How to Honor Charlie Kirk and the Unstoppable Gospel
Charlie Kirk has been gone for 12 days.
Yet, his legacy echoes and resonates, shining through the darkness of disturbing celebrations, deceitful slander, and distracting headlines.
While I see the cracks and fissures of a world hostile to the truth, I also see something else: growing clarity, renewed focus.
Christians are waking up, some for the first time.
On the Sunday after Charlie was shot at a public event in Utah, I preached on the martyrdom of Stephen.
And, it is no stretch to connect the two.
Charlie was martyred, not for conservatism or political strategy, but for believing what faithful Christians have believed for centuries.
A Christ-less conservatism would not have gotten him killed.
It was his open confession of Christ and his refusal to bend to the spirit of the age that made him a high-value target.
In view of this, I’ve been considering this question: how do we live in the shadow of martyrdom?
Given the horrific murders and acts of violence we’ve seen in recent days, that shadow feels especially dark right now.
It would be easy to grow numb or retreat. But, Scripture doesn’t allow for that.
God’s Word declares that the gospel goes forth through suffering and opposition.
The Cross of Christ set the pattern; it is our normal.
And, in Acts 8, we see two Christian responses to Stephen, the first martyr: lament and bold proclamation.
Stephen’s friends buried him with great sorrow. But at the same time, the gospel spread like wildfire through the bold empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
These days, we are seeing the same responses to Charlie Kirk’s martyrdom: great sorrow and the relentless declaration of the gospel.
Vigils for Charlie have sprung up around the world, and, with them, gospel proclamation.
At the memorials held in Washington DC and Glendale, Arizona, we witnessed officials at the highest levels of government preach Christ, read the Word of God publicly, and pray in Jesus’ name.
Hundreds of millions of people have heard the gospel since Charlie was murdered.
His death has not stopped God’s mission; it has revealed it.
This is the story of Acts.
This is the story of the Church.
And, this story shows us what to do in shadow of a martyrdom.
1. In the Shadow of a Martyrdom: Lament and Mobilize (Acts 8:1–3)
“And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem… Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him” (Acts 8:1–3).1
Stephen’s death unleashed a wave of persecution. Believers were dragged from their homes. There was no time to breathe, no time to organize, and no time to regroup.
Yet, even in this chaos, Luke tells us, “Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.” Despite the danger, they honored their brother.
We need this reminder today.
We’re often tempted to skip lament. To avoid grief. To keep busy and pretend we’re unaffected.
But, when we fail to mourn, we risk hardening our hearts. Grief turns to anger, and anger to vengeance.
Anger void of grief will not lead us to the compassion exemplified by Charlie Kirk. And, it won’t lead us to the forgiveness that Stephen extended to those who stoned him to death.
Moreover, lament is an act of resistance.
To mourn the loss of a Christian whom the world calls “dangerous” and “deluded” is to defy the world’s judgment.
The devout men in Acts weren’t just honoring Stephen; they were affirming his theology. Stephen was no blasphemer; he was a beloved brother.
May the same be true of our response to Charlie. His death is a loss we must grieve. Let’s not move past it too quickly. Grief is good. Mourning is meaningful.
But, lament must not make us lame; it is not meant to paralyze but to propel.
Mourning must give way to movement and to mission.
2. In the Shadow of a Martyrdom: Preach the Gospel (Acts 8:4–13)
“Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).
The Church scattered, but not in silence; they scattered with the gospel on their lips, emboldened by the Spirit, even as they were persecuted by their enemies.
The name of one bold believer was Philip.
Philip was another servant like Stephen, who went to Samaria and “proclaimed to them the Christ.”
And, God gave him great success!
Demons fled, the paralyzed were healed, and the city was filled with joy.
Miracles proved the message, but it was the message that transformed the city: “the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.”
This wasn’t a strategy meeting or a branding campaign. It was not throwing big money at the problem. It was ordinary Christians living out their calling in extraordinary times.
They preached, and people believed.
The gospel advanced, not because life was easy, but because Christ was worthy.
So let me ask you: Is Christ still worthy?
Yes.
So, silence is not an option.
We must speak the truth as we live lives of boldness, clarity, compassion, and personal sacrifice.
To be silent is be selfish. To speak is to love.
Let us call people to the truth of Jesus Christ no matter the opposition, for His Word creates life (Rom 10:17).
3. In the Shadow of a Martyrdom: Beware of the Disingenuous (Acts 8:14–25)
A warning also arises from Scripture: whenever the gospel spreads, counterfeit faith follows.
People want the fame, fortune, and power that comes with a movement.
When the apostles arrived in Samaria, they laid hands on new believers, and the Holy Spirit visibly came on them. This was a unique moment confirming the unity of Jewish and Samaritan Christians.
In response to this divine display of power, Simon the Magician, who had once amazed the people with his magic, tried to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit.
And, although Simon previously professed faith and was baptized, Peter’s rebuke reveals the true condition of his heart: “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money… Repent… for I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity” (Acts 8:20–23).
You cannot manipulate God. Simon wanted power, not holiness. When baptism didn’t provide it, he offered money.
This is a warning for every revival and every movement of God.
The gospel will draw imitators who want to capitalize on opportunity, not embrace the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.
We already see this playing out in real time as people try to build platforms on the backs of a martyr, participating in shameless self-promotion, and twisting truth for their own gain.
So, we must be discerning. Not every voice that claims to be Christian speaks for Christ.
And, the disingenuous are more dangerous than the persecutors, because they do their work from within and compromise the mission and the message that must take priority over everything else.
Summary: Lament. Preach. Discern. Live Boldly.
So what do we do in the shadow of martyrdom? We lament. We preach. We discern. We live boldly.
It was how the Spirit moved in the early Church, and it is how He moves in the Church today. So, we must keep in step with Him.
We lament because life matters, because death is a curse, and because the loss of a faithful brother like Charlie Kirk should never be treated lightly.
We weep with those who weep, but not without hope.
Our mourning is not defeat; it’s our defiant declaration that what Charlie stood for is true and that death is not the end.
We preach the gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation.
Stephen preached it. Philip preached it. Charlie preached it.
And, we must preach it.
The world hates truth, but it cannot silence the truth.
Do you doubt it?
Look again to the Cross! Look and take heart!
Declare, debate, and dismantle lies.
Call people to repentance and faith with conviction and compassion.
We discern because not everyone who uses the name of Christ serves the cause of Christ. Counterfeits abound.
But, Christ is not a means to an end. He is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega.
And, His kingdom is not built by marketing, money, or momentum; it’s built on the truth, and His name is Jesus Christ.
So, let’s be wise and courageous, refusing to compromise, even when counterfeit voices sound popular or patriotic.
Lastly, we live boldly, because Jesus is alive.
Death didn’t stop Him, and it won’t stop His people. It didn’t stop Stephen. It didn’t stop Charlie. And, it cannot stop you.
So, “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28).
Conclusion
Charlie Kirk was murdered because He stood in the public square and declared Christ, applying His Word to life and politics and calling sinners to repent and trust in Jesus.
His faithfulness proved costly, but only in the short-term.
He is now experiencing everlasting pleasure and the fullness of joy in the presence of the One He lived and died for (Ps 16:11).
May we live like Charlie did.
May our lives point to Christ, so that when we die people cannot tell our story without sharing the gospel.
- All Scripture references in English Standard Version unless otherwise noted. ↩︎
