1 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,640 Well, good evening again. Open your Bible with me to the 2 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,240 New Testament book of Second Corinthians, chapter 2. 3 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:20,040 We'll finish all the way through and to the end of chapter 3. 4 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,600 The title of the message is Fragrance, the true Character of 5 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:28,800 Gospel Ministry. Paul the Apostle, as he's been 6 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,240 writing, has been defending himself against false 7 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,560 accusations that have been circulating in the Corinthian 8 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:36,400 church since he'd written the first letter. 9 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:38,240 There was a bit of a heavy tone to it. 10 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:42,040 And then there are also some plans that Paul had said that he 11 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:44,880 would institute to try and come and visit. 12 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,640 And because he had not, then questions were being asked, 13 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,920 trying to invalidate Paul's ministry and character. 14 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,920 And in essence, Paul was defending not himself but the 15 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,560 gospel. Because the idea was that, well, 16 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,880 if, if Paul can't be trusted, if his character is in question, if 17 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,480 he's not truly an apostle, then we should disregard his words. 18 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,400 And that's not what Paul was about. 19 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,080 He was about the gospel and the true message of it. 20 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,440 He'd been addressing accusations of being fickle and, and double 21 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:19,640 dealing in, in the way that he would speak. 22 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:23,080 And, and now we enter again. We we had it this morning, but 23 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:28,200 another parenthetical section that begins here from chapter 2, 24 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:33,840 verse 14 all the way through into Chapter 7, verse 4, where 25 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,760 he is describing the nature of his ministry. 26 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,920 And then he gets back to his point where he talks about Troas 27 00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:43,160 and A and a visit from Titus that we open our our passage 28 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:46,640 with. But not to not to boast about 29 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,640 himself, but because, again, false teachers had crept into 30 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:53,080 the Corinthian church, especially a group known as 31 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:57,000 Judaizers, who were espousing the idea that if you really want 32 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,960 to be holy, if you really want to be spiritual, then you must 33 00:01:59,960 --> 00:02:03,640 go back to the Mosaic law and the systems and the rituals and 34 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:05,400 the rules that were in practise there. 35 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:08,840 And so that's what the people in Corinth were being enticed by. 36 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,200 What Paul seeks to address seemed like a common issue that 37 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:16,320 popped up in a lot of churches. And then as is today, there was 38 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,280 the other end of the spectrum where people were advocating for 39 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,840 just licence and liberty and and do what you please because the 40 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:27,120 grace of God will cover it. And no personal holiness was 41 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,920 then a pursuit that people had as a consequence of that. 42 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,520 The true gospel as Paul will present, and the true gospel 43 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,800 that we need to have at work in our lives, it truly does bring 44 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:40,240 liberty. It does bring freedom. 45 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,920 It brings freedom not to sin anymore. 46 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:48,200 We're no longer enslaved to sin. And it also brings the freedom 47 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:52,480 to serve God with a new passion and fervour that is not because 48 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:56,400 we're trying to earn or merit or warrant favour with God. 49 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,240 So again, like our study in the Book of Revelation this morning, 50 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,760 whenever there's something genuine, there will be 51 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,440 counterfeits. Satan is always imitating the 52 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,560 work of God. And so Paul here, he paints a 53 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:15,160 picture of true gospel ministry, one that bears the fragrance of 54 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,040 Christ because there were those within the Church of Corinth who 55 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,480 were advocating for something altogether different. 56 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:27,400 And my title fragrance is because Paul uses this imagery 57 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:29,560 in his writing for us in these verses. 58 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:34,520 He takes the understanding of of scents and smells and fragrance 59 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:40,480 in particular in connection to a Roman triumph of a victorious 60 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:44,760 general entering into the city and has the people bring their 61 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,080 understanding of that to the power of the gospel at work. 62 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:53,520 Now you and I, we're we're very sense oriented and particularly 63 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,960 certain smells will trigger certain emotions, maybe 64 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:00,760 nostalgia with us as there's a a fondness for a smell that brings 65 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:04,240 us back to maybe family vacations on the beach whenever 66 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:08,480 we have the the smell of the ocean or when fresh bread is 67 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:10,800 being baked. Oh, it reminds me of my grandma 68 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:16,120 or there's certain negative feelings and emotions we connect 69 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,560 to particular smells as well. You know, that smell reminds me 70 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:21,640 of so and so. And boy, my interactions with so 71 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,200 and so were terrible. So every time I smell that, I 72 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:28,040 think of them, right? So Paul uses that. 73 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,800 So just like fragrances in daily life, whether it be perfume, the 74 00:04:31,840 --> 00:04:36,360 ocean breeze, as I say, fresh bread or foul smells like 75 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:43,600 garbage, rotten eggs, our lives, Paul is suggesting gives off a 76 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:48,720 spiritual scent, A fragrance. And Paul says in Second 77 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:53,400 Corinthians verses 14 through to 17 of chapter 2 that Christians 78 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:57,760 are in fact to be the fragrance of Jesus Christ in the world. 79 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:02,520 And we do that by bearing the characteristics of true gospel 80 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:04,040 ministry. So we want to look at those. 