Looking For Evil

Let me start off this morning by sharing with you a Video Clip from KWCH 12 Eyewitness News that aired last Monday.

VIDEO: “Jan Kilbourne”

-Watching this entire situation unfold this past week has been a really something hasn’t it? When things like this happen we usually feel like this only happens in big cities or in other parts of the world but the truth is, it happens here just like everywhere. We are not exempt from the evil.

You see, the truth is that evil is all around us and yes even here in small town America. You see, evil doesn't care where, when or even how for that matter. There are no rules or boundaries when it come to evil.

Thinking about the evil in our world and this particular ordeal with Jan Kilbourne has sparked a message that I feel God wishes us to receive.

I have three points to share with you this morning in the hopes that we can be better prepared and inspired to look for and battle the evil that is so prevalent in our world today.

The first thing that I noticed from the Jan Kilbourne search is that we have…

THE DESCRIPTION

Jan Kilbourne is described very well in the news report: He was described as a white man who was 5-foot-5-inches tall and weighs 175 pounds. He has brown hair and a slight beard. He was last seen wearing a red shirt, blue jeans and biker boots.

Wouldn’t you say that an exact description of him is vitally important? I mean how in the world could we ever find him or avoid such an evil man if we have no idea what he looks like.

People need exact descriptions with most things in life in order to accomplish anything don’t we? And if we don’t have an exact description for something we usually try to make one up in order to help us along the way.

I believe we have made up a description of what Satan looks like as well. Unfortunately the red suit, horns and pitch fork are not his usual attire! If we knew his face and what he was wearing, we could easily identify him and avoid his attacks but he is among us and we don’t even know it.

II Corinthians 11:14 “Satan masquerades himself as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness…”

1. So it’s not his appearance that we need to be so focused on, rather it is his behavior. Looks can be deceiving but behavior never lies.

2. Let us never forget one very important truth! Satan can only do his work through people. He doesn't do his own dirty work as he has limited power; he seeks to influence others to do it for him.

3. That is why Paul says in Ephesians 6:12 “for our struggle is not against flesh and blood…” One way Satan attacks is through people, sometimes even you and even me.

Illustration: I have said it before and I will say it again: We shoot too many arrows at people, our friends, family members, and yes, even our church family and we hit nothing. We only exaggerate the problems and the real enemy, the one who is attacking us, only thrives and grows stronger.

4. People are not the enemy- Satan is the enemy!

5. Like it or not, Satan tries to use you and me as his envoys to accomplish his will.

And we know that Satan cannot be everywhere at once, because he is not God, but a creation of God. Therefore, he has limits. And if he is not everywhere at one time, we tend to put him in a box and assign him a place to be.

Law enforcement placed Jan Kilbourne in a box as well didn’t they? The reports said that they were searching in the area north and south of U.S. 54 between Santa Fe Lake Road and Indianola Road. But that’s not where they found him is it?

The box we have placed Satan in is of course Hell. We look at him as this evil boss who has a lot of little demons running around doing his will. This is another early attempt at how people have created a description of Satan.

And Satan loves it when we do things like this, because if we are focusing on myths, we aren’t focusing on what he really can do to us if we let our guards down.

I’m sure Mr. Kilbourne would have loved it if we had false made up descriptions of him as well don’t you?

We read in JOB 1:7 of a conversation between God and Satan.

‘The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”