Five Observations on the Murder of Charlie Kirk

Five observations on the murder. of Charlie Kirk. That is a topic we'll discuss today, right here on the Christian Worldview Radio program, where the mission is to sharpen the biblical worldview of Christians. and to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. I'm David Wheaton, the host.

The Christian Worldview is a non-profit, listener-supported radio ministry. You can connect with us by visiting our website. BellchristianWorldview.org, and the rest of our contact information will be given throughout today's program. As always, thank you for your notes of encouragement, financial support in lifting us up. in prayer.

The horrific and heinous murder of Charlie Kirk. a young husband and father, and conservative and Christian leader, has sent shock waves throughout the entire world. People are gathering all the All across our country. and even in other nations to remember this extraordinary young man. Many in the left, however, are revealing their hateful unmerciful hearts.

expressing their glee that Charlie Kirk has been shot dead. We live in a wicked world.

So as a follow-up to last week's program, we'll discuss five observations on the murder of Charlie Kirk. from the motive of the murderer. To the celebration. Of those who hate Charlie. to a caution for Christians.

Later in the program, we'll air part two of the interview with Mike Jendren of Proclaiming the Gospel Ministry. about understanding Catholicism and remembering the Reformation. But before we get to these two topics, I just wanted to do a short opening segment today on the Overcomer Foundation golf and dinner event that took place this past Monday, September fifteenth, here in Minnesota. At White Bear Yacht Club, which is located on a lake near St. Paul, Minnesota.

We've been promoting this event for several months, so I thought it would be good to do a brief recap and play some of the message. for those who weren't able to attend. This is our annual fundraising event for the Overcomer Foundation, which is the nonprofit organization whose mission is to help people overcome the challenges of life through embracing a Christian worldview. The Overcomer Foundation is the umbrella over three main endeavors. The first Thing the foundation does is radio.

That would be this, the Christian Worldview Radio Program, which is now in its 22nd year, I believe. That is only by God's grace. The second thing the foundation does is in-person events like the Overcomer Foundation Cup Golf and Dinner event, but also we host speaker series events which feature. A compelling speaker on a current issue. We also do the Overcomer course for young adults, as you probably know about if you listen to the program regularly.

That takes place in June and focuses on the most important foundational issues in life, like salvation, the authority of scripture, sanctification, singleness in marriage, all to help ground young adults in the faith. The third thing the foundation does. is resources. We carefully select video, audio, and print resources. that are available in our online store at thechristianwheelview.org.

that will influence hearts and minds consistent with our mission. The newest being our monthly print publication called the Christian Realview Journal. This is a 12-page, full-color, kind of like a mini-magazine of sorts, with three substantive articles on current events and issues of the faith. And by the way, the September issue should be arriving in your mailbox very soon if you're a Christian Realview partner, if you haven't received it already.

Now all of our staff from Brody to Kelly, Alicia, Rich, Rosie, and Soren are officially employed by the Overcomer Foundation. And the foundation is funded entirely by private donations. And resource sales. There's no federal or state funding for the foundation.

So, fundraising is a significant part of the reason we host. the Overcomer Foundation Cup golf and dinner event. But it's not the only reason. We aim to bring our mission to this event to impact believers and non-believers with the biblical worldview and the gospel. And one of the nice things about this event is that both golfers and non-golfers can attend.

The format of the golf is called a scramble, which makes it easier for golfers of varying abilities to participate. And golfers from well beyond Minnesota come to this event. We had golfers this year from Georgia and Texas, California, Montana, North and South Dakota, and probably some other places that I wasn't even aware of. And we had a great day. It was warm and beautiful mid-September weather in Minnesota, which is one of the nicest times of the year up here.

This is an historic course and golfers really enjoyed playing it. And then the dinner event. immediately followed the golf in the main clubhouse which overlooks White Bear Lake. Again, another beautiful setting, the sun going down that evening late in the day. The chef prepared a fantastic meal for over one hundred attendees.

of both golfers and nongolfers. And every year during the dinner event, I give what's called a message on the mission.

Something related to To what the Overcomer Foundation or the Christian Review Radio program is doing. And so at this year's event, I spoke on the importance of influence. In other words, it's about how we all are a product of those who influence us in life. In how important it is to actually choose influences that are going to lead us to godliness. and avoid influences that are going to lead us To not just worldliness in the opposite direction, but even those influences that lead us to just being shallow in life.

So I started the message that evening talking about how John MacArthur, has had such a major influence on my life not the only one, but one of the primary influences on my life. And here's a short audio portion of what I said about his influence. MacArthur studied preached and lived in a way that matched his his core conviction. That scripture is the inspired, the inerrant, the infallible word of the living God, and thus authoritative. for all of life and faith.

