9/14/25 “Triumphant”
“Triumphant”
1 John 5:1-12
When I was in grade school, I remember taking a field trip to a local botanical garden…
When our school bus arrived, a staff member at the garden led our entire class through rows and rows of beautiful flora & fauna…
We were told about all kinds of flowering plants and shrubs…annuals and perennials.
Honestly, I don’t remember much about the plants from that day, but I do remember something that stuck with me from that trip.
The tour was just about over when our teacher called our entire class over to look at a specific flower that she thought was extraordinarily beautiful.
She mentioned how she had many plants of this variety around her own house…and how she so loved gazing upon them every morning with her warm coffee mug in hand…
As the tour wrapped up and we were getting back on the bus…I happened to look back just in time to see one of my classmates purposely break off a large stem containing a gorgeous flower from the exact plant that our teacher was just showing us.…
…the kid not only broke off the stem…but then threw it to the ground and rubbed the petals into the ground with his shoe….
He was all by himself, too…it wasn’t like he was being egged on by friends…or reacting to a dare of some kind.
He knew that his teacher loved that plant…and – perhaps due to his own disdain for her – he felt compelled to destroy the very thing that she loved the most in that entire garden…
This was probably the first time in my life that I witnessed man’s natural sinfulness unfolding right before my very eyes…
The hateful & destructive actions of a 10-year-old boy in a flower garden had just preached a sermon to me louder than words could convey…
It taught me that there is something wrong within humanity...
Rather than – by nature - desiring to love and serve others…our natural inclination is to hate and destroy others.
It taught me that when someone is angry, he will resort to destroying what other people have…or what they love…in an attempt to ‘even the score’
And…it taught me that when arguments cannot be won with words, man will resort to violence…and even death…in an attempt to gain the upper hand on his adversary…
Forty-some years ago on my field trip to a botanical garden it was the death of a beautiful flower…
…Last Wednesday it was the death of a beautiful human being…
Charlie Kirk was beautiful, not because he was a successful entrepreneur…
…not because he was a popular and influential voice for many young people…
…not because he was a good husband and father…
…not because of his deep patriotism…
…not because of his political stance for conservative values…
Charlie Kirk was beautiful – first and foremost - because he loved & served Jesus Christ…
…AND he was not afraid to tell the entire world about how Jesus changed his life!
In Romans 10:15, the apostle Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah’s words when he says: “….How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!”
This passage reminds me of Charlie Kirk.
Charlie brought the good news of the gospel to an entire generation – many of whom never heard it growing up as children
Charlie was not a professional pastor by trade…but he stood up for biblical truth in a way that many so-called ‘Pastors’ today unfortunately refuse to do.
He boldly proclaimed the raw, unedited message that we are all born into this world as disobedient sinners…desperately in need of a savior….
We all enter this world with the tendency to want to break the garden branch of whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy…
…and grind it into the ground under our souls of pride, jealousy, and greed.
This is a picture of mankind without the supernatural change in one’s nature that can only come by way of a genuine, saving relationship with Jesus Christ!
Charlie Kirk was not a perfect person…like all of us, he was sinful and in need of a savior….he readily admitted that fact on numerous occasions.
But what I admired most about the man was that he – by all accounts - consistently lived out what he professed to believe.
Those who knew him best all said that…he was passionate about loving & obeying his savior – and passionate about loving & serving others….even those with whom he disagreed.
Brothers and sisters…let the life…and death…of Charlie Kirk be a wake-up call for all of us to live with more passion for Jesus!
Let it be a wake-up call to be bolder about talking to others about our faith.
Let it be a wake-up call to reflect the love of Jesus to others…regardless of their philosophical or political views.
I so admired how Charlie treated every single person who stepped up to the microphone of debate with respect & dignity…
He understood that every human being has eternal value because they are made in the image of God….
…a truth that many people today simply don’t adhere to
Love for others was of supreme importance to Charlie Kirk…and it ought to be for us as well.
Our passage for today from the book of 1 John speaks to the necessity for Christians to love other people….
…especially our brothers & Sisters within the household of faith.
Verse 1 (1 John 5:1) says: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.”
Verse 2 (1 John 5:2) …then…is the corollary to verse 1 “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands.”
In other words…if you love God…you will obey Him…and if you obey Him, you will love others…and by loving others, you give evidence to the fact that you also love God…
…see how that all comes back around to where we started?
Remember a few weeks ago, we looked at 1 John chapter 3…where verse 14 (1 John 3:14) says: “We know that we have passed from death to life , because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.”
