Another great sermon emphasizing the responsibility of believers to fulfill the Great Commission.
“When you have experienced salvation through Jesus Christ,
Who is the Light, you have a responsibility to be a witness for Him.“
– Pastor Ken Endean, Tri-City Baptist Church, Chandler, Arizona
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Welcome to the preaching ministry of Tri-City Baptist Church in Chandler, Arizona. Our desire is that God would be magnified through the preaching of His Word and that Christians would be challenged, strengthened, and edified in their personal walk with Christ. I want to invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me to the Gospel of John chapter 20. Gospel of John. The 20th chapter, the challenge of that song to seize the moment really ties in with what I want us to consider this morning in looking at the gospel of Jesus.
On September 12th, just two weeks ago, just over two weeks ago of this year, a speaker addressed a group of college students, and he said this, In recent days, we’ve seen a number of shocking things culminating with the assassination of Charlie Kirk. the other day basically engaging in dialogue what we hope all of us will learn to do and learn how to do well doing what you as college students are being sharpened for so that you may engage in the marketplace of ideas and proclaim the supremacy of christ in every area of life Most Christians have had to live as a persecuted minority wherever they were. Some Christians still live that way, but it hasn’t been so here. This country is rooted, grounded, shaped by biblical Christianity. That’s why we are who we are. It’s been a tremendous blessing the way the weight of the gospel has been able to prosper, the way the gospel has shaped our culture, and as good as it gets here, it will never be my ultimate home. I’m living for and yearning for a city whose founder and maker, the builder and maker is God. So even in the best of circumstances, we are reminded that we are strangers and sojourners. And every once in a while, something happens to remind us, to shake us from our complacency.
Those words were spoken by Pastor Votie Bauckham. who had pastored in Zambia since 2015, returned to the United States earlier this year, and he entered his eternal home last Thursday, less than two weeks after speaking to those college students. When the statement was made of his death, it said this, he left the land of the dying and entered the land of the living. You know, both Charlie Kirk and Vodie Bauckham endeavored to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. Charlie’s death has shaken many people from their complacency. That service last week was attended by thousands and watched by millions. And it has generated many good conversations. And what I want us to consider is that when you have experienced salvation through Jesus Christ, who is the light, you have a responsibility to be a witness for him. We have opportunities around us.
I watched the memorial service for Charlie Kirk, and I was encouraged with a number of the statements of the gospel message, the clarity in so many of the statements, but I was also concerned that there were other things that were a little bit confusing. that there were good statements and yet some of this others didn’t i don’t know that they understood the gospel there were some very good statements made by roman catholics but roman catholic doctrine is the the doctrine teaches different than salvation by grace alone through faith alone in christ alone there was a jewish man who said we are on god’s side And I wondered, does he understand that Jesus said, no one comes to the Father except through me? Jesus is their Messiah. Or when 2 Corinthians 5 was quoted and the person said, I prefer to be absent from the body and be at home with the Lord, therefore we have as our ambition to be at home or absent, to be pleasing to him. So now is our call, our call to action is now. And that was quoted by Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who is a Hindu woman. And so I thought, does she understand the gospel? I appreciated Tucker Carlson saying, you have to repent. That’s the message of the gospel. And I know that that was the testimony of Charlie Kirk. That the Bible seeds were sown. And my prayer has been, I rejoice when the gospel goes forth. And I’m praying that those seeds will bring forth fruit. But you know, we have opportunities. Some of you will have conversations because of that.
So I have a couple of questions for you this morning. Number one, do you know Christ personally? Do you have a life-changing relationship with Him? And then secondly, if so, are you prepared to give the gospel clearly? Could you engage in those gospel conversations? And what we see is that when we have experienced Christ as the light, we have those opportunities. I’ve had you turn with me to the Gospel of John, chapter 20, because it’s at the end of this gospel that John gives his purpose statement. If you have your Bibles open, look with me at John 20, verse 30. John 20, verse 30. And truly, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
Let’s look to the Lord. Father, as we look into your word, we pray that we would have a clear understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ and truly believing with all our heart in him. And Lord, we pray that if there’s one that doesn’t know you, that they would come to you today. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If we were to consider what is the greatest need in the world today, what would you think? Well, the truth is it’s not a different worldview. It’s not a conservative philosophy or political position. And yes, Christianity impacts one’s worldview and it will have application when we apply God’s word to how we live and to life philosophy. But according to this passage we just read, the greatest need in our world today is to believe in Jesus Christ. that Jesus is the Messiah. These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ. And by believing, have life. That life comes through that true faith in Christ alone. This is the message of the Gospel of John. This is the message of Jesus.
