STANDARD BEARERS FOR CHRIST
1. INTRODUCTION
· Great image of World War 2 - Soldiers erecting battle standard on hill Iwo Jima - enemy conquered, land taken, standard of victory raised.
· God desires standard bearers - soldiers - workers in the harvest of souls. Men who will conquer the enemies of sin, Satan, raise standard of Christ.
· Is. 59:15 Standard fallen - truth failed. God will lift up a standard against enemy.
· Is 11:9 - 10 Earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord - ensign (banner standard).
2. WHAT IS A STANDARD?
· a standard is a quality of excellence by which everything else is measured.
· A standard is a banner, flag, ensign -raised up for all to see. rt 5264 Strongs - to gleam from afar, be conspicuous like a flag or beacon.
4 Purposes for Standard
1. Organisation - Focal point for people to live near (Num. 2:2)
2. Military - Represented authority of a kind, kingdom (Jer. 51:27)
3. Spiritual - Symbolised a source of spiritual power (Num. 21:8,9)
4. Communication - Sound an urgent message or warning (Is. 30:17)
3. STANDARD WE CARRY IS JESUS CHRIST AND HIS WORD OF LIFE
Jn. 3:14 - 16
· Moses lifted up the brass serpent = OT example
-any who were bitten by the serpent looked to the brass serpent.
-they camped (lived) near it; it represented authority to heal, dominion over serpents poison; It represented source of spiritual power.
-It sounded a warning.
· Jesus Christ lifted up at Calvary on the Cross (Song 2:4 - Banner over me is love)
-We are to live near him - lifestyle
-He is our King - He has all authority and power
-He is our source of spiritual power.
-He sounds an urgent message or warning - wages of sin is death!
· All who have sinned live under a “suspended sentence” and are in need of forgiveness.
· Ps. 60:4 “He has given a banner to them that fear Him (to fear God is to hate evil and turn from it) that it may be displayed because of the truth that thy beloved might be delivered.
· Who will fear Him? Who will carry banner of Christ, who will hold up His truth.
4. GOD IS SEEKING STANDARD BEARERS
· Mt. 9:37 Harvest is great but labourers few - Pray to the Lord of the harvest that He will send labourers.
· People who will labour for Christ and lift Him up high.
· Exod. 17:15 Moses built an altar - called it “Lord is my Banner”
-2-
· Standard Bearers are birthed at the altar.
· Altar = Place of meeting God; Place of shedding blood, Place of decision.
· Altar - rt = to shed blood, slaughter an animal.
· Where blood is shed the anointing and fire of God falls.
· Acts 3:19 Repent! - first call to standard bearer is repentance.
Repent - sin, self centredness, mediocrity, indifference to plight of lost
Repent = change in direction, going own way before repent and turn around.
Repent is not just sorrow - it is change.
Are you ready to stop doing wrong is change. Do what know is right, change mind, turn from sin, admit need, to lift up Jesus, to obey His Word.
· Blotted = 1813 = to smear, wipe away rt to oil, anoint.
Refreshing = 403 = To recover breath revive refresh.
Presence = 4383 = To have face of God towards you.
Is. 59:2 Sin hides face of God like a cloud hides the sun. Must forsake old wells - from world, past sin, tradition.
No presence of God without repentance.
· Repentance - Refreshing - Restoration.
(filled with Holy Spirit) Refocus priorities on cause of Christ) Taking back what enemy
has stolen.
5. THE CHURCH = AN ARMY WITH BANNERS
· God is raising up a prevailing church, prevailing believers.
· Song 6:10 - Church - terrible as an army with banners.
i) “Looks forth as morning” - Look 8259 = to look and window with expectancy. Banner of hope, expectancy - coming of Lord is our hope. We serve a God of hope, we bring hope.
ii) “Fair as the moon” - Fair = 3303 to be beautiful, bright. Moon reflects the sun into the darkness lighting it up. Banner of Great Commission (soul winning) - lighting the darkness. Calling people to Christ, warning.
iii) “Clear as the sun” 1249 - clear, pure, clean beloved. Banner of Holiness separation to God and His purposes.
iv) Terrible as army: 366 = to frighten. Banner of War Militancy = sacrificial service against enemies of God.
FOR DISCUSSION
Note
Don’t attempt to cover all the questions
Pray about what areas need to be emphasised.
Discover what areas of Sunday’s message:
-were new and challenging
-really stirred them
-bought a reaction
1. Are there any aspects of Sundays message that:
a) Challenged or b) Inspired or c) caused a reaction?
2. Can you identify areas where you have seen in our community or nation the values and standards drop?
3. What responses occur when a standard is raised and the lack of truth or godly values challenged?
4. Read John 3:14 - 16. In what ways does the lifting up of Jesus on the cross reveal the standard of a) God’s holiness b) God’s love for people.
5. Read Acts 3:19-21
a) Why is repentance essential to being refreshed and restored by God?
b) What areas of repentance (change in thinking and action) is the Holy Spirit bringing to your attention?
6. For areas that believers can lift up the banner of Christ and become or standard bearer for Him are:
i) Banner of hope - living in joyful expectancy of God’s blessing. Christ’s return and sharing that hope with others.
ii) Banner of soul winning - reaching out to share the love of God with the Lost.
iii) Banner of Holiness - promptly dealing with sin, living with a clear sense of God’s purpose.
iv) Banner of Militancy - sacrificial serving God, involved in the vision and mission of the church.
· Which represents the greatest challenge for you.
· What can you do to lift this banner up in your life.