One reason why Charlie Kirk had so many admirers is that he conveyed genuine love to them….he chose to actively do loving things for other people…
…he was – by all accounts - not self-centered – not self-focused….like so many people are today….especially celebrities.
Ultimately – in the end – love wins.
Love reigns victoriously supreme over everything else in the universe…
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
That will never change.
I’m reminded of the lyrics to a song by Collin Raye called “Love Remains” released exactly 30 years ago: Kingdoms come and go, but they don’t last…before you know, the future is the past…In spite of what’s been lost or what’s been gained…we are living proof that love remains…we all live, and we all die…but the end is not good-bye…the sun comes up, and seasons change…and through it all, love remains….an eternal burning flame…hope lives on…and love remains.
The bullet that pierced the air Wednesday afternoon in Utah was motivated and executed by hate….but hate will not win.
Satan and his legion of demonic minions will never have ultimate victory…and they know that
Their fate was sealed through the victory over death & sin that Jesus Christ won upon the cross..
…and This victory is shared by all who place their faith and trust in Him as Lord and Savior of their life.
Verses 4&5 of today’s passage remind us that – through Christ – we can have victory over the ways of this world…and the evil that manifests itself all around us.
Verse 4 (1 John 5:4) says “For everyone born of God overcomes the world….”
And verse 5 (1 John 5:5) reiterates that it is the believer who will experience this spiritual victory….this ultimate triumph through faith in Christ.
I have here today a small white rock/stone.
I picked this up about 10 years ago on the shores of Catalina Island…just off the coast of California.
(Not sure if I was supposed to take it…I’d appreciate it if you didn’t turn me in to the California dept of Natural Resources 😊)
In the first century, they used to give out awards to athletes who were victorious in various events…
…sometimes it was a wreath….or a jar of olive oil …or money.
…We are told that In the city of Pergamum, it was a white rock that was given to each victorious athlete.
Jesus says in Revelation 2:17: “…to him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.”
These white stones given to victorious athletes would also serve as an admission pass to special celebrations only for the winners to attend…
Brothers & Sisters in Christ…you will someday receive a white stone of victory…a white stone of triumph….- a stone much better than this one!
…and you will be invited into the celebration of the lamb for all eternity!
The evil ways of this world cannot drag you down into the mud of defeat if you have given your life to Jesus.
When I was a kid, my uncle used to take my cousin and I to the tractor pull at the Sauk county fair every year…it was something we both looked forward to.
We would usually catch some dinner at Pizza Hut, then head over to the fairgrounds for a night of tractors, noise, and smoke.
I distinctly remember one year after all of the tractors for the evening had pulled….The national guard came out from behind the curtain with…an army tank!
They slowly backed the tank up to the eliminator sled…. black smoke began to bellow from the massive 65-ton, 1,200 HP machine….
….a whistle began to fill the air…and…with a loud growl…away it went…purring down the track with the sled tagging along
It kept going…and going…and going…all the way to the end of the track…and beyond….until it was practically out of sight.
…The eliminator was no match for the army tank…the increased weight moving forward on the sled never even slowed the tank down
…While all of the regular farm tractors eventually succumbed to the eliminator…the tank never flinched…
…it was a completely different animal than the tractors
…the sled could not drag it down into defeat – as it had successfully managed to do with every single entry before…
Brothers & Sisters...community of the white stone….this world has no power over you!
The kingdom of Satan has no authority over a citizen of the Kingdom of God….and THAT is who you are!
Like that army tank…you are a different animal!
…You are a different creature….Paul calls you a NEW creature…
…you have the power through the presence of Holy Spirit within you to never allow that Satanic sled of hatred, apathy, jealousy, violence, anxiety, depression, or addiction drag you down into the dirt of defeat!
Remember Romans 8:37? “…in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”
As Believers, we can experience triumphant victory today – right now….even though the spiritual war still wages within you…you battle a defeated foe!
Satan is a wounded animal…he’s bleeding out and he’s doing everything he can to drag humanity into that eternal, fiery abyss where he and his demons will spend eternity.
Evil may roar…but God still reigns!
Paul continues in Romans (Romans 8:38-39) “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Charlie Kirk knew this gospel truth.…you and I know this gospel truth…
….and Satan knows this gospel truth too…and it makes him enraged!
He is enraged to think that mankind has a way out from under the curse of sin.…
it makes him enraged to know that eternal hell will not be the final chapter in the book of the believer….
…and it makes him enraged to see people humbly come to faith in Jesus, accept His grace, and bow in obedience before the throne of the one true God….
Satan whispers words of deadly intentions into the weak minds of deranged and hateful individuals…like the one who pulled the trigger on Wednesday afternoon in Utah.
