in the door and that smell just hits you and you go, “Ahh. I’m home.”
Some of you are farmers, and the smells of the barnyard are attractive to you. You take a deep breath and just go, “Ahhh.”
I did not grow up on a farm, so when I’m at a barnyard, I take a deep breath and go, “COUGH!!!”
One of my favorites smells is food – especially pizza and pumpkin pie.
But here’s the point: we are attracted by pleasant smells.
Did you know that God wants us to smell good? And I don’t mean in the physical sense. He wants us to smell good spiritually so others will want to know about the new life in Jesus.
Today we are going to talk about smelling good in the eyes (or nose, if you will) of God and the world.
I have our Scripture passage printed at the top of your bulletin. I would like us to read it together, okay? Let’s do it.
2CO 2:14 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?
If we expect to become the aroma of Christ, if we desire to become someone God can use to spread the pleasant aroma of a relationship with God, if we want to become people who can be instrumental in others knowing their sins are forgiven so they can go to heaven, then we need to let God do some things in our lives.
So today I want to show you how you can pray for God to work in you. I want to show you three requests of God, and also a request you can make of others.
And I pray that you will walk out of here today determined to be a person who just overflows with a sweet fragrance that attracts people to Christ.
The first request is to…
I. Ask God to give you a “spiritual shower.”
We all know what it’s like to go without a shower for very many days. People start to avoid us, flowers wilt when we walk by a garden, and even dogs cross the street when we approach them.
Ask God to give you a spiritual shower. It’s a prayer to God, but it is also an act on your part. That act has two parts to it:
A. Surrender your life to Christ completely.
The Bible says that you are not your own. God created you and has the right to full ownership.
If you are a Christian, than not only were you created, you were bought by the blood of Christ.
In light of that, you need to tell God that at last, you are finally, completely, and totally His, with no looking back.
Romans 12:1 says this:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
Sacrifice your agenda for your life on the altar of God’s agenda. It’s tough – but it’s so worth it.
A verse I have memorized lately is 2 Chronicles 16:9 –
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
Becoming sold out to God opens the door to His power to strengthen you in whatever situation you find yourself.
So surrender yourself completely to Christ, and then…
B. Be intentional about the Bible and prayer.
What do I mean by the word, “intentional?”
I mean don’t live a life of default. We are going to spend a number of weeks on areas of intentionality at the beginning of the new year.
It’s more than just deciding to read and pray more. You make the time and you make it a priority.
Romans 21:2 –
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Hey, guess what? This takes work. And if you are not intentional about it, you will have an extremely hard time making it have any sort of lasting impact.
Let me say something here, and I need you to track with me.
Our actions – my actions, your actions, are a result of how we think and believe. Right thinking leads to right action.
This is why it’s so important that we renew our minds. And that renewing comes by surrendering our minds to Him.
We do that by spending time in the Bible and prayer. It also means being intentional about our thought life. We are to take our thoughts captive to Christ.
I do that by memorizing key Scriptures that the Holy Spirit uses to bring my mind back to Him when it would stray to think of things that don’t please Him. I would suggest you do the same.
So the first thing you need to do to become “fragrant” for Christ is to ask God to give you a “spiritual shower.”
Next,…
II. Ask God to give you a heart for Him.
This relates to the first point, but I have found that if I am not careful, I can spend time in the Bible and prayer, and it can become routine.
So I need to ask God to help me desire Him more and more.
The Psalms are filled with prayers asking for a glimpse of God’s glory, and for a filling from His Spirit.
PS 42:1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Ask God to give you a deep desire to know Him and love Him better.
Next,…
III. Ask God to give you a heart for people.
2 Corinthians 5 says that we are not to look at anyone with a worldly point of view, but rather through the eyes of Christ.
We are representatives of Him, bringing the Good News of forgiveness and salvation. The same good news that you and I heard and responded to.
We are not to look at the outward appearance, but rather at the fact that Christ died for that person, just like He died for you. And that person will spend an eternity suffering in hell without Christ.
The fragrance we bear represents life, forgiveness of sins, and an intimate relationship with God.
We want other people to have that same aroma. We’re not supposed to keep it to ourselves.
Ask God to break your heart for other people.
Three requests of God – ask God to give you a “spiritual shower,” to give you a heart for Him, and to give you a heart for people.
Now let’s look at a request you can make of someone else.
IV. Ask others to tell you how you “smell.”
What I mean by this is that you make yourself accountable to someone who is willing to be honest, yet gracious with you about you and your witness to the world around us.
This takes guts, both on your part, and on the part of the person you’re asking.
You might think you’re just fine. That’s the case a lot of times. The problem is that you don’t see yourself as the world sees you.
You might smell real good most of the time and in most areas, but there might be something in your life that creates a stink in the noses of those around you.
Wear your “spiritual deodorant.” Spiritual “B.O.” detracts from the message of Christ.
Having someone who can help you see areas you need to surrender to Christ is a blessing, even when it’s not pleasant.
Oh yeah. If you are going to ask someone to do this for you, mean it! Don’t waste your time and theirs if you don’t really want the benefits of it, okay.
At least be honest with yourself and ask God to bring you to a point where you can ask someone to come alongside you hear.
And if you are the person being asked to help someone see where they can improve, please understand that your job isn’t to get in that person’s face.
Your job is to honestly tell the person, and help them find a solution, praying for them and supporting them.
So what are some results of becoming a person who has the fragrance of Christ?
I want to point out three:
Results
You become the kind of person others like being around.
You become the kind of person others don’t like being around. Our passage mentions being the smell of death to some people. This happens when people recognize what we have is from God, and refuse it. It bothers them, because God is convicting them of their need for forgiveness. This is a good thing. If you are living for Christ, than it will happen. Be ready for it.
You reflect the love of Christ to a world that is short on love and acceptance.
Why is this so important? Look back at verse 14, at the top of your note-taking guide:
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.
Circle the words, “through us.” You see? God chooses to work through us to get the job done. There is no “Plan B,” guys.
So we need to be people who accurately reflect the awesome power of God to change lives at the most basic levels.
Conclusion
As we get ready to close this message, I want to point out something about being fragrant for Christ.
Don’t think of this whole issue as spiritually “putting on” the perfume or cologne.
In the case of a devoted follower of Christ, we actually become fragrant in ourselves. It’s not put on – it’s part of us. It’s part of who you are as a person. And that fragrance sticks to everything we do – our talk, our work, our relationships, everything.
I hope that God has prompted you in some way today.
If you are willing to allow God to make you someone who attracts people to the good news of Christ, than I want you to follow along in your heart as I pray.
After the prayer, I will dismiss you, okay?
Let’s pray.
