Embracing the Fragrance of Christ's Sacrifice
Summary
Welcome to Liberty! It's a joy to gather with you across all our locations, including those in correctional facilities and military bases worldwide. Today, we continue our series, "Experience Jesus," focusing on the sense of smell. Our sense of smell is unique, capable of distinguishing over a trillion scents, and deeply connected to memory and taste. This morning, we explore how the sense of smell relates to experiencing Jesus and the overarching narrative of Scripture.
In the Bible, the phrase "a pleasing aroma to the Lord" recurs, signifying God's acceptance of sacrifices. This begins with Noah's sacrifice after the flood, which appeased God's wrath. The Old Testament sacrificial system, detailed in Leviticus, involved offerings that were a pleasing aroma to God, yet they couldn't fully atone for sin. Hebrews tells us these sacrifices were reminders of sin, pointing to the need for a perfect sacrifice.
Enter Jesus, whose life and death fulfilled the sacrificial system. From His birth, marked by gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, to His crucifixion, Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. His death on the cross was a fragrant offering, satisfying God's wrath once and for all. Ephesians 5:2 describes Jesus' sacrifice as a fragrant offering to God, connecting His life to the Old Testament sacrifices.
As the church, we are called to be the aroma of Christ, spreading the fragrance of His knowledge everywhere. Our lives, like Mary's act of pouring expensive perfume on Jesus' feet, should be living sacrifices, a fragrant offering to God. This means surrendering every part of our lives—our time, talents, and treasures—to Him.
Reflect on whether your life resembles Mary, who poured out everything for Jesus, or Judas, who betrayed Him. Embrace Jesus' sacrifice and let your life be a fragrant offering, pleasing to the Lord.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Power of Sacrifice: The Old Testament sacrifices were a pleasing aroma to God, symbolizing the need for atonement. However, they were insufficient to remove sin, pointing to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, whose death fully satisfied God's wrath. This teaches us the importance of living sacrificially, offering our lives as a pleasing aroma to God. [44:07]
2. Jesus, the Perfect Sacrifice: Jesus' life and death fulfilled the sacrificial system, becoming the ultimate fragrant offering to God. His sacrifice was not just a historical event but a transformative act that invites us to live in response to His love and grace. Embrace His sacrifice and let it shape your life. [55:00]
3. Living as a Fragrant Offering: As believers, we are called to be the aroma of Christ, spreading His fragrance everywhere. This involves living lives of surrender, where our actions, words, and attitudes reflect the love and grace of Jesus. Our lives should be a continuous offering, pleasing to God. [01:06:20]
4. The Contrast of Mary and Judas: Mary's act of pouring perfume on Jesus' feet exemplifies a life fully surrendered to Him, while Judas' betrayal highlights the danger of valuing worldly gain over spiritual truth. Reflect on your life and choose to be like Mary, offering all you have to Jesus. [01:12:01]
5. Responding to Jesus' Sacrifice: Understanding Jesus' sacrifice compels us to respond with lives of worship and devotion. This means laying down our desires, ambitions, and possessions at His feet, recognizing that He is worthy of all we have. Let your life be a fragrant offering, pleasing to the Lord. [01:17:17]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Housekeeping and Announcements
- [02:00] - Introduction to the Series
- [03:15] - The Unique Sense of Smell
- [05:00] - Smell and Memory Connection
- [07:30] - Biblical Narrative of Pleasing Aroma
- [10:00] - Noah's Sacrifice
- [12:30] - Old Testament Sacrificial System
- [15:00] - Enter Jesus: The Perfect Sacrifice
- [18:00] - Jesus' Life as a Fragrant Offering
- [20:30] - The Church as the Aroma of Christ
- [23:00] - Living Sacrifices: Our Response
- [25:30] - The Story of Mary and Judas
- [28:00] - Invitation to Respond
- [30:00] - Closing Prayer and Worship
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Experience Jesus - The Aroma of Christ
Bible Reading:
1. Genesis 8:20-21
2. Ephesians 5:2
3. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15
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Observation Questions:
1. What was the significance of Noah's sacrifice after the flood, and how did God respond to it? [44:07]
2. How does the sermon describe the connection between the Old Testament sacrifices and Jesus' ultimate sacrifice? [55:00]
3. In what way are believers called to be the "aroma of Christ" according to 2 Corinthians 2:14-15? [01:06:20]