So if that is the message, how do you establish such truth claims? Well, you need a credible witness. You know, when something happens, when an event happens, our media immediately tries to find an eyewitness that they can interview. Put that microphone in their face and ask them questions on what they’ve seen, what they were involved in. They want firsthand information. A credible witness provides that firsthand account of something that they have seen, heard, or experienced. You know, if you’re called to be a witness, there’s an accident and it goes to court and you’re called to be the witness, you have to have first-hand information. You’re not there to restate what somebody told you happened or just support their position. That makes you an advocate, not a witness. If you weren’t a witness, you’re only sharing what you’ve heard. Well, when the Bible calls for something to be established, it says in the mouth of two or three witnesses. It means independent eyewitnesses who can testify to the veracity of the situation. Witnesses establish the truth.
So in the Gospel of John, there are numerous witnesses brought forth to attest to the truth that Jesus is the Messiah. And I want to just very briefly give you this list. Let me have you go back to the very first chapter of John’s Gospel. John chapter 1. Because we’ll start there and we’ll go through very quickly, primarily in the order that we find them, not completely. But we see various witnesses. The array of biblical witnesses are given. John opens with a prologue and presents several key ideas that will be developed in this gospel. And one of them is of a witness. look at john 1 6 it says there was a man sent from god whose name was john now this is john the baptist not john the apostle whose name is on the gospel and verse 7 says this man came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe the first witness given is john the baptist John the Baptist is the person that his name means gift of God. He was given by God to Israel to be a witness to Christ. He was the forerunner of the Messiah. As Isaiah said, “…the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the desert of our God.” In fact, the other three Gospels give us more detail about his life and ministry. And Jesus affirms the greatness of John in Matthew 11, verse 11. It says, among those born of women, there is not risen one greater than John the Baptist. Well, John spoke that Jesus is, in verse 29, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. So John is a witness.
The second witness is the Scripture. If you want to turn over to chapter 5. We see in chapter 5, verse 39, Jesus said, You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you will have eternal life, and these are they that testify of Me. He was speaking about the Old Testament. He says, You search it, and you will find that it testifies of Me. In 2 Timothy 3, verses 15 and following, it really says there are two purposes of Scripture. One is to make wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. the second reason given there is that those who have believed will come to spiritual maturity and be thoroughly equipped for every good work but scripture is given to make wise for salvation so when somebody is searching we encourage them read the bible because the holy spirit of god uses the word of god to bring about faith faith comes by hearing the word of god
the third witness is jesus christ himself the son of god In John 8, and let me encourage you to turn there because it’s a lengthy discussion and we’re not going to take time to look at it, but it’s helpful if you can see where this comes. In verse 14, it says, “…and Jesus answered them and said, even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I came from or where I am going.” Now two verses earlier in verse 12, he had said, I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. We have the opportunity to give that light. And he says, if you follow me, and then what comes in the rest of this chapter is a rather intense exchange with the religious elite where Jesus tells them several things. In verse 23, he tells them they’re of this world. In verse 24, he tells them they’re still in their sins. And then in verse 44, he tells them that their father is the devil. And they will do the desires of their father. And then in verse 46 of chapter 8, Jesus says to them, which of you convicts me of sin? I mean, this is his prove me wrong moment. And you can believe that if they could have, they would have. Because this has not been a friendly discussion. He said, your dad is the devil. Prove me wrong. Mic drop. Which of you convicts me of sin? And all they could do was name call. They accuse him of being illegitimate in verse 41. We weren’t born in fornication. In verse 48, they say he’s a Samaritan, he’s a half-breed, he’s only part Jew, and that he’s demon-possessed. It’s just name-calling. They have no way to back up that he was a sinner because he wasn’t. In verse 59, they try to kill him. They take up stones to stone him. So Jesus is a witness.
