The Fear Factor

31, October 2004

Dakota Community Church

The Fear Factor

Unmasking the Reality of Evil

Introduction:

Well it’s Halloween so I thought I would take a break from our women series to talk about the topic on the minds of so many Christians at this time of year.

In order to receive what I believe the Lord would have me share tonight you will need to agree to a few things:

- The Bible is the final authority, not traditions, not experiences, not pet doctrinal ideologies.

- Truth is freeing even if it is different than what we formerly thought was true.

- Growth and change do not happen independently of each other.

1. The spiritual realm cannot be ignored.

1Peter 5: 7-9

7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Revelation 12: 7-9

7And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Deuteronomy 18: 9-13

9 When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. 13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

1Samuel 15: 22-23

"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."

- You cannot ignore the devil or his schemes and hope they will not affect you.

- You cannot ignore the roots of Halloween.

- You cannot ignore the spirits behind horoscopes, Ouija boards, and palm readers.

- You cannot ignore sickness and disease.

- You cannot ignore the final enemy – death.

You must not fear them or hide from them either!

1Corinthians 15: 21-26

21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

2. It is a mistake to fear the dark side.

Whenever the forces of darkness raise an issue the Church usually is reactive rather than proactive.

The response is almost always fear based and offensive to non-believers.

This is not the way Jesus dealt with darkness.

Psalm 27: 1-3

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

Job 3: 24-26

24For my sighing comes before I eat, and my groanings pour out like water. 25For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me and what I dreaded has happened to me. 26I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes."

Faith and fear are like to sides of a coin. They are the force which activates supernatural events.

Fear is negative faith. It is the confidence that something bad is going to happen.

Fear gives the thing we fear the power to harm us.