4. How does the story of Mary pouring perfume on Jesus' feet illustrate a life of sacrifice and devotion? [01:12:01]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of a "pleasing aroma" in the Old Testament sacrifices help us understand the significance of Jesus' sacrifice? [50:28]
2. What does it mean for Jesus' life and death to be described as a "fragrant offering" in Ephesians 5:2, and how does this relate to the Old Testament sacrificial system? [01:02:17]
3. How can the church today embody the "aroma of Christ" in a world that may perceive the gospel differently? [01:06:20]
4. Reflecting on the contrast between Mary and Judas, what does this tell us about the different ways people can respond to Jesus' sacrifice? [01:12:01]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you are more like Judas, valuing worldly gain over spiritual truth? How can you shift your focus to be more like Mary, offering all you have to Jesus? [01:12:01]
2. In what practical ways can you live as a "fragrant offering" to God in your daily life? Consider your time, talents, and treasures. [01:06:20]
3. How can you ensure that your life reflects the love and grace of Jesus, spreading His fragrance to those around you? Identify one specific action you can take this week. [01:06:20]
4. Think about a recent situation where you had to make a sacrifice. How did it feel, and how did it impact your relationship with God? How can you embrace a lifestyle of sacrificial living more fully? [55:00]
5. Consider the people in your life who may not yet know Jesus. How can you be the "aroma of Christ" to them, and what steps can you take to share His love and grace with them? [01:06:20]
6. Reflect on the sermon’s message about responding to Jesus' sacrifice with worship and devotion. What specific desires, ambitions, or possessions do you need to lay down at His feet? [01:17:17]
7. How can you cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of Jesus' sacrifice in your personal spiritual journey? What resources or practices might help you in this pursuit? [01:02:17]
Devotional
Day 1: The Insufficiency of Old Testament Sacrifices
The Old Testament sacrificial system was a way for the people of Israel to atone for their sins and seek God's favor. These sacrifices, described in detail in Leviticus, were a "pleasing aroma" to God, symbolizing the need for atonement. However, they were ultimately insufficient to remove sin completely. They served as reminders of sin and pointed to the need for a perfect sacrifice. This understanding teaches us the importance of living sacrificially, offering our lives as a pleasing aroma to God. The ultimate fulfillment of these sacrifices came through Jesus, whose death fully satisfied God's wrath. [44:07]
Leviticus 1:9 (ESV): "But its entrails and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall burn all of it on the altar, as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you can offer a sacrifice of time or resources to God today, acknowledging the insufficiency of your own efforts and relying on His grace?
Day 2: Jesus, the Ultimate Fragrant Offering
Jesus' life and death fulfilled the sacrificial system, becoming the ultimate fragrant offering to God. His sacrifice was not just a historical event but a transformative act that invites us to live in response to His love and grace. From His birth, marked by gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, to His crucifixion, Jesus embodied the perfect sacrifice. Ephesians 5:2 describes His sacrifice as a fragrant offering to God, connecting His life to the Old Testament sacrifices. Embrace His sacrifice and let it shape your life, recognizing that His death on the cross was a fragrant offering, satisfying God's wrath once and for all. [55:00]
Ephesians 5:2 (ESV): "And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Reflection: How can you let the reality of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice transform your daily actions and decisions today?
Day 3: Being the Aroma of Christ
As believers, we are called to be the aroma of Christ, spreading His fragrance everywhere. This involves living lives of surrender, where our actions, words, and attitudes reflect the love and grace of Jesus. Our lives should be a continuous offering, pleasing to God. Just as Mary's act of pouring expensive perfume on Jesus' feet was a fragrant offering, our lives should be a reflection of Christ's love. This means surrendering every part of our lives—our time, talents, and treasures—to Him, allowing His fragrance to permeate every aspect of our being. [01:06:20]
2 Corinthians 2:15 (ESV): "For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing."
Reflection: In what specific ways can you be the aroma of Christ in your workplace or community today?
