Dressed for Success

Build Connection

I want to go ahead and address the elephant in the room.

Those who know me well, know I do not wear a suit very often. Usually only for two reasons, when I am officiating a wedding or a funeral.

For the most part, what you wear from day to day in not significant, but when you are wanting to do something specific, you wear clothing that gives you the best chance at success.

When you want to play a specific sport, what you wear can significantly change the outcome. Soccer, football, and baseball becomes easier when you have cleats instead of dress shoes. If you wore cleats in basketball or hockey, you would be sliding all over the court or ice.

I don’t know of any sport where you could wear a suit to play that sport and it wouldn’t prohibit your movement.

To be comfortable at know most people change out of their day clothes and wear something different.

Create Tension

Today I want to talk about being clothed in something that will help you in your Christian walk.

It isn’t mandatory for salvation, but it does give you power to live out your faith.

This clothing we are to have is what I want to talk about today

Provide Solution

We are heading into the last couple weeks of our series “Anchored” and today let’s see how what we wear is tied into our core doctrines.

Luke 24:44–49

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

First I want to point out that…

Being clothed with power is a promise for us that not everyone had!

In vs 49 Jesus says “I am sending upon you what my Father promised…”

Jesus is referring to God’s promise in

Joel 2:28–29

“28 “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. 29 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike.”

It is important to understand that up until the time after Jesus’ ascension, God’s spirit was only given to specific people for specific purposes.

The first person the Bible records as receiving God’s spirit is someone you probably don’t know...Bezalel.

Exodus 31:1–5 “1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Look, I have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. 4 He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. 5 He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft!”

We also know the spirit came upon others in the OT like:

Moses and the 70 Elders

Joshua

Judges like Othniel, Gideon, Jephthah and Sampson

Kings like Saul and David

And others like Joseph and Balaam

The spirit of God was given selectively and was temporary or task-oriented, but as Joel records it would be for all people.

Knowing as some point the spirit would be for all, when will it be made available to all?

The author of Luke also wrote Acts and he tells this story again in acts 1.

Acts 1:4–8

“4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””

Then in Acts 2:1–4 we see the promise being fulfilled.

“1 On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”

Vs 1 says they were all meeting together, they were believers before the Holy Spirit was poured out before the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

We also see that the Holy Spirit is present in believers for Paul’s says in

1 Corinthians 12:13 “Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,* some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.*”

Romans 8:9 “But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)”

To belong to Christ you must have the spirit living in you.

So you have the spirit living in you at salvation but you can also be clothed in power after salvation.

Being clothed in power through the baptism of the Holy Spirit is about what God wants, not what we want!

Know this…

God wants holiness, God wants, faithfulness, God wants you to be his witness!

1 Corinthians 14:18 “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you.”

Encourage Change

Are you dressed for success?

Are you clothed with power from on high?

Has the Holy Spirit enveloped you with purpose and promise?

Come to the altar and let God’s spirit refresh yours!