81 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,520 And if you're again taking notes tonight, three things that we'll 82 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:11,200 focus on as we read these verses, that true gospel 83 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,040 ministry, in order for it to be such, to bring about the 84 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:19,240 fragrance of Jesus Christ in our lives, is to be #1 triumphant. 85 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:22,920 True gospel ministry is secondly accredited. 86 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,280 And thirdly, it's glorious. And we'll explain what those 87 00:05:26,280 --> 00:05:29,680 mean as we go along. Let's read as we address the 88 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:34,280 first from verse 12 of chapter 2 through and to 17. 89 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:38,600 Furthermore, he says, I'm reading from the New King James 90 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:41,480 Version. When I came to Troas to preach 91 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:45,480 Christ's gospel and the door was opened to me by the Lord, I had 92 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,880 no rest in my spirit because I did not find Titus my brother, 93 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:52,200 but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. 94 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:56,800 Now the beginning of verse 14, like I say, could be the opening 95 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,360 of this parenthesis that takes us all the way through into 96 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:04,640 Chapter 7, verse 4. Now thanks be to God, He says, 97 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,920 who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through US 98 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:13,680 diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 99 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,880 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are 100 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:21,080 being saved and among those who are perishing. 101 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:26,480 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to 102 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:28,720 the other the aroma of life leading to life. 103 00:06:29,840 --> 00:06:31,400 And who is sufficient for these things? 104 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:35,800 He asks the question For we are not verse 17 as so many peddling 105 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:40,840 the word of God, but as of sincerity, but as from God we 106 00:06:40,840 --> 00:06:43,600 speak in the sight of God in Christ. 107 00:06:45,280 --> 00:06:48,240 So Paul begins this parenthetical section verse 14 108 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:52,480 on with praise. Thanks be to God cannot help but 109 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:56,480 break out in worship so many times in his writing who always 110 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:02,160 leads us in triumph in Christ, even in his troubles. 111 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:06,840 Remember that Paul was suffering here we read of it in a sermon 2 112 00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:11,920 weeks ago that he was suffering to the point even of death that 113 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:15,240 he feared for his very life is like I'm as good as done. 114 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,640 That's that's how severe this suffering and this trial is. 115 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:23,320 But he declares in praise unto God that Christ is victorious. 116 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:29,040 And to illustrate, Paul Burrows the image of the spectacle of 117 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:32,880 the Roman triumph. If you don't understand or know 118 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,920 what this is from history, let me explain a little bit. 119 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:40,400 It's the highest honour that a Roman general could receive in 120 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,320 the time of writing. It's the 1st century Roman 121 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,240 Empire. To earn it, the commander, the 122 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,600 general of the army, had to have been in the field of battle, 123 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:55,200 obviously had won a decisive victory, having killed at least 124 00:07:55,480 --> 00:08:00,960 5000 of the enemy to warrant this triumph and gained new 125 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:05,160 territory for Rome. So this is all what's used in 126 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,800 this language here and the understanding for the audience 127 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:11,120 and for you and I, some 2000 years removed, We need to know 128 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:14,520 this. The procession as the victorious 129 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:18,600 general would enter back into the city of Rome would include 130 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:23,400 the following state officials and senators there gathered to 131 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,000 bring in and to celebrate the victorious general. 132 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,480 Trumpeters announcing the victory. 133 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:33,480 You imagine the noise celebration as the crowd 134 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:39,280 citizens are gathered, spoils of war on display. 135 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,799 So any treasures of the defeated king or whoever it was that they 136 00:08:43,799 --> 00:08:47,520 are fighting against, whatever they had been able to to take as 137 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,400 a part of the victory won through battle. 138 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:55,520 Prisoners taken hostage, those not killed in the battle were 139 00:08:55,560 --> 00:09:00,040 chained and ultimately LED through in the parade marching 140 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:06,720 toward their execution. Priests of the various gods and 141 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:10,960 goddesses that were worshipped in Rome would be swinging senses 142 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:13,480 with sweet smelling incense in them. 143 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:19,040 And yet you can imagine the sense that the sounds, all of 144 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:22,600 the the vibrancy in the atmosphere with this victory, of 145 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:27,240 this triumph going on. And the victorious general would 146 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:31,360 be riding in on a golden chariot, followed by the army, 147 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,000 the soldiers singing songs of triumph. 148 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,840 And so Paul, using his audience's familiarity with 149 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:46,240 this, says, I want you to see Jesus as the conquering 150 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:53,200 victorious general, leading us with him in this triumphal 151 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:59,560 procession and this victory that he now begins to unpack for them 152 00:09:59,560 --> 00:10:03,560 and for you and I is far greater than any victory won by a Roman 153 00:10:03,560 --> 00:10:05,920 general. For what is it that Christ 154 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:07,440 achieved? What is it that Christ 155 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,240 conquered? Firstly, Christ conquered the 156 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:14,160 power of sin. Through Christ, you and I, we 157 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,680 are no longer condemned. Romans chapter 8 verse one says 158 00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:21,600 there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are 159 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:25,000 in Christ Jesus, and this is because of the victory won by 160 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:29,000 Jesus Christ. Sin then contempt us, but it no 161 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:35,440 longer enslaves or defines US. Power of sin has been defeated 162 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,600 by Jesus Christ as He is victorious in this triumph. 163 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:42,120 Secondly, the power of death in Christ. 164 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:45,920 Death is swallowed up in victory in Christ. 165 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:48,520 We no longer fear death. We learned of that this morning. 