What kind of world do we live in? It's a question that hits differently when we're confronted with tragedy after tragedy. Where earthquakes claim half a million lives in Haiti. Where a calm Tuesday morning in September becomes a day of unprecedented terror. Where global pandemics shut down economies and displace millions. Where children are trafficked in numbers that should horrify us all, right here in Central Florida, one of the highest trafficking locations in the world.
What kind of world is it when we watch a peaceful Christian leader assassinated on live television, and the response from millions isn't horror but mockery and celebration? What kind of world celebrates murder?
I'll tell you what kind of world this is: it's exactly the world Jesus told us to expect.
Jesus Warned Us About This
In Matthew 24, Jesus' disciples asked him about the signs of the end times. His response wasn't meant to terrify us but to prepare us. He said we'd see wars and rumors of wars, nations rising against nations, famines, earthquakes, and persecution of believers. He warned that many would turn away from faith, that false prophets would deceive people, and that "because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12).
How can people watch another human being die and laugh? How can they celebrate death, regardless of what that person stood for? The answer is simple but sobering: when love grows cold, hearts become hardened to the point where celebrating evil seems normal.
But here's what I want you to hear clearly: Jesus told us these things "must happen" (Matthew 24:6). Just like seasons must change for God's natural order to continue, these painful events are part of God's sovereign plan leading to His ultimate victory.
The Question That Matters
The question isn't "Why is the world this way?" The question is "How do we live in a world that is this way?" And I believe the answer is simple: boldly.
Learning from Stephen's Boldness
When I think of boldness in the face of persecution, I think of Stephen from Acts 6-7. Here was a young deacon, full of wisdom and power, performing miraculous signs. When religious leaders brought false accusations against him before the Sanhedrin, the same council that condemned Jesus, Stephen had a choice.
He could have talked his way out of it. He was brilliant enough to find an escape route. But instead, he made the most important decision of his life: he chose boldness over safety.
Stephen didn't give them what they wanted to hear. Instead, he delivered a masterful discourse on Israel's history, showing how they had consistently rejected God's prophets. Then he delivered the line that sealed his fate: "You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised... You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!" (Acts 7:51-53).
When People Stand for Jesus, Jesus Stands for Them
As the crowd prepared to stone Stephen, something remarkable happened. Acts 7:55-56 tells us that Stephen, "full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God."
This detail matters more than you might realize. Every other time Scripture mentions Jesus' position in heaven, it says He is seated at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19, Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 3:1). But here, Jesus stands. The King of Kings stood up from His throne to honor His faithful servant who was about to come home.
When we stand for Jesus, He stands for us.
The Power of Forgiveness
Even as the stones began to fly, Stephen demonstrated the heart of Christ. Like Jesus on the cross, he prayed, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them" (Acts 7:60). He chose forgiveness over vengeance, love over hate.
In the crowd that day was a young man named Saul, holding the coats of those throwing stones and consenting to Stephen's death. Stephen never could have imagined that his bold witness and forgiving spirit would plant seeds in Saul's heart. But later, when Jesus appeared to Saul on the Damascus road, I believe Saul recognized that same glory he had seen shining from Stephen's face. That young persecutor became Paul the apostle, who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament.
Heaven never wastes a prayer. One person's boldness for Christ can change an enemy into family.
Our Response to Evil
As Christians, we must resist the temptation to celebrate death, even of our enemies. Jesus raised the standard in the Sermon on the Mount when He said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44). This doesn't mean we compromise truth or ignore justice, but we leave vengeance to God while praying for hearts to be changed.
I remember when I was 16, struggling to pray for someone I considered an enemy—a guy dating a girl I liked. It was hard, but I prayed for God to bless him and use him. Today, that man leads one of the largest ministries in the country. My prayers worked, just not the way I expected!
Living Boldly in the Last Days
I believe we're living in the last days. As a theologian and pastor, I don't see anything left in biblical prophecy that hasn't been fulfilled to set us up for Christ's return. When we see the level of evil we witnessed this week, we're not looking at political issues, we're looking at spiritual warfare.
This means we must live with urgency. At the Bema judgment seat of Christ, we'll give an account for every opportunity we had to stand for God and chose not to, for every idle word spoken. Are we ready for that moment?
Three Keys to Bold Living
How do we live boldly in such a world?
1. Bold in Truth - Like Stephen before the council, we speak truth even when silence might save us. We don't compromise God's Word to avoid offense.
2. Bold in Forgiveness - Like Stephen under the stones, we choose forgiveness over bitterness, love over hate. This transforms enemies into family and multiplies life instead of death.
3. Bold in Vision - We fix our eyes on Jesus, "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). When the stones start flying, we look up to heaven instead of focusing on our circumstances.
The Choice Before Us
Every day we wake up with a choice: Will we live for the approval of people or the approval of heaven? Will we choose faith over fear, forgiveness over vengeance?
Stephen made his choice. He didn't live for the applause of man but for the applause of heaven. And when he stood firm, Jesus stood up for him.
Standing Firm Until the End
Jesus promised, "The one who stands firm to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:13). We're living in the exact world He foretold. The question is: What kind of people will we be?
I choose to be bold. Bold in speaking truth. Bold in extending forgiveness. Bold in fixing my eyes on Jesus until He comes again.
In a world growing cold with hate, we can be the ones who multiply love and life. In a world celebrating death, we can be the ones praying for enemies to experience God's mercy. In a world losing hope, we can be the ones pointing others to the hope that never disappoints.
This is our moment. This is our time to stand firm and live boldly for the One who stands for us.
