"GET YOUR CLOTHES ON!"
TEXT: EPHESIANS 4:22-24; COL 3:12-17
INTRODUCTION
Many years ago there was an emperor who was so fond of new clothes that he spent all of his money on them. He did not give himself any concern about his army; he cared nothing about the theater or for driving about in the woods, except for the sake of showing himself off in his new clothes. he had a costume for every hour in the day, and just as they say of a King or an Emperor, "He is in his council chambers," they said of him, "The emperor is in his dressing room."
One day 2 strangers came into to down, they were con men who passed themselves off as master weavers. And they said that they knew how to make the most exquisite clothes. Not only were the colors and patterns uncommonly beautiful, but the clothes were made of stuff that had a peculiar property -- that of being invisible to every person who was unfit for the office he held or who was exceptionally stupid.
"Those must be valuable clothes" thought the emperor, "By wearing them I should be able to discover which of the men in my empire are fit for office... And I will be able to distinguish the wise from the fools. So the emperor paid the 2 scoundrels a handsome sum of money in advance, as they required.
Now the 2 men pocketed the money and pretended to be weaving.
As time passed the emperor was getting anxious about his new clothes -- but as he reflected that the clothes reveled those who were unfit or stupid, he wasn’t really sure that he wanted to go.
So he sent his top aide. Well of course when this aide went to where these men were busy about their weaving, he saw nothing, but not wanting to be judged unfit or stupid -- he said "Oh, it is most elegant and beautiful, what a fine pattern and what fine colors. I will certainly tell the emperor how pleased I am with these fine cloths.
As time passed the emperor sent more aides, all of who brought back the same reports.....
Finally the day came and the emperor with the help of his stewards after taking off his old clothes, pretended to put on and button his new outfit....
And as he marched down the streets, his attendants were behind him acting as though they were carrying his long train and everyone in the streets were shouting, "What beautiful clothes, how splendid...." though in fact they saw nothing, but they didn’t want to judged as being unfit or stupid.
Until that is, a little child said, "But he has nothing on..."
So what does this have to do with the book of Ephesians....
A couple of weeks back we studied Eph 4:17-5:16 as we talked abut the "Walk of Purity," One of the walks that we must walk if we are to walk (live our lives) in a manner worthy of our calling.
It was the message I entitled "Take of your Graveclothes!" -- We talked about how there are certain things that are incompatible with Christianity and therefore need to be removed from our lives...such as lying, anger, slander, unwholesome talk, bitterness, rage, malice, sexual immorality, greed, foolish talk and coarse joking... And it is good to do that -- the Bible tells us to do that...BUT we can’t stop there, because there are also some things that we need to put on.
EPH 4:22-24
Many times we like the Emperor are deceived.... We buy costly and expensive thread and cloth from the weaver of lies -- who leads us to believe that in Christianity it is enough to simply not do the don’ts... To just remove the old man without putting on the new...
And many times we walk through the center of our town, So proud, pompous and self righteous -- wanting everyone to see just how pretty we are (look at all the things, I don’t do), Not knowing that we are walking around naked and that we have been made a fool of by the great deceiver.
O’ that God would open our eyes (our spiritual eyes), at those times so that we can see our spiritual nakedness.
You see, it is not enough to just get rid of the bad… it is not enough, to just not smoke or chew, or go out with women who do......
Because if we just take off the bad, and do not put on the good >>> we are placing ourselves in a very dangerous situation. Jesus said the following in (Matthew 12:43-45)
If after removing the bad -- we leave our house unoccupied, and do not fill it up with positive things -- It won’t be long before the bad comes back in with a bunch of friends, and says, "HEY LOOKY HERE -- A NICE CLEAN SPOT, LOTS OF ROOM FOR US. and before to long we find ourselves worse off than we were before... living in a filthier pigsty.
One commentator years ago made the following applications of this parable of Jesus...
"THE MERE REMOVAL OF A FEW OF THE BAD, MORE REPULSIVE SINS OF WHICH WE ARE GUILTY, AND THE TEMPORARY VICTORIES OVER SATAN, MUST NOT BE CONFUSED WITH THE FINAL, DECISIVE TRIUMPH OVER SIN. SO LONG AS SELF IS ALIVE IN THE INDIVIDUAL, THE EVIL ONCE BANISHED FROM THIS LIFE HAS NOT BEEN DESTROYED.....MERE NEGATIVE RELIGION (A RELIGION OF THE DON’TS) CAN NOT FOR LONG HOLD SIN AT BAY. THOSE WHOSE PIETY CONSISTS ENTIRELY OF THE OBSERVANCE OF GOD’S PROHIBITIONS ARE ONLY HALF ARMED AGAINST THE ASSAULTS OF SATAN WHOSE DELIGHT IS UNBOUNDED WHEN HE CAN CONVINCE ANYONE THAT DOING NOTHING BAD IS AS GOOD AS DOING GOOD." ....BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT AN EMPTY HOUSE IS JUST WAITING TO BE FILLED WITH SOMETHING.... AND HE HAS JUST THE THINGS TO FILL IT!
