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 Are you known by your fragrance? Do you know the human fragrance market is worth a staggering 7.5

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 billion in the UK alone? The fact is that a fragrance is one they say of one of the most

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 difficult commodities to market. That's why the fragrance advertisers sell us a lifestyle.

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 You know it's like wearing a designer label Chanel, Gucci, Armani. That's maybe why some of those names

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 sponsor and buy into the fragrance market. It's like the advert at the beginning or the link that

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 you might have seen at the the beginning of this service today for Hugo Boss. It invites you into

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 an image and an identity. Success without integrity means nothing it says. Integrity is how you can

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 behave when there is nothing to be gained. We make a living by what we get. We make a life

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 by what we give. This all sounds very good doesn't it? Choose to strive for more for better every hour

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 of every day. Be the man of today. Boss bottled. It sounds as though someone has written a new

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 scripture to sell us a fragrance. They're certainly trying to sell us a better lifestyle. Integrity,

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 behaviour, making a life by what you give. Choose to be better every hour of the day. Who wouldn't want

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 that? Smells good. If only just by throwing on a fragrance it could change our character and attitude

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 that easily. Perhaps that's what Paul is getting at. You know the aroma of Christ is being like Jesus.

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 It changes our character. It draws people's attention. You know ask any parent whose child

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 suddenly discovers, certainly with boys, once they discover links, my goodness, it just absolutely

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 chokes the household. It really changes the aroma of life. And fragrance and aroma is powerful.

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 That's what Paul is talking about. It's powerful. I've known children who like to go to sleep

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 cuddling one of their parents' jumpers because it smells of them. It's comforting. Likewise for those

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 who are bereaved. A scarf or a jumper of a loved one can bring strong memories.

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 And our reading this morning, Paul talks about us as Christians being an aroma.

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 William Barclay in his commentary on this scripture says that Paul draws heavily on the imagery that he

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 would have seen in victorious processions that many would have witnessed where a victorious army

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 marches back into their city with large incense-filled sensors that are being swung in perfume,

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 fills the air. For the victorious army, it was life.

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 Yet for the large group of prisoners seized in the conflict and being paraded in chains as trophies of

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 war, the smell meant an imminent execution.

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 As Paul says, but thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession

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 and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

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 Are we doing that?

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 Are we spreading the aroma of the knowledge of him, of Jesus everywhere?

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 And what's that?

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 What's the fragrance and aroma of Jesus?

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 You know, you certainly couldn't bottle it.

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 And if we could, we couldn't sell it for profit.

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 That's not our mission to profit ourselves.

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 It's all for the kingdom.

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 As Paul says, for we are to God, the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

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 It's true.

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 How do people see us as a people of God?

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 Victorious, victorious in the hope that we have in Jesus.

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 As triumphant as people who have much to share and celebrate in the power of the cross?

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 Or do they see us as slaves marching slowly to death, defeated by the enemy?

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 You know, what fragrance are we to people?

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 In the people that we seek to reach every day, the people that we mix with,

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 that live alongside us in our lives.

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 I've been reading a book by Pete Hughes called All Things New.

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 It's very apt for the time in which we are living at the moment,

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 where the church and the national church finds itself,

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 and the exciting opportunities we have to respond to our communities

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 that will soon be looking to reshaping their lives,

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 many in a new way, not wanting or unable to return to the old ways,

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 but asking, what do we do with this life now and make the most of it?

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 I remember many, many years ago,

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 my first time I stepped into the fragrance section at Harrods.

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 Oh gosh, it was an assault on the senses.

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 Wherever you looked, there was a person ready and waiting to introduce you to their fragrance.

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 Are we there in that marketplace?

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 Are we ready to introduce everyone who we meet to the aroma and fragrance of Jesus?

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 Are we good ambassadors?

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 Are we ready?

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 Are we eager?

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 Are we willing to share the good news that he won on the cross for all people?

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 Pete Hughes, in his book, says,

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 the story you live in is the story you live out.

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 So true, isn't it?

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 The story you live in is the story you live out.

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 Our vision and mission for us at Christchurch, you and me, is clear.

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 As we travel through Lent and then celebrate on Easter Day

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 as a people who are saved through the resurrection of Jesus,

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 how do we share that life-giving fragrance through the life and mission of our church,

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 you and me?

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 Do you know the vision and mission of Christchurch?

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 It's on the website.

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 Please check it out.

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 Learn it.

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 Digest it.

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 Live it.

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 It defines our calling.

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 What part do you play or want to play in what God is asking of us

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 in this small but important corner of his kingdom?

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 Have we bought in financially?

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 Have we bought in spiritually?

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 Have we bought in wholeheartedly to all the things that God has

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 and continues to ask of us as we share the good news of Jesus,

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 that life-giving, life-saving message that brings life in all its fullness?

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 In the last 12 months, all of us have had time to reflect on our Christian life and discipleship

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 and how we lived that out.

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 For times, it was reflected through acts of giving, kindness and generosity.

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 For many, it was through pain and exhaustion and struggle.

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 Unlike so many, we don't peddle the word of God for profit.

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 On the contrary, in Christ we speak about God with sincerity

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 as those who have been sent by God.

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 Talking of fragrance, at Christmas my daughter bought me a fragrance.

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 It's called Stronger With You.

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 It's by Emperor Marnie, very posh.

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 I pray that the fragrance and aroma of Christ in us and through us

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 brings us and others into being stronger with you, Jesus.

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 Maybe that's our prayer.

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 May the fragrance of you, Lord, make us stronger with you.

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 We're strong in hope, strong in joy, confidence, faith, generosity and love

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 and ready to reach afresh to the communities we are called to serve.

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 Let's pray together.

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 Lord Jesus, we are stronger with you and through you in the power of your Holy Spirit.

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 May the aroma of you stretch out across this town and across our nation.

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 May people be drawn to us, we pray.

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 And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you

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 and remain with you always.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.