He was willing to take Really hard stands against compromises going on in the church, even if it meant parting ways with colleagues along the way. And above all, in the midst of a very busy life, he always remained focused on the main thing of the Christian life, which is to love Christ. above all else. I'm just going to give one personal story, although I would never claim to be a close friend of John MacArthur. Our families were acquainted with each other because back in my earlier days in tennis, we would go out to California when I was like 10 or 12 years old to play junior tennis tournaments.

And my mom and dad were listening at the time, so we'd attend the church while we were out there for tennis tournaments.

Well, years later, now in my early thirties when I was back out there training, he one time kindly invited me to play a round of golf with him. And he was a a good athlete and actually a a very avid golfer. And after the round, I I stayed overnight at his residence because I wasn't close to where I was residing at the time, up in Bakersfield, so he had me stay over at his residence before we would go our separate ways. in the morning. As I walked down the stairs in the morning, there at the kitchen table, this little small table, was John MacArthur.

in a t-shirt and sweatpants. With a Bible open in front of him, with just a little notepad of some things he was taking notes at. He wasn't, I don't think, preparing a sermon. But what he was doing was he was having his daily personal time with the Lord. There was no pulpit.

There was no congregation, there were no assistants around him, there were no cameras, there were no frills here. It was just a man who knew the book and as well as anyone. still seeking and embracing the author of the book. That image has Never left my mind. I remember it today of many, many years ago, as if it were yesterday.

And the influence of Hadami was If John MacArthur Saw his need to be in the word on a daily basis, just him and the Lord. how much more should I see that as a priority in my life? what a great influence that had on a young man at that time. You know, we all know the expression. You are what you eat.

If you eat junk food, you'll look and feel like junk. If you eat healthy nutrition, you're going to feel so much better. And so it is with those what we choose to eat spiritually in our lives as well, who we put ourselves under the influence of. If you make a diet of those who are sort of fast and loose. Was scripture You won't think and live soundly.

But if you put yourself under the influence of those who are solid with healthy preaching of the Bible, it will have a sanctifying. and strengthening effect. on your life. You know, influence actually works both ways. I've talked about MacArthur as positive influence in me, but influence works both ways.

Not only are we a product of who influences us. But we also have an influence on those who are close to us.

So the question is: Does our influence lead others toward God, His truth, in the gospel? Or does it lead them toward like the temporal and trivial aspects of life? Like who won the game last night? And next time we're playing golf, or just the kind of the shallow things of life? Or worse yet, We hope our influence does not lead towards someone moving away from God.

What kind of influence? Are we?

So then I went on in the message to explain how before God saved me. the influences in my life And the way I was influencing others was dishonoring to God in many ways. I gave a brief account of how God was deeply convicting my heart That I was going the wrong way. which didn't allow me any inner peace even despite the fact that I was having outward career success in professional tennis. But when I was in my mid twenties and I began to read the Bible, I begin to understand the gospel that God is the creator of all, and that I am accountable.

to him. And then I have broken his righteous laws and am alienated from him and stand condemned. But that Jesus Christ His Son came to earth to pay the death penalty for my sin. and that he is commanding me to repent and believe in the gospel. The good news that I can be forgiven of my sin.

and reconciled, made right with God. And by God's grace He led me to believing that. and that this was the most important turning point in my life. And then the message closed. this way with regard.

to Charlie Kirk. Watching what took place last week. with the horrific I guess you can't call it anything other than an assassination. of Charlie Kirk. He being one of the most impactful influencers as we talk about influence.

For not just conservatism, not just political conservatism. but also for the Christian faith. This should clarify exactly what the battle that rages for the souls of men and women that is taking place in our society today. It is Just horrific enough and dark enough that someone would would do this to Charlie Kirk. And I don't know if you know this about this young man who shot him, but he had grown up and I guess in a fairly conservative home that went off and he was influenced, again, where's the word, at a university that had a very leftist ideology, and he went very much against kind of the way his parents thought.

and he became involved in a relationship with another man. who thinks that he's transitioning to be a woman.

So the influences on this young man's life were very dark and and very wrong, and there was a bad influence on him. And while Charlie Kirk went on college campuses to try to influence people for political conservatism and biblical Christianity, There's the war you see. It was played out in front of our Shocked eyes last week. Jesus described this war. He said the thief, referring to Satan, comes only to steal.

in kill and destroy. And that's exactly what that young man did with Charlie Kirk. But Jesus said, I came. that they may have life. and they may have it abundantly.

