KNOW, LIVE, BE-BE JESUS' CHURCH-2 CORINTHIANS: The Smell Of Bacon And The Gospel

 The Smell Of Bacon And The Gospel 2 Corinthians 2:12-3:18 Onetime - we had this ridiculous party at our apartment in Springford. It was a bacon party - and we made a dumb amount of bacon, we bought it at Karns by the slab and had about as many people as our apartment could hold then maybe 20 more and made/ate bacon. It was a blast and we ate/made pound after pound after pound of bacon, we sent people home with bacon, we had uncooked and cooked bacon left and the place was a greasy mess. My entire body felt like an oil slick. After that for weeks everything smelled like bacon, my clothes, the carpet, my computer and computer bag, everything smelled like bacon. Church, I’m going to make a confession to you, and I haven't admitted this in front of anyone before. I got sick of the smell of bacon. I want to assure you, I like bacon again - but I remember that smell. Paul will talk about a smell that Christians leave off - and I’m sure you could crack any number of jokes here but it’s the point not to miss - the smell of Christians. Smell is an interesting since. It triggers memories, it adds to flavor, it’s amazing, Paul will draw us into this concept that our lives are something God is interested. Our day-to-day actions and thoughts and he does that through this example of the sense of smell - more than that, we’ll learn more about what it means to live as people who are in Christ, who are followers of Jesus - and we’ll learn what it means to be a member of a Church - it may not be what you think! This is important to each and every one of us because one day, this life which is distracting will be completely gone - and we’ll be alone with our God - so lets learn to listen to Him now and join me in 2nd Corinthians 2:12-3:18. 2 Corinthians 2:12–3:18 (ESV) Triumph in Christ 12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. …Sometimes a path is easy and we want that easy path to be God’s will, this isn’t always so, and it’s not so here - Paul says I skated into town, God opened the door (we’d stop here but…) Paul wasn’t settled, so he moved on to see his friend. 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. Ministers of the New Covenant 3:1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. …He setting us up for a comparison to the OT and Moses Law - stay sharp church… 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. …This is where we’re found church - the ministry of righteousness… 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. 12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. Paul is talking about a deep deep change in you Christian, a change that comes from the Lord God, by Jesus sacrifice, through the spirit of God in you. In verses 12-17 folks were starting to wonder of Paul - hey, you don’t seem that successful to us, how is it that you're an apostle. The argument was, you're telling us how to live our lives, how to conform to God, and we’re more apparently successful than you, maybe they’re business owners, or lawyers or Drs. You’re kind of beat up, and we’re looking at you here not seeing a lot of success. Paul responds with this key text in verse 14: 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere Paul is like your grandpa, he started a story in 2:12-13 and he won’t finish that until chapter 7, because he breaks into this thought of his apparent unsuccessful ministry. He draws on this triumphal procession and the fragrance of the knowledge of Him (God) - but this triumph procession is interesting. It’s a parade in the Roman world where prisoners of war are marched through the streets and then an execution: You can’t too cleanly pin this one down - he’s using it in all kinds of ways. 1. We’re victors in Christ = he and those following after Christ as he follows after Christ are victors lead by Jesus. 2. The gospel message the knowledge of God as victor spread through this procession; as Christians live they’re shown off was a transformed people, and are an aroma not unlike bacon. 3. With this great news came the understanding that death would follow - Christ died for sin, our sin dies in him - and so this knowledge carries with it the sense of a changed and transformed life. 4. Finally, the aroma hits each group differently. Like I’ve been BOTH someone who detests the smell of bacon and is woken as if someone from the dead by it. During our recent vacation Briana woke up early and started cooking bacon - I literally woke up not to that smell but because of that smell. In this life, the gospel wakened my dead soul in the same way - and the fragrance of your life sharing that message will awaken others. Church this concept of Christian fragrance should encourage our soul to go live out loud for Jesus! - I’ve changed, the aroma has stayed consistently it’s wonderful self. And so the victors march in this life, sometimes means we speak to our transformation, where Christ found us and how we’ve been changed. We seek to find opportunities not to brag and look awesome, but sometimes to show how our lives needed redemption - this is the aroma we carry, sometimes our actions to a dark world and in a dark world carry aroma - I’ve seen it church on you. When you are loving to each other and to people outside and simply have a strong desire to see people come to know Christ you carry that aroma. Then playing on their doubt of him as an apostle, Paul says in verses 16/17 he's not sufficient - here is why I LOVE that Paul did that. Moses uses a highly-similar word, in fact when the Jewish Greek speakers translated the OT they used the same word we have translated “sufficient” when Moses says to God - “Please Lord, I have neither been eloquent in the past or recently … I’m slow of speech” why was Moses nervous, God sent him to free his people from their slavery - Church, are you seeing the parallels here - this is HUGE! Paul writes to the saints at Corinth, just as you’re saints here in Harrisburg, who are in Jesus so too were they, telling them you’re looking at me, seeing someone who you don’t think is worthy hey - he says- I agree. And Moses didn't find himself worthy either but God uses Him to deliver his people, just like church when you're fragrant you spread the aroma of God’s good news - you're like the aftermath of our bacon party permeating everything. Moses had to go speak and say, “Let my people Go,” you church have to go, and live and help his people be free. You’re the sent of the gospel as you speak about God. You're the sent of the gospel as you live as Christians. Church have you served someone today - how about this week? Are you planning to, because you’ll hit what you’re aiming at - are you aiming at nothing - you’ll hit it! Maybe you're looking at me and saying why isn’t the church more successful, maybe I’ll look back to you and ask why aren't you living as the church. As a church, we map out a long game. We give opportunity for us together, the individuals of the church to live out our calling. We have basketball camp - come, be the aroma of changed lives there as you interact with people. We have summer camp, come and serve kids or hang out and talk with parents and families, come make meals and make the church able to serve the neighborhood; be aromatic! We served the community, who serves our community through nonprofit lunch this week, come be a part of that and spread out into our community. We’re hosting a Tuesday afternoon/evening block party and concert at the park - will you lump together as the church and be available for that - will you serve? Meet in each other’s homes, talk about Jesus away from here even 1 time next week and see what God will do! Paul said in chapter 3:1-3 that his confidence is from God and the proof of the power of his ministry was the people. God is working through in the power of this new covenant of freedom in life. Because of that freedom, we’re free to enjoy the smell of bacon, we’re free to go out into our communities and eat and live with people and be excited for Jesus life and God’s sending of him and to be excited that the Spirit of God is in us and available freely to absolutely everyone without reservation. How does this truth flow through you? I want you to experience the joy of being used by God in service, serve together as your church, this summer be the aroma. Be that sent, this week church. Paul said in 3:14 that his boldness was not fading like Moses, God changed him in an instant and made the message of the gospel that smelled to him like death, be the best news ever - and so the smell didn’t change, Paul was changed by God and now the news was great! Now unlike the glory of God in Moses that faded, the glory of God in believers in Jesus final sacrifice grows and grows and so either you’re to share that glory and you’re to receive that glory, you tell me, where do you stand today? Guys this is amazing, lets go tell everyone together! Pray: Wrapping out major points, lists, and for living out this/these truths Everyone Together KNOW, LIVE, BE – BE JESUS’ CHURCH – 2 CORINTHIANS: The Smell Of Bacon And The Gospel Pastor John Weathersby Transcend Church 6 of 6 Sunday 6/25/2017