And – sadly – there are far too many people falling victim to his deceptive lies of destruction.
…from a bus in Charlotte…to a Christian School in Madison…to a college in Utah….
All that is good, and pure, and true, and right is falling under attack in this country….
But I also believe that Wednesday could – quite literally – mark a turning point in this country…. A turning point back to God.
If we look at the history of the church, many times we see great revival and awakening in the wake of deadly persecution…or a high-profile martyrdom.
Remember Stephen, the first martyr of the church?
In Acts 6:10, it is said that the jealous men of the synagogue were not able to “stand up against (Stephen’s) wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke” (Does that sound familiar?)
So, they hatched a plan to have Stephen murdered…and in Acts 7:58, they put him to death by stoning him.
But…God used the martyrdom of Stephen to exponentially grow the church.
As believers were scattered, they took the message of Jesus to new places and people….a horrific event that was intended to silence the gospel message had the exact opposite effect…
Folks, I truly believe that Wednesday’s horrific event will have a similar effect…
….I believe that – many young people especially – will be drawn to the savior through the cowardice act of a sniper full of hate…
Whether it was a stone flying through the air in the year 36AD, or a bullet piercing the air in the year 2025AD….Satan is continually trying to silence the church and derail its influence…but, you know what? - he will not succeed.!
Jesus himself promises in Matthew chapter 16 that “….On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it”
Brothers and Sisters…now – more than ever – is the time to be bold in your faith.
Now is the time to show that no weapon made by man can ever silence – or eradicate - the supernatural mission of the church of Jesus Christ.
…and, yes, we may encounter persecution here as well.
Jesus said that if they hate our message…remember that they hated the originator of our message….so much so that they put him to death on a cross.
But…If you have submitted your life to Jesus Christ, you have absolutely nothing to worry about!
Your fate is secure in Him…..your destiny is certain.
As one person said this past week, death for the believer is a mere change of address.
Charlie Kirk was famous for saying this simple summation of the gospel: “Jesus defeated death so that you can live”
…And this is the theme of the remainder of our passage for today.
Verse 6 (1 John 5:6) speaks of Jesus coming by water and blood…
Most bible scholars believe this is referring to the bookends of Jesus’ 3 years of ministry….his baptism – and his death.
The baptismal water that represented his commissioning to ministry…and the shed blood on the cross….which represents his fulfillment of his ministerial mission.
….and – finally – verse 12 (1 John 5:12) summarizes so much of John’s gospel…and this epistle…when it says: “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
In a world infatuated with inventing more and more shades of grey…
John’s truthful words of black and white come blasting through the grey fog of philosophical humanism like an M1 Abrams tank blasting through the end gates of a pulling track….
The gospel of Jesus Christ is very simple.
If you have Jesus – you have life eternal.
If you do not have Jesus – your destiny will be the same as that of Satan and his demonic empire….eternal torment and separation from God.
I know many of you have experienced a wide range of emotions this week…
As have I….from disbelief, to sobbing, to praying that God will raise up someone to carry the mantle of Charlie Kirk into the future…much like he did with Saul of Tarsus after the stoning of Stephen.
Many of us have felt angry this week as well….really angry.
Angry that God allowed it to happen…angry at the disrespectful comments about Charlie online …angry that 2 young children have lost their daddy…and a loving wife has lost her husband.
But….Let’s be reminded that the gospel message of Jesus Christ is never advanced through anger and aggression.
This is the difference between Christianity and Islam, for instance.
If this had happened to a high ranking Muslim leader, there would already have been some sort of violent retaliation.
The song isn’t “They shall know us by our wrath”…. Rather, it’s ‘They shall know us by our love”
And – trust me, I know, it is HARD to reflect the love of Christ to the world right now.
If you recall, Stephen – as he was dying – said “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”
…And we all remember how Jesus said “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing”
…And I believe – if Charlie had been given the opportunity – he would probably have said something similar.
We need to remember that those who do not know Jesus have a moral compass that is broken….
…lost people simply cannot understand God’s Word of truth – because – as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:4 “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
This certainly does not excuse murder – or any other offense against humanity
…and many of us want Charlie’s killer to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law…
But remember this…you have spiritual insight that the rest of the world does not have.
Take a moment to thank God for that…thank Him for indwelling you with the Holy Spirit of discernment and wisdom…and comfort…and hope.
…and allow the Holy Spirit to give you the courage to stand up for your faith when called to do so…
….just as Mr. Kirk will forever be remembered for doing….
The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the Word of our God will stand forever!
Let’s Pray.