The Gospel Paradox

If you have your Bibles, I would encourage you to open them to 2 Corinthians chapter 2.

And we are going to be looking at verse 12 through verse 16a.

Now, you don't normally see that, but what that means is we're only going to look at half of verse 16, because we'll pick up the second half of verse 16 next week as that will tie into the rest of the lesson which will come next week.

The title of today's message is The Gospel Paradox.

One of the ways that we begin a gospel conversation, or at least one of the ways one of the ways that I have begun gospel conversations when going out evangelizing is

I will simply ask people one question. Do you understand the gospel?

In fact, if you've ever worked at the fishing hole, which is our evangelism booth that we go and set up at the fair and and sometimes other places, we have a sign that we carved out of wood and that sign hangs above the fishing hole and the sign simply says do you understand the gospel?

I find that to be a very helpful question to ask especially in our context.

We live in what some would call the Bible Belt. This is a place where many people have grown up being around Christianity, being around believing people and so they have heard the term gospel many times.

Many people have heard of gospel music, gospel churches, gospel preaching, but you ask do you understand the gospel and sometimes people just look at you with crossed eyes.

What do you mean? I remember one time a preacher came to the booth and he looked at my sign and he said, well that's a hard question.

I said, dude that's your job. It's really not.

Anyway, the word gospel means good news.

Euangelion in the Greek, the prefix eu means good, angelos means message, so it literally means a good message and when discussing the good news one of the essential aspects of understanding the gospel or understanding the good news is that we have to also understand the bad news and so I call this the gospel paradox.

The gospel paradox is this, we have good news from God and it starts with you are a wretched sinner who deserves to go to hell.

That doesn't sound like good news. In fact for some that may even sound offensive, but if you don't understand that sentence you won't understand the gospel.

You won't understand the good news if you don't understand the bad news. It would be like me coming up to you and saying hey listen

I paid your fine for you and you said great I don't have a fine. I paid your penalty for you.

I didn't have a penalty. If you don't know the fine, if you don't know the penalty, if you don't know what your sin deserves you will not understand the value of the gospel and therefore there's a paradox.

Understanding good news means we understand the bad news and it's somewhat paradoxical that you can't understand one without the other.

In fact I've heard people say oh just go tell people Jesus loves them and has a wonderful plan for your life. You know what most Americans say to that?

Great I love me too and I have a wonderful plan for my life. That's not the gospel.

If you think the gospel is Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life you don't understand the gospel. That ain't it.

Most people think they're good people. Therefore when you say Jesus loves you they go no problem I love him too.

It's all good. Everybody loves me. That's the attitude right?

I'm a good person. Everybody loves me. But when you say Jesus really shouldn't love you. Jesus shouldn't love me.

I've committed high treason against the Lord of the universe. I have spit in the face of him who created me and every time

I sin I stab the Creator in his chest. Now it's different.

Now I understand why does he love me. The Bible says while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Notice what

Paul says in that same passage. He says for a good man somebody may dare to die and for a righteous man someone might give themselves but while we were sinners

Christ died for us. The idea is you weren't good. You weren't worth it. You weren't worthy but he did it anyway because he loved you.

He loved you in spite of you. Isn't that amazing? And that's the paradox of the gospel.

Well today as we look at this text we are going to see some paradoxes and one of those paradoxes is just what

I just explained to you. We're going to see the paradox of the gospel. How Paul is going to say that when we share the gospel with people some people are going to accept it as a life -giving message and other people are going to accept it not as life but as death.

Where some will receive it as an aroma that is sweet and savory and wonderful some will receive it as an aroma of death and decay and destruction.

Same message but two results. This is the paradox of the gospel.

Let's stand together and read beginning at verse 12.

Paul says this in this section he says when I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ even though a door was opened for me in the

Lord my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there so I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

But thanks be to God who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing to one a fragrance from death to death to the other a fragrance from life to life.

Father in heaven I thank you again for your word may it now be that this word be applied to our heart may you help me preach and keep me from error in Christ's name.

