Tradition or Truth (3)
Tradition or Truth • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsWhere did we get some traditions and are they biblical?
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Tradition or Truth
Tradition or Truth
Good morning all. It is amazing to be with you all this Sunday. Welcome all who are online or will be. Please continue to like and share our messages and if you have positive things to add please add them.
We are continuing our study of “Traditions or Truth.” I hope you are enjoying and being challenged by it as much as I am. It is amazing the things we have come to believe as doctrinal when they are more just passed down over the years.
Before I get into today’s topic, I found some more interesting traditions.
Famadihana (Madagascar): Known as the "turning of the bones," families dig up the crypts of their ancestors every few years. They rewrap the remains in fresh silk shrouds and dance with them to live music to honor the dead.
Grave Sucking: Some modern charismatic groups practice lying on the graves of prominent historic faith leaders to absorb their spiritual anointing.
Both of those sound like a horror movie gone bad.
Today I want to look at the idea of wearing your:
Sunday Best
Sunday Best
Please open you Bible, phones, or tablets to Colossians 3.
Anyone remember Dear Abby? Pauline Phillips daughter Jeanne Phillips retired - 73 yrs
DEAR ABBY LETTERS – How To Dress In Church
Dear Abby: May I respond to your reply regarding attire in church? As a priest and pastor, I’m appalled at how some people come dressed for Sunday worship. You said that “Dress codes have been greatly relaxed in recent decades,” which I find to be inaccurate. What has become relaxed is the attitude, the respect and reverence people have for worship and church buildings. From brides walking down the aisle chewing gum to funeral pallbearers wearing tennis shoes, to members wearing flip-flops, shorts and tank tops on Sunday, the lack of respect and reverence to worship is disgusting.
Dear Abby: More important than what people are wearing is the reason for being in church in the first place. Maybe it would be better if we could all enter God’s house blind. If we can’t see what people are wearing, we can leave our judgments and prejudices outside and use the time to learn more about God’s purpose for our lives.
Dear Abby: My pastor says no one would consider dressing casually if they were going to be in the presence of our president or any other dignitary. Why would we consider anything less for our Lord? Makes perfect sense to me.
Dear Abby: Church is where you go to give praise to the Lord, not checkout what others are wearing.
Dear Abby: Satan wants to embarrass the church, so he sends people dressed any kind of disrespectful way. They’d be sent home from their jobs if they dressed like that. Women: Cover up You are worth more than your skin.
Dear Abby: Isn’t it funny that the ‘devil is sending people to your church to embarrass the church’ (because of the clothes they are wearing)? Never mind the fact that there’s an actual soul who needs Jesus underneath those scantily clad bodies. Actually, it’d be nice if we could keep all kinds of riff-raff out of the church… you know, all the adulterers, fornicators, liars, cheats and gossips out of the church as well to save the church embarrassment. Unfortunately, many of the people who are upset about how people dress in church would be gone if we did that.
There has been a lot of back and forth about how we should dress for church.
That’s what I want to look into today and see what Scripture says.
So, for the only opinion and words that matter today, please stand with me as we read.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Let’s pray
Sunday Best
Sunday Best
Growing up, I was always told to put my Sunday best on going to church.
Men wore ties or suits, women wore dresses.
Actually dressing up for Church is fairly recent from the late 1800’s
Before that it was only the wealthy who could afford fancy clothes.
IT came about when manufacturing made clothes less expensive. Most could only afford 1 nice set and they would save it for Church or major social functions.
Originally people like Wesley argued against being flashy, but then a gentleman named Horace Bushnell wrote an essay “Taste and Fashion” stating sophistication and refinement were attributes of God Christians should emulate.
Thus, Sunday Best was born.
Scripture does talk about the way we dress.
The outside should reflect the inside.
3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.
The outside should reflect the inside.
The question is always who are we bringing attention to.
Worship is not about me being entertained or making me feel better.
Worship is directed to the only one who deserves it.
God is the only audience
He deserves all the attention.
I don’t ever want anyone to leave here thinking what great music or message, I want everyone to to leave saying what a great God.
What someone looks like should never signify their worth.
1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
What someone looks like should never signify their worth.
Listen, I am joking about wearing pajamas, but if that is all you have then you are welcome.
Anyone can come through those doors.
The only thing I would require is that you are dressed.
We want to focus on the heart, just like God does.
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
What we do, including what we wear should bring glory to God.
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
What we do, including what we wear should bring glory to God.
Christ deserves our best. Whatever that looks like.
Whatever sets your heart to worship.
I believe in modesty.
The way I act, the things I do, the way I carry myself should point to Christ.
Pastor Jack Hayford once said:
Since fashion and style are personal matters, how these principles find expression varies across times and places; what matters most is the motive or attitude behind clothing choices
It is the heart behind the choice and who are we pointing out, ourselves or God.
So what is the point?
Ask yourself:
What is my focus?
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Let me give you 4 questions to ask yourself.
What is my focus?
Am I worried what others think or am I more concerned if I honor God?
The world’s approval is fickle and fading.
In the end we either get a well done faithful servant, or I never knew you.
Make the main thing the main thing. Things of God are the only things that will last.
Does the world see a difference in my life?
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
Does the world see a difference in my life?
We all were there. We all needed a Savior.
There should be a difference in our lives.
8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
Do we look through God’s eyes when we look at each other?
11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Do we look through God’s eyes when we look at each other?
The foot of the cross is level ground.
No one person is more important than another here.
Titles, positions, or anything else changes the fact hat we are all sinners saved by Grace.
Yes there are distinctions of gifts and responsibilities, the amazing thing is Christ takes all of that and joins us together in His church.
Am I more concerned about looking holy or being holy?
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Am I more concerned about looking holy or being holy?
The only way to holiness is through Christ.
He is the only one who can change us and cannot fake until you make it.
If you try you will be frustrated and exhausted.
Or we surrender and live His way.
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Tradition or Truth
Tradition or Truth
The bottom line is:
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Tradition or Truth
Tradition or Truth
Billy Graham once said:
“When we come to Christ, we’re no longer the most important person in the world to us; Christ is. Instead of living only for ourselves, we have a higher goal: to live for Jesus.”
Tradition or Truth
Tradition or Truth
My life prayer has become whatever bring you the most glory God.
Whether it is what I say, do, or look like. I don’t want any credit.
I did for a long time. It was exhausting.
I am now more concerned with giving my best everyday and not just my Sunday best.
How about you?
Let’s pray.
