Adorned for the King

Good morning. That was nice. Again, thank you for that.

You know, I I'm thinking of the day that it is for me. It's my last opportunity to speak to you. It's my last opportunity to share with you the word of God.

What you do from here, I probably won't have, for many of you, won't have much influence. And I don't know how much I'll have this morning, but I'm going to take it seriously that I'll do my best to influence you rightly for the kingdom of heaven. I want to take this opportunity to tell you what a privilege it's been to be here with you, to see your expectant faces and your anticipatory attitudes and your, yes, just the the way that you have been attentive and given feedback to me on various things.

I have appreciated it very much. And thank you for it. It's so much easier to speak to an audience where you have people that it's clear that they are listening, they're hearing.

And so thank you. And God bless you as you put those things into practice. OK, so at this time, maybe we could all rise again for prayer.

Our Heavenly Father, we come again at this time in the worthy name of our Lord and Father, we come desiring that you would again speak in to the ears and the hearts of these, your children. Father, I do pray that you would illuminate your word. I pray that you would move by your Holy Spirit.

I pray that you would give me unction and Father, that I could speak forth those words that you would have spoken here today. Lord, we commit this time again to you and we bless your name. Thank you, Lord, for calling us from darkness into your marvelous light.

We love to serve you. And Lord, we desire to be faithful in this time we live in. We pray in Jesus name.

Amen. May be seated. Like to begin this morning again by showing you some pictures.

And instead of passing them around this morning, I am just going to show them and see if you can give me an idea of what this lady's occupation might be. Could you tell me what you think this lady's occupation might be? Anyone? Stewardess, flight attendant. Anyone over here agree with that? See heads nodding.

Someone disagree with that. Okay, now let me show you what you didn't see. Now, what do you say? What's her occupation? It says Baker, but what do you think? Have someone that thinks that she works for Delta Airlines.

Okay. What about this guy? We have a police officer or a captain. Anyone? What do you think? What's that? Sorry, I didn't get soldier.

Okay. Police officer, front row says police officer. They can probably see better than the back.

Okay. How about this? What does that say? Okay. So I'd like to ask you, so those listening in, what we have here is two pictures.

One of a guy and one of a lady. And we have, I think everyone was agreeing that the lady was a stewardess or a flight attendant. But under the picture, I had hidden what it says under the picture.

Under the picture, it says Baker. And then there's a picture here that most people here were saying is a police officer. And under that one, it says hairdresser.

I'd like to hear what made you think that that lady is a flight attendant. Anyone? They look a certain way. Okay.

And what made you think that the guy was a police officer? His uniform. Okay. Anyone else have any other reasons? Does the fact that it says hairdresser under him change who he is? Okay.

I have several letters saying no, that doesn't change who he is. Just because it says hairdresser under the picture doesn't mean that he's not a police officer. Or just because it says Baker under the stewardess or the flight attendant doesn't make that she's not a flight attendant or a stewardess.

Turn your Bibles to 1 Peter. I think that just like you could tell that that was a police officer and you could tell that that was a flight attendant. We can tell, the world can tell who you are.

Sometimes you might have them guessing, just like some of you were guessing a bit differently about the police officer, because there are enough other occupations that dress similarly. But that's what I'd like to impress on you this morning. The rest of this week, I have shared with you more in line with our relationship in this country to the government and such like in the two kingdom principle and those things.

This morning, this here is more, this is about the two kingdoms too. And it's a distinctive doctrine in our day that I desire that we really can recognize the impact that it has on not only us and the church, but on society at large. I'd like to read a poem to you that you've probably already heard, but it brings out the thing that I'm trying to impress on you here.

It's this, you tell on yourself by the friends you seek, by the manner in which you speak, by the way you employ your leisure time, by the way you make use of your dollar and dime. You tell what you are by the clothes you wear, by the spirit in which your burdens you bear, by the kinds of things at which you laugh, by the records you play on your phonograph. You show what you are by the way you walk, by the subjects of which you like to talk, by the manner in which you bear defeat, by the foods you choose and the way you eat, by the books you select from the library shelf.

In these ways and others, you tell on yourself, and I do too. We tell on ourselves by those ways and others, but I'd like to focus mostly on your appearance this morning. I titled the message Adorned for the King.