166 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:53,120 Blessed are those who die in Christ Jesus, it said in the 167 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:56,800 text in Revelation 14. We no longer fear death because, 168 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:00,120 as the Bible says, to be absent from the body is to be present 169 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:02,120 with the Lord for those that are born again. 170 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:06,800 And in Christ Jesus the power of Satan was defeated. 171 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:12,160 Thirdly, at the cross, the Bible tells us that Christ disarmed 172 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:17,760 the powers of darkness, took off the enemy's greatest weapon, 173 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:22,440 rendered him useless. In that way, the Holy Spirit 174 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:26,960 within us now ensures also that the enemy cannot possess us. 175 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,960 Did you know that it's impossible for someone who is 176 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:35,440 possessed by the Holy Spirit to be possessed by an evil spirit? 177 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:40,000 The 2 cannot coincide. The Bible is clear on that and 178 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,760 we can resist the devil. James 4 verse 7 and it says that 179 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:48,960 he must flee from us. That's the victory that Jesus 180 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:51,320 won. That's the triumph that is he's 181 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:57,720 that we're a part of. Fourthly, Jesus victory provides 182 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:04,760 the power that was once in the world over us to be none at all. 183 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:08,640 The world's values pass away, the Bible tells us, 1 John 184 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:13,480 chapter 215 to 17. And now our faith can overcome 185 00:12:13,560 --> 00:12:16,680 the world. Jesus said greater is he that is 186 00:12:16,680 --> 00:12:18,800 in you than he that is in the world. 187 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:25,000 And so, like the incense at the triumphal parade, the Gospel's 188 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:29,480 aroma means different things to different people. 189 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:32,160 Think of it. Think of the audience, the crowd 190 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:36,240 gathered at a Roman generals triumph entering into the city 191 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:39,920 of Rome. To those being saved, to those a 192 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:43,280 part of the victory. It is the aroma, the smell, the 193 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:48,480 scent, the fragrance of life. And in the Roman procession, as 194 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:51,400 the priest's incense would be burning and it evoked victory. 195 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:54,960 You imagine citizens of the city living there who would always 196 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,480 associate said smells with victory. 197 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,640 Oh, do you smell that? It must be a victorious Roman 198 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,600 general coming in and, and the buzz as as they would enter in 199 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:07,000 and head and, and that smell would evoke that sensation 200 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:12,000 within them. And so for us, the Gospel should 201 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,200 always remind us of the victory that is in Christ Jesus. 202 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:21,240 We are citizens of heaven, and the gospel is that sweet aroma 203 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:24,840 that reminds us of that, the hope that we have for the 204 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:29,400 future, the joy and the celebration of what this means, 205 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,320 the triumph that's connected with the gospel. 206 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:37,160 But it tells us in those verses that we read to those who are 207 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:41,720 perishing, that the gospel and the true characteristics of 208 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:46,840 gospel smell like death because it confronts sin. 209 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,200 Just as in the Roman procession, yes, there were victorious 210 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:54,280 people present, There were citizens of Rome who were 211 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,560 celebrating in the joy and the victory, but they're also 212 00:13:57,560 --> 00:14:02,080 conquered people. There were those chained, the 213 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,480 incense, the smell would not be a positive thing because they 214 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:09,560 knew that they were about to die as a consequence of this. 215 00:14:09,560 --> 00:14:14,160 And so to the unrepentant in the world in which we live the 216 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:17,440 gospel, when we bring it in as a part of our character, when we 217 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,040 smell of the gospel, for want of better terminology, you know 218 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,720 what? It's repulsive. 219 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,400 Have you not found that to be true in interactions with people 220 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:30,880 who are so offended by the gospel and of the gospel at work 221 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:34,280 in your life that it like, it's like you're bringing in the 222 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:37,320 smell of death to them because you're reminding them of the 223 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,440 future consequences of their sin and rebellion against God? 224 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:46,080 And so to the the smell of the victory won by Jesus Christ as 225 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:49,120 the gospel is at work in our lives as a reminder to Satan and 226 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:51,120 his hordes that they're defeated. 227 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,880 No longer do they have dominion or rule over us, but they are 228 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:59,080 conquered and Christ is victorious. 229 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,640 You see true gospel ministry. The characteristic of it is that 230 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,280 it will be triumphant not because of us, but because of 231 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:10,960 Jesus Christ. Secondly, true gospel ministry 232 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,480 is accredited. You see that in chapter 3, 233 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:17,680 verses one to three, he writes and says, Do we begin again to 234 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:22,880 commend ourselves, or do we need, as some others, epistles 235 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:28,160 of commendation to you or letters of commendation from 236 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,920 you? You are our epistle, written in 237 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:36,760 our hearts, known and read by all men clearly. 238 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:38,840 Verse three. You are an epistle of Christ 239 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:43,840 ministered by us, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of 240 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:47,680 the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of 241 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:52,120 flesh, that is, of the heart. It's Paul talking about here 242 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:56,040 when he's talking about epistles of commendation, Letters of 243 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:59,480 commendation. In Paul's day, travelling 244 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:04,160 itinerant teachers and preachers were very common and often they 245 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:10,200 would carry with them letters of commendation, almost like in 246 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:14,200 today's world where we asked for letters of references or 247 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:16,000 referees. When you're applying for a job, 248 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,080 is there, is there somebody that knows you that I can get in 249 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:22,720 contact with, send an email or give a phone call that can vouch 250 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:24,760 for your character, for your attributes? 