When I think of this concept of an empty, of spiritual nakedness.. when I think of the Emperor parading through the streets of the city naked... I think of the Pharisees... You remember them don’t you? They were convinced that they were special (they wore the right clothes, said the right things, went to the right places and were seen with the right people), they were sure not to do any of the don’ts, and of course to let everyone know that they didn’t. They were self righteous and spiritually naked. They swept their houses clean alright... but they left them empty and something worse came into their lives, and took up house there...
Listen to what Jesus in Matthew 23 (you know the horse riding chapter of the Bible -- it’s where we read of the 7 woes), Jesus had strong words for the Pharisees,
"WOE TO YOU TEACHER OF THE LAW AND PHARISEES, YOU HYPOCRITES! YOU TRAVEL OVER LAND AND SEA TO WIN A SINGLE CONVERT, AND WHEN HE BECOMES ONE, YOU MAKE HIM TWICE AS MUCH A SON OF HELL, AS YOU ARE."
IF we are serious about our Christian life... IF we believe God when he says that "in" Christ we are a new creation. IF we believe God when he says in Romans 8:29, that the ultimate purpose for man is to conform to the image and character of Christ...
AND IF WE BELIEVE THAT THE LIFE OF CHRIST CONSISTED OF A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN JUST NOT DOING THE DON’TS (NOT BREAKING THE LAW).
IF we have taken off the old man (lust, sexual immorality, anger, malice..etc) and if we want to (and let me coin a phrase HERE from the title of a book written in 1975 by John Molloy), if we want to Dress For Success .. not success in the Business world but rather in the Kingdom of God. THEN we need to ensure that 3 things are happening in our lives....
AND NOW WE NEED TO TURN TO THE SISTER LETTER OF THE LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS, THE LETTER OF COLOSSIANS. A LETTER WHERE PAUL GOES IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT IT IS WE AS CHRISTIANS ARE TO PUT ON.
COL 3:12-17
I. WE NEED TO INSURE THAT WE ARE PROPERLY DRESSED
A. Wearing appropriate clothing can be important, can’t it... For example:
IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR A MEMBER OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO FIGHT A FIRE WEARING HIS SPECIAL EQUIPMENT -- IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR HIM TO COME TO FIGHT A FIRE IN A PAIR OF SHORTS.
IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR A SOLDIER ON THE FRONT LINES OF BATTLE TO BE DRESSED IN A FLAK JACKET, HELMET AND FULLY ARMED IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR HIM TO SHOW UP TO BATTLE IN A TUXEDO.
IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR AN OPEN HEART SURGEON, TO GO INTO THE OPERATING ROOM DRESSED IN A GOWN WITH GLOVES AND MASK, FULLY SCRUBBED DOWN... IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR A SURGEON TO SHOW UP IN THE OPERATING WEARING DIRTY GARDENING CLOTHES....
IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO PREACH ON SUNDAY WEARING A SUIT AND TIE... IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR ME TO PREACH IN A SWIMSUIT.
AND Just as there are appropriate clothes in the world -- there are also appropriate clothes for the kingdom of God!
And the fashions of this world are not appropriate (we need to take them off) and spiritual nakedness is not appropriate either -- we need to put some things on.
B. One of Paul’s favorite terms for the Christian walk is that of "putting on"
Ephesians 4:24, "PUT ON THE NEW MAN"
Ephesians 6:11, "PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD SO THAT WE CAN TAKE YOU STAND AGAINST THE DEVIL’S SCHEMES."
Galatians 3:27, "THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IMMERSED INTO CHRIST - HAVE PUT ON (HAVE CLOTHED THEMSELVES WITH)CHRIST..."
Romans 13:14, "CLOTHE YOURSELF WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND DO NOT THINK ABOUT HOW TO GRATIFY THE DESIRES OF THE SINFUL NATURE..."
C. We (that is Christians) are to put on Christ
We are to put on the character of Christ
When we were baptized into Christ we received the gift of the Holy Spirit -- and we are to allow the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in our lives.
Christians are to put on Christ.....
