This is one of the problems we hear so much about in our public education. That is, the need for a National Teachers Exam, where all teachers will be tested by a CERTAIN STANDARD, and if they cannot pass the test, they cannot teach.
But there is a lot of opposition to this, because the teachers union fears that many could not pass a National Teachers Exam. But it is important that we have ACADEMIC STANDARDS for our STUDENTS AND OUR TEACHERS.
A society can not get along without STANDARDS. For example:
(1) IT IS IMPORTANT WE HAVE STANDARDS ON THE HIGHWAYS
For example, suppose as you were traveling down the highway:
• Someone came by so fast, all you could see was a glance at their taillights.
• You passed someone who was driving so slow that you could not help but wonder why they do not get out and walk, they could make better time.
When it comes to the highways we drive on each day, we all recognize that we have to have a standard for speed on the highways. That is, we are given a maximum and a minimum speed we can travel at.
IT IS IMPORTANT WE HAVE STANDARDS ON THE HIGHWAYS, but also it is-
(2) IMPORTANT WE HAVE A STANDARD WHEN IT COMES TO BUYING THINGS
For example, the simple matter of buying gasoline could become a major problem if every gas station owner were free to decide how many quarts make a “gallon.”
The government sends people to check out these gas stations frequently, so that when we buy a gallon of gas at one station we get the same amount at the next.
Also it is-
(3) IMPORTANT WE HAVE STANDARDS WHEN IT COMES TO SPORTS
What would baseball be like if there were no standards? We have the standard THREE STRIKES AND YOU ARE OUT. This same standard is used for every game.
Football has a standard that a team must carry the football one- hundred yards before they can SCORE a touch down.
This is the same standard used in every game. Standards are important when it comes to sports, but also it is-
(4) IMPORTANT WE HAVE STANDARDS WHEN IT COMES TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
WHAT IS THE STANDARD FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE? It is the Word of God!
What I think and what you think is not really significant, what matters is, WHAT GOD’S WORD HAS TO SAY.
That is, each day we live our life, the STANDARD OF GOD’S WORD tells us WHAT IS RIGHT and WHAT IS WRONG.
It was that way in the Old Testament.
For example, look at Deut. 25:13-16. We read, “Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.”
God’s Word is the STANDARD by which we live our Christian life.
But the problem seems to be that CHRISTIANS ARE AFRAID TO TAKE A STAND ON THE STANDARDS OF GOD’S WORD! WHY?
Because it gets them into trouble with people they have to deal with, who refuse to allow the Standard of God’s Word to control their lives.
Illus: For example, an umpire was standing behind the catcher calling the strikes and the balls. The fellow at bat was a very big fellow and so was the catcher. The umpire was a very small fellow. The pitcher pitched the first ball, and the umpire yelled, “Strike One”. The very large batter turned around and gave him a look like he was fixing to break the bat over his head. The next pitch he yelled, “Ball One” and the very large catcher got up, and looked like he was about to shove the ball down his throat. The umpire was very nervous. When the third ball was pitched, he yelled “Two”. And both of them said, “Two what”? He said, “Too close to call!”
This is the same reason many are afraid to take a stand for what is right. They are afraid of what others might SAY or DO to them.
God’s Word sets STANDARDS for what we must do to please the Lord. It is obvious that the STANDARDS OF GOD’S WORD are not being followed.
Let us look at two things, the PROBLEM and the SOLUTION to the problem.
I. LET’S LOOK AT THE PROBLEM
When it comes to living by BIBLICAL STANDARDS, we need to consider-
A. ARE WE RIGHT IN OUR METHOD
It is not enough to be right in the eyes of man. Actually, what I think or what you think is not significant. What is significant is this - GOD’S WORD!
We live in a society where people do what they think is right. And if they think it is all right, they come to the conclusion, IT MUST BE RIGHT! But that is not always true.
Look at Prov. 14:12, “There is A WAY WHICH SEEMETH RIGHT UNTO A MAN, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
This society in which we live, makes you think of Judges 21:25, where we read, “In those days there was no king in Israel: EVERY MAN DID THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES.”
One of the best ways to get yourself into trouble is to follow people.
Illus: Consider the crash of the Air Force Thunderbirds in the Nevada desert years ago. The entire team, in perfect formation, flew their jets straight into the ground. Why? They had their eyes glued to their leader, whose “stick” had malfunctioned. And once they discovered he was going to crash it was to late.
The STANDARD OF GOD’S WORD should always determine our direction, NOT FOLLOWING SOMEONE ELSE WHO IS OFF COURSE!
This is the problem with many of God’s churches today. They have their eyes on some liberal church that is compromising God’s Word to draw a crowd, and they are doing exactly the same thing, without consulting the Word of God to find the STANDARD God would have them to go by.
Many of the churches today are not seeking to follow BIBLICAL STANDARDS!
Illus. For example, one church in Massachusetts has a “WOMAN PASTOR”, who performed a ceremony for two “LESBIAN WOMEN”, uniting them in a “LOVING UNION”.
And what makes this even worse is the fact that there was a church full of people, ignorant of the teachings of God’s Word, saying, “There is nothing wrong with this.”
They might not think so because their minds have been perverted, but the Word of God says such a relationship in God’s sight is an abomination. Which means it is absolutely DISGUSTING!
WHY DON’T PEOPLE LIKE THIS SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH SUCH A SINFUL LIFESTYLE?
Because they are reaching their conclusions by what sinful man thinks, not by what the Word of God teaches.
When we measure things by the wrong standard, things will always be “off”.
Illus: Did you know that if you build a house with a level that is not accurate, everything in your house will be crooked?