Through God's empowering grace, because that's what grace is, it empowers us to be able to do God's will, we at the Overcomer Foundation. Are committed to standing firmly on the side of Christ and the abundant life. he offers. That is what we aim to do.

So I want to thank you for your prayer and support for this organization, the Christian Rule of Your Radio program, coming to this event today, for all the encouragement you give us throughout the year. As we try to boldly proclaim the truth of God's word and the gospel and be an influence for what is good and right. The importance of influence. That was the theme of the message at the Overcomer Foundation Cup golf and dinner event. It was a wonderful day and evening, and I want to thank all the golfers and dinner guests who attended and supported the Overcomer Foundation and the Christian Realview.

and also White Bear Yacht Club for their warm hospitality. I also must thank our wonderful staff and volunteers, combined about 15 of them there that day. who all served so well to the glory of God. You can view photos of the event at our website, thechristianworldview.org.

Now speaking of Charlie Kirk coming up in the next segment, we'll make five observations. as this major incident continues to unfold. I'm David Wheaton. You are listening to the Christian Worldview Radio Program. Here's a preview of the September issue of the Christian Worldview Journal.

Soren Kern writes about the seven feasts God established for the Jews to gather and worship Him, and how the Feast of Trumpets, which typically takes place in September, may be when Christ raptures church age believers. International journalist Alex Newman writes about the history of U. S. government schools and how Christianity has been purposely discarded. And my column is on the importance of godly influence.

The Christian Worldview Journal is a monthly 12-page full-color print publication designed to sharpen your biblical worldview on current events and issues of the faith. The journal is mailed to all Christian Worldview partners who support this radio ministry at $10 or more per month. To become a Christian Worldview partner or order an individual issue of the journal, go to thechristianworldview.org or call 188-646-2233 or or write to box 401, Excelsior, Minnesota. Mm-hmm. Scripture commands that children are to be brought up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Offering biblically sound resources for children is one of our top ministry priorities. At our store at thechristianrealview.org, you will find carefully selected children's Bibles and books along with video and audio resources. Check out the Bible infographics for kids' books, Little Pilgrim's Progress, and the popular Adam Raccoon set. Theo is a 15-episode video series addressing key doctrines of the faith that is a must-see for children and adults. Satan and the world are bent on capturing the heart and mind of your child.

Instead, get sound resources that will train them up in the way they should go. Browse in order at thechristianworldview.org or give us a call for recommendations at 188-646-2233. That's 1888-646-2233 or thechristianworldview.org. Welcome back to the Christian Worldview. I'm David Wheaton.

Be sure to visit thechristianworldview.org where you can sign up for our weekly email, the Christian Worldview Journal, monthly print publication, order resources for adults and children, and support the ministry. In this segment, we are going to discuss five observations. on the murder of Charlie Kirk. And the first one is this with regard to the killers Motive. The media is trying to act like they have no idea.

Why the murderer, Tyler Robinson, shot Charlie Kirk.

Well, the reason why Tyler Robinson shot Charlie Kirk. is the same reason that all intentional murder takes place. Hatred. Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5, verse 21. You have heard that the ancients were told.

You shall not commit murder. And whoever commits murder. shall be liable to the court. He's talking about the physical act of murder. He says in verse 22, but I say to you that Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court, And whoever says to his brother, You good for nothing, shall be guilty before the Supreme Court.

And whoever says, You fool, She'll be guilty enough to go into the fiery Hell.

So Jesus equates anger and hatred with murder because they go together. The sin of anger turns into hatred, and if left unchecked and unrestrained, will eventually come out in an act of violence which may include murder. Look at the first murder in Scripture: Cain murdering his brother Abel. Why would he do that? It's his brother.

Well, 1 John chapter 3. Starting in verse 11 tells us For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? What was his motive?

Because his deeds were evil, and his brothers, Abel's, were righteous. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother. is a murderer. There you go, the linking of hatred and murder.

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer. has eternal life abiding in him. That's from First John chapter three.

So Tyler Robinson shot Charlie Kirk, Because Robinson's deeds were evil and and Charlie Kirk's were righteous. He hated Charlie Kirk because Kirk stood in direct opposition to him. And Kirk spoke in favor. of biblical truth and morality and against immorality. You know, ironically.

Tyler Robinson grew up in a conservative home. But apparently When he went to college, he was quickly radicalize to the left. It totally altered his world view and led to a downward trajectory in his life. But this isn't just true for Tyler Robinson, the assassin. It's true of anyone who rejects and rebels.

Against God, they're in a downward spiritual spiral with no Holy Spirit to restrain them. This is a bad situation. Look at Romans chapter 1, starting in verse 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness. in unrighteousness of men And here's the first sign who suppress the truth.

in unrighteousness. Because that which is known about God is evident within them. For God made it evident to them. In other words, God puts a knowledge of Him. in all of us.

