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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, February 13, 1981
In the state of Israel people do not dress up much.
shirts with open collar and no neckti�.
Men wear sport
In Dec. 1, 1968, we were having a meeting with the president to
announce our decision to go ahead in full cooperation with Hebrew Univer
sity and the Israel Archaeological Society on the large-scale archaeolog
ical project at the temple mount adjoining the eastern temple wall.
With Professor Binyamin Mazar, Mr. Stanley Rader and I had first
stopped in for a short chat with Dr. Yosef Aviram, who was going with us
to the presidential palace. We had left Or. Aviram's office, when he
stopped midway down the corridor, saying: "Wait a minute. We're going
into '::.he presence of the president of Israel. I must wear a jacket."
He had started with us with only a sport shirt, unbuttoned at the
neck. But, going into the presence of the head of state, he knew he must
have on a jacket.
One time several years ago, I preached a sermonette, prior to the
main sermon--I believe it was by Mr. Charles Hunting. We were at Big
Sandy, Tex. Graduation day was coming up, and I had noted that people
came to church services in any old kind of sloppy, unkempt clothes.
I wanted those people to at least be moderately well dressed at the
graduation ceremony. I had noticed that brethren were coming to church
services very sloppily dressed. I knew they all had better clothes--I did
not mean they should purchase new and finer clothes.
Christ Not Indifferent to Dress
Jesus spoke of the Kingdom, when the dead in �hri�! shall rise first,
and we who are then alive shall be caught up to meet the returning GLORI
FIED CHRIST in the air. Then, descending to the Mount of Olives, will
follow the GREAT WEDDING between Christ and the Church. Jesus' parable
spoke of this.
Jesus pictured His Father as a great King calling
many people
to the
wedding with Christ. But many or most of those called made light of it,
gave excuses, rejected their calling and salvation. The King then sent
His armies to bring in others.
"And when the king came in...he saw there
a man which had not on a wedding garment:
"And he said unto him, Friend, how earnest thou in hither not having
a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the
servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into
outer darkness" (Matthew 22: 11-13).
Of course, in the parable, Jesus was using garments we wear as
symbols of righteousness or of unrighteousness. The lack of a wedding
garment symbolized unrighteousness.
Nevertheless, Jesus would not have
used this symbolism if He was indifferent to how we come dressed into
HIS PRESENCE! When you come to church services, YOU ARE COMING INTO THE
VERY PRESENCE OF GOD!
It Makes a Difference
Brethren, IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO GOD Hm
0
1 YOU COME DRESSED TO
CHURCH SERVICES!