We spoke in the first message about how Jesus came preaching the kingdom of heaven. John the Baptist came preaching the kingdom of heaven. The apostles came preaching the kingdom of heaven.

This is part of the kingdom of heaven, where we as sons and daughters of the king, we serve him in practical ways like this. 1 Peter chapter 3, I'd like to look at a few scriptures and then we'll get practical here this morning. I had a couple say that they appreciated the message this morning.

I'm sorry I wasn't able to listen in, but we'll hopefully be able to listen to it later. I think he got practical, and I desire to get practical on this. So that it's not just again, that it's not some nebulous ideas that are floating out there, and you really can't get your fingers or mind onto it.

I want you to be able to understand and grasp what it is that God is saying to you in his word. 1 Peter chapter 3, and we'll start reading in verse 1. Likewise ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives, while they behold your chaste conversation, coupled with fear, whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel, 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. For after this manner in the old time, the holy women also, who trusted in God adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands, even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Okay, so maybe first of all, we should take a look here. Can we safely conclude that I am making a mistake this morning? Because this clearly says wives, and you're not wives. Can we clearly understand that this applies to no one here this morning? That this scripture is speaking very clearly.

It begins by saying likewise ye wives. Would we be willing to say then it doesn't apply to any of us? I don't see anyone nodding their heads. I would hope that we could all agree the fact that you're not married yet, maybe you will be, and maybe you won't, doesn't make that this principle or these principles don't apply to you.

By the same token, it's speaking to women. Does that mean this side of the aisle here is off the hook? You don't even need to listen. You don't even need to think about this.

It's only for over here. No, again, I would say it is not saying that. It doesn't say that.

It doesn't mean that. We can, and I had heads shaking on this side, and thank you for that. It doesn't mean that this side is off of the hook.

It is something that is practical for us as men. I would put it this way. We as men who are called to lead, who are called to be there in leadership role, we more so should show by example these things in our lives.

I will grant you. I'm just going to say what I see and how I see it here, and I don't mean this to put down or slander or slam anyone, but I do think there's a reason why the Apostle Peter here is addressing women. I think it's something that you struggle with more than men.

Although men struggle with it a lot as well. I've seen some men that struggle with it more than some women. So, it's not something that you can just say, okay, well, since it's speaking to the women, men are off the hook or vice versa.

The other thing I'd like to, well, no, let's just look at a couple of the words here. The word there in verse 3, who's adorning, that word is the Greek word kosmos, and that word kosmos is ornament, decoration, adornment. It's the arrangement of the stars.

That's why when you think of cosmos, that's where that word comes from. So, it's speaking of an adornment and an arrangement. The word further on there in verse 5, where it says, the holy women also who trusted in God adorned, that word is kosmeo, and that word is to put in order, arrange, make ready, and prepare.

So, those are what those words are talking about. It can be metaphorically, it can be to embellish with honor, to gain honor. And I didn't mention this, prepare, to ornament, and to adore are some of the others that go along with kosmeo there.

Okay, so what does adorn, and what's the definition for it? In Merriam-Webster, it says, to enhance the appearances of, especially with beautiful objects, to enliven or decorate as if with ornaments. So, again, the word goes along with what the Greek root word comes from there. And the adorned there in verse 5 is translated, the word usage there is five times it's adorn, four times it's garnish, and just to give you one of them is in Revelations 21-19.

And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. So, that word adorn is also translated garnish, which you know what garnishing is probably, especially some of you cooks are thinking about how you garnish some food items, those type of things. It's something that's a decoration, something that's put on, and that's what it's clearly showing here with the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones.

Okay, going on to some of the things that I am just going to ask for us to think about. Since it is only mentioning hair and gold and apparel, does that mean that anything else is okay? Since it only mentions hair and gold and apparel, does it mean that automatically everything else is okay? Again, I would hope you're shaking your heads, at least in your heart, to that one. Because, no, no it doesn't mean.

I think when the Apostle Peter was writing to the Christians here, he's writing to them and he's specifying things that he has probably heard or seen that are going on in the church there. And so, he is specifically mentioning these things. And I have seen all of those things myself.

I've seen it being done in women. I've seen it done in men. And I think there's a reason why he specifies the things that he does, but he's not trying to be comprehensive.