Amen. For those of you who are visiting with us or maybe it's your first time here we are in a verse by verse study of the book of 2nd

Corinthians and so last week we came to verse 11 in chapter 2 and we just pick up right where we left off and that's part and parcel of why

I'm stopping in the middle of verse 16 today because I'm going to continue on next week and and what he says at the end of verse 16 goes right into the rest of this chapter and even on into the chapter chapter 3 because what

Paul is doing and I must be honest I have found 2nd Corinthians one of the most difficult books to outline because Paul is essentially giving an autobiographical message about himself and about the integrity of his ministry and he's not doing so in a didactic way like in the book of Romans where he clearly spells out for us the doctrines of the faith beginning with the doctrine of sin and then the doctrine of justification in the doctrine of sanctification in the doctrine of election all these things which come to us very clearly outlined in the mind of the

Apostle Paul this book is not like that at all this book is much more passionate

Paul is writing much more emotionally not an emotional way in the in the sense that it's bad but it's certainly emotional in the sense that he is fighting a battle here because there are those in Corinth who believe that his ministry is a ministry that is without integrity that his ministry is one that is a a ministry that isn't to be followed there are people in Corinth they're called the super apostles and these people have called into question

Paul's own ministry and integrity and Paul is defending himself and so this book from the very beginning has been as I said and have said over the weeks more difficult to outline because it's it's one thing runs right in the other it's it just continues

Paul hitting these points and he's recounted his various journeys he's he's recounted his vexed relationships with the

Corinthians and he's already recounted the suffering that he's experienced in his ministry even in chapter 1 saying at a certain point he despaired even of living he said

I didn't I didn't see any other way out I thought I was going to die well in this section he again recalls a personal experience that brought him grief and in the midst of this we're actually going to see three paradoxes now a paradox is when you have two things that seem to be at odds with one another but upon further inspection they are not contradictory that's what a paradox is if you're familiar if you're unfamiliar with the term is when you see two things like some people believe the

Trinity is a contradiction the Trinity is not a contradiction but it is a paradox it seems at the beginning when we say

God is one and three that seems contradictory but when we say God is one in essence and three in person it's not contradictory therefore the paradox is as is is understood and so we're going to see today three paradoxes we're going to see the the restless paradox that's in verses 12 and 13 we're going to see the triumph paradox in verse 14 and that's probably the one that's going to take most of our time and then the ministry paradox which is in verses 15 and 16 a so let's look first at the restless paradox he says again in verse 12 he says when

I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ even though a door was open for me in the

Lord my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there so I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia so Paul is again recounting his travel plans do you remember why

Paul has been called into question about his travel plans his integrity has been called into question so here he's again recounting what's been happening

Troas is a place which was first mentioned in Acts chapter 16 it was likely a transit city between Greece and Asia Minor and this place had significance in the ministry of the

Apostle Paul this is the place where likely Luke you remember Luke the beloved physician this is likely where Luke joined the ministry of the

Apostle Paul as well as this is the place where Paul had the what we call the Macedonian vision or where he had the dream where he had a man from Macedonia calling for him to come this was he was in Troas when that happened well here he finds himself there again and notice what it says he says when

I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ even though a door was open for me in the

Lord my spirit was not at rest so what does that mean well

Paul is in Troas and he's waiting for Titus now what is he waiting for Titus for and why does this even matter well it matters because we'll see in chapter 12 that Titus has been with the

Corinthians Titus is bringing Paul back a message from the

Corinthians and Paul is concerned about what's going on in Corinth while he's in Troas and notice that it says that he was restless it says my spirit was not at rest why was his spirit not at rest because Paul had sent a message to Corinth which was painful remember we read about this last week actually two weeks ago

Paul had sent a message to Corinth that was a painful message he says that he had sent it with tears and so Titus is coming back to Paul and Paul is concerned about what's going on and and and I know this is hard for us to understand because we live in the age of FaceTime and we live in the age of iPhones but understand this at this point in history there was no telephone there was no fax there was no way to get this information except for by delivered message so Paul is concerned about what