251 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:26,600 That's what Paul is talking about here. 252 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,760 And so while others would travel around and and they would 253 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:33,160 bandish their letters of commendation, Paul says, I need 254 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:38,000 no such letter to vouch for the legitimacy of my ministry and of 255 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,280 my apostleship for you because you are my letter. 256 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:45,720 You know, the transformation of the gospel that has been at work 257 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,800 in your lives, the gospel that I preached to you, the gospel that 258 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:53,040 I affirm and continue to remind you of in First Corinthians and 259 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:54,800 now in Second Corinthians as I'm writing. 260 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:57,120 You're my letter of recommendation. 261 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,000 It's written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living 262 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,800 God that resides in you. It's far greater than anything 263 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:09,560 written on paper. You know the power of the spirit 264 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:12,240 at work in you to change your lives. 265 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:15,560 And as you read about the people in Currenth, you remember what 266 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:19,520 type of people they were and what they had been transformed 267 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:22,319 from. There were prostitutes, there 268 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:24,960 were homosexuals, there were those that were sleeping in 269 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,280 incestuous relationships. There was all sorts of about 270 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:31,240 rivalries and conflict going on with one another as they were 271 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:35,600 suing in court and so on. And that was many of them even 272 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:39,200 having been saved still that that work needing to be done in 273 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,080 their lives, that sanctification and the purifying of God. 274 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:46,440 And, and Paul says, you know what you were once like and you 275 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:48,520 know how the Spirit of God has been at work. 276 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:51,800 And if that's the letter of commentation that's going on, 277 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,200 they were evidence of the power of Christ to change lives and a 278 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:58,440 testament to the Verity of the gospel that Paul was preaching. 279 00:17:59,960 --> 00:18:03,680 Now, the old covenant that they were being enticed and tempted 280 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:07,680 to go back to, you know, the Mosaic law, the rules and the 281 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:11,000 rituals and these sacrifices and, and these observances of 282 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,080 holy days and so on and so forth. 283 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:17,120 This is what, again, those false teachers were pushing them back 284 00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:20,280 into. Paul says this didn't transform 285 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,680 hearts, didn't have the power of the Spirit. 286 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:28,800 The new covenant by the Spirit, Paul indicates, can change 287 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,520 hearts. You're born again, you're given 288 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:35,880 a new nature. That means new desires, new 289 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:39,240 passions, a new drive for the things of God. 290 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:44,440 And so the gospel Paul indicates to us that we know to be true is 291 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:47,080 this. It works from the inside out, 292 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:52,160 from a change heart on out into actions and transformations in 293 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:54,960 behaviour that once weren't a part of who we are. 294 00:18:54,960 --> 00:19:00,320 So the best credentials for any Christian, whether a pastor, 295 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:04,440 whether a parent, whether a teacher, whether a friend, a 296 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:11,720 transform lives, your marriage, your parenting, your work ethic, 297 00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:21,480 your conduct, all of those should be a living letter, a 298 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:27,560 living epistle, A commendation that people can read of the 299 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:30,960 gospel at work in you. Someone said this. 300 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:34,080 We ought to be Christians in large type in bold font, 301 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:37,080 underlined, highlighted and exclamation mark. 302 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,840 I like that. So true gospel ministry is 303 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,120 accredited. Paul said, I don't need any 304 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:49,760 letters to prove to validate your evidence of the Spirit at 305 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:51,880 work and the transform lives that are before you. 306 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:55,520 Now we have a larger portion of texts as we look at our third 307 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,160 and final point. And don't get too excited when I 308 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:01,640 say final because there's a a little bit that we've got to get 309 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:03,760 onto still that I'll unpack and explain. 310 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:07,000 So thirdly, true gospel ministry is glorious. 311 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:10,960 So read and follow along with me from verse 4 through to the end 312 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:14,320 of the chapter and we'll explain a little as we go along. 313 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,640 In fact, I'll break it down into bite size for us. 314 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:20,920 How's that? What Paul now does is he 315 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:25,200 contrasts the old covenant, what they'll be enticed to go back to 316 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,360 under the Mosaic Law, and what the Judaizers were espousing 317 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:31,720 with the new covenant. And he does so in three ways. 318 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:36,000 In other words, it's like Paul is going, OK, you want to go 319 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,200 back to the old way. You want to go back to the old 320 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:42,840 law, the rules, the rituals, the religious system. 