(It must be noted this is NOT an original sermon with original thoughts and ideas. It has come from various sources with my own interjection as well).
TITLE: CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES
SCRIPTURE: EPHESIANS 4:17-24
I want to lift as a thought this morning the subject – Change Your Clothes. Would you agree with me, we LIVE IN A VERY FASHION CONSCIOUS SOCIETY. Matter of fact we carry fashion to the extreme not only in our country but around the world. People are so fashion conscious. Through the television and through magazines and newspapers, we're bombarded by two photographs in particular: one is before, and the other is after. There is this comparison that is always made in relation to fashion, and various things in society, that we LOOK AT A PERSON BEFORE SOCIETY HAS GOT TO THEM before fashion has added something to them, and then we see a photograph of a new person, a new man or woman, AFTER FASHION HAS DEALT WITH THEM. The whole point of this fashion is you can have a 'NEW YOU' - you can be a new person.
You can have, as they say, a ‘makeover’ and you can be changed and begin to feel different inside, and people around you - your husband, or wife, or your family, or your work colleagues - can begin to look on you in a different perspective and light because, after all, it's a new you! Of course, people have fallen for that lie - but you know, there's little bit of truth within that idea of fashion.
• We are looking at 'clothes' this evening in the word of God, in a spiritual sense
• If I can borrow the poet William Blake's statement: 'This', that we read of in this passage of Scripture, 'is a mantle for the divine soul'
• We are not reading about clothes that we put on our physical body
• But we're reading in this passage - whether we are saved or unsaved - about clothes that cover, that mantle, the divine soul
• This is, if you like, the divine wardrobe of God
• It is what God sees on the unbeliever and, indeed, what God wants to see upon his regenerate child
There is a big difference between these garments and the garments that we see around us this morning. The garments found in our text has nothing to do with fashion. The clothes we have on today, although we think we are cute, today - tomorrow it will be out of style. You ever look at those old photos from back in the day and you know you were sharp. But you look at those photos now and they make you laugh. What is in style today will be out of style tomorrow.
We find the Apostle Paul in this text alluding to the fact that there is a style that will not pass away - it never ever changes. Just as our physical garments, with ae – time – wear old - and go out of fashion - the difference with these garments found in the text:
• The longer we have them
• The longer we wear them
• The greater they become
• And the better worth they are
WHAT ARE OUR CLOTHES AS CHILDREN OF GOD? I believe there's a lot of confusioin about this today within the church. What marks us as being the children of God? In the eyes of others how can they tell that we are the children of God –
• That we have been Changed
• That we have been Converted
• That we are Regenerated
• That we have dwelling within us the life of Almighty God?
What is it then that others should see when they look at us?
• Is it our Appearance?
• Is it the way we Dress?
• Is it the length of our Hair?
• Does it have anything to do with the outward appearance at all?
Well, God's word would tell us the outward appearance may have some bearing on the way that people look at us, but that is not the way God judges whether a man or woman walks with Him – MAN LOOKS ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT GOD LOOKS UPON THE HEART. Now that doesn't mean the outward appearance is unimportant, but in the divine wardrobe it is what God goes by to discern a child of His.
So what is it that those around us should see when they look at us? Should they see tradition? Tradition is a good thing when it is a good thing, but tradition as we see it in the word of God. Tradition as long as it is found in the Word of God is good. However; if we follow after the Pharisees and begin to add a lot of stuff that begins to smother the Word of God, then Tradition can get in the way. Tradition, generally speaking, if it is not the tradition of the Apostles and the Prophets that we have within the word of God, is man-made. Tradition can be a good thing, but tradition - I say it - a lot of the time is a bad thing if we are shackled with it. So, tradition is not necessarily the way that we are known as the children of God.
Perhaps what others should see in us is OUR WORDS AND OUR CLICHES. A lot of people think it is about our phrases - language - we speak?
• They stand in the prayer meeting and pray certain phrases
• Pray certain formulas of prayer
• Talk like they are always witnessing to the lost
• Get a sermon on their answering machine before you can even leave your message
• Don’t ask them how they are doing – Blessed and Highly Favored of the Lord, Hallelujah
• I'm not decrying all of that, but some people fall into the trap of believing that by using the language of the Church you will be seen to be a Christian
• You know how we do in the Church
o Giving Honor to God who is the Head of My Life
o Pray My Strength in the Lord
o Lord will bless On Today - Not Tomorrow, But On Today
o May the Lord add a Blessing to the Reading, Hearing and Doing of His Word
Now, isn't that how we behave at times? It depends who's listening, it depends who's looking. For some reason we believe that by standing in the prayer meeting, or standing in the pulpit, or standing on a street corner, or giving out a tract, that we are making ourselves in the tradition of Christianity – we believe it is the divine wardrobe. It is how we judge whether we're living rightly before God in all righteousness and in all holiness. If we know how to use all the right phrases we will look at that person like they are so strong in the Lord, based on their outward so called spiritual wardrobe.