He's not trying to give a complete list of things that are adornments or are things that we shouldn't have. I want to mention what I had someone who I have a respect for, but he made this point. The point really, what he said is something along the lines of, the point really isn't, Peter isn't really concerned here about the outward adornment.

What's really, what the emphasis is here is on the inward adornment. I don't know how he came to that conclusion. I do believe that inward adornment will bring forth the right outward adornment.

If you have the right inward adornment, when you have what it says here, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, then it should be that that comes out to the outside. Just because that picture that I showed you said baker under the stewardess, didn't convince you that she was a baker. And just because it said hairdresser under the policeman, didn't convince you that he was a hairdresser.

I tell you that because it's the same way. You can go out there and proclaim to the world that I'm a Christian. I'm a Christian.

And they look at you and they say, but how does this add up? How does your appearance add up? How does it show that you really are a Christian? It should be that the outside agrees with the inside, and the inside agrees with the outside. Okay, so let's look again at a couple of the things here that it actually says here in this passage, and try to make application in our lives. So, in verse 3, he says, Who's adorning? Let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair.

Okay, so plaiting the hair is braiding or some type of a way of displaying the hair. Can we agree that what Peter is addressing, and what God is addressing here, is not so much exactly how the hair is done, as that it isn't an outward adornment. That it isn't displaying.

Isn't that what the emphasis is here in that? That he is not trying to tell you, you can do anything with your hair except plaiting it. You can do anything with your hair, but just don't you dare plait it. No, I don't think that's at all what the apostle is addressing here.

He is looking at them and he's saying, you are doing something on your outside to display yourself. Am I going too far with that? I don't think so. Okay, let's go on and then go to the wearing of gold.

What would you say? Since it's gold, would it be okay for you to wear silver earrings? Would that be okay? I see some heads shaking. What about, okay, maybe bronze earrings? Or brass? Or, okay, well, no, I see heads shaking for all of those. So, what about then if you paint them white? What if you would just paint them white? Would that be okay? You would have painted white earrings.

Would that be okay? Heads are shaking. Why? Okay, so then we're saying, no, we shouldn't have white or silver or brass or bronze earrings. What about hair clips? If it's above the ear, would it be okay up there? Since you weren't in agreement that it was okay to have it below the ear, would it be okay to have it above the ear? You see what I'm saying? Since we can agree that it's the ornamentation, it doesn't matter, does it? Whether it's above the ear, or some of you find that humorous, that doesn't really matter whether it's above the ear or below the ear.

It's ornamentation. It's adornment. It doesn't matter if it's a button.

If it's ornamentation, it's ornamentation. I get too long-winded on some of this. What about, so we talked about gold.

Can we see that since there's a principle here that as we look at it, we see that it doesn't really matter whether it's gold or silver or white or black. As long as we know that it's something that's there for ornamentation, for adornment, then we can recognize that it's not for us as Christians. We're not going to genderize this, if that's even a word.

We're going to just talk about us as Christians. We're going to talk about this in the sense that it's something that we as men and women are called to, to have an inward adornment that shows forth on the outside, a meek and quiet spirit. Just as you could see who that policeman was by looking at the appearance, we want the world to be able to see who we are by our appearance.

We want them to see that meek and quiet spirit, not only on the inside, but on the outside. We want them to be able to see that there's something in our heart that lives on the outside. And it's something that is not.

It's not what the world lives for. It's not what they're driven by. We have something much higher.

Our kingdom, again, is so much higher than that. We have so much better things than those things. Why would we condescend down to that level? God forbid that we would.

May we show forth the praises of Him who called us from darkness into His marvelous light. Lipstick, makeup. Can we agree that those things are things that are being done to beautify, to ornament, to show forth something other than a meek and quiet spirit? What I have found, and again, I'm just going to be specific and be blunt and plain.

We wouldn't do lipstick, but how about chapstick that's colored enough to get the same results, or at least similar? And the same way with nail polish. You know, okay, no, it's not nail polish. It's, what is it called? Nail hardener or something, you know.

It's, yeah, I'm just doing it because I have this trouble with my nails. They want to break. I've heard those things, and maybe none of you have, hopefully.

But, yeah, there's some hidden agenda underneath so many times. And let's be honest about it. Let's recognize where that's coming from.

