When a Martyr Dies His Message Multiplies

If you have your Bibles, I'd love for you to go ahead and grab those and open up to Acts chapter 7. We're going to be in Acts chapter 7 in a little bit in chapter 8 today. Um this week, a dark cloud has settled over our country because of the events that have unfolded over um again just this past week, but also just over this last month. and um just fully transparent. I mean, it has been a heavy thing to carry. Um it's been hard to hear.

It's been unbearable to watch. Um the different things that you've seen online from the horrendous stabbing of Arena Zerutka in North Carolina to the multiple school shootings at Evergreen High School um as well as Annunciation Catholic in Minnesota. even the remembrance of 911 this week mixed into the middle of all of it. And of course, um, one of the highest profile murders of a Christian publicly in the past 50 years in America, Charlie Kirk, who is a Christian, a husband, and a father. And if I say those things and you have no idea what I'm talking about, then I'd love to know your secret for avoiding headlines. Um, but I feel deep sadness.

I feel anger. I feel immense frustration. And I feel a longing for all things to be made new and for all things to be made right. We're going to be breaking from um our series letters to the church today, not because culture informs what we preach, but because what we preach informs culture. And so there are moments when it is right to break from a series in order to address situations that are going on around us so that we can be equipped with what to do next. with what to do next.

When it comes to arena and the school shootings, 911, I'm sure other events that I haven't even mentioned, we feel a deep emotion about these people regardless of their beliefs or backgrounds. We feel a deep emotion towards them because we understand the IMO day. We understand that these people bear the image of God. Period. They bear the image of God. We hate death because we know life.

We hate darkness because we know light. Like we hate evil because we know what's good. And obviously this week the loudest and most visible story flooding our feeds has been the one dealing with Charlie Kirk. And I'm going to use this morning um I'm not going to use this morning as a means to argue political points or ideologies. That's not what this is about. And I also hope that um you'll extend to me the grace that's necess ne necessary to navigate current cultural moments while also shephering the church through through it with the word of God as our light for our path because this has been one of the hardest messages to honestly prepare in a long time.

And so I appreciate your grace and your understanding because I'd rather run the risk of being misunderstood than missing the moment. I also want us to consider where our feelings and where our opinions stem from when it comes to events like these and often just the polarizing figures who are the subject of them as well. Because when it comes to Charlie Kirk, at his core, I believe he was a Christian who believed that his biblical convictions informed his life decisions and views. I believe that. I believe that because in an interview, Sean Foy asked Charlie, "If it all went away, what would you want to be remembered for?" And Charlie replied, "I'd want to be remembered for the courage for my faith."

In a debate on a college campus, a college student asked him, "By what standard does he base all of his ideas and views on?" And Charlie responded by saying, "At the core, all of my beliefs are rooted in the biblical truth revealed to us in God's word. And that's what I hope to proclaim. That's what I hope to proclaim. And so again, you may disagree with some of his political views. You may disagree with some of his style and delivery.

You may think he could have been nicer in debates. But at the core, all of his beliefs were rooted in scripture. So, I'm not here to draw attention to that or critique his style or delivery because if we're honest, all of us can do a bit of a better job at how we represent Christ, right? If we're honest, none of us is nailing it perfectly in how we proclaim and represent Christ. And also to be frank, most of the criticisms that I've seen even from other fellow Christians regarding Charlie are also consistent with the criticisms of leaders in scripture. Think about it.

Paul was disliked by just about everybody that he wrote a letter to, especially the Corinthians. Corinthians considered him disqualified and not having the credentials to proclaim what he was proclaiming, which is why he spent a majority of his letters qualifying himself by where he got his word and where he gets his knowledge and his credentials. Peter has been multiple times considered to be prejudice and racist in his dealing with Gentiles. James and John argued over which one's the greatest among the disciples. Thomas doubted the resurrection of Jesus standing in front of him. You don't judge the brilliance of the object based on the subjects that worship it.

Just like there's only two songs that I know how to play on piano. One that a friend wrote and the other one is Billy Joel's Piano Man. But you're not going to judge the brilliance of Billy Joel based on how well I go and play it myself. Bryce might be able to get a little bit closer to the original, but you're still not going to judge the original based on our performance of it. We are all going to imperfectly follow Jesus and imperfectly proclaim Jesus. The truth is whether or not we're following Jesus and proclaiming Jesus.