Titus is bringing back to him he's concerned about the issues at hand and here's the paradox

Paul has an opportunity to do something great in Troas Paul has an opportunity to do a work of God notice what it says he says a door was opened for me in the

Lord now he doesn't tell us what it is but we can make some assumptions we can think that whatever it was it was an opportunity for evangelism maybe it was an opportunity to plant another church maybe it was an opportunity to hurt a church to start to help a church that was already there maybe it was an opportunity to do something great in Troas but he says

I didn't do it why because my spirit was not at rest

I was concerned about what was going on in Corinth and therefore what was happening in Troas had to take a backseat listen that's hard because there was an open door of ministry and Paul didn't take a step through it

I find that paradoxical because you think oh man Paul is a great evangelist great missionary great gospel teacher certainly every door that was every open for him he's going to walk through it no he didn't he said instead even though a door was open for me my spirit was not at rest why because Titus wasn't here because I had there was something going on elsewhere that I had to deal with understand this we're going to pick

Titus back up Titus is going to be mentioned again in chapter 7 so there's going to be four chapters that we're going to go through but then we're going to pick this story up he's going to get to Macedonia and he's going to arrive and rendezvous with Titus and that's where the stories this part is going to pick back up in fact chapters 3 4 5 & 6 are really a parenthesis because here he says

I'm awaiting Titus he's not here so I'm going to Macedonia in chapter 7 is when he gets to Macedonia meets

Titus and everything in between is a theological parenthesis it's what's going on in between he's going to talk about the new covenant he's going to talk about being separate and being holy he's gonna talk about several things in between but this is what's going on in the life of Paul he's actually disturbed he's restless about what's going on in Corinth now

I want to say this this pleases me you say why in the world would

I be pleased by this because sometimes people think that if you are a minister of the gospel and you have faith in the

Lord that you never worry some people think if you're a minister of the gospel or if maybe if you're not a minister maybe you're just a

Christian that you should never have concerns or that you should never be restless in your spirit well

I have it on the authority of with the Word of God that Paul if there's ever a man I could say I'm pretty sure he was saved and I'm pretty sure he was filled with the

Holy Ghost but he said my spirit was not at rest I had a concern in my heart and a concern that was so great that it actually took me away from something that would have been a good thing but I had to do this other thing you ever been stuck in a position where you had something good to do but you had something more important that you had to do and that's what

Paul's dealing with here he's got to go to where it's got to be and you say well what is good about that it's good because we get so discouraged we get so downhearted on ourselves when we go through times of discouragement and we think times of discouragement prove that we have no faith that's not true

Paul is the greatest faithful Christian of his age and yet he had a time where his spirit was not at rest that makes me feel good you may think

I'm nuts but I actually feel good that someone who is a greater Christian than me could have a bad day could have a concern in his heart that would actually make him have to make a tough decision

I'll tell you something the ministry is filled with tough decisions ministry is filled with days that are hard ministry is filled where you're having to make a choice to do something that needs to be done rather than something you want to do and that's what

Paul's doing he's got something certainly if somebody said Paul do you want to go take a step through this door of ministry yes

I want to do that but this other thing needs to be done and right now it's more important so what's the paradox here can you have faith and still have discouragement some people say no some people have this weird view of faith this weird health and wealth nonsense that has been that has grown and permeated since the 1960s and it really did it came in in the 50s in the 60s this idea that if you are a person of faith you're never going to get sick you're never going to be ill you're never going to have issues and you're never going to have problems that is a well there's a

Greek word for it Church what is it it's baloney it's absolute baloney it's garbage it's false now

I'm not saying we have to sit with our hands wringing all the time that there there are times where that it does demonstrate a lack of faith if we're always worried if we're always down if we're always concerned but what

Paul is showing us here there are times where we can have concerns he has a concern and while that may look at a that may look like a paradox when you say here's a person of faith but he's also got a struggle it's not a contradiction it's not a contradiction let me tell you something you sit in a doctor's office and they give you bad news or if you get a phone call and it's something of an accident and in that moment you have concern that's not a lack of faith that's dealing with the situation as it is in your and in the right now and we sometimes

