Last week in our series, “Banner of Love”, we learned about our salvation experience and the joy we “received” in knowing Christ through our saving faith in Him. I ended the message, explaining that this series will be about the phases of our love relationship with Jesus and the need for our pursuit of them.

New Christians know the basic value of receiving Christ into their lives, forgiveness of sin and eternal life, therefore appreciating what Jesus did for them on the cross. But they certainly have not learned the value of the power of the resurrection in their lives. The excitement of new Christians is not a true sign of their dedication of their lives to Christ, because their faith has not been tried yet. This trying of faith will prove their dedication to Christ by their willingness to carry their own cross of pain, which will bare evidence of their faith, commitment and dedication to Him.

Faith through trials begins to reveal Christ and how precious He is, beginning a change of focus from self to Christ!

It is here that Christians will begin to see the power of God working in their lives. It is here that they will begin to experience a shift from focusing on what they can receive from Christ, to what fruit God wants to develop through them. Many Christians can rejoice, because they have the Lord, but the Lord has not yet gained all of them. Their focus is demonstrated in this quote from an unknown source,

Many Christians need to take new steps in their walk with Christ beyond those first baby steps that came when they were born again.

Christians need to step out of keeping their faith private and step into publicly sharing their faith.

Many Christians are content with their own private fellowship with God, forgetting those in the world around them. My mother always said, “My religious beliefs and political views are private!” But if my mother had never heard the gospel, then she wouldn’t be in heaven today! When Christians live in their own private world of faith (whether in a church or not) they miss out on the power of Christ in their lives for service, and for victory in fierce struggles of spiritual warfare. Let’s look at Mark 9: 2 – 5.

Peter was having a mountain top experience, i.e. a spiritual experience beyond his imagination. He did not want to leave that wonderous miracle. He wanted to stay and build permanent residence. But he did not understand, this experience was not just for him, but it was meant as a testimony of the deity of Christ, preparing him to be bold in sharing the gospel, preaching, teaching and serving those God would bring into his life. God did not want him to stay on the mountain of a great spiritual experience. The receiving of Christ for many is that mountain top experience that they are content with, yet missing all that God has in store for them.

Christians that chose to follow Christ must come out of their own enclosed life with Christ. This is not intended to rob them of their special place and time with the Lord but, staying in that place will result in not receiving the blessings God has for them.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “Agoraphobia is an abnormal fear of being helpless in a situation from which escape may be difficult or embarrassing that is characterized initially often by panic or anticipatory anxiety and finally by the avoidance of open or public places.”

Many people with Agoraphobia stay home and never venture out into the world. Their goal is to stay safe and protected. Many Christians experience what we might call “Spiritual Agoraphobia”. By trying to stay safe by avoiding embarrassing situations when sharing their faith or avoiding being persecuted for their faith or avoiding conflicts that might arise because of stepping into the world and letting others know they are a follower of Christ, Christians are actually harming themselves and are robbed of peace and God’s blessings.

A great blessing from being outside one’s own private spiritual sanctuary is that they learn to have peace and not fear in the trials they experience and particularly in the spiritual war we face when carrying our cross for Christ.

The Christian who steps out and follows Christ and His purpose for them will face difficult times of trial, this is what many are afraid of, and why many don’t step out of their private sanctuary of faith. But, those who do step out and rely on the Lord’s strength will discover peace, and security, which in essence gives them peace and confidence in Christ through any storm.

God stretches us, builds us and produces fruit through us by the discipline of the Cross and the strenuous conditions of severe trials.

We must not simply pursue the happiness of our inner feelings, but we should reveal the power of His resurrection working in our lives.

When we are faithful in these next steps of faith out in to the world, we are holding up “The Banner of Love” for Christ!

In order for Christians to receive all that God has for them, i.e., living the resurrection life, we must be conformed to His death by focusing on Him and His will and not focusing on our own lives.

It has been said, “His Cross must become our cross.”

All we really need to know is that it is a command from Jesus that needs to be obeyed if we are to please Him.

It is a daily effort to take up “His” Cross on our part.

Jesus also reminded us in John 14:15 our obedience to His commands shows our love for God.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.

We must be free from a superficial walk with Christ. We are to seek the weight of the cross, the expanse of God’s calling on our lives, and the greatness of His promises to experience the full depth of God in our lives. It is here that we understand our identity and oneness in Christ. In this way our lives will lift up high, “The Banner of Love.”