Come Naked to Church...

People should come to church naked. Now before you all show up at the door in your birthday suits, I don't mean physically naked (although that would make for an interesting promotion!). I mean spiritually naked.

I think too many come all dressed up - dressed with their success; dressed up with their hurts and their past; all decked out in the pride of their life or in the dilemma of the day. And frankly, most of what they dress in blocks their hearts from truly hearing God, blocks their eyes from truly seeing God, and covers their hearts from truly sensing God working. I want to come to church naked - knowing I need God, knowing that I have no good clothes (remember that Bible verse that says our righteousness is like "filthy rags"?), so I will just come like Adam in the Garden of Eden, and be naked as a jaybird (spiritually), and let God clothe me.

Now let me take the spiritual nakedness a step further. Think about it - if I have nothing to offer that is spiritually good, why should I worry about the physical so much? I mean, come dressed (PLEASE come dressed), but don't think that your clothes, as good as they look or smell, can impress God in any way.

*If you think the old suit and tie will warrant you spiritual points, you are wrong. Come naked.
*If you think that beautiful dress will warrant a 2nd look (and a 2nd blessing) from God, think again. Come naked.
*If you think that your designer jeans and polo and Doc Martins will impress God like He really cares about Abercrombie or American Eagle, you are experiencing a big GAP in your judgment. Come naked.

God is not impressed by us in any way, shape, or form. If you come to church to draw attention to yourself, you might as well come naked (although that would draw a lot of attention, but at least most of you wouldn't be showing off and you would be pretty humble).

So - although I will be out of town this coming week - I invite you to come naked - naked of your own pride, your distractions, your hurts that you cling to - and let God give you new clothes. Let Him clothe your life with His love and goodness and grace...