And we have to suppress it. to put it out of our minds. Verse 21, for even though they knew God, They did not honor him as God or give thanks, but but they became futile in their speculations in their foolish heart. was darkened.

So look at this chain here. There's a suppression of truth. There's a dishonoring of God. then they become futile in their speculations. and all of a sudden their foolish heart is darkened.

Boy, if that isn't an explanation of a murderer like Tyler Robinson, I'm not sure what is. But it doesn't end there. There's more decline. There's a downward cascading, spiraling effect here. Verse 24, Romans 1.

Therefore, what does God do? God gave them over. in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchange the truth of God for a lie in the And worshiped and served the creature. rather than the Creator.

Who is blessed forever. Amen.

So God lets them go their own way. That is God's judgment when he just takes his hands off you and doesn't have any guardrails around you anymore, where you just go deeper and deeper into sin. That's a judgment in and of itself. Then they exchange truth for truth. For a lie.

and they worship their own lusts instead of worshiping The Creator. But it doesn't stop there. It keeps going. downhill. For this reason, verse 26, God gave them over to degrading passions.

The men Skipping forward here, abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men, committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty. of their error.

Well, this is exactly what happened to the murderer, Tyler Robinson. He became a homosexual with a male partner, but not just a male partner, a male partner who was trying to transition to being. A female. These are Degrading passions, as it says in Romans chapter one, verse twenty-six. There was a text message exchange that was released between Tyler Robinson and his homosexual boyfriend.

I was going to read a couple of paragraphs of that. Tyler Robinson said, Drop what you're doing. Look under my keyboard. This is after the murder took place. The roommate looked under the keyboard and found a note that stated I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk.

and I'm going to take it.

So his roommate responds, what? You're joking, right? Tyler Robinson responds I am still okay, my love. But I'm stuck. wherever he was, for a little while longer yet.

which was up near where he had murdered Trelley. Kirk and he had discarded his rifle in the woods and he wanted to go and retrieve it. He goes on to say it shouldn't be long until I can come home. but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest, I had hoped to keep the secret till I died of old age, but I am sorry to involve you.

And then the boyfriend says You weren't the one who did it right. And then Tyler Robinson says I am. I'm sorry. And the Boyfriend says, why? Robinson replies, Why did I do it?

Boyfriend replies, yeah. Robinson says I had enough of his hatred.

Some hate can't be negotiated out.

Now this is just classic. projection of someone on the left. Tyler Robinson is accusing Charlie Kirk of hatred when in fact that's just a projection of his own hatred on Charlie Kirk. Tyler Robinson, the murderer, is the one who's guilty of the hatred. that he is accusing Charlie Kirk of.

His hatred was the motive in this crime that led to murder. And finally, one more final stage of this downward spiral from Romans 1, and just as they did not see fit. to acknowledge God any longer? God gave them over to a depraved Mind to do those things which are not proper. Listen to what happens, being filled with all unrighteousness.

Wickedness Agreed. Evil Full of envy. Murder. Strife, deceit, malice, and it goes on from there. It's reject God.

Suppress truth. descend into indecent acts of im immorality, Your conscience is seared, you call good evil, and you call evil good. and that led to the murder of Charlie Kirk. This is a very depraved situation. You are quote unquote dating a man who is trying to become a woman.

which is of course impossible. While Tyler Robinson may not have been transgender himself, he was certainly sympathetic to the trans. Movement, which is an even deeper form of a rejection of God, deeper into Romans chapter 1.

So the motive here is the same reason Cain murdered Abel because he hated his righteous deeds. Tyler Robinson hated Charlie Kirk for what he was doing right. That's the first observation on The motive. The second observation has to do with The celebration in approval of the murder was By not just a few people, but by a shocking number of people from every walk of life. are posting all over the internet saying I'm glad he was shot.

Or F Charlie Kirk, or burn in hell, and or he deserved it, he's a hater. This is everywhere. This isn't rare. Here's just a small sample of that. Charlie Kirk just got put down like a f ⁇ dog in Utah and I could not be happier.

I do not, and I will not ever, ever, ever, ever, ever feel bad when bad people get what the fk they deserve. Charlie Kirk got shot? That's awful That's so sad Hope he recovers w w well. I just heard that someone shot Charlie Kirk? Dang it.

Draw. Shocks! Thoughts and prayers? And again Romans one speaks to this phenomenon, so to speak, as well. The last few verses of Romans one They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil.

disobedient to parents without understanding Untrustworthy. unloving. Unmerciful. And although they know the ordinance of God that those who practise such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but they also give hearty approval. to those who practice them.

