What should you wear to church?

Every time the Bible tells us how to dress for worship it encourages us NOT to dress up.

2 Scriptures in the New Testament that directly speak about what to wear:

1 Peter 3:1-5 “Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands,”

1 Timothy 2:8-9 “Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,”

The amount you get your outside ready in the morning should be nothing to preparing your inside.

1 Peter 5:5 “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.””

What is humility? Considering other’s instead of yourself.

Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

The point isn’t that you should dress “however you want to” “or whatever’s comfortable.”

Your clothing can be missional, and should.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

Dress like the people you are looking to reach so that they feel comfortable. The truth is I’ve been in both churches, where people dress up and people don’t.

Practically here’s what I’ve seen. In churches that dress up the poor feel out of place. Maybe that’s not your point, but it’s what’s coming across. I’m not talking about just suit and tie either. When I go to a rich suburban church and everyone’s wearing 40$ T-shirts and brand name jeans, boots, etc. The poor feel out of place. Or if you go to a church and the pastor has a gold chain and a ring on his pinky. Has God ever been pleased with silver and gold fashioned by men?

Here’s what I’m saying: If you want to “give your best to God” do something He actually cares about.

Outro: Please dress down for Christmas, and spend that time loving, praying, being gentle, kind.

Instead of getting a new church hat, a gold chain, or a new pair of shoes buy a gift for a new visitor. Instead of freaking out Sunday morning, screaming at the kids to get ready put on regular clothes and have breakfast together.

If you don’t have anything nice to wear God doesn’t care.

Anecdotes, Incidents, and Illustrations (A New Man in Old Clothes) D.L Moody

A New Man in Old Clothes: A man got up in one of our meetings in New York some years ago, who had been pretty far down, but a wonderful change had taken place, and he said he hardly knew himself. He said the fact was, he was a new man in his old clothes.That was just it. Not a man in new clothes, but a new man in old clothes.I saw an advertisement which read like this: “If you want people to respect you, wear good clothes.” That is the world’s idea of getting the world’s respect. Why! A leper may put on good clothes, but he is a leper still. Mere profession doesn’t transform a man. It is the new nature spoken of in 2nd Corinthians, 5th chapter, 17th verse, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Focus on the inside and use the outside to preach a gospel of humility.