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Three Verses Long, and the Fragrance Has Lasted Two Thousand Years

Pastor Thamie Bhengu, 22 August 2025, 62 min

Teaching series: The Aroma of God

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Sermon outline

Anna the prophetess shows that a life surrendered to God in worship, waiting and witness rises before Him as a fragrance that outlasts the person, and that God never forgets it.

Main text

  • Luke 2:36-38

Opening

She welcomes the ladies and reads the Faith Chronicle for 22 August on speaking the Word out, with its confession. After worship she announces the month's theme, the aroma of God, and today's aroma, the aroma of surrender in the life of Anna, then prays that the gathering would rise like incense. She recaps the aroma of prayer from two weeks before and the aroma of identity in Christ from Sunday, and reminds them that Scripture calls offerings, giving and Christ's sacrifice a fragrant aroma to God.

  1. Who Anna was

    Anna's story is only three verses long, read here from the Amplified Bible. Her name comes from the Hebrew Hannah, meaning grace or favour; her father's name means the face of God; her tribe, Asher, means happy and blessed. Married only seven years and then widowed, she lived a life of surrender in worship and prophetic witness, and saw the Messiah.

    “Her story is only but three verses long, but the fragrance of her life has lingered on for more than 2000 years.”

    • Luke 2:36-38
    • Philippians 4:18
    • Ephesians 5:2

  2. 1. Surrendered in worship: the fragrance of devotion

    Anna never left the temple, worshipping night and day with fasting and prayer. Widowed, she would have lost her standing and her provision, yet instead of regret or bitterness she made God her portion and chose worship over grieving. Real worship is not what we do in public on a Sunday but who we are in private. When life breaks us, what do we release: bitterness or worship?

    Illustration: Mary of Bethany broke an expensive alabaster jar of perfume over the feet of Jesus and the fragrance filled the whole house. Anna was broken by loss, yet poured out her worship, and the fragrance filled the temple.

    “Real worship isn't what we do in public, it's who we are in private.”

    • Luke 2:37
    • Romans 12:1
    • John 12:3

  3. 2. Surrendered in waiting: the fragrance of patience

    Widowed young, Anna prayed, fasted and worshipped for decades. Waiting is one of the hardest forms of surrender, but waiting is not wasted when it is surrendered to God: she did not spend her years complaining but interceding, and her waiting became her worship. Do our delays make us complain and grow complacent, or dig deeper into the things of God?

    Illustration: Incense gives off no fragrance until it is lit and burns slowly, and the longer it burns, the stronger the fragrance.

    “Waiting is not wasted when it's surrendered to God.”

    • Psalm 27:14
    • Isaiah 40:31

  4. 3. Surrendered in witness: the fragrance of testimony

    After decades of hidden devotion, Anna gave thanks and spoke of the child to everyone looking for redemption. She did not talk about her pain, her widowhood or how long she had waited; she talked about Jesus. People should recognise the presence of God in how we handle life before we ever explain our faith.

    Illustration: You can taste a dish and know at once who cooked it from its flavour. What aroma do people notice when you walk into a room: complacency, pride and irritation, or the sweet aroma of Christ?

    “A surrendered life does not glorify ourselves, but it magnifies our mighty Saviour.”

    • Luke 2:38
    • 2 Corinthians 2:15

  5. 4. Surrendered in reward: the fragrance of fulfilment

    A lifetime of surrender positioned Anna to see the Redeemer with her own eyes. Others may have forgotten her, but God remembered her fragrance, and her reward was not riches, fame or comfort but Christ Himself. God may not reward you instantly, but when He rewards you He does it faithfully.

    Illustration: A farmer sows and waters for months in faith before the harvest. When Anna saw Jesus it was like the harvest of some sixty years of prayer and devotion.

    “Heaven never forgets the aroma of surrender from our lives.”

    • Hebrews 11:6

Putting it into practice

  • Live an intentional life of daily devotion, not occasional acts of worship on a Sunday
  • Establish prayer and fasting as disciplines so God can refine your character
  • Wait without complaint, trusting God's timing
  • Let your surrender point others to Christ rather than to yourself

Closing

After a time of prayer points and worship she shares what the Lord laid on her heart that week: where He gives a purpose He will position, prepare and provide. She leads the ladies in faith declarations on the aroma of surrender and closes in prayer that their surrender would be a lifestyle and not a season, with a blessing for the week ahead.

Declarations to say aloud

  • I surrender my life fully unto God and I release the fragrance of obedience that pleases him.
  • I trust in God's timing. I will wait patiently knowing that his purposes are true and perfect.
  • Thank you Lord, that my devotion to prayer and fasting draws me closer unto you. It aligns me to his purposes.
  • Thank you Father, that I live a life of faithful service unto you, even when it's unseen, knowing that God sees and honours my every act.
  • Thank you, Father, that I'm a witness of the goodness of God and my life points others to Christ.
  • Thank you that I release every burden, pride and resistance, and let the Holy Spirit guide my every step.
  • Thank you Lord, that the aroma of a surrendered life brings joy to you and blessings to earth, and blessings to me.
  • Thank you Father, that I'm patient in seasons of waiting, confident that God has prepared my breakthrough for me.
  • I walk in grace, I walk in favour, and I walk in divine alignment as I serve and honour God daily, continually, and perpetually, just like Anna.
  • I am ready for my God appointed moments to impact those around me, those that are in the marketplace, those that are within my sphere of influence, in Jesus' mighty name.

Worth remembering

  • “God just doesn't see our lives. He smells it.”
  • “Her waiting became her worship.”
  • “She didn't talk about her pain. She instantly talked about Jesus.”
  • “Others may have forgotten her, but God remembered her fragrance.”
  • “God may not reward you instantly, but when he does reward you, he rewards you faithfully.”

Every scripture in this message

  • 2 Chronicles 10:7
  • Matthew 18:19
  • Psalm 45:1
  • Philippians 4:18
  • Ephesians 5:2
  • Luke 2:36-38
  • Romans 12:1
  • John 12:3
  • Psalm 27:14
  • Isaiah 40:31
  • 2 Corinthians 2:15
  • Hebrews 11:6
  • Numbers 6:25

In this message

Main text

  • Luke 2:36-38

Topics

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