The Fear Associated with Planting Revolution Church

Depending on your upbringing, you may or may not have a good understanding of spiritual attack.  In our culture it’s not exactly something you talk about freely if you want to be thought of as sane.  Spiritual attack conjures up images of horror movies and psych wards.  A quick Google search revealed that while 70% of Americans believe Satan exists only 60% of Christians do.  Hopefully those studies are wrong.  Regardless your theological perspective, I can certainly tell you from experience that as a church planter you will be under spiritual attack. Spiritual attack is real and if you are planting a church, you are a target.
Here are a few quick ways I’ve seen this manifest:

1. Depression.  While this is one of the most exciting times in my life, it is also one of the most depressing. Having a church body to back you as you fight off Satan and his evil attempts at making you stumble, is totally different than feeling like you are by yourself fighting off Satan. I mean, it literally feels like my family is about to go to war, but without a body of believers to help protect. This depression is usually marked by self-doubt, fear, and obstacles to planting the church.
2. Family.  When Satan can’t achieve his goal against you, he will go after family.  One planters parents divorced shortly after he moved to start the church.  Another’s mom died.  Another had marital troubles shortly after declaring he would plant.  Others have had sick family members, unsupportive family members, etc.the divil hates you and certainly doesn't like your family!
3. Divisiveness in the Body.  Satan loves a church that is not united.  Maybe this is why Jesus prayed so fervently for it in John 17.  I’ve seen sponsoring churches withdraw support over small issues, staff members quit just before launch, affairs between staff families, embezzlement, arguments over “territory.”  It’s sad to me when the church does the work of Satan for him. We have got to be on guard 24/7 to prevent this from becoming us!
4. Temptation.  I’ve talked with planters who have confessed having temptations they never had before.  This is a confusing and scary experience. 
5. Fear! Fear! Fear!  If nothing else, I have seen Satan make us question everything about Revolution Church a thousand times over again! We question even the simplest stuff that we should already know that God has under control because Satan is putting lies into our head! We know that we are going against the flow with this. We are backed up against the wall, and going against the grain. It is not easy. I pray everyday that the fear will go away!

There’s no doubt about it.  Planting a church is hard!

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Tomorrow, we will be presented with another obstacle to us being able to start Revolution Church in McKinney, Texas. Please pray with us that we will be able to raise the financial support that we need to see a "revolution" take place! 

www.revchurchtx.com