Part Two!
Last week we started to talk about standards and did not get very far. We covered a lot of ground, but still have more to cover, so tonight is part two!
To review, a conviction is something I am convinced about based on a commandment or a series of biblical principles. A preference is something I think is best—with good reason and Bible principles to back it, of course, but not so much that it is a conviction. A standard is the rule(s) I set in my life to help me live my convictions.
We must be careful to distinguish between biblical command, principle, and standard, because some people emphasize the standard so much that it almost becomes the conviction itself!
A standard is the wall around the Grand Canyon, inset a ways to keep you from the destruction of falling over the cliff. It is a barrier in order to keep you extra safe from the edge.
The Pharisees loved that wall, and built it higher and further in all the time. So much so, that when Jesus showed up and started doing miracles on the Sabbath, they thought he was sinning. Their rules WERE their law, not just the things that helped them keep the law.
Mike Pence had a standard of not eating a meal alone with any woman except his wife. That is not a Bible commandment, but based on Bible principles, it’s a good standard to have.
I wanted a barrier between me and the girls in our youth group when I was the youth pastor, because I did not want even am emotional bond to start in either their or my heart. We had rules—standards—for interpersonal relationships, rules for bus rides, rules for youth activities, etc., and those are good and helpful for us to obey God’s commands.
We started to cover SEVEN THOUGHTS about applying standards, taken from the book Yes, It Matters by Pastor Tom Brennan, and we will continue them tonight:
SEVEN THOUGHTS IN APPLYING STANDARDS
- (Covered last week) There is wisdom in setting the fence well away from the cliff (Prov. 4:14–15). Example: “When should I allow my kids to get a smartphone.” I’ve looked multiple times and I wish I could find the source, but I remember hearing one family/tech writer answer, “When you’re ready for them to lose their innocence.” The Bible does not address smartphones directly, but it addresses plenty of other areas to help you make a wise decision for what standards you will have in your home.
- There is F__________ in making S____________ themselves the point.
- You must understand your fences will not always have S__________ biblical support.
- D___________ standards will usually result in the next generation tearing down fences.
- You have to make the fence your O___________.
- Do not tear down a fence until you understand V________ W__________ why it was put up in the first place.
- If you want to know why the fence is there, wait a while and watch what happens to people who T_________ ______ _________.