The same thing is true for the spiritual life. When we use the WRONG STANDARD, we will be off every time.
• To make sure we are walking in the STANDARD of God’s Word, we need to ask ourselves, “ARE WE RIGHT IN OUR METHODS?”
• Are we using THE STANDARD OF GOD’S WORD, or are we using THE STANDARD OF MAN?
ARE WE RIGHT IN OUR METHODS? Also, we need to ask ourselves-
B. ARE WE RIGHT IN OUR MOTIVES
It is not enough to DO THE RIGHT THING according to God’s STANDARD. We need to ask ourselves, “WHY AM I DOING WHAT I AM DOING?”
Illus: A high school was told that they could no longer have prayer before the high school football games. But the news that night showed them praying before the game. Listen, it is good they had prayer, but it is not good if they did it just to be defiant.
It is important that we have the RIGHT METHOD, but it is equally important that we have the RIGHT MOTIVE.
For example, God’s Word says in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
Notice, before the Lord tells us to keep His commandments, he first tells us to LOVE HIM! Our motive for OBEYING THE STANDARD OF GOD’S WORD, IS OUR LOVE FOR HIM!
• Some say, “I ATTEND CHURCH every Sunday, because I would be afraid not to give the Lord those few hours on Sunday.” Listen, there is a better reason for coming to church, and it is because YOU LOVE THE LORD.
• Some say, “I TITHE every Sunday, because I would be afraid not to give the Lord the portion that belongs to Him.” Listen, there is a better reason for tithing than fear, it is because you LOVE THE LORD.
• Some say, “I WITNESS to lost people every day. I would be afraid not to witness to the lost daily.” Listen, there is a better reason for witnessing than because you are afraid. You should do it because you LOVE THE LORD.
Our MOTIVE for obeying the STANDARDS OF GOD’S WORD SHOULD ALWAYS BE BECAUSE WE LOVE HIM.
And the reason that many do not live their lives according to the STANDARD OF GOD’S WORD, is NOT because they are ignorant of what it teaches, they SIMPLY DO NOT LOVE HIM.
Illus: A new convert said, “My wife and I were talking the other day, and she said that going to church used to be a chore, but now she can hardly wait for the time to come!”
WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES? They have met the HEAD OF THE CHURCH!
Illus: People like this, remind me of a young lady who was on a blind date one night. They started talking and found out that they had a common interest, they both loved to read. She was telling him about a book that was boring, and that she had to force herself to read. He said, “What is the title of the book.” She said, “Well, it is written by a man that has the same name as you have.” He said, “That’s because I am the one who wrote that boring book.” She was embarrassed, but she went home and started reading the book again, and now it was different. Every page was filled with excitement. WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE? She met the author!
It is only when we have the RIGHT METHOD and the RIGHT MOTIVE that the Lord can work in our life. He knows we love Him when we follow the RIGHT METHOD, and do it for the RIGHT MOTIVE!
This is the PROBLEM-
II. LET’S LOOK AT THE SOLUTION
Illus: Have you ever driven down the highway and noticed a large bumper sticker on the back of a car or truck that asked, “How is my driving?” And on the same bumper sticker they gave you a telephone number to call, because the company of these drivers work for wants to know HOW WELL their drivers are doing on the highways.
It is always profitable to ask the question, “How am I doing?” This is something we as Churches and as an individual Christians need to ask ourselves.
Look at 2 Cor. 13:5, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves…”
“How am I doing?” This is an empty question, unless there is a definite STANDARD to judge by.
Illus: If a person is taking an art course in school, they might ask the teacher, “How am I doing?” They might be told they are doing very well compared to others in the art class. But when the point of reference is Michelangelo, they are not doing well at all.
There are those who think they are abounding in the work of the Lord, because they are doing as well as the fellow beside them.
Illus: But if the fellow next to you is as crooked as a snake, and you are as good as he is, that makes you as crooked as a snake.
The reason they think they are abounding in the work of the Lord is because they have chosen to make the reference point something other than God’s Word. If we compare ourselves to other people, we may come off looking pretty good.
We see two scriptural examples:
(1) THE PHARISEE
Look at Luke 18:11. “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.”
While some might be looking good in the eyes of man, they are not looking good in the eyes of the Lord.
Consider the Lord’s observation concerning the contribution of the poor widow.
(2) THE WIDOW
In the eyes of the world she gave nothing compared to what others gave, but look at what Jesus said.
Luke 21:3 “And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath CAST IN MORE THAN THEY ALL:”
Paul told the Corinthian Christians they were not wise, comparing themselves to the wrong STANDARD.
Look at 2 Cor.10:12. We read, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”
What makes a thing right or wrong, is the STANDARD OF GOD’S WORD.
2 Cor. 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
HIS WORD HAS ALREADY REVEALED WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG.
This is why it is essential that a Christian attend a Bible-preaching and Bible-teaching church.
The solution to this problem of following the WRONG STANDARDS is to follow the RIGHT STANDARD. HIS WORD!
Conclusion:
What matters most is not what a person believes is right, but what really is right, according to the unalterable standard we have been given by our Lord.
• There are cultists who faithfully observe the rules of their religion, believing that they are right
• There are people who kill babies through abortion, believing they are right in doing so
• There are people who marry and divorce multiple times, believing they are right in their actions
RIGHT IS ONLY RIGHT IF IT AGREES WITH THE BIBLICAL STANDARDS OF GOD’S WORD.
I. LET’S LOOK AT THE PROBLEM
II. LET’S LOOK AT THE SOLUTION
Now let us go out and do it!
Note: You can hear Dr. Odell Belger preach on Youtube. Type Youtube Lykesland
