Are you dressed to meet the King of kings? An improper code of dress will not grant you an audience with the Holy One. If you long to meet Him, this sermon is for you. Pastor Dawson walks you through God’s desires for His elect. The proper attire which is a prerequisite for an audience with Him, is a specially designed garment as is well explained in the sermon. Take an exclusive peak at God’s Designer Wear for you today.
Prophecy is God revealing to man what will happen before it happens. God knows all things. Prophetic Word is the truths God reveals to His people. No one can say we have been caught unawares. As the time of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ comes closer, gross darkness will increase in the world and cover the people. It is the beginning of sorrows. So God prepares His people for any kind of eventuality. Therefore we must listen carefully to the teachings of the Holy Spirit and be ready.
In 2 Thessalonians 1:12 we read, “That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This verse answers the question as to why we have been kept alive. We live that the name of the Lord is glorified in us and we in Him. We have been given our bodies so that through this body we can glorify God. If we work towards doing what He desires with our bodies, we will not fall sick. 1 Corinthians 6:20 further affirms, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” We need this body to do anything. We need it for prayer, worship, to preach or tell the Word or even to do good works of any sort. However John 15:5 says, “…for without Me ye can do nothing.” Without the grace of God we can accomplish nothing. We need the grace of the Lord Jesus for this.
So today we are going to learn how we can glorify God in our bodies. Paul in his letter to the Colossians explains how to make this happen. Colossians 3:12 urges us to “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”
Only the elect of the Lord can glorify the name of the Lord. We, the elect of the Lord, are both holy and beloved to Him. We have been specially chosen by Him to clothe ourselves with a unique garment so that the name of the Lord Jesus may be glorified. This clothing must have the following elements:
Bowels of Mercies
This refers to compassion. It is not an automatic emotion or deed. We must clothe ourselves with concern for others. The Lord Jesus healed many because He was moved with compassion. Matthew 14:14 reveals this sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings of others that He had, “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick.”
If we are holy and beloved, the elect of the Lord, we must put on this compassion.
Kindness
This is the quality of being friendly or considerate towards others. It refers to treating others with respect and dignity to make them happy. Jeremiah 52:31-32 states “And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison. And spake kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon.” Evilmerodach king of Babylon showed the king of Judah kindness though he did not deserve it.
If His name is to be glorified, we need to be kind. Kind people exhibit the love of God to others.
Humility
When we clothe ourselves with humility, it means we don’t think too highly of ourselves. We don’t allow thoughts to assail us that say we are better than others. Instead we remember that apart from God, we can do nothing and therefore we are nothing. Whatever we do we must do with humility.
Meekness
This is a truly amazing quality, one of the best additions to the garment we must wear. When we consider Moses, we note that he was the man selected by God to talk to Him face to face. He was a man prepared to enter into glory. God had to mould him for 40 years in the wilderness. From being the proud Prince of Egypt in the palace for 40 years, he became a lowly shepherd, looking after sheep in the wilderness. God was ensuring Moses learned to put on meekness. He had been a proud ruffian who didn’t think twice before he killed a man but when God was done moulding him, he is recorded in Numbers 12:3 as “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” He clothed himself in meekness to be fit to face God up in the mountain. The law came through God’s chosen man, Moses.
We too must be dressed rightly if we desire to meet with God. Don’t expect God to give you an audience without being properly dressed before Him. That is why Paul is urging us to put on the dress God is telling us to put on so that we can be with Him and enjoy fellowship with Him. Some people are naturally rough in their talk because there is no meekness. Psalm 37:11 declares “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” We must clothe ourselves with this meekness.
Longsuffering
Longsuffering is otherwise known as patience. It is the ability to bear with others. People who are longsuffering will not lose their temper. Naturally our humanity dictates that we are annoyed by those who irritate us but God says clothe yourselves with longsuffering.
Consider God, we continue to irritate Him, never learning His ways, constantly annoying Him and yet does He get angry with us? No, He is longsuffering.
Everyday we must put on these five qualities – compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and longsuffering. If you want your family to be the best family on earth, then any husband or wife clothed in this special garment with these five qualities, will ensure that there are no quarrels in the home. Their families will be peaceful and they will be a blessing to others.
This is the clothing of the elect. A dress is meant for display so only when you wear it, others can see it. God wants you to wear it. The elect of God is already holy but they must wear this. At certain times however the elect are seen improperly dressed; without one or more of these qualities. That is not God’s expectation of us.
In Matthew 3:8 we are taught, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance”. We must bring forth such fruits. We must dress to stand before God. Our bodies are to be clothed by what is specially designed by God. When we put on these qualities we will be a great blessing on this earth. God will be very happy with us when we clothe ourselves properly. The devil cannot touch such a person who understands the mind of God and lives according to it. And most importantly the purpose of our creation, that we glorify the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and we be glorified in Him, will be fulfilled.