God the Father is a witness. We see that in verse 18 of this same chapter. He said, “‘I am one who bears witness of myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness of me.'” And Scripture tells us that God the Father bears witness of God the Son at His baptism. In Luke 3, verse 22, it says, And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him and a voice from heaven which said, You are my beloved Son. In You I am well pleased. Then again at the Mount of Transfiguration in Mark 9, verse 7, a cloud came and overshadowed them. A voice came out of heaven saying, this is my beloved Son. Hear Him. God the Father testified to the Son.
God the Holy Spirit. is the fifth one in John 15. Over in chapter 15, verse 26, it says, But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, whom proceeds from the Father, He will testify of me. So the Spirit also testifies. And that’s the fifth one, God the Holy Spirit. Acts 4 says, In verse 8, it says, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he preaches that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man has been healed. And then he goes on and says, the stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. So Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, testifies salvation is in Christ alone.
And then the sixth one is the disciples. The disciples of Jesus Christ are witnesses. And we see that in chapter 15, verse 27. I’ve given you verse 26 here. The next verse says in verse 27, and you also shall bear witness because you have seen me from the beginning. And so Jesus is telling his disciples, you are going to be a witness. And when we read through Acts, we see that taking place.
And then the next one is the works of Jesus. If you want to turn over to chapter 10. In chapter 10, go back just a few chapters. In chapter 10, verse 25, Jesus said to them, I told you and you do not believe the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. The purpose of miracles were to authenticate the message and the messenger. In this case, the Messiah. And so where we began in John 20, verse 31, it says, but these things, these signs are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ. And so we see that.
And then the last one that we see is the testimony of people who personally encountered Jesus. And you can read through the gospel and you find many people who encounter Jesus. In chapter 3, there is Nicodemus, the Pharisee, the leader of the Jews, and Jesus tells him, you must be born again. In chapter 4, there’s the woman of Samaria at the well who has a really messed up life. She’s got a pattern of broken relationships. And Jesus confronts her about her sin and says he is the Messiah. And she says in verse 29, come see the man who told me all things that I did. Could this be the Christ? And it sends in verse 30, and they went out of the city and came to him. We see in John chapter 9, Jesus heals a man who was born blind. And when the Pharisees say to him, well, who healed you? And they’re trying to say, well, he’s a sinner and testify that. And he says, whether he’s a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I know, I was blind and now I see. And later in that chapter, Jesus finds him and says, do you believe in the Son of God? And he says, Lord, I believe. That’s the testimony.
John’s Gospel provides these eight. There’s a list here I’ve given you of eight testimonies, eight witnesses, to establish the veracity of the claim that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. And we see that. But you know what? There is another witness that is essential to the spread of the Gospel today. And that is your witness. That’s my witness. And if you have experienced salvation through Jesus Christ, you have a responsibility and an opportunity to be a witness for Him. That how do people become a Christian if they don’t meet a Christian? To direct them to the Lord. so you need to have a great commitment to the great commitment if the world’s greatest need is to believe in jesus they need someone who is credible in their witness to tell them about jesus how shall they believe in him of whom they’ve not heard romans tells us
so the second thing i want to see from this passage then and really is the characteristics of a biblical witness for christ And understanding the Greek word that is used for witness in John, the opening prologue, is actually the word that we get, the word martyr. Someone who’s telling the truth. Their life has changed. The first thing that I want us to understand, though, that the characteristic of a witness for Christ is to direct people to Christ, not to ourselves. So going back to the first chapter, I encourage you to turn there. In John 1, it says in that prologue that there was a man sent from God. His name was John. He was sent to be a witness, to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe. And verse 8 says, he was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of the light. John understood his responsibility was not to draw people to himself. In fact, in John 3, verse 30, he says that he must increase, I must decrease. Our job as faithful witnesses is to direct people to Jesus. The gospel is first and foremost about Christ, the supremacy of Christ. We’re not making disciples to ourselves, but to Jesus. And so John said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And the disciples that were with John went to Jesus and said, where do you stay? He says, come and see. And they left John and they followed Jesus. And so we direct people to Christ, not ourselves.
