Our Faith and Charlie Kirk

Special Service of Songs and Prayer

After the Charlie Kirk Assassination

September 17, 2025

Homily

Hebrews 11

Our Faith

Pastor Virgil Hurt

The theme of Hebrews is the goodness of Jesus Christ. He is better than the covenant delivered by angels. He is better than Moses. He is better than Joshua. He is better than David. He is better than Melchizedek. He is the realization of the hope of all of the great saints and martyrs of the ages who longed to see the day of Jesus Christ, for in Him all the fullness of deity dwells. And He has come and has given His life so that He can give us His life, for He is the way, and the truth and the life.

The list of the heroes of faith all looked to the promises of God in hope that their lives and deaths were part of God’s glorious victory in the world. They laid down their lives knowing that God could take it up again. 39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. They were not complete apart from us, who have seen the glory that God has brought into the world through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

Many in their day may have said their lives were a waste, that the world defeated them and they did not accomplish much good in the world. That they were overcome by the world. But the Bible teaches that whoever is born of God overcomes the world. And how do we overcome?

This is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? We believe in the Son of God by faith and this faith overcomes the world. It defeats the world.

The enemies of God have had the same playbook for a long time. It goes like this, “We cannot answer them, let us wipe them out.” From the murder righteous Abel, to the massacre of the baby boys by Pharoah, to the mass murder of the babies in Bethlehem, the enemies of God have sought to kill and destroy. The list of Hebrews 11 martyrs reveals more of the angst of the enemies of God. And yet, God’s people grow. They thrive. They overcome.

In the book of Acts, the enemies of God cannot answer Stephen, so they murder him. The enemies of God cannot silence Peter, so they throw him in jail. The enemies of God cannot contend with the wisdom of Saul who was transformed by Christ, the great apologist for the Christian faith, the Apostle Paul. So, they chased him, beat him, imprisoned him and eventually martyred him. The method is neither new nor ultimately effective. Hate the message. Kill the messenger. But the powers have no other option. Their kingdoms will be destroyed because the Lord Jesus is the rightful King. They know this, so desperate measures are their only option.

But we will fight and fight to win and win we shall. 2 Corinthians 10:3–5  3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Those strongholds are the principalities and powers, wicked men in high places who oppose the kingdom of Jesus. They cannot answer the truth that is Gods’ creation ex nihilo, the fall of mankind into sin through disobedience, the redemption purchased by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, and the glorification of Christ and of all of saved humanity in Resurrection life.

They cannot answer how Jesus pays the price for sinners. They cannot tolerate God’s commands to do good and not evil and so they call evil good and good evil. They shout, and mob and riot and kill. But the Word of God prevails and grows. This outrages them even more and even as they are losing ground, they are emboldened to raise the rebellious fist at God.

Christian Martyrs are yearly added to the Hebrews list of heroes, mostly in Islamic countries where they are attacked for their faith. They are those whose faith in Jesus transforms the world. Their blood cries out from the ground. They are men, women and children of whom the world is not worthy. Their blood is the seed of the church.

Another martyr has been added to the list, our faithful brother, Charlie Kirk. His very name is Church and his blood, too, cries out from the earth, already seed that is sprouting in great abundance, 30, 60 and 100-fold. And the Lord’s add daily to the church, such as are being saved.

Take courage saints. Be courageous saints. All that is worth living for is worth dying for. Overcome fear with faith that inspires courage. The gates of hell shall not prevail. We are gaining ground. The enemies must lay down their weapons and their wills and declare their allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing less than complete surrender of the foe and total conquest of the kingdom of Christ will suffice.

The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. It is mighty for the pulling down of strongholds, every lofty thought raised up against Jesus Christ. The Word of God will prevail. It is the power that goes forth mightily defeating every foe, defeating every foe. Amen.