The Fragrance of Thanksgiving

Title- The Fragrance of Thanksgiving

Passage- 2 Cor. 2:14

Attention- Who is an individual from history that you would consider to be a hero?

Anyone willing to share?

One of the hero’s of history is William Wilberforce

There are many episodes in his life that grab my attention but there is one in particular that gives us a glimpse into what drove him in the pursuit to abolish slavery

One night in the early 1790s after another defeat in his 10 year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated…looking for hope, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it.

A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. It was a letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death. Wilberforce read it again:

"Unless the divine power has raised you up... I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that (abominable practice of slavery), which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might."

Introduction

Here in 2 Corinthians Paul is writing a second time and encouraging the believers in Corinth to keep on keeping on…to keep up the good fight

They had had many trials and battles…The apostle Paul himself wrote to them in very blunt terms in the first epistle and they put in the work to do the right thing…at least it seems they had.

Life and ministry have many trials and difficulties and they can often be discouraging.

Even in light of spiritual victories or mountaintops they are often followed by seeming defeats or valleys in our lives.

What is the main driving point (CPS)?

Here Paul is sharing with us some words of encouragement for when life and ministry get us down

He is the cause behind

Why does the CPS matter, what is the consequence?

If we are walking in a valley there is no need for alarm if we are following Christ through that valley…if we allow Him to lead the way out...

Jesus is the victor…

John 16:33 KJV 1900

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Even in light of the tribulations we face we are under the direction of the Victor Jesus Christ

Transition

Paul shares with us a word picture to show us his thankfulness to God

I. “Causes us to to be able”

Explain

At first glance this verse could come across similar to

Philippians 4:13 KJV 1900

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

But in reality neither of these verses are talking about our ability or victory but in reality are dealing with our enablement to follow Christ in HIS victory.

-This verse especially…it is not talking about US being victorious but about how he leads us because of HIS victory.

We are not so much victorious…but we are able to see victories because Jesus is victorious

But first the context needs to be understood...

In the Bible times when a country defeated an enemy army and killed 5,000 enemy soldiers in the process of gaining more territory for the emperor there would be a parade.

The “Roman Triumph”

The chief who won the victory would ride in a golden chariot and be surrounded by his officers and the parade would include the spoils of the war as well as captive soldiers and Roman priests would accompany the parade carrying burning incense

We understand this concept, at least after the World Wars there were parades for the soldiers who came home.

But the procession that would have happened then was quite different

The victorious army would parade their captives before them.

It was a show of power and authority

The enemy forces were now under their control

And they had some pretty barbaric ways of ensuring that that would happen.

Bridge to today

We have nothing in our culture that comes close to this…I thought long and hard this week and we do not have the equivalent of what this phrase pictures.

*The closest thing that comes to mind is pictures of soldiers leading POW’s to camps…but that even misses the full emotion pictured here

Relevance

I don’t want to spend a lot of time getting you to picture the event that would have taken place because I want us to focus on the theological implications of this picture.

Why does this matter?

What is being taught through this picture is this...

When Jesus Christ secured the victory over Satan by way of His death, burial, and resurrection we became His.

We can be victorious in our Christian lives but that is not what Paul is referring to here.

He is saying “Jesus died and rose again to defeat Satan and therefore he is marching you as POW’s to where HE wants you

Paul says in

Romans 12:1 KJV 1900

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

What does Paul mean?

He means that Jesus Christ paid the price to win the victory…NOT YOU

Therefore you are HIS

I’t not about what you want or what I want or what anyone else thinks for that matter

There is only one who matters and that is the one who won the victory…Jesus Christ

We use the language of freedom when it comes to salvation and there is truth to the fact that we are freed from sin but we are not under Christ....

We are a new creature and old things are passed away

Jesus is our Commander In Chief now

It use to be our sin nature but Jesus secured that victory and we are to now follow HIM

Transition

This truth that we are now able because of HIS victory leads to a second truth Paul wants to share and that is that Jesus’ death

II. “Makes us acceptable”

Explain

Like was noted earlier, in this “Roman Triumph” the Roman priest would accompany the parade carrying burning incense.

Paul here is using incense to picture the life of the believer

Bridge to today

Our sense of smell is an amazing thing

One smell can bring up feeling of joy and happiness

Some of anger

Some bring memories flooding back

There is often a meaning behind a smell

Parents of young children understand this

They do the sniff test

It is pass or fail

There is power in a smell

Relevance

Here I believe that Paul is attempting to portray the fact that our lives give off a proverbial odor...

To fellow believers our lives should be the aroma of Jesus Christ

The aroma of life…the aroma of victory

And in that very same odor it is to the unbeliever the aroma of foolishness....the aroma of death

Why does this matter?

Just like the smell after the farmer has fertilized his field…to my children it is disgusting but if you ask the farmer it is the smell of money...

Our lives give off a proverbial fragrance...

The question is if your life as a believer really gives off the fragrance of life…the fragrance of Christ

Or do we give off the fragrance of the world…of death

Transition

Explain

Bridge to today

Relevance

Why does this matter?

On the day of pentecost, after Jesus had risen from the dead victorious over Satan…He did not kill 5,000 people…he saved them 3,000 at pentecost and 2,000 shortly after

The spoils of the battle for Jesus are lost should who once had been in bondage to satan but now are part of the victory march under the control of Jesus Christ the victor

Conclusion

If you are here this morning and have never surrendered to Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sin…we would encourage you to do so today

Challenge to act now (your part)…immanence

Believers…Jesus has secured the victory…he is leading you in the way you ought to go, are you following?

Visualize Audience Implementation

Final Statement

Are you giving off the aroma of Jesus Christ?

Final Statement

Closing Hymn