Timestamps:
- -Introduction: 00:00
- -Scripture reading (Judges 6:25-30): 00:20
- -Prayer: 02:02
- -Who was Charlie Kirk: 02:35
- -The aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination: 04:50
- -The anger and sadness are understandable, but…: 07:44
- -The BIG question: 08:50
- -Understanding idolatry through Scripture: 10:09
- -What is an altar? How did they use it? What was its significance?: 11:04
- -What were the “groves” found throughout the Old Testament?: 13:09
- -The character traits of idol worshipers: 14:30
- -Idolatry and anger/fury in the left and right (Christians): 21:10
- -The Christian response to idolatry and a burning world: 24:11
- -I hope Tyler Robinson finds Jesus: 30:52
- -Christ, the answer to a lost and dying world: 33:05
Introduction
On September 10, 2025, the conservative movement and Christian community were shaken when Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University. Kirk, who had long been outspoken about his Christian faith, his opposition to abortion, and his defense of biblical values, was cut down in front of thousands of witnesses. His death left many grieving, many angry, and many struggling with how to respond.
For Christians, the question becomes pressing: how do we react in a burning world where those who stand boldly for truth are silenced? Do we join the chorus of crowd-pleasing outrage, or do we bear the cross of Christ, even in the face of violence and persecution? The message of Judges 6:25–30 gives us a powerful lens to answer that question.
Gideon’s Call: Tearing Down Altars
Gideon was commanded to throw down his father’s altar to Baal and cut down the grove beside it, then build an altar to the Lord in its place (King James Bible, Judg. 6:25–27). This was not a private act but a bold public confrontation with idolatry, and it provoked outrage from the townsmen who demanded Gideon’s death (Judg. 6:28–30).
Charlie Kirk spent his life confronting the modern altars of culture—abortion, DEI programs, LGBTQ ideology, and secular humanism. Like Gideon, he spoke boldly and challenged idols. And like Gideon, his defiance provoked hostility. His assassination revealed the reality that when idols are challenged, idolaters rise to defend them.
God’s people are not called to neutrality. When altars are toppled, something must take their place. Gideon built an altar to the Lord where Baal’s once stood (Judg. 6:26). Likewise, in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death, we cannot leave a vacuum. We must proclaim Christ, the only true foundation.
The Traits of Idol Worshipers
The men of Gideon’s city wanted him executed for daring to topple Baal’s altar (Judg. 6:30). Likewise, in the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, voices rose not to mourn him but to condemn him as divisive. Some even rejoiced at his death. This is the nature of idol worship—it always demands defense.
Ezekiel warns that men can set up “idols in the heart” (Ezek. 14:4). Idolatry is not confined to statues or altars; it includes ideologies, feelings, and identities that rival devotion to God. For many, politics itself becomes an idol—on both the left and the right. We see this when outrage, vengeance, or hero-worship eclipses devotion to Christ.
James describes false wisdom as earthly, sensual, and devilish, producing strife and confusion (Jas. 3:15–16). The rhetoric following Kirk’s assassination—whether celebratory hatred from the left or vengeful anger from the right—bears this signature. By contrast, wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, merciful, and fruitful (Jas. 3:17–18).
Cross Bearers, Not Crowd Pleasers
Paul exhorts us to bless those who persecute us, not curse them (Rom. 12:14). He forbids Christians from repaying evil with evil, reminding us that vengeance belongs to God alone (Rom. 12:19). This is radically countercultural, especially when anger burns hot after an assassination.
It is natural to feel grief and outrage in response to Charlie Kirk’s death. But if those emotions drive us to vengeance or idolatry, we have crossed into dangerous ground. Some on the right spoke of “war” after his death; others rejoiced in the thought of their enemies suffering. Both are betrayals of Christ’s command. We are not permitted to overcome evil with more evil—we must overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21).
As difficult as it may seem, even Tyler Robinson—the man who killed Charlie Kirk—can be forgiven if he truly repents and places his faith in Christ. This truth scandalizes the flesh but glorifies the cross. The blood of Jesus cleanses even murderers, as it once cleansed Saul of Tarsus. Our call is to pray for Robinson’s salvation, not rejoice in his damnation.
Guarding Against Idolatry in Ourselves
Many Christians have made idols out of political leaders, including Kirk himself. Though we honor his life and faith, he is not our Messiah—Christ alone is. When we elevate men to that level, we commit the same idolatry we decry in others.
When I wish ruin on my enemies, when I long for their destruction, when I rejoice at their downfall, I reveal idolatry in my own heart. This is not righteous anger against injustice; it is the idolatrous anger of wanting to be God.
Our response to moments like this reveals where our allegiance lies. Will we curse or will we bless? Will we worship idols or bear the cross? The world is watching.
Conclusion
Charlie Kirk’s assassination was not just a political tragedy but a spiritual test. It forces us to confront our idols, our loyalties, and our response to evil. Like Gideon, we are called to tear down false altars and build altars to the living God. Like Paul, we are called to bless our enemies and leave vengeance to the Lord.
We honor Kirk best not by idolizing him but by embodying the Christ he proclaimed—overcoming evil with good, blessing those who persecute us, and proclaiming salvation even to our enemies. In this burning world, the call remains clear: will we be cross bearers, or crowd pleasers?
