Most women with a closet full of clothes, have said at one time or another…”I have nothing to wear”…. My daughter Karen used to pull everything she had out in the middle of the floor, then sort through the pile, to come up with an ensemble for the day. (used to drive Winnie to distraction)
The Seeker Friendly movement has changed the way we dress for church. (I like it) I was looking through some old family photos, and dressing for church was so different than now. We wore suits and ties to church, as a matter of fact men wore ties just about everywhere. (I can’t prove it, but I believe when God cast Adam out of the Garden, He said go forth and work and sweat and wear a tie)
If you look at different people groups in our beautiful world, fashion can be very unique to each culture. And you can normally tell a lot about a person by the fashions people gravitate to.
Clothing can let others know which sports we play, or which athlete we like. Sports fans will wear the colors and logos of their team, and some get really fanatical about it. Folks that follow certain rock bands, will wear clothes that let you know which bands and entertainers they are big fans of.
Nurses and doctors have their fashion statement. When you need one, it’s a great relief to know that they are on the job and trained and ready to care for you.
Police personnel and firemen can be easily recognized by their uniforms. a police officer in uniform, or a judge wearing a robe, let’s us know immediately that they have an important role to play in our community.
Now some fashion statements are by choice and some are mandatory. We have a large number of people that are with the military in our area. You can quickly see that they are Navy, Army, Reserves, Coast Guard or Border Patrol, by their uniforms. That uniform, with it’s bars, stripes, stars and other insignia… tell us about their rank and level of authority.
So our clothing says a lot about us…. The military uniform is not a suggestion, it is mandatory. It declares that your life is now governed and ordered by a higher authority. When you’re in the military and the bugle sounds at 5 am… it is not a suggestion to get up, it is a mandate!
When it comes to Christians, we don’t have to run around wondering, “what shall I wear today, what will fit the occasion”? Just as all the other uniforms we mentioned are mandatory, we too are given a mandate, not a suggestion about what we are to put on! Paul tells the Colossian believers… you need to take off some things and put on some things….
Colossians 3:8 “But now, put off all these.. anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and off colored language. v9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds, v10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created you. v11 Fromnow on, there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. v12 So then, put on as the elect of God, holy and beloved, mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. v13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive one another, if any man have a quarrel against any. Even as Christ forgave you, forgive them also. v14 And above all these things clothe yourselves with pro-active love, which allows us to live together in harmony.. v15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, for as those who are called into the body of Christ, you are called to live in peace, and be thankful. v16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. v17 And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him”.
If we broke it down to a fashion statement, it would be… “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ”…. Paul is not talking about outward apparel as he writes to the church of Colossi…. He could be writing to Eagle’s Rest and saying “Here’s the way we dress”….Think about what it says…. Can we do whatever we’re doing and say whatever we’re saying, and then say at the end, “In the name of Jesus”? That’s quite a challenge isn’t it? You know… (I’m going to cheat on my wife, in the name of Jesus) (I’m going to do some dope, in the name of Jesus) How about, I’m going out and get myself drunk, oh yeah… “In the name of Jesus” I’m going to have a total melt down and cuss and scream and spit, “IN THE NAME OF JESUS”!
A teacher asked her class to describe love….one young student, describing love said, “When someone loves you, You know that your name is safe in their mouth.”
Another child said, “Love is what makes you smile at each other—even when you don’t’ feel like smiling.” A little girl said, “Love is when mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure he will like it.” And last, A boy said, “If you want to learn to love a lot better, you should start with someone that you don’t like to play with.”
I think a great definition of love is when you don’t deserve it, I will love you anyway….True love is willing to make a sacrifice in order to love….
Romans 13:14 “Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself be only focused on ways to indulge your fleshly desires”.
Paul is giving us the “Why” that we need to get dressed up…. Let me say here, that everyone has to make the choice of how far they want to go, we can’t make that choice for them….
The “why” is about showing compassion for the pain and suffering that others are going through in their lives because it could be us.
The “why” is showing kindness in reaching out to those who are wounded & struggling with real life issues.
The “why” is showing humility as we realize that we are completely dependent upon the Lord and He loved us when we didn’t deserve it.
The “why” is showing meekness and letting others see that we are all in the same boat, so we are willing to grab an oar and help them row..
The “why” is to show patience and not giving up on those that maybe others have given up on.