We are to be like Christ (we are to imitate His character -- we are to walk and to live like Jesus)
Now this will not however, happen automatically, we must choose, we must work, we must strive to be like Christ and to be clothed in His character. We are to be active participants in this putting on process -- we need to dress ourselves... No one can get dressed for us....
Paul in our text gives several examples of the kind of things we are to put on. And as we consider each of these items, 2 things will become readily apparent. First that these garments are far different then the clothing of sin we took off earlier. And second that in of these garments Jesus Christ set the example -- He is the fashion statement for the clothing of Godliness...
1. WE ARE TO PUT ON COMPASSION
Compassion is a genuine concern for people/it is to care about people -- to care about their hurts, needs and their sorrows...
Did Jesus Christ have compassion for people? Ask the lepers who were healed, ask the blind man who saw the sun rise for the first time, ask the lame man who was made to walk and ask the lonely and drifting who were given fellowship, hope and direction.
2. WE ARE TO PUT ON KINDNESS
"BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE FOR US, GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, MADE US ALIVE WITH CHRIST EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN TRANSGRESSIONS -- IT IS BY GRACE YOU ARE SAVED. AND GOD RAISED US UP WITH CHRIST AND SEATED US WITH HIM IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS IN CHRIST JESUS, IN ORDER THAT IN THE COMING AGES HE MIGHT SHOW THE INCOMPARABLE RICHES OF HIS GRACE EXPRESSED IN HIS KINDNESS TO US IN CHRIST JESUS."
Jesus Christ is an expression of God’s kindness to us...
I once asked Chelsea and John what it meant to be kind -- and they said it means to be nice and friendly to someone. To share with someone. John said it means to play with someone when they don’t have any friends... to do nice things for people.
And They are right -- kindness is something active -- it is not simply a thought in our head but it is the active expression of our heart... it is reaching out... That is what God did for us and what we are to do for others.
WE ARE TO BE KIND AND COMPASSIONATE -- IN EPHESIANS 4:32 WE ARE COMMANDED TO, "BE KIND AND COMPASSIONATE TO ONE ANOTHER."
Many times tragically Christians have just the opposite reputation, that of being unkind and not very compassionate.
3. WE ARE TO PUT ON HUMILITY
Let me give you a definition of humility -- "HUMILITY IS NOT THINKING LITTLE OF YOURSELF -- IT IS TO NOT THINK OF YOURSELF AT ALL..." The opposite of humility is pride -- and we should have taken that off with the old sinful nature, RIGHT?...
Jesus was the greatest example ever of humility, listen to [PHIL 2:3-8].
4. WE ARE TO PUT ON GENTLENESS OR MEEKNESS
The society in Paul’s day and in our day as well, admires strength and power and looks down on meekness and gentleness.. Perhaps because they don’t understand meekness.
Meekness is not weakness it is strength under control. This word was used to describe a soothing wind, a healing medicine and a colt that has been broken.. In each instance there is power: a wind can become a powerful hurricane, too much medicine can kill. and a horse can break loose and stampede. But this power is under control. Paul 2 Cor 10 refers to the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Was Christ meek? There is no greater example of power under control than our Lord... On the cross... who had the power to break free, yet remained nailed until death.
5. WE NEED TO PUT ON PATIENCE
This refers to the ability to put up with people and with circumstances....
Patience doesn’t always come easy -- we really have to work at it... Back in our study of James we talk about patience as we study perhaps what is the greatest text in the Bible on patience.... [JAMES 5:7-11]
I could be preach a whole sermon on that text (as a matter of fact I have) but we obviously don’t have time for that so let me summarize what James is saying here, what he wants us to learn; FROM THE FARMER WE LEARN TO BE PATIENT WITH DELAYS AND POSTPONEMENTS, FROM THE PROPHETS WE LEARN TO BE PATIENT UNDER PROVOCATION AND FORM JOB WE LEARN TO BE PATIENT WHEN UNDERGOING PERSONAL TRIALS AND HARDSHIPS.....
IF YOU NEED PATIENCE GO HOME AND THINK ABOUT THE FARMER AND READ ABOUT, THE PROPHETS AND JOB -- AND THEY WILL TEACH VALUABLE LESSONS SUCH AS: THAT WE WILL ONE DAY TAKE PART IN A HARVEST -- THAT GOD WILL RESCUE US FORM OUR ENEMIES -- AND THAT HE WILL DELIVER US FROM HARDSHIPS -- AND THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL -- OUR HOPE IS NOT IN THIS WORLD -- AND THAT THE VICTORY IS ALREADY OURS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST!!