I think have this weird view of faith where we're never gonna have any restlessness in our heart and it just ain't so I just love the fact that he says my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother

Titus there so I took leave of them I took leave of that opportunity and I went to Macedonia here's the only thing

I think and this is how weird my brain is because I've been again I'm in the text all week you guys aren't but I'm in the text all week

I'm thinking about I'm thinking about thing about here's what I thought about all week was what if Titus was on a boat going this way and Paul's going that way and Paul shows up in Troas going where's

Paul and Paul's in Macedonia good that's the only thing I could think of thank God that didn't happen but you talk about ships crossing in the night that was what

God is sovereign didn't let that happen but it just an interesting because I'm thinking he's going towards where Titus is

Titus is coming where he is it's amazing they never crossed paths they until they met in Macedonia that took a little longer and I wanted it to but that's that's what

I call the restless paradox let's look now at the at the most beautiful word in the

Bible what's the most beautiful word in the Bible but but changes things sometimes it's good you're very sick but there's a cure that's good sometimes but it's bad

I really like you but but it can be bad but but changes things and so Paul has just Paul has just acknowledged his own discouragement he has just said my spirit is not at rest so I made my way to Macedonia but thanks be to God but thanks be to God who in Christ leads us in triumphal procession but thanks be to God who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession

Paul knows where the source of his encouragement will come when he is discouraged

Paul knows the one to go to when his spirit is not at rest

I've shared this with many of you I've done podcasts about it so it's not a secret

I've been interviewed on Chris Arnson's program about it which is iron sharpens iron which is national program but I have in my life struggled greatly with anxiety and depression never been diagnosed never wanted to be diagnosed didn't want medicine and by God's grace it is something that I have been able to overcome in many areas but I will say this when people ask me and how and in what way did you overcome it was through the gospel of Christ it was not in any other way because what

I have found in my own struggle is that when I am in the deepest and darkest place in those times the place that I have to find myself going back to is to God but thanks be to God so Paul says

I'm restless yes that can happen I'm a believer I'm a faithful man this is

Paul not me but he's saying I'm faithful I'm a believer but yet I have a restless spirit but thanks be to God here's where I'm going to go here's where I'm going to find my comfort here's where I'm going to find my satisfaction here's where I'm going to find the rest that I'm not going to get anywhere else

Jesus said come unto me all ye who are weary and heavily laden and I will give you rest

Paul says I have a spirit that's not at rest but thanks be to God he's not thanking

God for the rest of spirit he's thanking God because God is the one who gives him comfort in the restlessness he's thanking

God because God is the one who can give him encouragement in his discouragement and he's thanking

God for something very specific now I want to tell you something in my preparation for this week's sermon

I spent more time studying one word and the history of one word than any other word and it's the word triumph and the reason why because this passage is loaded with historical significance that most people are very unfamiliar with it's translated different ways in different Bibles and the

King James Bible it says thanks be to God which always causes us cause if sorry which always causeth us to triumph in Christ I'm right

Mike aren't I all right which always causes us to triumph in Christ in the

ESV it says Christ always leads us in triumphal procession doesn't sound a whole lot different but it is slightly different and the

NIV don't you throw a stone at me it says that Christ has taken us captive in his triumph the new living translation thanks be to God he has made us his captives and leads us in Christ's triumphal procession you say wait a minute that doesn't sound at all the same here's why when

I say triumph your first thought is probably the idea of victory if I say someone triumphs in a battle that means they had victory if I say someone triumphed in a sporting event that means they won but in Paul's day the word triumph had a very specific and particular meaning the triumph was actually a parade the triumph itself in fact

I'm gonna I'll just read you this quote it's very interesting quote this is from Scott Haifman who wrote extensively on this subject he says the triumphal procession was a lavish parade concocted in Rome to celebrate the great victories in significant military campaigns like the st.