The “why” is showing the ability to endure with others, when everything in us screams for us to walk away and just leave it alone.
The “why” is about showing the same forgiveness we needed when we were hurt, or mistreated, judged or persecuted.
What do all of these things look like? They look like Jesus. When we put these garments of His character on, we are looking more & more like Him and as His truth enters us, we are becoming more & more like Him.
Jesus said “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Don’t take it personally… they haven’t worked through their crazy stage yet, but they will….. hopefully! Just be there when they’re ready!
I’m sure most men have gotten that tie or shirt, that you would never have chosen in a million years….(get em while they last)…You ladies have gotten perfume you wouldn’t put on a pig… Take a deep breath and Relax, Paul is telling us in Colossians, that the Lord would never ask you to wear something that He did not personally approve… and Hey!.... He is the master designer and creator of fashion and good common sense!
So it would be good to Get to know him well… A Polish immigrant went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to apply for a driver's license and is told he has to take an eye test. The examiner shows him a card with the letters: C Z J W I X N O S T A C Z … He says "Can you read this?" "Read it?" the Polish guy replies, "I personally know the guy!!"That’s what I say when they say God is dead or there is no God.
Well we need to get on a personal level with our Holy fashion designer!
Yeah, that’s right… the rainbow was His idea and how about those glorious Key West sunsets…. And have you been on the water when it was so still and clear that you couldn’t tell where the water ended and the sky began….! If you dive in the ocean, you see His splendor, and if you fly up into the heavens in an air plane, you see His creative touch….
He’s the master designer!
Isaiah 61:3&7 “He shall appoint unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be established in righteousness, that He might be glorified. Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy double honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours”.
Now those are the kind of garments He has for us! They’ve been given to us by God to identify that we belong to Him! They’re not ragged, mismatched, random articles of clothing that aren’t worth wearing out in public. No, they’re beautiful garments… made by God, given to us from God, to identify us as children of God, the people of His presence. All the garments that Christ provides are stitched with love and held together with love.
On Monday I was using Super Glue…. Have you used that stuff? It says “quick drying”…. YEAH… I would say…as soon as it hits the air! I was gluing a handle and when I was done, I couldn’t get my thumb and pointer finger apart…. I finally had to leave a layer of skin from my thumb still stuck to my finger…. That stuff is strong…
The tube says it will fix just about anything…. Plastic, glass, wood, paper, metal, and my thumb and pointer finger!
When you get all dressed up… don’t forget that it’s love that makes it all work and holds it all together! It can fix anything and will hold up to any kind of force that would tear it apart! God chose love as His glue, to hold everything together… and it’s more powerful than Super Glue if we will apply it!
You know the description… 1Corinthians 13:4 Love suffers long and is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud v5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. v6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. v7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. v8 Love never fails”.
When I read that boastful and proud part….I thought of this Texan, who is on holiday in Israel and meets a Jewish farmer. He asked the man what he did for a living. He said "I raise a few chickens, you see, I'm a farmer.” Well, So am I. How much land do you have?” asked the Texan. “Well, we make maximum use of every foot of ground, I have Fifty meters in front, and almost a hundred at the back.” Then the Jewish farmer, asked the Texan…. “You’re from Texas, so what’s the size of your farm?"
The Texan tells him, "On my farm, I can drive from early morning until late sundown and not reach the end of my property." "Oh, That's too bad," says the Jew. "I once had a car just like that." (love does not boast)
So back to this love garment we are told to put it on and try it for size…. Oh, by the way…. One size fits all! (It comes in that universal size)
This God fashioned love garment, will take you beyond the fuzzy feelings, it will take you way outside of your comfort zone….You’ll rearrange your schedule at a moment’s notice…You’ll do crazy stuff like forgiving your enemies, and doing stuff for people and expecting no reward!!! You’ll find yourself doing weird stuff that the world can’t understand, like tithing, and helping in children’s church and visiting prisons and old folks homes…. Man, it will take you way over to the far side right now!!!!
Someone said that if you are always expecting something in return when you do something for someone… you’re only doing business, not love!
If we love what God loves, we will understand that everyone whom He sends across our path may be on their way to hell, unless we love them enough to show them the God kind of love.
Sometimes God will nearly overwhelm you with those He sends your way to love. But please understand that He has said that all you have to do is love them with His love, not your own limited love. Your love will fail, but His love will never fail.
