Transcript Whatever happened to Modesty?

Whatever happened to Modesty?
Modesty has been an issue for man since the beginning fo time.
Gen. 3:6,7.
6 ¶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to
make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and
gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that
they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made
themselves aprons.
Isn’t it amazing that Adam and Eve, who were husband and
wife, and alone in the Garden, understood the need to cover
their nakedness, and yet it is sometimes such a stumbling
block for us?
We like to think that our dress is not that important, but God
showed His concern when He made them coverings of skin to
replace what they had sewn together, God obviously cares
about how we are dressed, and we should as well.
Webster on “Modesty”
• “propriety in dress, speech, or conduct.”
• Basically, modesty is defined by what is proper.
• It is not a subject that the world considers worthy
of much consideration.
• After all, how long has it been since you heard
someone described as modest or immodest out
in public?
• Christians must be concerned about this quality,
and much of that involves how we dress.
Start of Modesty
• Modesty starts in the Heart!
• Modesty begins long before you open your closet door. It is a
product of the heart.
• Peter acknowledges this when he talks to wives about their
role in marriage. 1 Pet. 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.
– The writer isn’t saying it is wrong to fix your hair and dress
up. He is saying that we should place more emphasis and
spend more time ensuring that our inside is strong and
beautiful than we do adorning our outside.
•
•
•
Start
of
Modesty
Modesty starts in the Heart!
Modesty begins long before you open your closet door. It is a product of the
heart.
Peter acknowledges this when he talks to wives about their role in marriage. 1
Pet. 3:3-4
• When we develop the character of the new man as prescribed in 2 Pet.
1:5-11, we are equipped to fulfill Jesus’ command in Mt. 5:16, and that is
our purpose.
• 5 ¶ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to
virtue knowledge;
• 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to
patience godliness;
• 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
• 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and
hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
• 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling
and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
• 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Start of Modesty
• Modesty starts in the Heart!
• Modesty begins long before you open your closet door. It is a
product of the heart.
• Peter acknowledges this when he talks to wives about their role in
marriage. 1 Pet. 3:3-4
• When we develop the character of the new man as prescribed in 2
Pet. 1:5-11, we are equipped to fulfill Jesus’ command in Mt. 5:16,
and that is our purpose.
• 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your
good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
• When we choose our clothing, we must remember that our
responsibility is to glorify our Father.
– Take a look in the mirror and ask, “Does this outfit reflect my
love and respect for God?” “Will what I wear help or hinder my
effort to be a light to those around me?” “Maybe this clothing is
not wrong, but is it wise?”
– If we have the right attitude and truly believe in our purpose,
then the questions of too tight, too short, or too revealing should
take care of themselves.
Value attached to the Occasion
• What we wear is determined to a large extent on the
importance we place on the event.
– Why do we dress up for a job interview and throw on
sweats and a T-shirt for a trip to the store? Because one
holds more value in our lives than the other; therefore we
invest more time and effort into preparing for it.
– What does it say about us when we give no thought to
what we wear to worship? We approach the throne of
God when we worship. Is that not important?
– Of course, there is no direct commandment demanding
high heels or a suit at every service, but it is hard to ignore
the fact that sloppiness is a symptom of unconcern.
– And what about letting our light shine? When you go to
lunch after Sunday morning services, would the waitress
wonder if you had been to worship, or would she assume
you had slept in? Consider your influence, and how we
dress says much about what we value.
Value attached to the Occasion
• What we wear is determined to a large extent on the
importance we place on the event.
• Kids mimic what they see:
– Long before they become teenagers, we lay the groundwork for
the attitudes of children toward modesty.
– Looking at our schools, we see young ladies in mini-skirts, flirty
tops, and two-inch heels. Boys are in gang attire, and low-cut,
baggy jeans. Some adults apparently think this is cute, when
actually it’s frightening. If you don’t think this clothing makes an
impression on little ones, just watch them walk. They may not
understand the implications of flirtation and gangs, but those
little girls will shake their hips and those boys will slouch around
the hallways when they are dressed that way. It comes with the
wardrobe.
– It may be cute having your little girl show up her growth with the
low-cut blouse, not knowing what she is selling, to the older
boys, but you as a parent do. And they do grow up, and the
selling continues, and they learn what they are selling.
Value attached to the Occasion
• What we wear is determined to a large extent on the
importance we place on the event.
• Kids mimic what they see:
• We act the way we dress, adults too. It is
dangerous to assume that we don’t need to
worry about what our kids wear until they are
teenagers.
– Solomon warns training of children when they are
young is vital. Prov. 22:6
• 6 ¶ Train up a child in the way he should go: and
when he is old, he will not depart from it.
– The earlier modesty is taught and practiced, the
more likely our children will grow to be teens and
adults who respect propriety.
Conclusion
• Ask yourself as a woman, “While I am worshiping God, in my
low-cut blouse, showing a tad of cleavage, am I appealing to
God or trying to appeal to men?” “Am I a good role model for
the young who are watching my actions, and those who are
gawking at me?
• Men ask yourself, “Do I honor God with what I am wearing?”
“Does my attire show a lack of concern, a laziness?”
• Why are we here, to solicit relationships with others of the
opposite sex, or build a relationship with God?
• 1 Jn. 2:28
• 28 ¶ And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall
appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming.
– Will God be ashamed to see what we have been wearing?
Are you dressed for the Lord’s return in current attire?