NUT THANG 2

New Standards.

Bruce Chant

generation-j

2/08/2002

2 Corinthians 5:17 ^“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Standard is a funny word. When we say something is standard – it kinda has a negative connotation as if something is a bit boring, a bit plain, a bit basic.

But really standards are good – they give us something to measure things by.

For example McDonalds is standard. Every McDonalds you go to is the same – it has a standard that means no matter what kid is working in their the burger and fries and sundaes will always taste the same. And that is good.

So what am I talking about when I am say “New Standards” – I am talking about the standards that you live your life by. Standards will help you make decisions, standards will help you determine where you will go in life, standards will stop you getting sucked into life destroying behaviour.

So how do we live our lives? What standard do we live by?

The thing is everyone’s standards are different. What’s standard for McDonalds is not the same standard for Volcanoes at Hillarys. They have very different standards. Because of that it’s hard to compare standards.

Do we live by the standards of the people we hang around?

No – because they are sinful people just like you and me.

If we live a bit better than them is that ok? No. You may hang around Osama bin Laden and because you don’t commit acts of terror you might think that’s ok. “oh well I only shoot bad people – I don’t bomb dozens at a time – I’m ok!”

Do we live by the standards of the church? No – the church is flawed too.

So who’s standards do we live by? NEW CREATIONS live by God’s standards.

How is that possible? Well, it’s impossible. God’s ways are perfect.

That’s why God gave us the 10 Commandments – to show us we needed Him.

There’s nothing wrong with the commandments – the problem is with us.

God shows us in the OT Bible what happens when we live our lives by the lower standard of those around us:

1 Corinthians 10:6-10
⁶   Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.
⁷   Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY."
⁸   Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.
⁹   Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents.
¹⁰   Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

Standard 1: Don’t be an Idolater (v. 7).

Exodus 32:6 - Israelites made burnt offerings to God (their worship) and then went and worshipped idols.

Other Gods. You think Idolatry is worshipping a little buddha or something? It isn’t, it’s having other god’s beside the one true God. It literally means in the original Greek language to “serve or worship and Image”. How easy is it to do that?

New toys – you with the toy is the idolatrous image.

New body – you with a new body is an idolatrous image.

New girl/boy friend – you with a new person on your arm/in your arms/in their arms is an idolatrous image you are chasing.

Idolatry is worshipping self (the creation rather than the creator) – elevation of self to the same level as God, making “god” in our own (human) image.

If you want to elevate your standards to that of a new creation – recognise who is God and who you are worshipping.

Standard 2: No Sexual Immorality (v. 8).

Numbers 25 – shows there is a cost to sexual sin. It cost 23,000 Israelites their lives.

Ok, ok we’re all sexually made creations – even / especially the NEW ones. But this creation came with instructions – the Bible. God’s Word sets the standard.

Don’t Commit Adultery – says the OT. Jesus fulfilled that Law and said if look at more than a women’s personality as she walks by you’ve committed adultery. Jesus knew that thinking about it would lead to you doing it.

Same is true for romance. Thinking about it will lead you to doing it – going out with a chipped tooth unemployed no-hoper.

Put away porn (which is invariably linked to mass murderers) and masturbating and any other sexual activity. This is the standard.

So what’s the standard? Sex is for enjoyment – within marriage. Guys – there are only two types of women – your wife and your sisters in the Lord. Only one woman can be your wife and you should never treat a woman who is your sister like she is your wife. That’s the standard.

Standard 3: Don’t Test God (v.9).

Numbers 21:5-6

⁵   The people spoke against God and Moses, " Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food."
⁶    The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

Your standard must be to trust God, not to test him.

Don’t be someone who mocks God and the things of God.

Don’t be someone who rebels against God’s ways in your life – like the Israelites trust God that He is in control. Do you love Him? Do you know He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise, all-loving God? Then yield to Him and don’t test Him.

God has given us His grace – it is for our salvation and our benefit.

But it should never be taken in vain.

Don’t see how much you can “get away with” and so taken God’s grace in vain.

It’s like you lived near a Volcano’s mouth and that thing was going to go off in a matter of hours. You have no way of getting away. Then you are given a 4WD that will get you far far enough away so as to be safe. But you must go now. If you don’t you will still be killed by the volcano. This is like receiving God’s grace in vain.

Standard 4: Don’t Grumble (v10).

Numbers 16:49

“But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah.”

Don’t grumble because you have nothing to grumble about.

God loves you. You are alive. You wake up each morning and you can breathe. If it’s bad it’s not as bad as it could be. If it’s as bad as it could be, it can only get better.

Most of all what ever you are facing – trust God.

Are you are grumbler? Some people love to whinge and complain about everything that is always someone else’s fault. Grumbling is a plague!

I used to work with someone who had a conspiracy theory on everyone in the organisation. It got really tired. Unfortunately this person and his whole family have had incredible sickness problems. Coincidence?

What you say is what you get.

So what is the Purpose of living by a NEW STANDARD?

Is it so that we can be better Christians?

No. It isn’t so we can compare ourselves against everyone else again and think how good we are – they aren’t our competition.

So then can I just do my own thing – try to keep some basic rules and see how I go? No. That is compromised hypocrisy and everyone hates that including God!

The purpose is simple….

1 Corinthians 10
^{23 (1)} All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things ⁽²⁾ edify.
²⁴   Let no one ⁽³⁾ seek his own good, but that of his neighbour.

³¹   Whether, then, you eat or drink or ⁽¹⁾ whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
^{32 (2)} Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to ⁽³⁾ the church of God;
³³   just as I also ⁽⁴⁾ please all men in all things, ⁽⁵⁾ not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, ⁽⁶⁾ so that they may be saved.

IT’S TO BRING GLORY TO GOD.

SO THAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT GET SAVED.

It’s not a competition to see who can be a better christian by having the most rules.

Neither is it a competition to selfishly see how much you can get away with because everything is permissible.

It’s about God. It starts with Jesus. And ends with Jesus.

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