Put On What? Series

Sermon for 5/5/2002

Isaiah 3:16

Introduction:

James Gibbons- Worldly Womanhood

She has her hair put up in tiers, And from her ears hang chandeliers; Her lips are painted red as blood- All badges of her "womanhood."

She drapes herself in clothing tight, A sexy object to the sight; All bright, aglitter, and aglow, She makes herself a "manly" show.

WBTU:

A. Background to Isaiah:

1. He wrote during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah in Judah.

2. A time of reasonable prosperity. A time of spiritual renewal for Judah.

3. The Assyrian Kingdom wiped out the northern nation of Israel.

4. The Assyrian Kingdom threatened the little nation of Judah throughout the ministry of Isaiah. Greatest miracle was when 185,000 Assyrians died outside the walls of Jerusalem during the reign of the righteous King Hezekiah.

5. Called the Messianic Prophet because he talks about the Israelites as the Messianic Nation to the world.

6. He talks about the Israelites nation through whom one day a great and wonderful blessing would come from God to all nations.

7. He was continually dreaming of the day when that great and wonderful work would be done.

8. He has been called the Shakespeare of the Old Testament. Wonderful writing.

9. Great prophecies of the Messiah like Isaiah 53. Bad times are coming but he contrasts that with the Messiah and the coming of the church.

B. Isaiah 3.

1. Since this was a time of material prosperity, the people of Judah had become slack in their spiritual lives. Isaiah gives them a picture of the judgement that God would bring upon them because of their sins and spiritual apathy.

2. This chapter can be directed against the United States and many of our problems.

3. Vs. 2-3- He is saying that qualified men for high positions will be lacking, and this will be a judgment from God. The cream will rise to the top. The cream will not want to rise if taking a high position means hardship and frustration because people will be rebellious. We see this in our land. Many Godly men do not want to lead in the church or in government because it is a burden and not a joy. God has made some people to lead but because of the state of sinful people, they never fulfill their God given desires. WE then inherit bad leadership.

4. In art we are not what we used to be. In music and moves, we are not what we used to be.

5. WE lack greatness in this day, but we are not willing to admit it because we have become a proud nation. When little men leave long shadows, then we know that the day is soon done.

6. Vs. 4- Men in positions of leadership will act like children. No self-control, totally incompetent.

7. VS. 5- Children shall rise against the older generation. No rules, no standards, if it is old it is no good.

8. Vs. 8- The cities will be ruined. Urban decay.

9. Vs. 12- Juvenile delinquency- our children are oppressing us.

10. Then beginning in vs. 16 he begins to address the issue of the women’s dress. In the future, they will not have any finery; they will look like refugees.

11. The sin that Isaiah is addressing is that the women are more concerned with the packaging than they are with character. It is style over substance. In our day it is all about style, we can get away with anything as long as we have some charisma.

C. (1 Tim 2:8 NIV) I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.(1 Tim 2:9 NIV) I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,(1 Tim 2:10 NIV) but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

1. Modestly = Observing acceptable standards in speech, behavior, or dress. Also, not extreme.

2. God is more concerned with the heart and the spirit than he is with what we wear.

3. However, if we are dressing in a way that is socially unacceptable or is giving people (especially men) the wrong impression of our inward character, then we need to dress modestly.

4. We need to impress people with our sensual movements, tight clothes, painted eyes, luscious lips, etc, this is worldly. We need to impress people with our godly lives filled with good deeds. Need to impress them for the Kingdom of God so that they will come to salvation. What kind of impression are you leaving with your clothes, demeanor, etc.

5. Many of the problems we hear about today- sexual harassment, date rape, young women who suffer from eating disorders and report feeling a lack of control over their bodies- are all connected, I believe, to our culture’s attack on modesty.