Is that the hidden man? Is that that meek and quiet spirit? I already mentioned hair clips. But what about bows and sashes and all kinds of frilly lace and whatnot? What about those things? I mentioned hair. And God bless you.

I very much appreciate the spirit that I see in most of you. But what about when you puff out the hair? Could we say that that is going against the spirit of what Peter is referring to here? I believe we can. I know of women that their church doesn't allow them to wear makeup.

But the young girls will slap their cheeks to try to get the rosy cheek look. Does that help? Just because you're not using makeup and trying to get the same results? I think it shows what is in your heart. All right, let's go on to 1 Timothy.

Maybe he can tell us something slightly different here. 1 Timothy chapter 2. And by the way, I should while I'm thinking of it. I've been focusing pretty heavily on this side of the aisle here.

What about this side here and the hairstyles, for instance? That's one. Maybe I should just ask a question. How many of you know who Justin Bieber is? Are you kidding? This many? How many of you don't know? Okay, well, there are a few of you that don't.

I know who he is, too, so I'm just... But do you know what a Justin Bieber hairstyle is? How many know what that is? Okay, some of them, at least kind of quite a few. Well, I tell you, whether you know it or not, there's quite a few people in plain circles that try to adapt a bit to that hairstyle. Why? Because of society.

It's the cool thing to do. It's the thing that others are doing and maybe it's the fashion in your community. It's the fashion, maybe, I hope not, but in your church.

What I'm saying is, let your hairstyle show the hidden man of the heart, whether it's you or you. It doesn't matter which side. All right, 1 Timothy chapter 2, and I'll break in at verse 8. I will, therefore, that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting, in like manner.

Also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefacedness and sobriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls, we have an extra one here, or costly array, but which becometh women professing godliness with good works. Let the women learn in silence with all subjection, or let the woman learn in silence. Again, this is a very, I'd say, it's just almost word for word, for the same, it's the same message, can we say that, that the Apostle Peter.

Is there a reason? I think there is a reason that both of these men, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, say the same thing, but I'd just like to point out that modest here is the kosmos, again from that same root word, and that's neither bold nor self-assertive, tending toward diffidence, arising from or characteristic of a modest nature, observing the proprieties of dress and behavior, decent. And then I'd like to also point out the word shamefacedness, and that word is eidos, the idea of downcast eyes, a sense of shame or honor, modesty, bashfulness, reverence, regard for others, respect. That word is translated reverence, one of the, actually maybe it's the only place that we have it, I think it's only used a couple of times in the New Testament, but in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 28, it says, Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

That reverence is the exact same word as shamefacedness there in 1 Timothy. So, I think it's again the same type of message that 1 Peter is saying when he's talking about the hidden man of the heart, where it's talking about that meek and quiet spirit. That is what the message here is again in 1 Timothy, where the apostle Paul is writing this to Timothy, and he's telling them this is what women should be like.

And can I say again, we have agreed together that it applies to us as men just as much or maybe more that we as examples to those that are supposed to, we're supposed to lead, should definitely be an example in this way. All right, I'd like to turn your attention to Isaiah, if you will turn there, Isaiah chapter 3. And I'm going to read this in the ESV, because my guess is that hardly any of you know what all of the words mean in KJV there. If you do, come to me afterward, I'd really like to talk to you.

But Isaiah chapter 3, verse 16, I believe it says the exact same thing, just is in words that we're more used to. The Lord said, because the daughters of Zion are haughty, I want you to notice, because the daughters of Zion are haughty, they're arrogant, they're proud is what he's saying. Because they're that way and walk, do you think that their walk that it's describing, and maybe I'll just go on here, they walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go.

And I have already tried to demonstrate the mincing, but I'm not going to do that this morning. But suffice it to say, you probably have an idea in your own mind what the mincing is that it's talking about. You've seen it yourself, these women who are mincing along as they go, swaying and wagging and carrying on.

It's not for godly women to do, or men. I had a, I don't know how specific to be about this. Someone that I knew quite well in Tennessee, I'll just say this, not to give any details further than that.

But one of the things about him was his swagger, his walk. I mean, that guy, you could just look at him and see the pride bubbling out on him all over the place. And most people are not quite that pronounced, but it's something that, yes, it's again the same.

