A Turn to Courage – Your Turning Point
A Turn to Courage
Together Church | Pastor Brandon Werner
September 28, 2025 | Series: Your Turning Point
INTRODUCTION
Throughout history, God has called men and women of faith to be His courageous witnesses to sinful people in hostile environments.
The first was Noah.
In the days of Noah, the people of the earth had fallen into great corruption and sin. Their sin was so great that God was sorry He had even made mankind…
Genesis 6:5-8, 11-14a
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood…
The wickedness and corruption of mankind is so apparent in these verses. But Noah found favor in God’s eyes.
In scripture, the Bible calls Noah…
- A “heralder of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5).
- It says his faith “condemned the world” (Hebrews 11:7).
- And scripture tells us that, through the flood, God revealed His righteous judgement towards sin to the world (Genesis 6-7).
Noah is the first of these “heralders of righteousness” in scripture, but he is not the last.
Throughout history, God has consistently called heralders of faith to be His courageous witnesses to sinful people in risky and hostile environments.
We see this in God’s activity in the Old Testament before Jesus came…
- Moses and Aaron risked their lives confronting Pharoah in Egypt.
- The prophet Samuel confronted the disobedience of King Saul.
- The prophet Nathan confronted King David’s adultery and murder.
- The prophet Elijah confronted King Ahab, Jezabel, and the prophets of Baal.
- Elijah’s apprentice, Elisha, took up his mantel and confronted the wicked kings of the northern kingdom, as well as foreign rulers who practiced what God abhors.
- Isaiah was a prophet who confronted evil among the kings in Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel.
- Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego bore witness for God to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon when they went to the fiery furnace because they would not bow to idols.
- Jonah was sent to prophesy God’s coming judgement for sin to the foreign people of Nineveh.
And time won’t allow me to tell of the witness of Michah, Hosea, Amos, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, and others who stood in the face of evil and gave courageous witness for God.
Jesus acknowledged these courageous messengers when He said…
Matthew 23:37
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”
The prophets of old were courageous witnesses for God to sinful people in hostile places…
Then came the arrival of Jesus.
Jesus left the glories of heaven to enter our hostile, sinful, and broken world. He came to be the light and to make us His light in a world living in darkness.
The presence of Jesus in our world has not turned down the heat, it has turned it up.
John 15:18-20a
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
The presence of Jesus in this world has turned up the heat for God’s witnesses. Jesus is the greatest revelation of the righteousness of God this world has ever seen. And that is offensive to the people living in darkness. His presence in this world is a constant indictment on the world and its sin.
And all those who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…
Since the arrival of Jesus, the persecution of believers has been a constant, unquenchable fire.
- John the Baptist lost his life for speaking out against the immorality of Herod Antipus.
- Stephen was the first martyr of the church – he lost his life for boldly preaching Jesus as the Messiah
- All the apostles were sentenced to death for their witness for Jesus Christ and for their courage to speak out against what is evil (and they were all killed after their sentencing except John, whom God spared and used to give us the book of Revelation)
- Paul was beaten, whipped, stoned, and imprisoned because of His witness for Jesus and especially for his strong opposition of the Jews and their insistence that righteousness could be obtained by the works of man
And throughout church history, thousands and thousands of men and women have been attacked, persecuted, and even martyred for their bold witness for God in a perverse, wicked, and corrupt world.
In many places, this has been the norm for believers in that society. Globally, it is estimated that nearly 5000 Christians were killed for their faith last year… and far, far more have been persecuted.
But America has been different.
Nearly 250 years ago, our great nation was founded on biblical principles. Many of the founders of this nation saw a vision of America being a light on the hill… a nation used by God for the propagation of the gospel to the ends of the earth to the end of the age.
Do you know what?
That vision has been largely realized in some astounding ways…
- No other nation in the history of the world has taken the gospel to more places than the United States of America.
- No other nation has done more to translate the scriptures and distribute them to the peoples of the world than our country.
- No other nation has invested more financial resources into sending missionaries to reach new people groups than our nation.
No nation is perfect. Like all nations, we’ve had our fair share of problems, godlessness, evil, and sin.