And I believe that's what Charlie was doing. This sermon is simply about what happens when a Christian dies publicly for their faith. What happens when a Christian dies publicly for their faith? What should it invoke? What should it spark within us? Because Charlie Kirk was not killed because he was a violent man.

He was not killed because someone else was practicing self-defense. He was killed for speaking what he believed to be the truth according to the Bible and desiring that the world be informed and transformed by it. And I'm not saying this from someone who has just picked up the headlines this week and have tried to study as much as I can before this message. I'm saying this from someone who has been following him for quite some time now. and have seen the I think you could have said that a better way, but I still agree with what you said. If you don't consider what happened to him to be a martyrdom, that's okay.

You don't have to consider him a martyr if you disagree with him. But many Christians do believe he died for standing up for his beliefs. And it has caused a widespread outcry throughout our country and even world headlines. I don't know if you saw what was going on in England yesterday, but a million people plus gathered throughout England. I mean, again, it's not about an individual, but about the message that was represented is what they were proclaiming. At the end of the day, when a martyr dies, their message multiplies.

When a martyr dies, the message multiplies. And so, what should you and I do in the aftermath when a fellow Christian is killed publicly for their faith? And that's why I want to take you to Acts chapter 7. We're going to look at verses 51 through 60 and then Acts 1 1-8. And if you've been paying any attention to the events that led up to this, the event that happened and so far the events that have followed the aftermath, I want you to overlay that with this event in scripture so that regardless of what you think about Charlie Kirk, if he's a professing believer proclaiming a message, You need to see the spirit, the unholy spirit that came against him and then at the same time the holy spirit that has followed the situation and how we are ultimately to respond in regards to this and again if you don't like the way in which he proclaimed the message you wouldn't like the way in which Steven proclaimed the message to these people start in verse 51.

Now, this is actually towards all of chapter 7 is a full sermon that Stephen gave. And again, just to throw this out there in overlaying the two situations here, Charlie Kirk was not a pastor nor an elder of a church. So, it's not even about that. Neither was Stephen. Stephen's not a pastor or an elder of a church, but he stand so he's not orchestrating here a worship gathering, but what he is doing is gathering a public gathering. And as a deacon, as a servant of the church, he is standing up and preaching and proclaiming a message.

And so, starting in verse 51, you get the most seeker sensitive message that you've ever heard. You stiff necked people. It was a joke. That's not the most secret friendly message that you've ever heard. Uncircumcised in heart and ears. You always resist the Holy Spirit.

As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? I mean, that's like brutal sarcasm. And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the righteous one, whom you now have betrayed and murdered. You who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it. Three things that he's talking about in regards to his full message to these people.

You've rejected the spirit of God because you were not willing to hear truth and believe it. So you've rejected the spirit of God because you were not willing to hear truth and believe it. Secondly, generational sin is thus passed down from parents to children or generation to generation. And third, the next generation drifts culture away from a biblical ethic and moral standard and it adopts a worldly perversion of God's design. That's the full message of what Stephen was proclaiming to these people. And Steven's response to the people was three-fold.

Culture may rewrite the dictionary, but God never rewrites his word. Culture can do everything they want to do to redefine words, but God never rewrites his word. Number two, if we don't boldly disciple the next generation, the culture will and it will not point them to Jesus. If we don't disciple the next generation, the culture will and it will not point them to Jesus. Evil will not stop evil. It's better to be And the third thing coming out of his message is that it's better to be silenced by culture than to be silent about Christ.

It's better to be silenced by culture than to be silent about Christ. In other words, the same reason Stephen was murdered is the same reason Charlie was murdered this week. Period. It's the same spirit of the age that is unwilling to hear truth and accept it and instead executes silence by violence. After Steven preaches the truth, this is how the crowd and the culture respond to him. Look at verse 54.

Now when they heard these things, they were enraged and they ground their teeth at him. Demonic activity, what what they are exuding is demonic activity full of an holy unholy spirit. It's demonic activity full of an unholy spirit. Which is why I believe Luke contrasts that to verse 55 when he says, "But he, Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit." So the reason why they're enraging and nashing their teeth is because they're filled with an unholy spirit. But he being full of the Holy Spirit gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears, and they rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city, and they stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Listen, because the generation rejected the truth about God, their moral standard drifted from life and Jesus to death and judgment.

That's all they had. If you're not following Jesus, which leads to life and and or uh leads to Jesus in life, then the only other option is to live a life that leads toward death and judgment. And not necessarily just the judgment that you receive from God, but the judgment that you give towards others. And though they in their sin, in their rage, in their hatred of Christians and Christ, though they chose death and judgment, death over life, even still, Stephen, because of his own forgiveness and faith, because of his own conviction, because of his understanding better than anyone, the loving and under undeserving grace and mercy of Jesus, he does not choose to condemn them or judge them for their hatred towards him, but prays for their forgiveness and salvation. Look at this in verse 60. Falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

And when he had said this, he had fallen asleep. The generation in Steven's day believed that they silenced Stephen and the message that he preached. They believed that they put an end to what he stood for, what he believed in, and what he ultimately died for. They believe they won a battle in their culture war. And it even goes on to say that they celebrated it. Look at this in chapter 8 verse one.

Saul, remember who was the one standing there as they brought their cloaks and garments and laid them at his feet. Saul approved of his exe execution. When you look at that and the aftermath of Steven's death, this is not just a I put my stamp of approval on it, but it was a celebration of Steven's death. a celebration of his death. Sinful people applaud sinful behavior. Sinful people applaud sinful behavior.

Some of the most absolute demonic aftermath we've seen this week on social media is the applause from people who are happy that a man was murdered, who laugh about it and say the world is better off. And it's shaken the Christian world. Honestly, it has. I I've got pastor friends asking about security measures, what to speak out about, what not to speak out about, whether to speak out at all. Because there are signs spray painted like the one on Seattle Central College that literally say, "Kill all Charlie Kirks." This is just the aftermath of evil.

It's not that they don't care or are indifferent to this level of evil, but they applaud it and even desire more of it. Look as it continues on in chapter 8. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem. And they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. The difference between an unholy spirit movement and a holy spirit movement is how they respond when tragedy strikes.

What have you seen this week? There's been zero buildings burnt or stores looted or cars set on fire. Instead, there were vigils, prayer gatherings, worship services, heartfelt tributes. Behind every single movement is a spirit. And it's either a demonic unholy spirit or it's a divine holy spirit. Look at verse three.

But Saul was ravaging the church and entering house after house. Now they're bloodthirsty. They got one. Let's go get more. He dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. And so my question for us is, what do we do when culture tries to silence Christians by scattering them with violence?

What do we do? What do we do next? We do what they did. We anchor down in the word and we go into the world. We anchor down in the word and we go into the world. We don't run from it.

We run to it. Because there's a miracle that happens in the aftermath of Stephen's death. Listen to this. Verse four. Those who were scattered went about preaching the word. What do we do?

That's what we do. That's what we do. We go about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and he proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord, they paid attention to what was being said by Philillip. And when they heard him and they saw the signs that he did, it goes on to say, unclean spirits, verse seven, unclean spirits, now listen to this, crying out with a loud voice came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.

So there was much joy in that city. As Christians, we are not bringing judgment but joy. That's our job. We bring the word of God because we know it has the ability to bring joy in a situation where there is only judgment. It's why right now there are no cities being burned to the ground, but instead there are worship services being held because that's how we respond. What do we do when tragedy strikes one of our own?

We worship our way through it. We worship our way through it. We also trust the power of God for salvation. Remember back in chapter 7 verse 57, right before they murdered Stephen, what did it say? They cried out with a loud voice and they stopped their ears and they rushed together at him. What does it say in chapter 8 verse 7?

Unclean spirits crying out with a loud voice. They were both filled with the exact same unholy spirit. And we don't always understand this, but in God's sovereignty, he allowed this crowd full of an unholy spirit to not be changed and transformed, but to enact their will and murder one of God's children, using what they meant for evil, for good. It scatters Christians to multiple crowds in multiple regions. So that the same singular message that was preached over here now becomes a multiplied message. And these people filled with the same unholy, unclean spirit over here are now hearing the same message and gospel.

And yet this time around, their hearts and minds are transformed and they're healed and they're saved. And so what do we do? We can have confidence that we can move forward on steady and solid ground because we know where the power is. We know where the power is. We know what we have and we know what they lack. And therefore, we do not grieve as those without hope.

First Thessalonians 4:13 and 14 puts it this way. We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep. That's another way of saying those who have died. That you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep, who have already died. Therefore, verse 18 says, encourage one another with these words.

Encourage one another with these words. At the end of the day, we pray for the same mercy that was extended to us as sinners would be extended to those who are trying to silence us. That's a hard thing. That's a hard thing, but it's a gospel thing. Let me bring you back to something interesting. In the killing of Stephen, there were two men standing in applause.

at the murder of Stephen, but for different reasons. Jesus and Saul. Jesus stood because Steven sacrificed his life for his faith and genus Jesus applauds that and honors that. Saul stood because Stephen was silenced for his faith. and Saul approved and applauded that. But that also means something unique happened.

Saul was there. Saul could hear what Stephen preached. Saul could hear what Stephen proclaimed in that moment. And what we know two chapters later is that Saul meets Jesus on the road to Damascus and he's forgiven, saved, and sent on mission. Saul, who is also the Apostle Paul, becomes one of the greatest missionaries in all of Christian Christianity history. Oftenimes many people look at the conversion of Saul and just think like it was just this absolute miracle in which Jesus showed up on the scene and saved him without him knowing anything.

And that's not completely true. He made it his life's mission to go and silence Christians, but in doing so, he's hearing everything they're preaching and proclaiming. And because he was able to hear, Jesus shows up on the scene on his way to Damascus and closes out his salvation by forgiving him of his sins. And I just have to believe that when Paul met his own silencing in Rome some 30 years later, I have to believe that when he died a martyr for his faith, the first person that welcomed him into heaven was Stephen because that's the gospel. That's the gospel. If Tyler Robinson is the one who pulled the trigger and assassinated Charlie Kirk, let's be real.

Let's be honest. I do hope that the swift arm of justice is served. I hope he receives the just punishment deserving of a man who robbed a wife from being able to grow old with the love of her life and stole the gift of two precious children from having a good father to lead them. I hope the swift arm of justice is served quickly. But I also hope that while he was perching himself on that roof preparing for that fatal shot, while he was within ears reach of a PA system, I pray he heard the message Charlie Kirk was saying. And it was hard to find, but you can find the audio of what was mentioned during those 20 minutes when he started.

And so I transcribed it and this is verbatim. He quoted 2 Corinthians 5:15 which says, "He died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." And then he explains and says it's all pretty amazing evidence, not just intrabiblical evidence, but extra biblical evidence that Jesus Christ was a real person. He lived a perfect life. He was crucified, died, and rose on the third day. And he is Lord and God over all.

And I pray that you repent and place your life in Jesus' hands. Those are his words right before he's murdered. And so I pray Tyler Robinson heard those words and that Jesus shows up in his jail cell like he did for Saul on the road to Damascus. And I pray he saves his soul. I pray he forgives him of his sin. And I pray that he gives him a conviction to proclaim Christ for however many or few days he will have left on this earth.

because that's all we have. That's all we're called to. We need to understand that we're no different from Tyler Robinson. We are sinners in need of a savior. The difference is is we now know what it's like to receive a savior and to receive forgiveness. And when an event like this happens and it scatters us, all it does is it reveals once again evil is real and evil will not stop itself.

And what must happen is us as faithful Christians, faithful evangelists, we are called to take the message of Christ to the evil and proclaim it so that in them hearing it, the same thing that happened when Philip proclaimed it, they'd be forgiven and healed. from the unholy spirit of their sin and receive the Holy Spirit that comes in and transforms them to make them the true image of Christ that he has beared for us. I want to take a few moments and I want to guide us um just through a time of prayer as a church. And so Kelsey, I'm going to have you um you and Ransfer can go ahead and come up in a moment like this. In a season like this, there is without a doubt there is a tide turning in our culture. I mean, you can see that everywhere.

As I'm scrolling through comment section after comment section, I'm seeing people say things like, "I didn't know, Charlie. I didn't understand the full situation of what's going on, but I know that something's not right, and I just felt inclined to pick up a Bible and start reading it." I've seen elsewhere people saying, "I've never stepped foot in a church, but for whatever reason, because of the things that are going on, I felt inclined to step foot and go to a church this Sunday." When 911 happened and the world was shaken and the world was unsure how we're going to handle the evil that is rearing its head, I was not going to a church yet. And we're driving down the road and my father says who's not a believer says, "This world is going to hell in a hand basket and we need to start going to church." And he just points at a church.

He says, "We're going to show up there this Sunday." That was in September of 2001. I was a freshman in high school. And by January 26, 2002, my father, my mother, my brother, and myself all get baptized on the same day. What the unholy means for evil, God uses it with his Holy Spirit to produce good. And right now is an opportunity in our country, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces for us to take a situation that's meant for evil and see the Holy Spirit turn it for good.

Will we have the boldness like Stephen, like Phillip, like Charlie to proclaim Christ and see God do what God does best, transform lives for his sake. And so what I want you to do right now is I want you to just take a moment and I want you to pray for three things. I want you to pray for your witness. Your witness. Because you're all connected. You're all connected to neighbors who live next to you.

You're connected to co-workers who are around you. You're connected to family members who've known you forever. You're all connected. I want you to pray for your boldness in conversations with them regarding what God is doing. I want you to pray for your witness. God, help me fill in the blank right now.

Pray. Next, I want you to pray for those who come to your mind. Oftentimes, we use the the the language, who's your one? Who's the one person in your life right now that you know is questioning, maybe searching, maybe seeking, maybe unsure what's going on? They don't go to church, they don't profess to follow Jesus, but you're in relationship with them and you know them by name. I want you to pray for that person.

I want you to pray for an opportunity to be able to meet with them and have boldness to go to them and have boldness to ask them questions about what's going on in this world right now. What do they think about the evil? What do they think about the the way to solve this problem? And I want you to tell them about Jesus and the way that he handles these types of situations. Pray for your one right now that their heart would become a soil that God is stirring up so that when you plant the gospel in it, God produces fruit out of it in the form of salvation. Pray for them.

The third thing I want you to pray for is I want you to pray for the harvest. The Bible is clear that Jesus says there is a harvest but the laborers are few. Which means Jesus has a people in this community, in this city that are yet to be redeemed. And he's saying we are to pray for the laborers to be sent out to go and reap the harvest of those who are yet to be redeemed to bring them into the family of of Christ to bring them into the church to bring them into the flock so that he can be their shepherd. And so I want you right now to do two things. I want you to pray for the city, the harvest, for them to receive the word that goes out.

But I also want you to pray again for the laborers that God would bring us more laborers so that as we are preaching and proclaiming this message, you receive it and then you take it out to our community. So pray that God would bring more people to our church so that we can have more laborers to be sent out into our city in order to reap a harvest. Pray this. He says, "You do not have because you do not ask." Let's ask right now. Let's ask Oh good father, we come to you this morning with heavy hearts.

We come to you this morning because we hate death. We hate sin. We hate evil. We come to you this morning lamenting. Lamenting the state of our world that celebrates and applauds horrendous acts of violence. But Father, we come to you with those who do not grieve without hope.

We come to you this morning knowing that we can stand on steady and solid ground because we are on the rock of ages. We are on Jesus who is unchanging. We come with the power of the Holy Spirit who is greater than any unholy spirit that is in the world. We come to you with the roar of a lion of Judah who swiftly defeats sin, evil, and death because of his own sacrifice at the cross. Father, we pray for our own boldness. That a moment like this wakes us up.

That a moment like this reminds us that there is work to be done in the world, that there is work to be done in our neighborhoods and in our communities. And you have called us to not sit by and wait for your return, but to sit by with work to be done and boldness to proclaim. May we go urgently and fight for the faith of those who have yet to believe in you. May we proclaim what they need to hear and may they receive it by faith and may they be healed of their sin and may they begin treasuring you and helping others do the same. God, we need more laborers because there is a large harvest in the city of Indianapolis and beyond. We need more laborers.

Will you bring them to us to help us proclaim this message effectively in this community that celebrates evil in a community that sends us messages. When we proclaim a baptism Sunday, they're sending messages to us saying, "Hell, Satan. Father, help us. We need it. We need it. Help our community.

They need it. They need it. And Father, thank you for your work that you have done through your son Jesus at the cross, for breaking his body and shedding his blood. to provide for all of us an opportunity to come to know you. It's in his name that we pray. Amen.

Man, would you go ahead and stand with me?