A SWEET SMELLING SAVOR

Gen 8:20-22
20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and
offered burnt offerings on the altar.
21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour ; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground
any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any
more every thing living, as I have done.
22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and
night shall not cease.

I. THE SACRIFICES OF THE OBEDIENT ARE A SWEET SMELLING SAVOR TO GOD.

A. As commanded by God through Moses.

1. Num 28:2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my
sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due
season.

2. Numbers 29:8 But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD for a sweet savour; one young
bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish:

II. THE PRAYERS OF THE RIGHTEOUS ARE A SWEET SMELLING SAVOR TO GOD.

A. Rev 8:3-4
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him
much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before
the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of
the angel's hand.

1. 1 Tim 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and
doubting.

2. James 1:5-7
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and
it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with
the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

3. Matt 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

4. Matt 7:7-8 Ask , and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall
be opened.
 5. James 4:2-3 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war,
yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask , and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may
consume it upon your lusts.

6. 1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask , we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and
do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

7. 1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to
His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask , we know that we have the
petitions that we desired of Him.

III. OUR GIVING IS A SWEET SMELLING SAVOR TO GOD.

A. God is pleased by our support of efforts to spread the gospel.

1. Phil 4:18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which
were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

a. Phil 4:14-17
14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.
15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from
Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye
only.
16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

2. 2 Cor 9:1-7
1 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:
2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia
was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.
3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye
may be ready:
4 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye)
should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.
5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make
up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of
bounty, and not as of covetousness.
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully
shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for
God loveth a cheerful giver .

B. We will be rewarded accordingly as we have given.

1. Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together,
and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it
shall be measured to you again.

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IV. THE SWEETEST SMELLING SAVOR OF ALL TIME IS CHRIST AND HIS SACRIFICE.

A. His sacrifice can never be equaled.

1. Eph 5:1-2 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath
loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling
savour.

a. 1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we
ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

V. THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST IS A SWEET SMELLING SAVOR TO GOD AND TO US.

A. For which we should thank God.

1. 2 Cor 2:14-17
14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of
his knowledge by us in every place.
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is
sufficient for these things?
17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God
speak we in Christ.

B. We must be careful to maintain this savor among ourselves.

1. Matt 5:13-16
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is
thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto
all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father
which is in heaven.

2. Eccl 10:1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a
little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

Invitation: Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess Christ as the Son of God, Be Immersed for the remission of
sins, and then grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, remaining faithful until death.

If one is a Christian and has done anything publicly to bring reproach upon the church, then
that person or those persons are invited to remove their separation from God by public repentance
so that prayers can be offered for them

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