321 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:49,960 Let's compare verse four to six. He compares death with life. 322 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:53,960 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 323 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:57,680 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything 324 00:20:57,680 --> 00:21:02,880 as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who 325 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:05,760 verse 6 also made us sufficient as ministers of the new 326 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:08,480 Covenant. Not of the letter, but of the 327 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,320 Spirit. For the letter kills, but the 328 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:17,160 Spirit gives life. You see, the law that they were 329 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:20,440 being enticed to go back to with the rules and the rituals and 330 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:25,880 the regulations engraved on stone could only bring about 331 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:30,880 condemnation. But the Spirit gives life. 332 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:35,240 Why, Paul says, would you want to abandon the Spirit filled 333 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:39,040 life of the new covenant to embrace the old when the old all 334 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:42,560 that it brought was death? And he builds on this. 335 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:46,160 Let me tell you about the the fading glory of the old versus 336 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:49,920 the increasing glory of the new in verses 7 to 11. 337 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:54,720 But if the ministry of death written and engraved on stone 338 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:58,720 was glorious so that the children of Israel could not 339 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,360 look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of 340 00:22:01,360 --> 00:22:03,920 his accountants. So what he's referring to here 341 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:08,040 is the time when Moses went up onto Mount Sinai and received 342 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:12,120 the tablets of the 10 commandments written on stone 343 00:22:12,120 --> 00:22:16,480 that God had given to Moses that were then to be produced and 344 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:21,960 practised in the life of Israel. And because he had been in the 345 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:24,920 in the glory of God. Remember it tells us that Moses 346 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:28,680 face shone with the Shekinah glory of God so much so that 347 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:32,800 they they put a veil over him to protect the people. 348 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:38,760 But also what happened was that Moses face the glory began to 349 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:44,480 fade and so the covering was an attempt to kind of, you know, 350 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,200 Moses, the glory is fading quick cover it up so that the people 351 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:52,040 don't know the idea behind it. And so now the contrast is 352 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:54,240 given. You want to go back to a glory 353 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:57,400 that was fading when let me tell you about the glory of the new. 354 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:01,720 He says because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was 355 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:03,760 at the end of verse 7 passing away. 356 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:07,360 How will the ministry of the Spirit verse 8 not be more 357 00:23:07,360 --> 00:23:10,360 glorious? It's a rhetorical question, duh. 358 00:23:10,360 --> 00:23:15,640 It is for if the ministry of condemnation had glory, he's not 359 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:19,520 denying that it was something special that had gone on the 360 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:22,320 ministry. Now he says of righteousness 361 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:26,760 exceeds much more in glory. He says you're settling for 362 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,240 second best. You're going backwards here, 363 00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:32,840 verse 10. For even what was made glorious 364 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:35,520 had no glory in this respect because of the glory that 365 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:39,080 excels. For if what is passing away was 366 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:43,240 glorious, what remains is much more glorious. 367 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:48,840 Hobbit Paul, they've been saying, remember Moses, Remember 368 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:51,760 what happened when he received the 10 commandments? 369 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:55,000 Oh how glorious, how wonderful. His face shone with the glory of 370 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:56,960 God. Paul, we need to go back to 371 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:58,960 that. We need to be like Moses. 372 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:01,560 We need we need to receive that kind of glory. 373 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:05,440 Really. Paul says, let me remind you of 374 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:08,000 what happened. Moses faced shone with the 375 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,240 meeting with God. Yes, I'll give you that. 376 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,520 But the glory faded. He reminds them it passed away. 377 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:18,120 But in Christ, he says, let me tell you, under the new covenant 378 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:23,560 we move from glory on to glory. His glory is in US and it will 379 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,640 never fade. In verse 10, he says the glory 380 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:29,320 of the old is nothing compared to that of the new. 381 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:33,520 Just building on his argument here and and finishes with this 382 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:37,040 of concealment versus openness in verses 12 to 18. 383 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:42,720 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of 384 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:45,920 speech. He's not making any apologies 385 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:50,120 for what he had spoken to them, unlike Moses verse 13 who put a 386 00:24:50,120 --> 00:24:53,360 veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not 387 00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:56,840 look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 388 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:02,360 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil 389 00:25:02,360 --> 00:25:05,560 remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament because the 390 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:08,960 vowel is taken away in Christ. And this is the problem with 391 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:13,840 Israel today, with the Jews today, that that veil is yet to 392 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:17,680 be lifted, where they fully realise Jesus Christ is Messiah. 393 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:26,520 And so nevertheless, verse 15, sorry, but even to this day when 394 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:30,640 Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart and he's like, you 395 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:34,880 want to go back to that? Nevertheless, when one turns to 396 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:37,560 the Lord, verse 16, the veil is taken away. 397 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:43,880 Now the Lord is the Spirit. Verse 17 And where the Spirit of 398 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:49,600 the Lord is there is liberty, but we all with unveiled face 399 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,960 beholding verse 18 as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord 400 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:56,840 are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, 401 00:25:57,280 --> 00:25:58,640 just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 402 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:00,280 How? How awesome is that? 403 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,720 I don't think it needs much in the way of explanation. 404 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:05,040 I think it's pretty straightforward. 405 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:11,680 But again, Moses wore a veil, he couldn't openly encounter God. 406 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:15,080 There were restrictions on his interaction with God and and the 407 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:17,840 glory that God revealed to him was just a a glimpse. 408 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:21,840 You remember the story. But the veil functioned to hide 409 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:25,200 the fact that the glory was fading as he was removed from 410 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:29,880 the very presence of God. But he is this what Paul says in 411 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:33,040 Christ, the veil is removed altogether. 