Well, that explains it. Tyler Robinson, the assassin, is getting hard. hearty approval from all sorts of people. This is shocking.

So how do we explain this? By understanding the depth of the depravity of the human heart. Without God? without His sanctifying work? Without the work of the Holy Spirit in a life?

None of us are very many steps away from getting so hardened and calloused. that anyone who says something they perceive as hateful Well, that person deserves to die. But here's the deadly Conclusion. that is made. By those who hated him.

Well, if you say anything about my sin... If you don't even affirm my sin. You are a hater, and that makes me and other people feel badly, and does violence to us. And so therefore Haters must be stopped by any means. including murder.

How else can the celebration and approval of the murder of a young man, Charlie Kirk? husband and father. be rationalized.

so widely across our country. The third observation is the magnitude of this. Murder. Jolly Kirk was well known, but His assassination has caused people to rise up and act all around the world. This has been the same sort of visceral reaction.

like when George Floyd died here in Minneapolis while in the custody of a police officer. There have been vigils and nonstop news coverage. There was nothing else on social media for about a week.

Well, how do you explain that? Of course this was a terrible murder in broad daylight. But I think it's at least partly explained because there is a large majority in this country who have watched the left take over the Political realm to a large extent. educational system, the media entertainment. And then Charlie Kirk comes along and speaks articulately.

against the left. and he must be stopped and he's shot. And so many have been inspired by the boldness and the the world view and the faith of Charlie Kirk. and they are having courage to to speak out. And who knows how far this is going to go?

There's going to be a memorial service for Charlie Kirk on Sunday. With tens of thousands of people there in a football stadium in Arizona.

So, God is directing the follow-up to this horrific event, as He does with everything, to advance His plan for. our country and the world to reveal the stark difference between dark and light. to make his saving gospel known. It's Just amazing to watch. The fourth observation is that there is a cheer And there's a caution.

for biblical Christians. Charlie Kirk was young. Smart. driven A visionary. politically conservative and spiritually born again.

These are all good things. Be inspired by his example to be bold, to be to dialogue and unashamed of his faith in the gospel. What Christians should cheer is how the gospel is being proclaimed widely and boldly as a result of the murder of Charlie Kirk. Frank Turek of the Apologetic Ministry cross-examined the They do events on college campuses. was a friend and mentor of Charlie Kirk.

Frank was actually standing close to Charlie in Utah when Charlie was shot. And Frank just released a podcast about what took place. It's it's raw and touching. Then Frank was asked to be on Shawn Hannity's program and Fox News channel. and Frank went straight to the Gospel.

You cannot minister to people by staying. Safe all the time. You have to extend yourself in order to do that, in order to minister to people. And so Charlie did that. Every one of those guys.

would have Died to save Charlie because they loved him. And it's interesting that that was Charlie's message to the world: that Jesus died. Because he loves us. And by trusting in him We can not only be forgiven, but we can be given his righteousness. And thankfully, all around the world now.

As you know, Sean, people are starting to rediscover that there's more to life. Than just entertainment. There's more to life than just money. There's more to life than just sex. There's more to life than just power.

Because you're gonna be dead a lot longer than you're gonna be alive. And Jesus. Came to save us from our own inequity, our own sin. And that was Charlie's message. In fact, recently he said, politics is peanuts compared to Jesus.

It's peanuts. And he was interested in politics and he knew it had importance because it does help protect innocent people from evil. And thankfully, we have a government now that's doing that. But in light of eternity, the most important message, and it's where Charlie is now, is to be forgiven and given the righteousness of Christ. And that was his message.

That was his message, Sean. And I was privileged to try and help him answer questions related to that. What you just heard went out on Fox News channel in prime time.

So well done, Frank. We applaud this, and we need to take opportunities ourselves in our own spheres of influence to explain the gospel and the assurance of heaven for the believer. because of what Christ has done. But there's a caution in this whole incident as well for Christians. Politicians and Christians from every stripe are jumping on the Charlie Kirk bandwagon right now.

and using him for their own purposes.

Now for his memorial service I have no doubt that his pastor will preach the gospel, which will be fantastic. But in this big of a movement, be discerning that the narrow way the pursuit of holiness. the rejection of worldliness, Sound doctrine. the priority of the local church.

Well, these things often get neglected for the sake of unity. in growth. Satan and the dark side are working overtime, not just to steal and kill and destroy. but to confuse the gospel. to misrepresent God in the truths He reveals in His Word.