Day 4: The Contrast of Mary and Judas
The story of Mary and Judas presents a stark contrast between a life fully surrendered to Jesus and one that values worldly gain over spiritual truth. Mary's act of pouring perfume on Jesus' feet exemplifies a life fully surrendered to Him, while Judas' betrayal highlights the danger of valuing material possessions over spiritual truth. Reflect on your life and choose to be like Mary, offering all you have to Jesus. This means laying down your desires, ambitions, and possessions at His feet, recognizing that He is worthy of all we have. [01:12:01]
John 12:3-5 (ESV): "Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 'Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?'"
Reflection: What is one possession or ambition you are holding onto that you can surrender to Jesus today, following Mary's example?
Day 5: Responding to Jesus' Sacrifice
Understanding Jesus' sacrifice compels us to respond with lives of worship and devotion. This means laying down our desires, ambitions, and possessions at His feet, recognizing that He is worthy of all we have. Let your life be a fragrant offering, pleasing to the Lord. Embrace Jesus' sacrifice and let it shape your life, living in response to His love and grace. This involves a daily commitment to surrendering every part of our lives to Him, allowing His fragrance to permeate every aspect of our being. [01:17:17]
Romans 12:1 (ESV): "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
Reflection: How can you intentionally present your body as a living sacrifice to God today, in a way that is holy and acceptable to Him?
Quotes
And when Yahweh, when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, I'll never again curse the ground because of man. For the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I again strike down every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. [00:43:26] (29 seconds)
The literal phrase there is, it appeased him. It satisfied his wrath. This one man in his obedience to God all of a sudden creates a sacrifice. And as that burnt offering, that scent reaches heaven, the wrath of God is appeased. It is the very first place in scripture where we get a literal representation that sacrifice, the offering of a sacrifice is a gift to the turning away of the wrath of God. [00:49:22] (37 seconds)
And so Hebrews tells us that this whole system was set up as a representation, that there had to be a blood sacrifice to pay for sin. And the sacrifices themselves could not save us from sin. They were just a reminder that we needed to be saved from sin. [00:55:19] (17 seconds)
From the very first time that Joseph, his earthly father, is given his name from the angel, the angel says she'll bear a son in Matthew chapter 1 verse 21. You shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. The name Jesus in the Greek is taken from the Hebrew Yeshua, which literally means the Lord saves. [00:55:44] (27 seconds)
Well, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. And that's what Hebrews 10 goes on to say. Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sin. But when Christ had offered for all time, a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting for that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. [01:00:25] (29 seconds)
And I'm telling you, the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin. And so from the throne room of heaven, God said, I'll send my own sacrifice. And he sent his only son. And Jesus came to earth. Nobody took his life from him. He willingly laid it down. It's why first John can say he is the propitiation for our sin. [01:01:38] (23 seconds)
Something amazing happens as the church age is birthed, and that's that the people of God then become that fragrant offering unto the Lord and to those who are lost all around them. The fragrant offering. Jesus made this ultimate sacrifice for us, and we have to accept that sacrifice. But when we accept that sacrifice, our lives then become that offering poured out to the Lord. [01:04:56] (30 seconds)
When we smell the fragrance and aroma of Jesus, it's what we say as a church. It's not just church. It's life. It's who we are. It's how we live. It's how we behave. And I want you to see, there is a direct connection between those who accept the sacrifice of Jesus and those who walk living lives as sacrifices back to him. [01:06:56] (24 seconds)
And Mary took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. Look at this phrase. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, he who was about to betray him said, why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor? [01:09:42] (30 seconds)
She understood that Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior of the world. She understood that everything she had to give as a person was worth pouring out on Jesus to make him known. And as the other men in the room, Simon and Judas, begin to rebuke her, Jesus says, wherever the gospel is preached, what she has done will be known in all the world. [01:12:52] (29 seconds)
But when, listen to me, when you truly understand the sacrifice of Jesus, naturally, your life will be poured back out as a sacrifice to him. Do you really know him? I want every head to be bowed, every eye closed, nobody looking around. This is a moment for you to connect with Jesus. [01:15:07] (23 seconds)
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