Do You Smell Something? (Holy Communion)

Scripture Text:  Ephesians 5: 1-17

Understanding the affects of sin in our lives

It affects our attitude.

It is deceptive.

It separates us from God.

We must strive to become separated from sin.

Sin is SUBTLE.

Sin changes the ‘whole picture’ of our lives.

With sin, is death.

We must become imitators of God.

We must strive to live Christian lives.

We must be Christian, not just appear Christian.

We must become a pleasing aroma to God.

One day I was walking thru a department store and I went by the dreaded ‘cologne counters.’ I don’t know if anyone else here gets ‘choked’ by the fumes or not, but I remembered just how strong or pleasant the fragrance can be. I also thought of the first time I wore Jovan Musk for my wife … she said she liked the smell of it, so I continue to wear it. At the same time, I remember going by the counters and asking my self, “What is that smell?” Funny thing … the smell doesn’t last. After a while; have you noticed how it starts to fade and wear off? (Pause) The important fact is that it wears off. Truthfully, the same thing happens in the lives of many Christians. We let the world pull and drag us down. We face trials and problems. We become complacent. As time goes on, that ‘pleasing aroma’ of Christ gets worn off.

What causes this weathering in our lives; simply put, it is SIN. Sin creeps into our lives and affects us each day. (Pause) To begin, it affects our attitudes. In Philippians 2:5 it states: “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” But with sin, we often move away from this attitude. We become more like the world, less like a Christian. (Pause) So why do we embrace sin? It is because sin is also deceptive. It sneaks into our lives. As kids, did anyone ever say: “No one will ever know? Hey … we got away with it last time? Who will care?” Yet, we are told that God will care. In Galatians 6, it reads: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” It is when we allow sin to ‘make itself at home in our lives, that we deceive ourselves into thinking that everything is fine. ¹’ (Pause) The final, and worst way that sin affects our lives is that it separates us from God. Isaiah spoke to the people and said these words: “… your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear” (Isaiah 59:2) ². As we continue to allow sin into our lives, no matter how ‘bad or mild’ the sin is, it drives us farther away from the Lord. For this, God sent His only Son to die. For this, God cries each day as we continue as individuals, churches, and a nation to move farther from Him.

It is not something new … knowing that sin separates us from God. Yet we must be on guard. We must remember that sin is subtle. The smallest sin changes our whole world. (Pause) We must not allow ourselves to fall for that subtlety. I remember a story of some kids coming up to dear old dad. The conversation went like this:

Dad, the movie is pretty clean. It only has three ‘4 letter-words,’ God’s name is only taken in vain twice, the killing and violence is not real graphic, and the good guys win. Dad asked what the rating was and they said ‘R.’ He simply said “NO” and gave no explanation. He then went into the kitchen to make some brownies. He followed all the directions except one. He added mud. He told the children that he followed the directions, except for adding mud. The kids refused to eat the brownies and asked why he would do such a thing. He told them that this is why they could not go to the movie. If only one bad thing was in it, he told them that it would make the movie bad ³.

This is how sin really is. It takes only one ‘little white lie’ to your spouse to create a lifetime of distrust. It takes only one moment of neglect to your child for them to never forget it. It takes one little sin to separate us from a loving God. Yet if we come in repentance, we are free form this bond. Romans 6 tells us “sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace” ⁴.

Having been given this grace, we come as imitators of God. We are asked to do but two things in our lives. First, we must trust God fully and trust in Christ as our Savior. From this grace, we are to go out into the world spreading the Gospel by our words and by our actions. We must truly “be” Christian, not just appear to be a Christian. We do this by being careful in how we live and appear to others. We live not as the unwise, but the wise. If people look at our lives, there should be something that hits them in the face! Something that makes them not ask “What is that smell?” Rather, something that makes them say that this person has the “fragrance of God” all around them. That sweet smelling fragrance of grace, peace, and love. The same grace, peace, and love we received thru Jesus Christ. (Pause)

It is with this grace, this peace, this love, our salvation, that we come together this morning and share in the Lord’s Supper. This grace was extended not just to you or I, but to all who wished to be in Christ’s presence. I invite you all to join me as we come together in this time of great thanksgiving (which is found on the insert of the bulletin) —

Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him and seek to grow into his likeness. Let us draw near with faith, make our humble confession, and prepare to receive this holy Sacrament.

This morning I bring to you the good news: “Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that is proof of God’s love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven! (Pause)

This morning I ask that each of you lift up your hearts and give thanks to the Lord our God. Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, you made us in your image, to love and to be loved. When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. By the suffering, death, and resurrection of your only Son Jesus Christ you delivered us from slavery to sin and death and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.

On the night in which he gave himself up for us he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

When the supper way over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Drink from this, all of you; for this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out fro you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.

By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever.

Amen.

This is the body of Christ, broken for you.

This is the blood of Christ, which was shed for you.

The table is open to all who wish to come.

Adapted from the Book of Services, pp. 31-33