It’s easy to allow ourselves to get overwhelmed, because we often judge by what our limited love can do. But this day, I declare that you are going to put on the garment of His love….
Speaking of being overwhelmed…. A cab driver had just picked up his first passenger of the evening. After about 5 minutes of driving, the passenger suddenly tapped him on his shoulder to ask him a question. He screamed, lost control of his taxi, nearly hit a bus, went up onto the pavement and stopped just inches from a shop window.
For a second, everything went very quiet in the taxi, then he said, "Look man, don't ever do that again. You scared the living daylights out of me." His passenger apologized and said, "I didn't realize that a little tap could scare you so much." The Cabbie replied, "That’s OK, it's not really your fault. Man, today is only my second day as a cab driver - I've been driving a hearse for the past 25 years." Jesus was willing to take a ride in the hearse so we could take a ride on eagles wings….
Listen, if you’ve been doing it in your own strength, you’ll be shocked to see what can happen when you begin to put on His strength!!!
Oh, hear me, scripture tells me that we (the church) are the bride of Christ, and one thing the bride is to do, is to dress to please the groom. She doesn’t dress for Jimmy Grabby, or sweet talkingSammy… She dresses for her one and only.
Winnie always gets dressed and then comes up to me and asks, “How do I look”…. I am no dummy…. I say, “Baby, you look amazing”…. My point is that she dresses to please me first! Listen to the voice of the bride speaking in Isaiah 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, Mysoul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, for my bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and His bride adorns herself with her jewels.”
Listen, I pastored a church where folks who sat on the right side of the church would have nothing to do with the folks who sat on the left side of the church and visa versa….. They would not cross the central isle of the church if it meant being anywhere near those people….. We know where revival is not coming! But is badly needed! That’s a bride that needs some serious fashion advise… That’s a bride that never bothered to get dressed and put on Christ!!!.... I’m sure you can guess why a lot of people never came to that church!!! THEY DIDN’T GET DRESSED UP!
Let me tell you what, when I was dating my black haired beauty, you couldn’t keep me away from her home with a stick. I would get off from work at 9 at night and though I was bone tired, needed a shower, and had not eaten dinner… I drug my sweaty, dirty, hungry self to her home and my love for her, was greater than my sweaty, hungry self!
John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
A fella was thinking about how good his wife had been to him, and how fortunate he was to have her. He asked God, "Why did you make her so kind hearted?" The Lord said, "So you would love her, my son." "Why did you make her so good looking?" "So you would love her, my son." "Why Well Lord, why did you make her such a good cook?"…"So you would love her, my son." After thinking about it, he said, "Lord, I don't mean to seem ungrateful or anything, but why did you make her so stupid?" And the Lord said "So she would be able to love you, my son."
Until you are able to love the worst of these, you haven’t loved. Until you have loved a Ray Webb, you probably haven’t loved….Let me tell you about Ray Webb…..
Ray Webb was an upper classman and I was a freshman at Blackstone High School. (I was much cuter than this picture)…Every opportunity he had, he loved to humiliate me, and there were plenty of opportunities. We road the same bus the 6 miles to school and back every day. He would walk back to my seat and push me down on the floor and rub my face in the floor. He would catch me in the bathroom and shove me up against the wall with his fist in my face and keep me there while the other guys laughed. I worked on my grandfather’s farm and he got a job during harvest, and would threaten and bully me there. I couldn’t get away from this guy. Me and Jesus talked a lot about Ray. And about 20 years ago, I was visiting my mom, and Ray came by…. He shook my hand, hugged my neck and said, if you would ever think of starting a church here, I would be your number one man. I am a born again Christian and I serve on the deacon board of our church. You say the word and I’ll do anything I can to help you!
Do you have a Ray you need to love? Because you just don’t know what God’s love can do when your love runs out! Let’s get dressed up! Do you need more patience….let’s get dressed up! Do you need to put on some mercy, some kindness, some humility, some gentleness…Let’s get dressed up!
Let’s put on the garments of Christ, and start loving with His love! Can I shock you for a moment…. If we don’t love the least likely person there is to love… we don’t love the Lord Jesus!
Matthew 25:45 “Then the King shall answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me”.
Have everyone stand up…. When a person graduates from college with a degree, they receive a mantle… The mantle which the Lord wants to put on us is the mantle of love, mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
We’re getting dressed up this morning! Yeah, put it on!