We also direct people to the truth about Christ, not simply our experiences. And so again, this goes to the manner of our witnessing. Our testimony can be a great way to open that door, but never lose sight of the fact that that facilitates our witness, but we have to keep the focus on Jesus. So John confesses in verse 20, he confessed, I am not the Christ. And then he says in verse 27, it is he who is coming after me who is preferred or higher rank than me. He’s preferred before me. He’s of higher rank. And I’m not even worthy to untie his shoe, to loose his sandal strap. What is John doing? He’s directing people away from himself and to Jesus. And that’s what we have to seek to do. A faithful witness must be centered on the facts of Christ as stated in the Bible. Behold the Lamb of God.
And then thirdly, we need to desire that people will trust in Christ through our witness. The goal of a faithful witness for Christ is that other people would believe, that all through Him might believe. These signs are given that they might believe. Our goal is not to win arguments or prove our point. Or even get through our whole gospel presentation. Our point is to give them the gospel and bring them to Christ. Our goal is not to win arguments, but to win a person to Jesus. And therefore, we have to share the gospel with grace. In watching some of the clips of Charlie Kirk’s interactions, his grace was evident toward people who were hostile toward him. Well, he’s showing the heart of Christ. Folks, that’s what we have to do. And sometimes it gets frustrating. Why won’t they listen? Why won’t they? No, because the God of this world has blinded their eyes. And so we have to be those who show the grace of God. that they would believe in him.
Now, since the greatest need is that people believe in Christ and they need a credible witness to tell them about Christ, we need to provide the truths that are necessary for them to know the clear gospel message. And that brings us thirdly then to the content of the biblical witness for Christ. What do they need to know to come to saving knowledge of Jesus? Well, the first thing they need to know is who God is. They need to know the holiness of God. That we’re created for God’s glory. John 1.14, the Word, that’s Jesus Christ, the Messiah, became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory. The glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. The word holy means set apart, to be distinct. That God is separate from creation. He’s separate from corruption. His majestic transcendence and His moral transcendence. God is great and God is good. Well, people have to know who God is because they have to know what sin is, that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We can’t say, well, if my good works outweigh my bad works because they never will. We have to deal with the bad works.
And so that brings us then to the second point, the seriousness of sin. They need to know who God is. They need to know what sin is and why it is serious. Verse 5 of John 1 says, The light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend or did not overcome it. There is a battle between light and darkness, between sin and error, the error and truth, sin and righteousness. So in John 3.19, and this is the condemnation, the light came into the world, And men love darkness rather than light. Why? Because of their sin. Their deeds are evil. So people need to be told their sin is serious, not just in general terms, but specifically. Because if we don’t make the gospel clear that sin is a barrier, then they view sin, it’s easy to view sin as a psychological problem rather than a theological problem. Well, sin just messes up my life, my relationship. I’m out of control in these areas. I’m not going to accomplish my dreams because of that. All of that may be true, but that’s not the biggest problem. The biggest problem is you are separated from God. And there’s nothing you can do to fix that breach, that conflict. Sin is serious and deserves death. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death. A perfect, holy God cannot allow sin into heaven.
Which brings us to the third point. They need to know who Jesus is. The person and work of Christ. And so in John 3, very familiar verses to most of us. For God so loved the world… that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. That the Word, God the Son, became flesh. He dwelt among us. He moved into our neighborhood and He lived a perfect, holy, sinless life so that He could die in our place. He had to become a human to die for humans. He had to be God to accomplish that infinite breach. And He had to live a sinless life so that He could pay for our sins. That we could have His robes for our sinfulness. His robes for mine. What an amazing, wonderful exchange. and understanding that and the importance of that.