We have some sects of Christianity that try to tell us what happens on the outside does not matter, as long as we are okay with God on the inside.
• Some tell us once saved always saved
• As long as we are saved it does not make a difference what we do or how we live
• We are saved and can’t lose our salvation so does not matter how you live
• We are okay with God internally and that is enough
• Others tell us that salvation is inclusionary
• Tell us everyone is going to heaven so don’t be so caught up with how you are living
• No one is going to hell anyway because salvation is free and given to everyone
• Let me tell you that both are wrong!
Paul is trying to tell us in this text to put off something. Paul is telling us to get rid of the garments that characterize our old life of sin - get rid of them! He wants us now to put on the new garments that speak of life - in other words, as he says in the book of Philippians – you have to FORGET THOSE THINGS THAT ARE BEHIND AND PRESS ON FOR THE PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS. He's echoing the words of the Lord Jesus when He said that if a man puts his hand to the plough and looks back, he's not fit for the kingdom of God. He is telling us to leave the past behind, to go forward - and effectively what he is saying is: you need to - Change Your Clothes!
The problem is THE OLD WARDROBE IS STILL IN FASHION. Truth of the matter is, it is always in Fashion. No matter how hard we try SIN IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE IN FASHION. Sins that we thought we had forgotten about, sins that we had said could never be committed again in humanity, are being committed at the very moment that we speak and sit here. Almost seems like there is a REVIVAL OF SIN ACROSS THE WORLD. Sins seems to be in season and anything that resembles Christianity seems to be frowned upon.
• Tim Tebow booed off the football field because of his Christian values
• Michael Sam first openly gay NFL player called a hero and even invited to White House
• Sin seems to be celebrated as Right
• Right seems to be the New Wrong
++++I am reminded of a story --
--An executive was plagued by a strange disease that caused splitting headaches and ringing in his ears. He first went to an ear, nose and throat specialist who corrected his deviated septum, but the condition grew worse.
--He consulted an ophthalmologist who performed delicate optic nerve surgery. Later, a dentist did a root canal, but still the man had no relief. He finally sought a world-famous brain surgeon who said the only other case he’d seen like that had been fatal within a year.
--The man was despondent. He decided to quit his high-paying job and spend his retirement money on whatever he wanted. He had always longed to indulge himself with custom-made shirts and suits, so the first thing he did was find a top-rated tailor. As the tailor was measuring him for shirts, he called out the numbers to an assistant. “Sleeve: 35 inches. Neck: 16½ inches.”
--“Oh no!” said the executive. “I’ve always worn a 15-inch collar. You’d better check again.”
--The tailor did and again measured 16½ inches. The executive responded, “But I insist you make it 15 inches, because that’s what I’ve always worn.”
--“Okay,” said the tailor, “but don’t blame me if you get splitting headaches and ringing in your ears!” (Sandra Wilson, Released from Shame)
Sometimes, we look for the cure in elaborate and expensive treatments when all we have to do is Change Your Clothes.
• That’s the way it is with the church, the body of Christ
• The church in America is sick with at least 80% of our churches in decline or not growing at all
• Well, the cure is not some elaborate and expensive program
• The cure is not to hire a Minister of Music or Keyboard player
• NO! The cure may be something as simple as changing our clothes, our spiritual clothes
In this text Paul tells the Ephesians that the person who is not a believer in Jesus Christ has a futile way of thinking - they are ignorant and have had their understanding darkened. And as believers, while we too were once that way, we should no longer live like that. But as we can all testify, this is much easier said than done. Even Paul, in Romans 7, said that he does things he does not want to do, and doesn't do the things he should do. That sounds like the daily struggle we all face, doesn't it?
• So how do you become victorious?
• How do you defeat sin?
• Well, if the root problem is a futile mind, we need to get at the root and renew our mind, get a new mind, change our way of thinking
• Paul says Change Your Clothes
My friend Bro. Carl stopped by the house yesterday. He has his own side business and takes care of my lawn which is the envy of the neighborhood. We stood in the front yard and talked and he pointed out a small patch of crab grass he said he was going to spray it again to kill it because that one patch will eventually take over the yard. He said the spray and chemicals would kill the roots. You've got to either kill the root or dig it up, or it will come back with a vengeance. The root of our sin is a depraved and futile mind, and if we want to gain victory over sin, we need to get the root out. We need to get rid of that futile mind and get a renewed mind.
