Mark 1:21-26 (NLT):
21 Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority – quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, 24 “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!”
25 Jesus cut him short. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. 26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.

Go back and read verse 23 again. Does anything strike you as strange?

Here’s what hit me … a demon-possessed man was in the synagogue (or what we would today call “church”)! He didn’t avoid that place. For all we know, he willingly showed up!

Someone consumed by the forces of Satan showing up to a place where Yahweh God is to be worshipped. Don’t you think that’s a little unusual?

Typically, folks that claim to be a Christian pride themselves in church attendance. But Satan himself isn’t against showing up to a church service. This passage makes that point perfectly clear.

But there’s one more very important observation that MUST be a part of this discussion. Here it is: Satan is perfectly OK with showing up to a church service … until Jesus shows up.

Verse 21 says that Jesus went to that same synagogue on the Sabbath (the place of worship on the day of worship) and His presence was obviously not expected by the demon-possessed man. Just read verse 24 where the man reacts with shock and awe.

It is very possible for “church” to take place without Jesus. Revelation 3:20 tells us that there are some churches where Jesus is literally on the outside knocking and asking to come in … while they’re inside having church! Talk about folks not having a clue!

When Jesus is absent, Satan can be perfectly at home in the service.

The million dollar question is … who is showing up to YOUR church?

If you answer “Jesus,” then you’ll be able to give specific, recent instances of how the darkness is being penetrated and people are being liberated just like in Mark 1:21-26. Maybe demons aren’t being cast out (the instance in our text is by no means the norm) but the work of redemption is taking place nonetheless.