And then the fourth thing is they need to know the nature of saving faith. You know, we can talk about God being holy, the seriousness of sin, and Jesus died on the cross, but if we don’t understand the nature of saving faith, the gospel has fallen short. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life. He who does not believe in the Son does not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” And we’ve talked about this. We’ve talked about what faith is. There is a mental aspect. There is truth that has to be believed and understood. That there is fact. Faith is substance of things hoped for. There’s an emotional affirmation that acknowledges that this is personal. It’s not just generic sin, it’s my sin. And then there’s the volitional aspect of personal surrender. Thou shalt call upon the Lord Jesus. Confess with thy mouth, Jesus as Lord. His authority in our life. And it’s trusting Christ alone, not Christ plus works. Salvation involves repentance. Except you repent, you will all likewise perish.
See, faith in Christ is not a one and done. It’s a life change. The Bible speaks of it in John 3, of being born again. There’s a new life. There’s new birth. It’s not a check a box and I’m good with this event. Jesus says there’s a broad way and a narrow gate. And those who come to Him get on that narrow way. So we’re walking a new path. john in matthew 7. so salvation is by grace alone but it but not by works but we are saved for good works that means it’s a faith that changes our life if your faith hasn’t changed your life it’s not a faith that’s going to save your soul and and one of the fears that i have there are too many professing christians in america and and maybe at tri-city baptist church you say well i said a prayer when i was eight or nine and and my mom wrote the date in my bible and i’m good But if your heart never changed, if your affections didn’t change, if you have no desire for spiritual things, for the Word of God, or for living for Christ, you may have said a prayer, but you never became a Christian. And I would not be fair to you if I didn’t say that. Now, please understand, we’re not perfect. We all struggle. But if there’s no heart for spiritual things, there’s no faith in Christ that saves your soul. Because it’s more than knowing the facts. And we can easily say, well, I know that. I know that. I’ve memorized all the verses. But it involves submitting to Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. And when you do that, the Holy Spirit indwells you. John 14, 17. The Holy Spirit changes everything. And so when we sin, we’re convicted. We know it’s wrong because the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to change a true believer into the child of God and into the image of Christ. Saving faith is a living faith. It’s lived out in practice and habit. It doesn’t mean we don’t sin, but when we confess our sins, He’s faithful and righteous to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And it comes by faith alone in Christ alone.
So the fourth main point, the purpose of the biblical witness of Christ. Number one is to emphasize the significance of the work of Christ. And we’ve talked about this, the historical facts that are given by the eyewitnesses in God’s Word and that we can also be witnesses. and explain that what Christ did achieved the payment for our sins, that perfect obedience, His righteousness for our sin, that exchange. But we can’t stop there.
Secondly, prioritize the personal application of the work of Christ. This transfer is by faith alone in Christ alone. Repent and believe the Gospel, Mark 1.15 says. And when a person puts their trust in Christ, they’re redeemed. They’re bought back from sin. They’re justified in the courtroom of God. They are forgiven. They’re innocent. They’re sanctified. They’re set apart as children of God, called to be saints. That if you are saved, you are a saint. I don’t feel very saintly. No, but the Holy Spirit’s at work in your life if you’re truly born again. And there’s the hope of eternity with Jesus. They will not perish but have everlasting life. And there’s a satisfaction that comes from that relationship. And this is what you find as you read through this Gospel. That Jesus is the Lamb of God, that sacrificial Lamb that allows the death angel to pass over those who trust in Him. The Passover Lamb from Exodus. He’s the living water that satisfies the thirsty soul. That was the discussion in John 4 with the woman at the well. He’s the bread of life in John 6. And those who eat will never hunger. Are you satisfied with Jesus? Or are you still trying to find satisfaction elsewhere? He’s the light of the world and those who walk in Him will not walk in darkness but have the light of life. John 8, 12. And He’s the door. Those who enter will be saved. John 10, verse 9. He’s the good shepherd who gives His life for the sheep and His sheep hear His voice and they follow. Their life changes. So are you a follower of Jesus Christ?