But I want you to see the bigger picture of God’s providence in our nation through a spiritual lens…
Along with any problems or sin issues we’ve experienced as a nation, running on parallel tracks has been unprecedented prosperity, freedom, and peace that has enabled God’s people to focus on the Great Commission and to carry out the mission of Jesus Christ.
For the most part, Christians in this nation have been able to live in peace, share their faith boldly, work openly to share the gospel and make disciples, and use their wealth to advance Christ’s Kingdom… all without fear of being attacked, significantly persecuted, or martyred.
What a gift!
It’s like God has used our country to pour accelerator on the fire of His gospel so that the world could know Jesus Christ.
But there are no promises in scripture that this season of prosperity and freedom will last in our nation.
We have an enemy who hates God, hates us, and hates how God has used our nation as a light to the world. His forces of darkness are working relentlessly to kill, steal, and destroy…
1 Peter 5:8-9
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
1 John 5:19
We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
The people of the world are lost in darkness and under the power and influence of Satan.
Ephesians 6:10-12
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
We are in a war, and we have an enemy. Our enemy is not the lost people of this world. Our enemy is Satan and what he does to blind the minds of unbelievers and hold them captive, so they do not see the light of the gospel and the glory of Christ.
And this war in our country has been intensifying…
For about half a century, the tides of morality have been significantly turning in our nation. Evil has been gaining a stronghold right in front of our very eyes.
Godly principles that were once part of the fabric of our nation have been torn apart and replaced by godless ideologies, evil worldviews, and sinful practices.
For the past half century, Satan’s strategy in America has been to hijack moral and spiritual issues and disguise them as political issues. Then, he’s convinced society and the church that religion has no place in the sphere of politics, so the church must be silent about these moral issues.
I’m not talking about public policies like the best tax structures, priorities in government spending, or which issues should be under state or federal jurisdictions.
Those are all important issues! There are even solid biblical principles that should be applied as we work out the best policies for a healthy and free nation. But tax structures and government spending aren’t the kind of issues I’m talking about.
I’m talking about issues of morality; of right and wrong; of good and evil. I’m talking about the truths of God that are being attacked by our enemy. I’m talking about the truth God has called men and women of faith to courageously bear witness to in this world. These are the issues Satan has highjacked and labeled political!
For far too long, too many in the church have consented to demands of silence on issues of morality in the name of political correctness.
These issues include…
- The sanctity of life; the murder of millions of unborn babies every year
- The sanctity of marriage and the family; perverting God’s design for marriage, calling God’s plan “sexist”, and convincing young people to forgo the blessing of having children
- The sanctity of being one flesh and physical intimacy; adultery, divorce, and promiscuity treated as normal and acceptable
- The sanctity of God’s design for men and women; the assault on biblical manhood and womanhood, the adoption of hundreds of so-called “gender identities”, and the perverted practice of mutilating healthy bodies… especially the bodies of children
- The sanctity of humanity; an attack on people groups based on the social construct of race and an attempt to divide people over racial disparities
- The sanctity of scripture; a departure from truth and a belief that there are “many truths” and no one should challenge or cross examine the claims of another
- The sanctity of justice; twisting what is good and calling evil “good”
These are not political issues… they are spiritual issues!
They belong to God and belonged to His Church long before they were assimilated into American politics.
The world is hostile towards those who speak God’s truth because they are still lost, under the influence and power of Satan!
When men and women of faith courageously proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, expose what is evil, and call people to repentance and salvation in Christ, they will be hated and attacked by the world.
If they did it to Jesus, they will do it to us.
And I believe that’s what we saw on September 10 when Charlie Kirk was killed.
Charlie was not killed because of his conservative political views or because of his stance on tax laws.
Charlie was killed because he was openly challenging moral issues in hostile places where Satan has deceived the minds of the lost.
Very specifically, Charlie was killed because of his witness to the truth that God made them male and female.
Charlie made statements like, “No one has ever successfully transitioned from being a man to a woman or a woman to a man; and they never will.”
In statements like these, Charlie was correctly upholding God’s design for male and female, taking a public stance on a moral issue, and challenging the delusions that have blinded the minds of unbelievers and kept them from seeing the truth of God.