412 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:36,520 And when Jesus died on the cross, what do we know that 413 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:41,160 happened to the temple veil, the curtain that separated the Holy 414 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:45,280 of Holies and the holy place, that that veil was torn from top 415 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:49,920 to bottom in a supernatural way that only God's hand himself 416 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:53,720 could effectively achieve. And so there's an openness now 417 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:58,800 where you and I can enter, the Bible tells us in Hebrews boldly 418 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:03,560 into the very throne room of God and obtain grace and help in 419 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:06,200 time of need. That's not presumption on our 420 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:09,040 part, That's openness. That's access that's been 421 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:11,200 granted to us because of Jesus Christ. 422 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:14,800 Victory won on the cross and his defeat of death when he rose 423 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:18,640 again three days later. And so now we behold his glory, 424 00:27:19,360 --> 00:27:22,840 it says, and we're transformed into his image by the Spirit 425 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:25,640 within us. No, you're not that. 426 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:28,160 Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. 427 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:32,840 The Bible says no covering or concealment is needed to hide 428 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:36,960 any fading glory because it is going on from glory to glory. 429 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:39,240 That is our hope, that is our future. 430 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:42,440 That is the glory of the gospel. It is permanent, it's 431 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,880 transformative, and there is intimacy with God as a 432 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:52,800 consequence. So how do we carry the fragrance 433 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:57,240 of Christ? And Paul has used this imagery, 434 00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:02,560 this language. How can we emanate the smell of 435 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:05,640 Christ in our lives, in our living? 436 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:10,680 So if the fragrance of our lives is to be Christ like, we must 437 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:14,760 firstly #1 be cleansed by Christ. 438 00:28:16,120 --> 00:28:19,080 That means that we're forgiven and we're washed. 439 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:23,320 We've received His sacrifice and His gift as He died upon the 440 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:26,680 cross in our place. You see, without the cleansing 441 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:30,720 of his sacrificial death, our lives will continue to smell 442 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:33,600 like death, because there is that. 443 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:39,560 That weight of heaviness for the wages of sin is death that 444 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:43,040 hasn't been paid for unless we've received Christ's gift 445 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:48,920 given to us and so no amount of us adding certain behaviours and 446 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:51,680 qualities and attributes and things where well this will make 447 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:54,960 my life smell better will change the fact that we need to be 448 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:58,480 cleansed within and have our heart transformed by the power 449 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:01,520 of the gospel at work in US. We need to be cleansed by 450 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:03,640 Christ's salvific work upon the cross. 451 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:07,040 Allow me a juvenile illustration. 452 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:11,080 Many of you know that for a number of years I used to be a 453 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:15,520 high school teacher. And often you encounter teenage 454 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:20,320 boys fresh off the playground at lunchtime, soaking wet with 455 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:21,720 sweat. They've been running around, 456 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:23,760 they've been having fun, burning a lot of energy. 457 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:25,880 And and that's a good thing. It's a wonderful thing to do, 458 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:28,240 right? But then a lot of them because 459 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:32,640 of, you know, certain reasons won't shower after like we've 460 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:34,920 had a fizz Ed lesson. They've just been, you know, 461 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:38,600 sweating profusely. It's 30° heat outside. 462 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:40,600 And rather than showering, what do they do? 463 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:43,440 I know I'll fix it. I'll spray the fragrance of a 464 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:46,720 Lynx deodorant. You know, it's the old 465 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:51,120 proverbial shower in a can. And they spray it all on and, 466 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:53,360 and instead of it smelling good, what does that do? 467 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:57,000 Because there's been no cleansing, no washing it, It 468 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:00,840 masks the stench and it turns it into this like deodorant 469 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:05,520 combination. The Bo is still there, but the 470 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:09,160 fragrance of this deodorant that's been sprayed on makes it 471 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:12,000 even worse, I think. Anyway, they think it smells 472 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:13,520 good. Oh yeah, it smells wonderful. 473 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:20,080 You don't. However, we know it to be true 474 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:24,840 in that that trivial physical sense that when you're cleansed, 475 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:28,800 even a little fragrance can go a long way then, right? 476 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:31,360 And so that's the the second thing. 477 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:35,400 Once we're washed by the precious blood of the Lamb, we 478 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:39,000 get the fragrance of the Lord in our lives by secondly being 479 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:40,880 worshippers. Let me give you an illustration 480 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:44,160 from the Scriptures. You remember the example of Mary 481 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:49,560 in John chapter 12. And Mary comes to Jesus, and 482 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:53,360 Jesus is being invited to a Pharisee's house to eat, and 483 00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:55,880 there's been no provision for the washing of his feet. 484 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:01,160 And Mary observes this and spots this and and she comes and she 485 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:06,720 pours out Spike Night, a very costly perfume, as an open act 486 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:10,920 of worship unto Jesus that Jesus receives. 487 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:13,440 And and the fragrance was on Jesus. 