6. WE NEED TO PUT ON FORGIVENESS
Did Jesus Christ wear the garment of forgiveness... What did he say as he hung from the cross, His life’s blood pouring from His body.... His body weak, bruised and broken... you remember the words, "FATHER FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING."
In like of this what is our obligation as Christians... I think our text speaks for itself...
"BEAR WITH EACH OTHER AND FORGIVE EACH OTHER WHATEVER GRIEVANCES (EVEN THE ONES WE THINK OUR EXCEPTIONS AND THAT WE WANT TO CLING TO) WHATEVER GRIEVANCES YOU MAY HAVE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. FORGIVE AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU."
We are probably never more like Jesus then when we forgive others.... Are you right now holding unforgivness against someone? Are you a Christian? Then you must forgive...
7. FINALLY WE ARE TO PUT ON LOVE
I am not known for my sowing... but one thing seems obvious to me.... no matter how fine the material is, if the thread you use to put it together is not any good... the clothing will fall apart.
The Bible says the following in verse 14, "AND OVER ALL THESE VIRTUES PUT ON LOVE, WHICH BINDS THEM ALTOGETHER INN PERFECT UNITY."
Love is the key -- Love for God and each other.... and without love (agape -- sacrificial love of the will -- seeking others best) without love if we try to put on these garments, they will JUST fall right off of us, won’t they?
After all God’s these other virtues are really what love is.... "LOVE IS PATIENT, LOVE IS KIND. IT DOES NOT ENVY, IT DIES NOT BOAST, IT IS NOT PROUD. IT IS NOT RUDE, IT IS NOT SELF SEEKING, IT IS NOT EASILY ANGERED IT KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS. LOVE DOES NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL BUT REJOICES WITH TRUTH. IT ALWAYS PROTECTS, ALWAYS TRUSTS, ALWAYS HOPES, ALWAYS PERSEVERES. LOVE NEVER FAILS!!!"
"BELOVED LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER... FOR LOVE IS OF GOD AND EVERYONE WHO LOVES IS BORN OF GOD AND KNOWS GOD. WHOEVER LOVES NOT DOES NOT KNOW GOD BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE... SO BELOVED LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER."
CHRISTIANS WE ARE TO BE PROPERLY DRESSED.....
II. AND WE ARE TO BE FULLY DRESSED...
It’s uncomfortable to not be filly clothed isn’t it...
To have shoes on and just one sock...
Who here would feel uncomfortable if they walked into a shirt and tie affair wearing only cuts-offs and a tee shirt.
Or if a lady arrived at church on sunday morning and realized that what she thought was a slip was in fact her pajamas.
Or what man in here wouldn’t feel uncomfortable to find out that he had been walking all through the mall with his zipper down.
These things can be embarrassing and uncomfortable can’t they?
because it is uncomfortable to walk around half naked... isn’t it?
My question for us today is this, Why isn’t it uncomfortable and embarrassing for us to walk around 1/2 naked spiritually?
When we are not wearing compassion, kindness, patience, gentleness, love and forgiveness.... do we feel uncomfortable? Do we feel naked? Or like the emperor in our story do we march around unaware or unwilling to admit our nakedness...
This garments or virtues that Paul mentions are optional attire for the Christian -- we are not to pick and choose only the ones we like, but rather put on each item...
When we are half dressed in our Christianity we are not very effective for the Lord.... are we?
How do we know that we are not fully dressed? Well we need to look in the mirror... What is the mirror we are to look at? The word of God (which is refereed to several places as a mirror).. You see when we study the word we find out just how naked we really are and what items we need to put on.... When is the last time you really looked in the mirror?... not a quick glance mind you, but an intense look to see what you really look like; chances ARE YOU STILL HAVE ON SOME GRAVE CLOTHES AND MAY BE 1/2 NAKED.
Remember the church that Jesus wrote to in Laodicea -- they thought they were pretty good they thought they had arrived... They were wealthy.... and one of there major industries was a textile factory... so they were well dressed on Sunday mornings.
Listen to what Jesus said to them, "YOU SAY `I AM RICH; I HAVE ACQUIRED WEALTH AND DO NOT NEED A THING’ BUT YOU DO NOT REALIZE THAT YOU ARE WRETCHED, PITIFUL POOR, BLIND AND NAKED."
If it’s been awhile brothers and sisters since you’ve looked into God’s mirror you may be like the Laodicians and are running around naked and don’t know it.
CHRISTIANS, WE NEED TO BE: PROPERLY DRESSED AND FULLY DRESSED..
III. AND WE NEED TO BE ALWAYS DRESSED
Christians we need to keep our clothes on.
