A New Wardrobe Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• It is hard to make changes in our lives isn’t it? Sometimes it takes some dramatic issues to get us to want to make some substantive changes in life.

• When we are a new creation in Christ, everything changes.

• Last week we examined What Not To Wear.

• When God makes us a new creation it is time to take off the old life, the old ways of life.

• However, we need to replace them with something else, lest we go around naked.

• Change is difficult for us and I have always contended that we cannot change WHO we are outside of Christ.

• We cannot make ourselves a new creation, it takes an act of God and that act of God takes place when we put on Christ when one is immersed into Him.

• What we wear is important. If you were to go to a typical job interview, would you dress like a bum?

• Certain jobs require certain clothing.

• If you were to go to your auto mechanic would you find it strange if he greeted you in a tuxedo?

• If you went to the bank would it be odd to see the banker in swim suit? Speedo of course.

• When you are clothed with Christ you too will need to wear a different wardrobe that you did before.

• This week we will get to take a look at our new wardrobe!

• On the show MY WIFE watches, What Not To Wear, when the old clothes are thrown in the trash, they are given $5000 to replace the old with a whole new wardrobe!

• That is exciting! God does the same thing for us, when we rid ourselves of the old stuff we looked at last week; we too get a new wardrobe, one that reflects who we are in Christ.

• I know one of Rachel’s favorite parts of the job with Chase was purchasing a new wardrobe to reflect her new job.

• Let’s turn to Colossians 3:12-14, we will start with verse 12!

• SLIDE #2

• Colossians 3:12 (ESV) Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. God wants to take you shopping!

• That sounds awesome! God can take you shopping in the best place, He is not cheap!

• After being told we need to take off a bunch of stuff last week, verse 12 starts by saying PUT THEM ON. This implies that God has picked some things out for us to wear!

• Then we are reminded that we are special, we are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved!

• This implies that we have a special calling. We are chosen by God for a special purpose and a special destiny.

• The word “holy” means to be set apart.

• Because we are chosen for special service, we are told to “put on” some special items.

• In life, special jobs require special clothing.

• In imagine an Astronaut going up in space in a smoking jacket. They have to wear a special suit lest they die in space.

• Athletes wear special clothing depending on the sport. You do not see football players on the field in swim suits or you do not see Olympic swimmers wear football pads in the pool. That would make it interesting though. 

• Christians too are to wear special clothing in the figurative sense.

• If you join one of our great branches of the military you are given special clothing to wear that reflects your status

• With God it is a bit the same, we need to wear the wardrobe that God has picked for us.

• In verse 12 there are five staple items that God wants us to wear at all times.

• The first item God shows us is…

• A compassionate heart!

• Compassion is a sensitivity and sympathy for the needs of others.

• How many times have we been alerted to the needs of others only to just ignore the need? We think that someone else will take care of it.

• Christians need to be sympathetic to the NEEDS of others.

• A compassionate heart is one that can look at another person with love and concern for their well-being. It does not mean we just give people whatever they want, but rather we seek ways to REALLY help them.

• Most of what we do with good intentions does not HELP a person, it just enablers them to stay in their current state.

• It is easy to be callous toward others because we can think that people cause their own problems. Many times that is true. Did that affect how Jesus felt about those who were hurting and in need?