That's why I wanted to show you those pictures. You can see what's in that guy's heart. And it showed up in his occupation.

He was fired. He got into trouble because of that inward that was coming forth on the outward. But let's look at what the Lord's attitude is towards this type of thing.

Glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet. 17. Therefore, the Lord will strike with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts.

In that day, the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents, the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves, the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets, the signet rings, and the nose rings, the festal robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags, the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils. Instead of perfume, there will be rottenness. And instead of a belt, a rope.

And instead of well-set hair, baldness. And instead of a rich robe, a skirt of sackcloth. And branding instead of beauty.

Your men shall fall by the sword and your mighty men in battle. And her gates shall lament and mourn, empty. She shall sit on the ground.

Again, this is not portraying something that I would imagine any of us want to be a part of. We do not want that this describes any of us. May it be that our light is shining free and clear.

Jesus said, let your light so shine. He didn't say, let your pride shine. He didn't say, let your immodesty shine.

He didn't say, let your pride shine. But let your light so shine before men. And what is that? That they may see your good works and glorify who? Not you, not I, but our Father in Heaven.

I mentioned a little bit and I'm just going to move on here because I don't have much time. But I would like to just mention to you, we're all familiar with it. In 1 John chapter 2, in verse 15, where Jesus or where John there says, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

And you know what it says, the lust of the eye, lust of flesh and the pride of life. These are not of the Father. And may it be that they are not showing forth in our lives in any way.

Another thing that I think is worthwhile for me to at least just mention to you, and sometimes I think people do things without really recognizing what it portrays. I have seen people that probably had a right motive in doing the wrong things. Do you agree with me that it's possible for someone to have a right motive, but wear things that they shouldn't? I have seen that and I'll give the benefit of the doubt.

I'll give the benefit of the doubt that even some of us may still be doing some of that. We don't know all things and don't understand all things. But one of the things that I believe is important for us to recognize, the message that it gives is when we have certain types of fashionable brands that we wear.

If you are going out and advertising certain, let me just name one for instance, and I don't even know, hopefully most of you don't even know what I'm talking about, but Louis Vuitton for instance. It's a fashion statement that you're making when you wear, or maybe it's the purse you have that is that type of thing. You're making a statement with that to many people whether you know it or not.

Proverbs 31.30 says, A favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Let's remember what we're here for. We're not here to draw attention to us or to bring glory to ourselves.

We're here to glorify God and to bring praise and glory to Him. I'd like to now turn as you probably by now have figured out, most of the times I quote a few of the early Christian writings. What did they believe about this? Clement of Alexandria went into great detail to describe the luxurious clothes, the sandals with golden ornaments, the elaborate hairstyles, and the multitude of ornaments worn by women.

He lists the following array of female ornaments. Snoods, filets, I guess it's filets or fillets, natron and steel, pumice stone, band, back band, back veil, paint, necklaces, paint for the eyes. Already back in those days, ear pendants, jewelry, earrings, mallow-colored cluster-shaped anklets, buckles, clasps, necklaces, fetters, seals, chains, rings, powders, bosses, bands, a Lisby, sardine stones, fans, and halictors.

Some of these I have no idea what are. Clement also says, how those who bear such a burden are not worried to death. Oh, foolish trouble.

Oh, silly craze for display. And again, he says, let women be fully clothed by garments on the outside, by modesty on the inside. And then Tertullian says this, let a holy woman, if naturally beautiful, give no one such great occasion for carnal lust.

Certainly, if even she is beautiful, she should not show off her beauty, but should rather obscure it. That was Tertullian. Anabaptists, I'll give you a couple of quotes.

The Anabaptist leaders in Strasbourg wrote this, they shun costly clothing and despise expensive food and drink. They close themselves with coarse cloth and cover their heads with broad-felled hats. Their entire manner of life is completely humble.

They bear no weapon, neither sword nor dagger, but only a short bread knife. This is actually, I think, one of the oppressors that is writing that. Taylors and Seamstresses, this was the Anabaptist leaders.

I had the wrong quote for the wrong person there. Anabaptist leaders gathered in Strasbourg in 1568 wrote, Taylors and Seamstresses shall stick to the simple and modest customs of the land in regards to clothing. They shall make nothing new for pride's sake.