488 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:17,880 This was very expensive, no doubt her dowry, many speculate, 489 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:23,240 and it was on her and and the fragrance filled the room and 490 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:27,760 the fragrance probably flowed on out of the house and on into the 491 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:29,680 street. And and what was common practise 492 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:34,000 was when a prominent individual in the community would invite 493 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:37,960 someone over to to eat. It was kind of the practise 494 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:41,440 where in the days of no TV or other forms of entertainment 495 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:44,880 that the the village would come and sticky beak and gather and 496 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,880 they would look in from the windows outside to see what was 497 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:49,720 happening in. And it was a great pompous 498 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:51,840 display for those on on the inside. 499 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:55,520 And so there would have been many in the city, in the in the 500 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:58,080 town, in the village, watching and observing, who would have 501 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:03,360 also smelt the fragrance of worship as was poured out by 502 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:07,160 Mary unto Jesus. And Jesus promised in that 503 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:10,240 moment when criticism was levelled against Mary and her 504 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:14,400 ACT here, that that wherever this Gospel would be be 505 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:18,640 promoted, would be preached, that this story would go with 506 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:21,520 it. Jesus loved it, He received it, 507 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:24,920 he enjoyed it, But the fragrance of worship was there and it 508 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:28,160 filled that place and it flowed on out and impacted others, even 509 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:31,960 impacting you. And I 2000 years removed from 510 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:35,800 that story, Paul was a worshipper. 511 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:40,440 It's hard to read Paul's letters and not see a man that was 512 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:44,000 awestruck with the Lord, his heart filled with worship. 513 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,720 This this whole section that we're reading commenced with 514 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:49,800 worship. He's constantly describing the 515 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:54,120 Lord God with terms like exceedingly great, unsearchable, 516 00:32:54,120 --> 00:33:00,520 incomprehensible, abounding. So Paul was stricken by grace. 517 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:04,560 He knew what he once was, how Christ had saved him. 518 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:08,720 His heart was captured by love now for Jesus and he was 519 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:12,000 enthralled with the Lord that he constantly at every and any 520 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,640 opportunity looked for ways to worship and his life was a 521 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:19,320 fragrance as such, just like Mary's and just like ours is to 522 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:23,120 be. Thirdly, for our lives are to be 523 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:27,960 fragrant with the gospel. We're to be in God's word to be 524 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:30,880 doing what we're doing tonight, opening and searching through 525 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:34,640 the Scriptures. Bathing in Scripture leaves us 526 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:37,480 carrying the scent of God into the world. 527 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,840 Jesus said this. You are clean because of the 528 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:46,600 word that I have spoken to you. And so you know the life of the 529 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:51,680 Lord is transfused to us through his word. 530 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,840 If you want the fragrance of Christ, if you want people when 531 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:59,040 they encounter you to have an encounter with Jesus, then you 532 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:03,800 need to be diligent as a student of God's Word. 533 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:08,120 And not only knowing it for the sake of espousing facts and 534 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:11,719 Bible trivia, but having it change your life. 535 00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:17,000 Again, a poor illustration, but I hope that would help in 536 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,760 understanding this. You ever smelt a baby's head 537 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:24,560 after a bath? Sounds strange, but bear with me 538 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:27,040 a moment. But baby shampoo, man, I love 539 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:29,880 the stuff. The baby comes out and they 540 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:31,880 already smell pretty good anyway, but you know, there's 541 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:33,440 something special about bath time. 542 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,400 And they come out and they smell fresh and clean having been 543 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:38,679 washed. But then that shampoo just has 544 00:34:38,679 --> 00:34:41,320 it. Oh, you breathe it in. 545 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:48,199 And so when we bathe in the Word of God, we come forth from that 546 00:34:48,199 --> 00:34:54,800 time smelling like the Lord, not just reading it, but but 547 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:58,920 meditating on it, allowing the words that we read to be 548 00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:02,760 pondered to, to chew on to, to think through and go, all right, 549 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:05,360 What does that mean? And how does that flow on into 550 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:08,640 my life and living? It's the type of thing that 551 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:13,360 causes us to smell like Jesus. As a consequence, you know the 552 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:19,680 disciples had been with Jesus. Where have you been? 553 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:24,600 The Bible tells us that this was often said about the followers 554 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:28,000 of Jesus. I perceive that you have been 555 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:31,360 with Jesus. Remember they said that about 556 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:34,000 the disciples. I don't know where you were 557 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,200 educated. I don't know why you talk the 558 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,280 way that you talk, but here's what we do know. 559 00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:45,600 You guys sound a lot like Jesus. So for you and I, if people were 560 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:50,000 to make comment on our lives, I perceive that you have been with 561 00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:55,280 Joe Rogan. I perceive that you have been 562 00:35:55,280 --> 00:36:02,480 listening to Jordan Peterson. I perceive that you are like 563 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:05,440 Oprah or a doctor this and a doctor that. 564 00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:08,480 You get my point, right? A disciple of any one of these 565 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:11,160 sort of so called gurus that exist out there in the world. 566 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:15,720 But you know what would be the greatest thing that would be 567 00:36:15,720 --> 00:36:18,760 said of us? Now I don't know where you were 568 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:22,080 educated. I don't know where you learned 569 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:23,840 that. But Gee, you, you sound a whole 570 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:26,240 lot like the Bible. Thank you. 571 00:36:27,720 --> 00:36:32,600 You sound like Jesus. And lastly, walk in obedience 572 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:36,800 and the Bible tells us Ephesians chapter 5 verse 2 that Jesus 573 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:41,040 obedience to God the Father was a sweet smelling aroma to God. 574 00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:43,560 Let me read it for you. It says therefore be imitators 575 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:48,120 of God verse one Ephesians 5 as dear children and verse 2 and 576 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:53,320 walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for 577 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:59,040 us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling 578 00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:04,720 aroma. Jesus lived a life of obedience 579 00:37:04,720 --> 00:37:09,520 to the Heavenly Father and God the Father received it as a 580 00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:14,160 sweet smelling aroma. His life was an offering. 