Patrick's Day parade in Chicago these were major cultural and civic events everybody in the

Roman Empire knew about these parades which were represented on Roman arches reliefs coins statues medallions paintings cameos not to mention the approximately 350 triumphs that are recorded in ancient literature

I'm gonna stop the quote for a moment and just say this when the when the Romans overtook Jerusalem in AD 70 when they went back there was a triumph that celebrated that those marks on the wall for that triumph are still there today you can still see where they celebrated that triumph to even down to today so these events had major cultural significance

I'll move on he says moreover the triumphal procession demonstrated

Rome's prowess as the victor not only by parading the spoils of war but also by leading in triumph the most important leaders and intimidating warriors of the enemy now presented as conquered slaves all right so get in your mind the triumph was a parade the triumphing

King would be decked in an ornamental robe and there's debate as to what the robe looked like I guess they did it different different ways at different times because I've read different examples some say the robe was all purple some say it was all gold some say his face was painted red because the

Statue of Jupiter was red there's all different ways that it apparently was done but there was all these different things where the one who conquered the one who won the battle would be leading this parade but in this parade were the ones who had been captured in battle and the ones who had been captured in battle were being led in chains as a way of showing the success in the battle so the ones being led were not the victors the ones who were being led were the captives and they would lead them in as the people of Rome would watch this sometimes they would have the king and sometimes they would have the children of the king that had been caught in the battle and they would have them dressed in outfits meant to humiliate them and they would walk them through as the conquering king or the conquering general came behind and these slaves were being marched forward and they were being marched forward for one of three reasons either when they got to the end of the parade they were going to slaughter all of them or they were going to take them to the

Coliseum where they were going to be put on display for sport or they were going to be sold into slavery but all of the captives were going along having been taken captive by the conqueror they say wait a minute that's weird that doesn't sound right that doesn't sound like what

Paul is saying that doesn't sound anything like what I think this verse should mean understand this our understanding of what a verse should mean has to begin with what it meant to the original audience in fact there's a history behind this because notice the difference in translation

I'm going to give the King James again King James says causes us to triumph we are the subject of the triumph leadeth us in triumphal procession we're no longer the subject

Christ is the subject leading us we are the object we're being led what's right well linguistically it's the second one from a linguistic perspective it's not we're triumphing it's

Christ leads us he is the one who triumphs he is the one who is the victor not us and here's the interesting part

Calvin knew that but Calvin didn't like it so he in his commentary

I have it right here in his commentary he says it can't mean that I'll read it to you this is

John Calvin this is 400 year old commentary he says who causes us to triumph if you render the word literally it will be who triumphs over us that's

Calvin's own words he says if you read this literally it should say he triumphs over us however

Calvin's own words he said however Paul means something different from what this form of expression denotes for captives are said to be triumphed over when by way of disgrace they are bound in chains and dragged before the chariot of the conqueror

Paul's meaning on the other hand is that we are the share in the triumph enjoyed by God because it's been gained by his instrumentality just as the lieutenants accompanied on horseback the chariot of the chief general as shares in this honor as accordingly as ministers of the gospel fight under God's auspices so they also procure for him the victory and the honor of the triumph so so Paul so so Calvin said it can't be that we're the slaves can't be that we got to be the conquerors because that makes more sense and guess what happened people agreed with Calvin and since Calvin for about 300 years that's been the way it's been pretty much translated and the way it's been interpreted but if you compare this to the only other time this word is used in the

New Testament it's in Colossians I just preached the Colossians it talks about Christ triumphing over the powers and the spirits remember we talked about in chapter 2 that word is used there it's the same exact word so the use of the word in context and the use of the word in Scripture would lean towards us being taken captive that's why the

NIV translates it that way that's why the NLT and even the ESV when it says leads us in triumphal procession can be that now here's the paradox and again before you come wanting to argue with me afterwards are we victors in Christ yes we are

I'm not saying we're not but is that Paul's focus here I don't think so and here's why

Paul sees himself as one who has been taken captive by Christ and made his slave if you don't believe me turn in your