Folks, the clarity of the Gospel that we cannot lose is that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It’s not just that Jesus died and opened the door so if I do certain things, I will merit His approval. No. There’s nothing I can do. It’s all done by Him and it’s in Christ alone. That’s why it’s so important that we be clear in the gospel because if the gospel is hidden, it’s hidden to those who are lost.
So how do we apply this personally? Number one, the content of our gospel witness must be supported by a godly life. If we want to be credible witnesses, we need to be following Jesus. Now, we’re seeking to point people to Jesus, but if we’re one of His sheep, we hear His voice, we follow Him. And so we seek to live for Christ, not just claim heaven as our eternal home and I can live like I please. No, I want to live for Him. And when I fall, when I stumble, I ask for His forgiveness. And that’s why we need a church family to encourage one another. But do we count it an amazing privilege to serve Jesus and to share Jesus? we have that opportunity to have a great compassion and a great commitment to the Great Commission.
Secondly, the commitment to intercessory prayer is a privilege that we have as believers. Do we pray for others? The challenge of Pastor Minnick at our concluding service to be intercessors, to take ten minutes a day and pray intercessory prayer You know, what a wonderful opportunity, and I’ve sought to do that, that challenge. You know, I invite you to join us for our all-church prayer meeting on Wednesday if you’re able to come as we pray intercessory prayers for others, for missions, for ministry, to have that opportunity.
And then thirdly, are you confident that you have eternal life today? Do you really know Jesus Christ as your Savior? Can you say, I know if I died today, I would be in heaven? If so, then look for those gospel opportunities because you are a witness. Be a credible witness. Because when you have experienced salvation through Jesus Christ, who is the light, you have the responsibility to be a witness for Him. And if you don’t have that confidence, we would love to take God’s Word and show you how you can have that relationship even this morning.
Let’s pray together.
The memorial service for Charlie Kirk hung in the air that Sunday morning at Tri-City Baptist Church like an unspoken question. Pastor Ken Endean seized it. With thousands having watched Kirk’s funeral online and conversations rippling through evangelical circles, the moment demanded a response—not a political one, but a theological one. The question wasn’t about activism or cultural engagement per se, but about something more fundamental: When the spotlight turns to Christianity in moments of public tragedy, do we know what we’re actually saying?
The Central Argument: From Spectator to Witness
Pastor Endean’s sermon builds from a deceptively simple premise: if you’ve experienced salvation through Christ, you have a responsibility to witness for Him. But the word “witness” here carries weight. Drawing on John’s Gospel—particularly its stated purpose in John 20:30-31—Endean argues that Christian witness isn’t merely about having had an experience or holding certain political positions. It’s about providing credible, firsthand testimony to who Jesus is and what He has accomplished.
The timing matters. Endean watched Kirk’s memorial service and saw something troubling beneath the tributes: a kind of theological confusion. Roman Catholics spoke eloquently but from a tradition teaching works-righteousness. A Hindu congresswoman quoted 2 Corinthians about being absent from the body and present with the Lord. A Jewish speaker talked about being “on God’s side” without apparent reference to Jesus as Messiah. Good people saying religious things in a religious moment—but did they understand the gospel?
This observation drives the entire sermon. It’s not about questioning anyone’s sincerity or motives. It’s about recognizing that in our cultural moment, when Christianity gets airtime, we often get a kind of lowest-common-denominator civil religion instead of apostolic clarity. And if that’s what’s happening at memorial services watched by millions, what’s happening in everyday conversations among neighbors, coworkers, and families?
The Structure: Witnesses, Characteristics, Content, and Purpose
Endean organizes his argument through four movements, each building on the last.
First, he establishes the necessity of credible witnesses. This section reads like a legal brief. In ancient jurisprudence—and in Scripture—truth claims require verification. You need eyewitnesses, not hearsay. Endean walks through John’s Gospel systematically, cataloging eight distinct witnesses to Christ’s identity: John the Baptist, Scripture itself, Jesus Himself, God the Father, the Holy Spirit, the disciples, Jesus’s miraculous works, and individuals who personally encountered Him (Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, the man born blind).
This isn’t just a Bible study exercise. