Faith and Reflection After Charlie Kirk’s Assassination

[00:00] One of my favorite verses is uh Romans

[00:01] 8:28, which it says that God works all

[00:04] things for good for those who love him.

[00:05] It's a very freeing and liberating verse

[00:07] for those of us that are Christians

[00:08] because we believe that when things can

[00:10] be really bad, God is working it for his

[00:12] good, his perfect and pleasing will.

[00:14] It's very liberating that God is working

[00:15] all things towards an ultimate good. Um,

[00:18] so I love that and it kind of is very

[00:19] freeing that I don't have to be in

[00:21] charge of everything. Um, and there is a

[00:22] God and I am not him and I surrender to

[00:24] his will. His permissive will would be

[00:26] Charlie's murder in less than an hour

[00:28] after he had spoken those words. Before

[00:31] he was tragically killed, he spoke about

[00:34] a book that deeply impacted him. We

[00:36] don't sell it. It's given away freely

[00:39] because we want the contemporary church

[00:41] to return to biblical evangelism.

[00:43] >> I'm really enjoying reading this book.

[00:45] People give me books all the time and

[00:47] it's terrific and it talks about the

[00:48] proper way to present the gospel.

[00:50] >> Here's a quote from the book, God has a

[00:52] wonderful plan for your life. relevant

[00:54] to what happened to Charlie.

[00:57] Perhaps some would argue that the

[00:58] Christian life is a wonderful plan

[01:00] because all things work together for

[01:02] good to those who love God. That fact is

[01:05] wonderful in the truest sense of the

[01:07] word. No matter what happens to us as

[01:09] Christians, we can rejoice because of

[01:10] that promise. On November the 9th, 2006,

[01:14] three Christian teenagers were beheaded

[01:16] by Indonesian militants. Their seed

[01:19] heads were dumped in plastic bags in

[01:20] their village along with a handwritten

[01:22] note threatening more such attacks. If

[01:25] these girls love God and were called

[01:27] according to his purpose, they too could

[01:30] claim this incredible promise. But the

[01:32] most important reason not to use the

[01:34] wonderful plan message is that it isn't

[01:36] biblical to do so. Examine the book of

[01:38] Acts and see if you can find any of the

[01:40] disciples telling sinners either that

[01:42] God loved them or that he had a

[01:44] wonderful plan for their lives. But the

[01:47] truth of what I'm saying is seen in the

[01:48] horrific and bloody death of our dear

[01:51] brother in Christ. God allowed it for a

[01:53] reason. And the promise remains true for

[01:56] Charlie. What the enemy meant for evil,

[01:58] God will work out for his good. And the

[02:00] good is already evident. Look at this

[02:03] and weep tears of joy that her

[02:05] experience is being duplicated around

[02:08] the world.

[02:09] >> Something profound is happening right

[02:11] now. And I can't stop crying over a man

[02:13] I've never met.

[02:15] I have never in my life been able to see

[02:18] so black and white, good and evil, like

[02:22] just just right in front of my face.

[02:24] Sorry, this hits a personal note. I

[02:27] walked away from that party a long time

[02:29] ago and lost my entire life because of

[02:33] it. But when somebody like Charlie Kirk

[02:36] gets merckked out of this world in a

[02:40] split second, I've never been a

[02:41] religious person in my life. if I wasn't

[02:43] raised that way. But recently, probably

[02:46] in the last year or two, I've felt at

[02:49] least a curiosity, a pull, whatever you

[02:53] might call it. But as a gay person,

[02:55] you've been told your entire life you

[02:56] don't belong. But I don't believe that.

[02:58] Like, you cannot help but be called to

[03:01] God when you see a man like Charlie Kirk

[03:07] assassinated.

[03:12] [Music]

[03:16] talks about the proper way to present

[03:17] the gospel. None of that's going to cut

[03:20] it. It's whether or not you repent and

[03:22] you ask Christ to come in.

[03:24] >> Watch what happens as I present the

[03:25] gospel to this atheist the proper way.

[03:29] You said to me you'd like to believe in

[03:31] God. Do you think you can prove God's

[03:32] existence?

[03:33] >> Absolutely not.

[03:34] >> Reuben, I'm going to prove God's

[03:36] existence to you scientifically

[03:38] >> in about 20 seconds.

[03:39] >> Okay. Now, the word science just means

[03:41] knowledge. So, I'm going to give you

[03:42] knowledge of God's existence. Every

[03:44] building is scientific proof of a

[03:46] builder. Even if you can't see the

[03:47] building, you know, there was a builder

[03:49] cuz buildings don't build themselves.

[03:50] >> Yeah.

[03:51] >> Creation is proof of a creator. It's

[03:53] scientifically impossible to have a

[03:55] creation without a creator. Flowers and

[03:57] birds and trees and seasons and puppies

[03:59] and kittens and fruits, everything shows

[04:01] you the genius of God's creative hand.

[04:04] So, that's how we know God exists. Does

[04:06] that make sense?

[04:07] >> Yeah, it does. Yeah.

[04:12] So, how you going to do on judgment day?

[04:14] Are you a good person?

[04:15] >> No, I'm not a good person. So,

[04:17] >> you're doing things that are morally

[04:18] wrong?

[04:18] >> No, but um doing things of

[04:20] self-interest. Yeah, definitely. But

[04:22] >> let's see if you're doing things morally

[04:23] wrong. When did you last look at

[04:25] pornography?

[04:31] >> I plead the fifth. So Reuben, you've

[04:33] just told me you're a lying, thieving,

[04:35] blasphemous adulterer at heart by

[04:37] pleading the fifth. So on judgment day

[04:39] at heart, I don't know about that.

[04:41] >> Well, listen to what Jesus said. Whoever

[04:42] looks upon a woman to lust for her has

[04:45] committed adultery already with her in

[04:47] his heart.

[04:49] >> Okay. On judgment day, you're going to

[04:50] be innocent or guilty?

[04:52] >> Probably guilty.

[04:53] >> Would you therefore go to heaven or

[04:54] hell?

[04:54] >> Hopefully, because Jesus has forgiven

[04:57] all these past sins of mine, I'll go to

[04:59] heaven.

[05:00] >> Are you sure?

[05:00] >> Not sure. We better make sure. Hadn't

[05:03] we? If you die in your sins, you'll end

[05:04] up in hell. The Bible says all liars

[05:06] will have their part in the lake of

[05:07] fire. Reuben, that grieves my heart. I

[05:10] don't want you to go to hell. I love

[05:12] you. I want to see you in heaven. You

[05:13] said Jesus died for our sins. Let me

[05:16] explain the gospel and get your

[05:17] thoughts. You and I broke God's law.

[05:19] Jesus paid the fine. That's what

[05:21] happened on that cross. If you're in

[05:22] court and you've got speeding fines, a

[05:24] judge will let you go if someone pays

[05:25] those fines.

[05:26] >> That is true.

[05:27] >> They say you're out of here. Someone pay

[05:28] and it's legal. Well, God can legally

[05:30] take death off you because Jesus paid

[05:32] the fine and full on that cross, rose

[05:35] from the dead, defeated death. And if

[05:36] you'll simply repent of your sins, and

[05:38] trust in Jesus like a trusted parachute,

[05:41] God promises he'll grant you everlasting

[05:42] life as a free gift. Not because you're

[05:45] good, but because he's good and kind and

[05:47] rich in mercy. Does that make sense?

[05:49] >> Yes, it does.

[05:50] >> You're going to think about what we

[05:51] talked about.

[05:52] >> Most likely.

[05:53] >> Okay. I want to move it from most likely

[05:54] to definitely. When are you going to

[05:56] die?

[05:57] >> Whenever God wills it to be. could be in

[05:59] your sleep tonight. Jesus said there was

[06:00] a man who ignored God and God said to

[06:03] him, "You fool, tonight your soul is

[06:05] required of you."

[06:06] >> Imagine dying in your sins and

[06:09] >> God giving you justice. I don't want

[06:10] that to happen. So, I want you to think

[06:12] about this with a deadly serious heart,

[06:14] a sobriety of mind, because we're

[06:16] talking about your life.

[06:17] >> Yes.

[06:18] >> Remember what Jesus said, "What shall it

[06:19] profit a man if he gains the whole world

[06:21] and loses his own soul?" So, you can be

[06:24] flippant about a lot of stuff in life,

[06:25] but don't be flippant about your eternal

[06:27] salvation. Can you hear what I'm saying?

[06:29] >> Yeah, that's one thing I should probably

[06:30] think about. Yeah,

[06:32] >> please do. Cuz I do love you and I know

[06:33] what I'm saying is true. But when are

[06:35] you going to repent and trust in Jesus?

[06:37] >> Probably tonight.

[06:38] >> You might die before tonight. What's

[06:40] wrong with right now?

[06:41] >> I don't know, man.

[06:42] >> You know what'll hold you back? The

[06:43] pleasure that pornography gives. You

[06:45] won't want to get right with God while

[06:47] you're feeding your heart on sin.

[06:49] >> And you need to say, "God, please change

[06:51] my heart. Give me a love of

[06:52] righteousness." And he'll do it. You'll

[06:54] be born again. New heart, new desires.

[06:56] >> Hear what I'm saying? I do hear what

[06:57] you're saying. Yes.

[06:58] >> Can I pray with you?

[06:59] >> Oh, yeah. Please go ahead.

[07:00] >> Father, I pray for Reuben that this day

[07:02] will remember his secret sins and find a

[07:04] place of true repentance and faith in

[07:07] Jesus. And may he be born again with a

[07:09] love of righteousness and the knowledge

[07:11] he has everlasting life all because of

[07:12] your amazing grace. In Jesus name we

[07:15] pray. Amen.

[07:16] >> Amen.

[07:16] >> Do you have a Bible at home?

[07:18] >> Yes.

[07:18] >> Any of your family Christians?

[07:20] >> My mother.

[07:20] >> She's praying for you and this is an

[07:22] answer to her prayers. So, honor her

[07:24] prayers by being genuine in your

[07:26] repentance. Okay.

[07:27] >> Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Will

[07:28] >> I give you a hug?

[07:29] >> Oh, yeah. Of course. Thank you for

[07:31] praying for me.

[07:32] >> I really appreciate that.

[07:32] >> And can I give you a book I've written

[07:34] called Scientific Facts in the Bible?

[07:35] >> Yeah, sure.

[07:37] >> And you listened in?

[07:38] >> Yes.

[07:39] >> Are you a Christian?

[07:41] >> Yes.

[07:41] >> I better give you a book, too. Okay.

[07:43] >> Okay.

[07:44] >> I have 30 seconds left to live. I'm

[07:46] dying from a gunshot wound. But what

[07:48] would you actually want to tell me if I

[07:49] have 30 seconds left to live?

[07:51] >> Um, boy, you got 30 seconds. In 30

[07:53] seconds, you're about to meet eternal

[07:54] judgment. And there's only one way that

[07:56] you can get bailed out of that. And it's

[07:57] not all the good things you did or the

[07:59] moral scorecard. It's whether or not you

[08:01] have Jesus Christ as your Lord and

[08:02] Savior. And that's the only thing that's

[08:05] going to matter. And so, you got 10

[08:07] seconds left of dying from a gunshot

[08:09] wound. And you ask the question, who is

[08:10] Jesus Christ? And the answer to that

[08:12] singular question, who is Jesus Christ?

[08:14] Is the most important question for

[08:16] everyone in the audience. Mo, not how

[08:17] much money you have, not how much good

[08:19] stuff you do. It is who is Jesus Christ?

[08:21] You might say, "Oh, Jesus was, you know,

[08:22] a teller of good tales, or Jesus was a

[08:24] good person, or Jesus was a historical

[08:26] figure." None of that's going to cut it.

[08:27] It's whether or not you repent and you

[08:30] ask Christ to come in as your Lord and

[08:32] Savior. That's the only thing that will

[08:34] save you from eternal damage. Here's an

[08:36] easy way to share your faith. Aluminum

[08:38] Ten Commandment coins, commandments on

[08:40] one side, the gospel on the other.

[08:43] Available at livingwaters.com.