To get people going down the wrong paths, even though these paths may appear to be Christian. to sacrifice Biblical truth for the sake of Ecumenical unity or political gains. You know, quote, going to church. That's not good enough. There are far too many churches that preach another gospel, a false gospel, Galatians 1.

repenting and believing in the real gospel, being baptized and becoming a member of a sound Bible teaching church is the way that honors God. And while Charlie Kirk was a born again believer and admirable in many ways, In my view, Christians should not be looking directly to him. You probably wouldn't even want that. or TPUSA, his organization he led. For spiritual guidance.

but rather looking to older Sound pastors who have been tested. and found faithful at handling the word of truth. and shepherding local churches.

So Christian there are things to cheer about in this. But be discerning. And finally, my fifth observation is just a short one, here come the conspiracy theories. Mossad, Israeli Secret Service, did this because Charlie Kirk apparently said something negative about Israel. I don't know if he did or not.

Or the Democrats did it because Charlie Kirk was too influential on the younger generation. He brought too many votes to the Republican Party. Or there were multitudes of people involved in the Assassination of Charlie Kirk. I have no idea whether any of this is true. or whether we will ever find out the truth.

Beyond Tyler Robinson, this young man just got a rifle and went and shot Charlie Kirk at an event in Utah. I'm just saying this because conspiracy theories get easily propagated. And there are always aspects. of these theories that seem plausible. And there may be truth in them.

But don't bite on them before there is incontrovertible evidence. All right, short break to tell you about some ministry resources and updates.

Next, we'll hear part two of the interview with Mike Gendren of Proclaiming the Gospel. Ministries about understanding Catholicism. in remembering the Reformation. This was supposed to air last week until the murder of Charlie Kirk caused a change in our programming. I'm David Wheaton.

You are listening to the Christian Worldview Radio Program. What is the Christian Worldview Radio program really about? Fundamentally, it's about impacting people. Families, churches, with the life and eternity-changing truth of God's Word. We know the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only message that saves us from God's wrath.

By God's grace, for for God's glory. And we know the Bible is the inspired Word of God, providing the only way to think and live to the glory of God. We are a non-profit listener-supported ministry. If you would like to help us impact listeners with the biblical worldview and the gospel, consider becoming a Christian Worldview partner who regularly give a specified amount to the ministry. As a thank you, Christian Worldview Partners automatically receive many of the resources featured on the program throughout the year.

To become a Christian Worldview partner, call Call us toll-free 188-646-2026. twenty two thirty three or visit thechristian worldview.org Here's a preview of the September issue of the Christian Worldview Journal.

Soren Kern writes about the seven feasts God established for the Jews to gather and worship Him, and how the Feast of Trumpets, which typically takes place in September, may be when Christ raptures church age believers. International journalist Alex Newman writes about the history of US government schools and how Christianity has been purposely discarded. And my column is on the importance of godly influence. The Christian Worldview Journal is a monthly 12-page full-color print publication designed to sharpen your biblical worldview on current events and issues of the faith. The journal is mailed to all Christian Worldview partners who support this radio ministry at $10 or more per month.

To become a Christian Worldview partner or order an individual issue of the journal, go to thechristianworldview.org or call 188-646-2233 or write to Box 401, Excelsior, Minnesota. Yeah. Welcome back to the Christian Worldview. I'm David Wheaton. Be sure to visit thechristianworldview.org where you can sign up for our weekly email, the Christian Worldview Journal, monthly print publication, order resources for adults and children, and support the ministry.

In the final segment today, we are going to hear part two of the interview with Mike Gendren, director and evangelist at Proclaiming the Gospel Ministry. For listeners in the Upper Midwest, Mike will be speaking at a conference in October in Minnesota on understanding Catholicism and remembering the Reformation. Mike was a Roman Catholic for 35 years before God opened his spiritual eyes to understand and believe the only saving gospel of faith alone. in Christ alone, apart from human works and merits. We'll tell you coming up how you can attend the conference.

The reformers, Mike. Recovered the gospel. That was the main aspect of the Reformation. There were other things, but that was a huge one. From the corruption that had been laid on the gospel by the Roman Catholic Church, as you mentioned earlier, to add works.

keeping the sacraments and doing certain things to merit salvation. And yet the reformers I'm talking about the men considered the leaders of that particular time. Their eschatology Remained more aligned with the Roman Catholic Church, correct me if I'm wrong, more amillennial in nature, not premillennial. There were also things taking place from Protestants. You mentioned the persecution of Protestants by Roman Catholics.

Well, it went the other way as well in certain cases as well. There was violence there. And then later in his life, Martin Luther began to Write some very anti-Jewish Sentiments down. And this was a turbulent time. It was a mix of a lot of good, but there was also some sinful and wrong things going on as well.