Paul says, we have to put off some stuff. Put off some stuff concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows according to the deceitful lusts. The old man is the filthy clothes. It is characterized by deceitful lusts and everything that we saw in previous verses supporting this message, which is our former conduct, the way we used to live.
• Can somebody say that is how I used to live
• Can somebody say I don’t live like that any more
• Can somebody say I have Changed My Clothes
Don’t’ get me wrong, it is a growing process. Although Sin has been crucified it has the tendency if we are not careful to Resurrect. Don’t look at me like that, you remember what you said when that other driver cut you off last week, you remember what you said to that person that annoyed you last week, you remember what you said to your husband or wife when they hit your wrong button last week, you remember what you said to that person that took too long in the line in front of you last week. This means that, although it has been crucified with Christ, and although it has been defeated and done away with, it still resides within you, and is a part of you. This old man can grow into a strong man when you feed it by continuing to kill the roots of sin by staying in the Word and Will of God.
In order to Change Your Clothes the first process then is to change your mind. Paul says in the text “THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND.” Your mind is not renewed simply by gaining knowledge, but by changing the way you think. And the only way to do this is through Bible Study and Prayer Service. I never could understand how we have time to go to College and gain our Bachelor and Master Degree, get to class during the day and study all night or those adult learners have time for class at night and study, but once we graduate we thank God and Praise Him for the strength to have endured the process. But then can’t find the time for Bible Study and Prayer Service.
• But you want God to find the time to bless your career
• You want God to find the time promote you on the job
• You want God to find the time bless you with that raise
• Can I tell you it is time to Change Your Clothes
As you immerse yourself in the Word of God, READING – STUDYING – MEMORIZING – MEDITATING upon it, as you pray through God's Word, as you attend Bible Studies and listen to sermons on DVD/CD, and as you sit under the teaching of God's Word, the Bible, which is living and active, will TRANSFORM YOUR MIND – RENEW YOUR MIND - will change your thought patterns, will give you a whole new perspective and outlook on life.
• It's that simple
• But it's not easy
• There are no shortcuts here
• It takes time, and effort, patience, diligence and faith
• As you do this, you will gain a new mind
Paul says, as you do this, as you develop and gain this New Mind, you will gain a new wardrobe as well. You need to put on your back to school clothes. My son Cory and his sons, my grand sons were at the house yesterday. My grandsons were anxious to leave because their Dad was taking them to shop for new School Clothes. Do you know why we shop for new School Clothes each year?
• Not that they have grown that much over the short summer months
• Not that they put holes in their clothes over summer and have to be replaced
• They don’t want to start a new school year with last school years clothes
• New School Year with a Fresh look
• It is symbolic of closing out the old school year with some new clothes
Get rid of those old, moth-eaten, dirt-covered, garbage-bound clothes you used to wear, and put on heavenly clothes of light." We must reject SENSUALITY – PRIDE – MATERIALISM – BITTERNESS – ANGER - and a host of other sins that drag us down into the mud.
• These are complex problems with an incredibly simple solution
• Do you want to change something in your life?
• Do you want to get rid of something from your old way of living?
• The way ahead is quite simple
• It's not easy
• But it is simple
• Learn from Christ, hear Him and be taught by Him
• As you read the Bible, pray and attend places such as church where the Word of God is faithfully taught and explained
WHAT DO WELL DRESSED CHRISTIANS WEAR? They wear the Lord Jesus Christ. What should you wear to work tomorrow morning? After you put on your outward clothes, make sure you put on Jesus! What should you wear to class this week? The answer is Jesus! How about what you wear to the store or to the mall or on that upcoming vacation or while you are just hanging around the house? Put on Jesus! He’s always appropriate for every occasion. Stopped by to tell you Change Your Clothes -
• Put on his Holiness
• Put on his Beauty
• Put on his Humility
• Put on his Purity
• Put on his Compassion
• Put on his Wisdom
• Put on his Forgiveness
• Put on his Righteousness
• Put on his Zeal
• Put on his Patience
• Put on his Love
--Clothe yourself with Jesus early in the morning and you will be well-dressed all day long
--But there is one thing you need to know
--Christ must be in you before he can be on you
--He must live in your heart as Lord and Savior before you can take him with you to work
--It’s not enough to know about Jesus; you must know Him in your heart and trust him as your Savior and Lord
--Do you know Jesus? Does he live in your heart? Have you trusted him as your Lord and Savior
--I Challenge you today - Change Your Clothes