Bibles very quickly to 1st Corinthians and look at chapter 4 verse 9 go to 1st

Corinthians chapter 4 look at verse 9

Paul is talking about himself and his ministry and he says this for I think that God has exhibited that word exhibited means put on display or could be said paraded

I think God has exhibited us Apostles as last of all like men sentenced to death because we have become a spectacle that Greek word there is theatres where we get the word theater he has put us on display to the world to angels and to men we are fools for Christ's sake but you are wise in Christ we are weak but you are strong see

Paul is talking not about the basic ministry he's talking about the ministry of the Apostles and he says as the

Apostles of Christ we have been made his slaves he has conquered us think about Paul's life

Paul was not Christ's friend Paul was Christ's enemy and on the way to Damascus what did

Christ do he took captive and set him free he took him captured him and saved him

Christ is the victor Christ is the conqueror and Paul is his slave

Paul never ever shrinks away from being called the slave of Christ so how is it that we deal with a restless soul

Paul says I understand I've been taken captive by Christ I am his thanks be to God I can face whatever because I am his and guess what happens when you're his he can do whatever he wants and I trust in him now if you want to argue linguistics with me later or if you want to argue that perhaps

I have misunderstood this and along with I have here probably 10 different commentators who all agree and you can argue with them too here let me finish by saying this

I do think there's a paradox here I think the paradox is yes Christ is the victor and being in him we have we are victorious but at the same time

Christ has taken us captive because we were not on the same side we didn't come into this world fighting the same battle that Christ fights we were his enemies we came into this world fighting against Christ and what did he do he went and died for us and he led captivity captive he took us captive so there's more to this than just seeing us as victors marching a parade we have been taken captive by the king thanks be to God now the next part leads into this very interestingly because Paul says and he spreads the fragrance of the knowledge everywhere what in the world is that talking about well in this

Roman triumph when and by the way again I've there's so much

I want to share time doesn't allow but this was such a neat thing what happened first in the parade is they had floats they actually had floats y 'all we did a float last week in the parade they had floats and what the floats were were either paintings or reconstructions of battles that happened and some people actually believe it was like propaganda because most of the

Romans had never left Rome they never seen anything outside of Rome these soldiers go out they defeat all these enemies they take land for Rome they take over kingdoms for Rome they bring back these kings in chains they're marching them down and out in front of these floats showing the the the exploits of battle and as they're going through Rome there are temples and in these temples are these incense being burned which are being burned as acts of worship as the people are traveling through this parade and you've got the slaves and you've got the floats and you've got the conquering general and behind him are his lieutenants that is true and then there were these white bulls that would be brought behind or white oxen they were they were going to be used for a sacrifice at the end there were these white animals that were in there were being used for sacrifice all this was happening in this parade and as the parades going through there's this smell of this incense that's filling the air and for the victors that smell is the smell of victory but that smell for the conquered is the smell of death because guess what's coming either slaughter enslavement or trip to Circus Maximus one way or another they don't have a good they don't have a good rest of the day one of bad one of three bad things is about to happen so as they inhale those smells they're getting one step closer to their demise and Paul says we are that smell now there's a change of there's a little bit of a change of metaphor here because he goes from being the slave to being the smell but he's talking about his ministry as one who's been taken captive to Christ I now go and preach the gospel and guess what the gospel is the gospel is just like that smell as the gospel goes out into the world it's an aroma and he uses two words for smell he's the word aroma the word aroma is you odia which you means good and odos meaning like ode to something means a smell so good smell that's the word aroma and the word fragrance is simply the word for a generic word for a smell a good fragrance or a bad fragrance it doesn't matter but he says we this verse 15 and this is the ministry paradox as I said there's three paradox this the ministry paradox he says for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing see his gospel as the gospel is going out through Paul to the world he is like the smell of that incense going out into the world and and some people have even tied this into the incense that happened in the

Old Covenant because you remember in the Old Covenant incense was used as part of temple worship and incense accompanied sacrifice for the sacrifice it was a bad day but for the people it was a good day because they got to experience the sacrifice again paradox right the animal that's being sacrificed it's a bad day but for the people who receiving the benefits of the sacrifice it's a good thing and so that smell had two smells it had the smell of life and the smell of death

I feel like I've lost some of you guys please stay with me on this because this really is driving home the key of all of this is all of this is the paradox of the gospel getting back to what

I said at the very beginning the gospel message is to some life and to some death you realize the gospel is an offensive message in fact

I want to say this if you've never if you've never offended someone in the preaching of the gospel

I wonder if you've ever really given the gospel if all you've ever told somebody is

Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life that's not the gospel and that's not offensive you say the same thing about mr.