All evidence overwhelmingly points to his death being incited by that specific issue.
Here’s the thing: I agree with Charlie Kirk on that position.
From this very platform, I have often born witness to the truth of God’s design for sexuality, marriage, and the family. I have identified evil perversions such as fornication, adultery, and homosexuality.
Charlie had a larger platform than me, and that made him a bigger target. But the spirit of hate that led to Charlie’s assassination doesn’t just want to silence Charlie… it wants to silence me – and you – and any person of faith willing to boldly stand up for God’s truth.
I beg you to stop looking at Charlie’s death through any kind of political lens. I know he was partisan. I know he probably said things you agreed with and didn’t agree with. I know his approach was refreshing to some of you and rubbed others the wrong way.
Could we stop all that?
I beg you to look past politics and look at the spiritual.
Charlie Kirk was killed because of evil spirits and lies at work in our nation. He was killed because he was unwilling to give evil a pass simply because it masquerades as politics.
For the past 18 days, we’ve been living in history.
Charlie’s assassination on September 10 was the start of that history. But just as historic as the assassination itself are the responses of people to that assassination. It’s been polarizing.
The church cannot afford to be polarized in our response by fixating on various political issues that Charlie supported or didn’t support. The church cannot afford to be divided in our response based on whether we personally think Charlie approached things the right way.
As the Apostle Paul said, we have to be careful that we don’t “bite and devour one another, [and] watch out that you are not consumed by one another.”
The response of the church must be united as we collectively pull back the spiritual curtain and reveal the schemes of the devil, the cosmic powers over this present darkness, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
When you’re living in history, it can be hard to see the forest because of the trees. And because of the incredible amount of available information, misinformation, and even outright slander about Charlie and Erika and this whole situation, it’s even harder to see the forest when the trees erupt in flames.
The church needs to look at what is happening with spiritual eyes and be eager to see God’s activity and providence in it all. It shouldn’t matter to us what the Republican Party is doing, or the Democratic Part, it should matter to us what God is doing.
God has called men and women of faith to be His courageous witnesses, to confront sin, and to point the world to Jesus Christ.
Satan will not stand for it. The world who hates Jesus and hates us will not tolerate it. The spiritual war rages on… and what happens in it has a direct impact the physical realm we live in.
Many have wondered…
Is this our turning point in America?
Many Christians have asked that question in hopes for a revival. You know, I hope for that, too.
If you look at our nation’s history, God has brought a national movement of salvation or revival every 30-60 years. This is easily provable in history. The last one was The Jesus Movement in the 1960s and 70s. Our own Jerry and Saundra Wells were both saved as young people during that movement.
Timing is always up to God. But if He decides to hold to this pattern of 30-60 years, we are due for another revival!
In the last 18 days, we’ve watched as the gospel has been shared with over 100 Million people through Charlie’s memorial service, viral clips, church services, and more.
As a believer, if you can’t see how God has been using these events so that millions of people are hearing the gospel and many are being saved… if you can’t see that AND get excited about it just because you disagree with Charlie or don’t like him, there’s something wrong with your heart.
That’s been encouraging to me personally, and I hope it’s been encouraging to you, but that’s not the turning point.
Honestly, I think the turning point in our country could go either way.
Could this be the beginning of revival? It could be!
For this to be a revival, it would have to move to an awakening where immorality was confronted, the hearts of people softened, and the gospel of Jesus proclaimed and received.
Maybe it’s revival.
Or maybe the turning point is a darker one…
Maybe our season of unparalleled prosperity, freedom, and advancement of the gospel as a nation is winding down. Many theologians have pointed out America doesn’t specifically seem to appear in end time prophecies. Maybe this season of God’s plan for our nation is coming to an end.
I hope it’s the former. I pray it’s not the latter. I desperately want to see God do it again and use our country once more to bring many to salvation and repentance through faith in Jesus!
Prayer matters! But the outcomes and God’s providential plans for our nation are outside our control.
What is within our control is this question…
Will this be Your Turning Point?
The scripture is clear…
“All those who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
Why is that the case?
Because living a godly life in Christ Jesus includes being heralders of truth. It means cooperating with the work of the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgement.