581 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:19,840 Obedience to God was a wonderful fragrance and so too in our 582 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:23,880 lives. Paul walked in these three in 583 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:25,960 these things. Rather, he knew he was cleaned 584 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:29,720 by Christ's blood. He was a worshipper of Jesus. 585 00:37:30,720 --> 00:37:35,400 He was into the Word, His life was marked by obedience unto 586 00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:39,680 God, which allowed his life to send forth the fragrance of 587 00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:43,760 Christ, the sweet smelling aroma, even in his time of 588 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:46,160 suffering as he's experiencing here. 589 00:37:47,400 --> 00:38:01,000 So how's your scent tonight? Is it the aroma of life leading 590 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:05,200 to life, or of death leading to death? 591 00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:12,760 Is your life a living letter? A sweet fragrance, like a public 592 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:18,840 procession of Christ's triumph? And there's really no excuse for 593 00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:21,960 you and I for keeping that fragrance to ourselves. 594 00:38:23,720 --> 00:38:27,040 You ever had a nice smell? Maybe you're into essential oils 595 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:30,360 or you like perfume or aftershave or whatever and you 596 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:32,440 want to share it with others. You go smell that. 597 00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:38,520 All right, You smell that Christianity in our lives is to 598 00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:41,360 be a thing where, I mean, it would be a bit weird if we 599 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:43,400 walked around saying that. Do you smell that? 600 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:50,440 But our lives should be ones. Where did you hear about Jesus? 601 00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:54,640 Do you know Jesus? Do you know the power of the 602 00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:56,800 gospel? Let me give you an example of 603 00:38:56,800 --> 00:39:00,880 how a small act of sharing Christ, living the fragrant life 604 00:39:01,240 --> 00:39:05,440 can lead to amazing results starts with one man, a fellow 605 00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:09,840 called Edward Kimball. He was a shoe seller in Boston 606 00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:15,000 in American Unknown Fellow, and when Kimball came to Christ, he 607 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:20,080 longed to share the gospel. He happened to be also a Sunday 608 00:39:20,080 --> 00:39:23,400 school teacher. God gave him a heart to reach a 609 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:27,600 particular young teenage boy in his class who happened to work 610 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:30,920 with him as well. While working, Kimball took a 611 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:35,000 moment to share the gospel with him and this boy responded and 612 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:37,160 received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. 613 00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:43,080 His name was DL Moody, you may know DL Moody. 614 00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:48,040 If not, then he became a pastor, an evangelist and and God gave 615 00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:51,360 DL Moody a wonderful ministry and platform to preach to 616 00:39:51,360 --> 00:39:53,680 1,000,000 people in his lifetime. 617 00:39:55,760 --> 00:39:59,640 A pastor who did not have a heart for witnessing to the lost 618 00:39:59,640 --> 00:40:02,760 like Moody. He went along out of curiosity 619 00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:06,320 to one of the evangelistic events that Moody was holding 620 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:10,680 and as a consequence it stirred up a zeal, a passion, a fervour 621 00:40:10,680 --> 00:40:14,160 within him to go, I've got to preach the gospel and in a way 622 00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:17,840 that DL Moody did. This fellow's name was FB Meyer. 623 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:21,960 Maybe you've read some of his commentaries in pastoral work. 624 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:26,200 It was a pastor in England. He became a travelling preacher 625 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:29,040 as a consequence of that encounter through DL Moody's 626 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:33,200 ministry. And after gaining this zealf of 627 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:37,280 evangelism, he was preaching on a college campus in America when 628 00:40:37,280 --> 00:40:40,600 a particular student present got saved. 629 00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:44,880 His name was Wilbur Chapman. So there's like these dominoes 630 00:40:44,880 --> 00:40:46,160 just dropping and falling, right? 631 00:40:46,160 --> 00:40:50,760 And the impact now Wilbur Chapman directed AYMCA in his 632 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:53,520 area back when the acronym for Young Men's Christian 633 00:40:53,520 --> 00:41:00,120 Association still applied. Chapman desiring to be used by 634 00:41:00,120 --> 00:41:05,400 God within the the YMCA, they hired an evangelist to preach to 635 00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:09,240 the young people gathered. And this man was a former 636 00:41:09,240 --> 00:41:13,320 baseball player by the name of Billy Sunday in America. 637 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:17,480 And Billy Sunday would preach these revival services around 638 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:20,000 the country. Now we're into the 1900s, in 639 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:23,160 case you're wondering, you know, era, what, what's all of this 640 00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:27,080 and all these names? So Billy Sunday LED thousands to 641 00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:31,200 Jesus Christ, especially in Charlotte, in North Carolina. 642 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:35,720 And the men of Charlotte was so inspired by this revival that 643 00:41:35,720 --> 00:41:38,400 they wanted more and more of it. So they invited another 644 00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:42,600 evangelist by by the name of Mordecai Ham to come and to 645 00:41:42,600 --> 00:41:44,480 speak. He did. 646 00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:47,720 And he led these tent revivals in Charlotte, in North Carolina. 647 00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:53,840 And during the very last revival service, a dairy farmer, a 648 00:41:53,840 --> 00:42:00,120 worker on this farm by the name of Billy Graham was saved. 649 00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:02,440 You all know the name Billy Graham. 650 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:06,960 Billy Graham still, by the way, holds the the the greatest 651 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:12,640 record for the largest crowd at the MCG in attendance, far out 652 00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:18,240 blowing any grand final, out blowing any, you know, musical 653 00:42:18,240 --> 00:42:20,720 artists or celebrity that is that is gathered. 654 00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:27,040 Graham preached the gospel to over 250 million people and over 655 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:32,360 2 billion through TV. One of whom to come to Christ 656 00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:38,440 through his preaching was my own grandmother, my dad's mum. 657 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:42,920 Now again, all of that, I think it's just a wonderful 658 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:47,800 illustration of of the simple impact of of lives being 659 00:42:47,800 --> 00:42:52,920 desirous to be used by God to allow the fragrance, the aroma 660 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:57,320 of Christ to flow on through. Anyone willing to be used by God 661 00:42:57,320 --> 00:43:00,320 can make an impact for His Kingdom.