The night Jesus was arrested in the garden a young man other than the disciples was there too (some believe he was John Mark but we are not sure because he is nameless in the text).
Let’s pick up the reading right after the arrest....
"THEN EVERYONE DESERTED HIM AND FLED. A YOUNG MAN, WEARING NOTHING BUT A LINEN GARMENT WAS FOLLOWING JESUS. WHEN THEY SEIZED HIM HE FLED NAKED LEAVING HIS GARMENT BEHIND."
This young man was following Jesus too, but when things got rough, he stopped following Jesus -- he fled naked because he left his garment behind....
Christians we need to always be dressed.... because if we are naked (if we are not clothed in Christ’s character) ... it means just 3 things...
It means that we have fled into the world,
It means that we have stopped following Jesus,
And it means that we have cast our spiritual garments CARELESSLY onto the ground....
ARE YOU NAKED OR ARE YOU FOLLOWING JESUS?
ARE YOU PROPERLY DRESSED? FULLY DRESSED? ALWAYS DRESSED?
CONCLUSION
MATTHEW 22:1-14
HE KNEW ABOUT THE CLOTHING....
BUT HE TRIED TO TAKE PART IN THE CELEBRATION WITHOUT HIM....
HOW DID YOU THINK THE MAN FELT WHEN THE KING ASKED HIM WHERE HIS WEDDING CLOTHES WERE.... BUT EMBARRASSMENT WAS NOT THE WORSE THING THAT HAPPENED WAS IT? NO HE WAS TIED AND BOUND AND TAKEN TO WHERE THERE WAS WEEPING AND GASHING OF TEETH.....
WAS JESUS JUST TELLING A STORY HERE?
NO HE WASN’T, THE BIBLE SAYS HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. AND THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ON THE PROPER ATTIRE WILL NOT GET IN... THAT’S WHAT THE WORD SAYS...(I KNOW MANY DO NOT UNDERSTAND GOD’S LOVE, JUSTICE AND HOLINESS >>> AND THEREFORE BELIEVE THAT JUST ANYONE CAN GET IN; BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT THE WORD TEACHES. THE GUY IN THIS PARABLE MAY HAVE BEEN A GREAT GUY, A GOOD NEIGHBOR, HE MAY HAVE VOLUNTEERED HIS TIME AT THE LOCAL BOYS CLUB -- BUT IN THE FINAL MEASURE OF THINGS THAT IS NOT WHAT MATTERS... WHAT MATTERS IS WHAT WE ARE WEARING).
AND WHAT IS THE ONLY PROPER ATTIRE FOR A CHRISTIAN?--- THAT’S RIGHT, JESUS CHRIST?
AND IF WE TRY TO GET INTO HEAVEN WITHOUT WEARING JESUS CHRIST.. WE WILL BE THROWN OUT... THAT’S WHAT JESUS SAYS....
HOW DO WE PUT ON CHRIST?
THE BIBLE SAYS IN GALATIANS 3:27 "FOR ALL OF YOU WHO WERE IMMERSED INTO CHRIST HAVE CLOTHED YOURSELVES WITH CHRIST.."
CHRISTIANS YOU HAVE PUT CHRIST ON -- GET YOUR CLOTHES ON, KEEP YOUR CLOTHES -- STOP RUNNING AROUND HALF NAKED... REMOVE THOSE NASTY SMELLY GRAVECLOTHES AND THEN CLOTHE YOURSELF WITH THE CHARACTER OF JESUS CHRIST >>> BE PROPERLY DRESSED -- FULLY DRESSED -- AND ALWAYS DRESSED.... DON’T BE LIKE THE YOUNG MAN THAT MARK WROTE ABOUT AND DECIDE TO NO LONGER FOLLOW JESUS AS YOU LAY YOUR SPIRITUAL GARMENTS ON THE GROUND AND FLEE NAKED...
NON CHRISTIANS YOU HAVE NOT PUT ON CHRIST -- YOU DO NOT HAVE ON THE PROPER ATTIRE AND THE KING WILL THROW YOU OUT -- YOU WILL NOT GET INTO HEAVEN -- THAT’S WHAT GOD;S WORD SAYS.
THERE WILL NOT BE ANYONE IN HEAVEN WHO HAS NOT PUT ON CHRIST.
IF YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS GOD THE SON
REPENT OF YOUR SINS -- CONFESS HIM AS LORD AND BE BURIED WITH IN BAPTISM, PUTTING ON JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SINS ARE WASHED AWAY...
ARE YOU READY FOR THE WEDDING FEAST?
THE INVITATIONS HAVE BEEN SENT.
IT MAY BE TODAY...