Here’s the truth…
Every time we share the gospel with the lost, we offend their minds.
This is why many Christians don’t share the gospel. Somewhere along the way, they’ve believed the lie that if they were doing it right others wouldn’t get offended.
But no one can be saved unless we first offend their minds! The need for salvation is revealed through the conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgement.
It’s offensive to be told you’re a sinner. It’s offensive to be shown you are unrighteous and that you cannot be righteous in your own power. It’s offensive to be told God’s judgement is coming and that you deserve death and eternal separation from God because of your sin.
All that is offensive to the mind of the unbeliever!
But these are the truths that can lead to conviction and repentance.
Sharing the gospel and speaking the truth about sin, righteousness, and judgement will always initially offend lost people. What they do with that offense will depend on what happens in their heart…
- If that offense leads to conviction and repentance, they will soften their hearts and be saved!
- But if that offense leads to resentment, they will harden their hearts and respond in hate.
That’s why all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Like Noah, God has called us to be courageous heralders of His truth. If we do our job and share the truth with others, we will offend them – and some of them will respond with resentment and hate.
Christians in America have been overwhelmingly sheltered from this kind of resentment and hate. We are like overprotected children who grow up shocked when exposed to the world.
It’s hard for many American Christians to imagine this kind of hate exists just because they share the gospel with others. But the fear of rejection is strong enough that many have been moved to silence.
Certainly, we don’t want to die or be injured for our witness.
But we also don’t want to be rejected.
We don’t want to lose relationships.
We don’t even want it to be awkward.
The beginning of Your Turning Point is a decision to be a courageous messenger for Jesus Christ, no matter the cost.
We are at war against spiritual forces of darkness and an enemy who wants to see us destroyed.
If the same spirit of hate that worked to attack Charlie Kirk had the opportunity through another willing vessel, it would work to attack and end my life and the lives of any others who stand up for God’s truth.
Sharing the gospel puts us at risk. You could be verbally or physically assaulted for standing for the truth. Will that stop you?
If you’re willing to share the truth, what does that look like?
I’m not encouraging you to start sharing edgy political posts on your social media to try to gain 100,000 followers. In fact, the way some are using social media is unnecessarily offensive and creating pointless barriers between you and the lost people God is calling you to reach.
What I’m encouraging you to do is renew your mind in Christ and to speak the truth of God’s Word without compromise in relationships.
- Be in the Word daily.
- Prioritize the preaching and teaching of God’s Word.
- Go to small group and practice discussing the scriptures and God’s truths with other believers.
- Be discipled so you can learn to think biblically instead of politically about the events happening in our world.
- Share the gospel and talk about issues of sin and morality with the people in your household. (Katherine, 9/11)
- Develop friendships with neighbors, classmates, co-workers, and acquaintances who are lost and look for opportunities to share the gospel with them.
- Learn to be a disciple-maker and disciple others into spiritual maturity.
As believers, we aren’t hostile towards people. We don’t take delight in proving we’re right. We aren’t motivated to discredit someone or rub our perceived political victories in their faces.
We are arbiters of light…
We know who our enemy really is. We care for the lost souls of people. We are ready to share God’s truths in love. We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives. We live in constant gratitude and bewilderment of God’s saving grace.
CONCLUSION
And why do we do it?
So that one more sinner might repent and be saved!
Go back to Noah’s ark…
God used Noah as His courageous witnesses to sinful people in a hostile environment. Through Noah, God revealed the severity of sin, the height of His righteousness, the need for repentance, and His glorious salvation.
The ark was a foreshadowing of Christ?
Through the ark, God made a way for people to repent and put their trust in Him. The only way to experience God’s salvation was to enter the ark.
In the same way, God has made a way for all people to repent and be saved from His judgment for sin. The only way to experience God’s salvation is to enter through faith in Jesus Christ.
INVITATION
To the lost – believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved!
Let the offense of your mind move your heart to conviction.
To the saved – be the courageous witness God has called you to be.
Stop thinking politically.
Start thinking biblically and spiritually.
Pull back the curtain
Align yourself with God’s truth.
Be arbiters of light in a lost and dying world.