But how do you make sense? Of the good that came out of the Reformation, along with some of the wrong things or the errors. Good question, because a lot of people don't realize that the reformers they really focused on soteriology. And that is, how can a sinner become right with God? What is the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Is it what the Catholic Church was teaching? You may remember that the Catholic Church was teaching. You had to have grace, but it wasn't grace alone. It was grace plus merit. And then you had faith, but it was faith plus works.

You had Christ, but it was not Christ alone. It was Christ plus other mediators. In fact, it was the righteousness of the individual rather than the righteousness of Christ that. Would help save Roman Catholics. And then we also know that at the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church declared that the authority is not scripture alone, but they elevated tradition to be equal in authority to God's inspired word.

And then glory was going not only to God, but also to Mary and to the saints. But when you look at the Reformation, Scripture was the focus of all the reformers because it was the ignorance of scripture that made the reformation necessary. Remember, the Bible, the scriptures were being hidden from the Roman Catholics for some 900 years, and it was the recovery of scripture that made the Reformation possible. The reformers started translating the scriptures into the common vernacular, and then it was the power of scripture that gave the Reformation its enduring impact. But David, you brought up the negative.

Yeah, the Catholic Church was anti-Semitic. And so Martin Luther, having come out of the Catholic Church, he started writing his anti-Semitic writings. And again, the Reformers didn't focus on eschatology. Their primary focus was soteriology. And so they carried into their salvation experience the same eschatology of the Catholic Church, which was amillennial.

They don't believe that Jesus will rule and reign for a thousand years. Mm-hmm. And so, this is the good, the bad, and the ugly that came out of the 16th century. But praise God, the Reformers got justification by faith alone right. And the Catholic Church had been teaching a different way of justification.

As you know, that's the core doctrine of the gospel. If you get justification wrong, you can't be right with God. And if you get justification wrong, you get the gospel wrong. I think it was the reformers that said. Justification is the very hinge upon which the gates of heaven open and close.

So. They restored this most important doctrine of justification to the people. And it completely changed Western civilization, by the way, this Reformation period, because it led into other things even outside justification by grace through faith and how societies and leadership occurred and nations operated, and this country was. Founded by the Puritans and the Pilgrims and so forth, who were direct descendants of this time of the Reformation.

So, the values, even our system of government and separation of powers, all of these things came out of Reformation thinking that started in the 1500s. And one thing I forgot to mention that one of the reasons why the Reformation so exploded in the 1500s and not earlier was, I believe, partly because the invention of the printing press. And as you mentioned, the Bible being printed in people's own languages where they could read it for themselves. I don't believe that was the case back in the earlier centuries beforehand with John Wycliffe and Jan Hus. They didn't have that benefit that, as you mentioned, God sovereignly brought about in the 1500s.

Now, Mike, Europe today largely actually represents, if you look at a map, and people's worldviews, just basic worldviews, represents the boundaries established during the Reformation, where there's Lutheranism, more Protestantism in the north part of Europe. Roman Catholicism more in the south, like in Spain and Italy and France and so forth. Then you have the United Kingdom. which is kind of a mix of both. You have some Anglicanism and Presbyterianism, but also you have some Roman Catholicism because that country kind of went back and forth during the Reformation.

And yet All of Europe, Mike. has become Secular and humanistic. And I think the question is: was such a pivotal, momentous time that impacted the entire world in our country today. Why didn't the worldview of the Reformation endure in Europe?

Well, again, I think it goes back to... Satan being the God of this world, and we know from scripture that in the end times there will be a great apostasy, a great falling away from the faith. Wow, we're seeing that so. Prevalent today within the evangelical church because now you're seeing evangelical leaders signing unity accords with Roman Catholics. And this is heartbreaking because it's really put the Roman Catholic religion off limits to evangelism because the average evangelical in the pew doesn't know if the Catholic Church represents a mission field or if it's a Christian denomination made up of brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Vatican attempted to reverse the Reformation right after the Reformation started, but Luther responded this way: He said, Popish writers pretend that they have always taught what we now teach concerning faith and good works, and that they are unjustly accused of the contrary. Thus, the wolf puts on the sheepskin till he gains admission into the fold. And so now we see the Roman Catholic religion also trying to unite all of professing Christianity, just like it did. Back at the Reformation time. I'm sure your listeners are familiar with some of the Evangelical and Catholic Togethers Accord signed by prominent evangelicals, but the Manhattan Declaration is the most recent one.