Rogers Fred Rogers loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life

Jesus loves you has a wonderful plan for your life it's not the gospel Paul says we are like a fragrance we are an aroma unto

God he has sent us out like this smell that wafts out from this parade or the scent that would waft out from the temple during the time of sacrifice

God has sent us out like this odor and this odor to some will be an odor of life and to some will be an odor of death and I don't know if you've ever smelled death but it's a very unique smell

I worked for a funeral home for years and there is nothing compared to the smell of the medical examiner's room we'd have to go pick up bodies there and it has a very unique smell the smell of death

Paul says our ministry is a smell of life or it's a smell of death and it divides the gospel is divisive so one of the most famous things

Jesus ever said one of the most important things if you never heard it and understood it he says do you think that I came to give peace on the earth by the way this is this is thinking about Christmas for a minute this is why there's a passage that we often miss we miss we quote it it's from the the the angels when they spoke to the men peace on earth goodwill toward men right peace on earth goodwill toward men well that is how it's translated in some translations but you'll notice in more modern translations there's a little bit of a change not because of a textual variant but simply because it's translated differently to peace among those with whom he is pleased all men do not have peace with God do you agree or disagree to all men do not have peace with God like they're one of the most dangerous false teachings in the world right now and I've heard preachers say it from pulpits just like this one they will say

God is not upset with you about anything God you've never offended

God I heard a pastor say you've never offended God and I said you just did because you lied to his people

Jesus said do you think I came to give peace on the earth no I tell you but rather division rather a sword for from now on in one house there will be five divided three against two and two against three they will be divided father against son son against father mother against daughter daughter against mother mother -in -law gets daughter -in -law and daughter -in -law against mother -in -law there is going to be division because of the gospel have you ever seen it

I mentioned earlier about working at the funeral home I still work with the funeral home a lot I still do a lot of services for them

I I work alongside some really godly men and good men who use me sometimes to preach at their funerals and I'm thankful for that but the families that I preach for are not always believers and I can tell you while I'm preaching

I can see it in the faces of people when the message

I am preaching is a message of life to life and when the message is a message of death to death I had one guy get up while I was preaching a funeral walk to the back go down to the funeral director's office and and and and lay into the funeral director you've got to tell him to stop because what he is saying is not what that man who died believed thankfully the funeral director didn't try to stop me he let me finish but afterwards he came to me he said that guy wanted you to stop because the guy who died didn't believe what you were saying

I said he believes it now if there's anything that man could have right now it would be one more opportunity to respond to that message and an opportunity for his family to hear it you remember what the man said in Luke 16 send someone to my brothers and tell them of this awful place and what did what was the answer you don't hear

Moses and the prophets neither will you believe one who returned from the dead the message of the gospel is divisive it is in itself a paradox and it's probably most greatly illustrated by what happened on the day when

Jesus was put on the cross because when Jesus was put on the cross and he was hung between heaven and earth he was also hung between two thieves and when

Jesus was hung between two thieves he had one on his right and one on his left and one said to him if you are the

Son of God take yourself down from here and take us also and the other man said don't you fear

God for this man has done nothing wrong and you and I deserve this and he looked at Jesus and he said remember me when you come into your kingdom and Jesus said

I tell you this day you shall be with me in paradise the entire world is on one side of the cross or the other the entire world receives the message of the gospel either as the message of life or the message of death which side of the cross which side of the cross are you on let's pray father

I thank you for the opportunity to preach again the gospel I pray that we would be faced with the question of which side of the cross are we on have we received