OUR SUNDAY BEST!

OUR SUNDAY BEST!

Gen 35:1-3

35:1 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

2 Cor 7:1

7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

My wife tells of all the careful preparations for Sunday worship when she was a child. All the shoes of the family would be collected and polished the night before. Daddy would daub on the polish while Momma would press the wrinkles from the clothes. All this would be done while the children were in bed. It was their quiet time together. But you simply did not go to church with unpolished shoes and wrinkles in your clothes!

This was not done to impress the neighbors who farmed beside you and attended church with you but to show proper respect for the little country church and the God who would be worshipped there. There was a sense of reverence in those preparations for worship.

CASUAL DECLINE!

In the name of grace and liberty there has been a decline of proper respect for God and his house I think. Our Sunday best is no longer the standard. An excellent God is worthy of excellence in worship. Could we have come too far in accommodating our flesh and our comfort? Could we also have cast off reverence along with our uncomfortable Sunday clothes? It’s something to consider.

GARMENTS OF PRAISE!

Isa 61:10

10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

1 Peter 3:3-4

3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

It is clear that the New Testament has freed us from the washings and rituals of the Old but we now are urged to polish and press our inner man. Am I coming to worship the Lord wearing my Sunday best heart? Is my Sunday best attitudes all polished? Am I on time for worship and prepared for service? Am I ready to sing? Are my ears washed and ready to hear?

It’s Sunday and time to put on your Sunday best.

Ps 51:2

2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Dear Lord, I do not want to bring to your house of worship anything that has not been carefully attended to. Wash me and make me ready for worship. AMEN