And the opening statement of the Manhattan Declaration dares to say that we are Christians. Which in parentheses, Catholics, Orthodox, and evangelicals who have joined together across historic lines of ecclesial differences to proclaim the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in its fullness.

Well, David, you know that is absolutely false. The Roman Catholic gospel is a gospel of works, righteousness, sacraments, good works, and yet. Evangelical leaders, I think the last count was over 600,000, have now signed the Manhattan Declaration, daring to say we share a common faith in the gospel. And so, what you see is the great apostasy from the gospel. I think the greatest attack on the Christian faith today is on the purity and the exclusivity of the gospel, because most evangelical leaders.

Are not Proclaiming the exclusivity. Instead, they're looking for unity with more and more people so that they can gain a larger following. Yeah, that was incredibly troubling. The Manhattan Declaration, the way it started out, with the assumption that Evangelicals, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox are all part of the same. group of faith truly saved.

What a way to confuse. The gospel really harms people from understanding what they must do to be saved and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Mike Gendren is our guest today here on the Christian Worldview, talking about understanding Catholicism in light of a conference he's going to be speaking at in the Minneapolis area october tenth through twelfth. And with the anniversary of the Reformation starting coming up in October, we are also discussing that as well.

Now, Mike, you have been leading, proclaiming the gospel ministry for many, many years, decades. And the focus of that ministry is to reach out to Roman Catholics to explain the true biblical gospel. That God used to save you back in your 30s, and that is what you do. with proclaiming the gospel. And yet We see that Roman Catholics, like really anyone who has strong convictions about what they believe, whether they're conservative or liberal politically.

People tend to be very wedded. To their beliefs. In this case, let's say specifically Roman Catholics tend to be, if they've been raised in that church, they tend to be very wedded. You know, don't bother me with the facts of what the Bible says. This is what my priest says, and this is the way we've always done it.

What are some ways that would be helpful for listeners today who have Roman Catholic friends and acquaintances and so forth to engage with them for the gospel? Yeah, I'm so glad you asked that because What you've described is The stubborn resistance that you have to expect when you witness to Roman Catholics, because indoctrination is a very captivating power that causes a strong resistance to God's word. I really believe that religious pride may be Satan's most powerful tool to blind people from the light of the gospel and the glory of Christ. From the time you can think, if you're born into a Catholic family, you're indoctrinated with the idea that the Catholic Church is the one true church and will get you to heaven as long as you're faithful to the church. And ultimately, many Catholics put their faith in the church and the religion and the priesthood rather than in Christ.

There are some obstacles to overcome when you witness to Catholics, and they are utterly dependent upon their priest. They believe baptism is the means of regeneration. That's how Catholics enter the church is through water baptism. And so Roman Catholicism is no different from any other religion in the world that teaches or works righteousness salvation. And that's because Satan is behind every religion.

He knows that works nullify grace. And so he creates all these religions that teach you must do things to appease your God. Roman Catholicism is no different. They teach Catholics you must do things in order to be saved. Rather than trusting in the finished, all-sufficient work of our Lord Jesus Christ, they teach you must do things to be saved.

And so that's why we need to make sure when we witness to Roman Catholics that we point out what the gospel is and everything that they're believing that opposes the gospel so that they can repent. of any false teaching and trust Christ alone. I so appreciate Mike's love for Roman Catholics and that he has devoted his life to explaining. The same gospel of grace that saved him out of the works righteousness religion of Roman Catholicism. and so appreciate his conviction on Scripture alone as the final authority for life and faith.

If you live in the Upper Midwest, Mike will be speaking at the Understanding Catholicism Conference at Anchor Bible Church in Plymouth, Minnesota, October 10th through the 12th. Just go to thechristianworldview.org to find a link for more details and to register. Thank you for joining us today on The Christian Worldview and for your support of this non-profit radio ministry. In light of our topics today with regard to Charlie Kirk, and Mike Gendren on Roman Catholicism. Let's pursue what Scripture says.

Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men. be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

So until next time. Think biblically. Live accordingly and stand firm. The mission of the Christian worldview is to sharpen the biblical worldview of Christians and to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. We hope today's broadcast encouraged you toward that end.

To hear a replay of today's program, order a transcript, or find out what must I do to be saved, go to thechristianworldview.org or call toll-free 188-646-2233. The Christian Wheelview is a listener-supported, non-profit radio ministry furnished by the Overcomer Foundation. To make a donation, order resources, become a Christian Worldview partner, sign up for our weekly email or the Christian Worldview Journal monthly print publication, or to contact us, go to thechristianworldview.org. Call 188-646-2233 or write to box 401, Excelsior, Minnesota, 55331. Thanks for listening to the Christian Worldview.

Uh