John Wesley, he wrote this. Firstly, he argues that the quote, cheap, not expensive, far cheaper than others in your circumstances wear, or then you would wear if you knew not God. Secondly, he cautions that modesty is not compatible with superfluity.

He asked Methodists to select clothing that is grave, not gay, airy, showy, not in the point of the fashion. John Wesley also warned the Methodists against the catalog of ornaments. Wear no gold, no pearls or precious stones.

Use no curling of hair or costly apparel. How grave, soever, I advise those who are able to receive this saying. Buy no velvets, no silks, no fine linen, no superfluities, no mere ornaments, though ever so much in fashion.

Wear nothing, though you have it already, which is of a glaring color or which is any kind gay, glistening or showy. Nothing made in the very height of fashion. Nothing apt to attract the eyes of bystanders.

Very good words from John Wesley, and he goes on much more than that, but I am going to stop at that. I'd like to make another analogy here for you this morning. I think we should continue to stress the principle that all of life, including its expression in our clothing, in our appearance, is the kind that is above the scrutiny of the New Testament, that we can clearly see is abiding by the standards of the New Testament.

It's relating to humility, to stewardship, and modesty and simplicity. Those are some of the principles that our clothing should represent. They should be modest.

They should be simple. They should be showing meekness and showing forth a shamefacedness or a reverence towards God. In Proverbs chapter 31, you know what it has to say there probably, most of you, and it's speaking there of how costly, should I say, is another way of saying it, maybe a woman of God is, a virtuous woman, it puts it there.

Her price, it says, is far above rubies. Her price is far above rubies. Now, I'm going to speak to you men for just a little bit here.

I am going to assume that most of you, at some point in your life, will desire marriage. Maybe already are desiring that. I'd like to give you an analogy.

Which would you take? And this is what I'm going to give the analogy of. Which would you rather have? You have the option, two different checks. One check is decorated out.

It looks very, very pretty, but it's made out for a thousand dollars. There's another check too. It's made out for the same amount.

But this check is very pretty. It's nice. It's beautiful.

Made out for a thousand dollars. You can have one or the other. The other check is just a plain check.

It's just a plain check, but it's made out for a thousand dollars too. What's the difference? Well, that real pretty fancy check is good for 30 days. It'll only be good for 30 days and whatever you spend it on will only be good for 30 days.

So you can either have that check or you can have the check that's just plain. But it's good forever. It's good forever.

Which check are you going to choose? Now, I didn't know what to do with this because it is possible to get a check. And I was one of the ones that fortunately was able to do that. To get a check that's both pretty and also lasts forever.

And you probably know what the analogy is here. I'm talking about when you're looking for a wife that you don't pay so much attention to that outward beauty as you pay to the inward beauty. Because the inward beauty is what's going to last.

That inward beauty is what is going to be eternal. And if you choose that, you won't be sorry. I don't care what she looks like on the outside.

Like I said, most women, probably all women are beautiful anyway. But some are more beautiful than others. We can probably all agree to that.

And it doesn't, what you should be looking for is not that outward beauty. You should be, the emphasis that focus in your heart should be that inward beauty. All right, in closing, in 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 4. When the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

That is, if you have adorned the inside. That's if you have been focusing on the inside. You will receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

The next verse says, likewise ye younger submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility. Let us all be clothed with humility in the heart and on the outside.

That we are clothed with humility so that the world, when they look at us, that they know automatically he or she is a Christian. They can tell by looking. They can tell by looking that there's something more inside of your heart.

Don't keep them guessing. Don't keep them guessing what you're made of or where you're headed or what the direction of your life is. May they know that you are real.

Your Christianity is real. What does your appearance say about you? What does the way I dress say about me? Has anyone ever told you that you seek the wrong kind of attention? If they did, please take it to heart. In what areas of my life do I need to exercise greater modesty? Those are questions that are good for us to ask ourselves.

Do the general principles in the Bible about modesty apply to me? And obviously the answer is yes, they do. So that is my word for you this morning. I hope you hear the passion in my heart because I believe this can make a huge difference in the world we live in if we show forth by our lives in these practical ways that we are of a different kingdom.

We are not from beneath. God bless you. Be with you as you show forth His praises and show forth His glory, not yours.

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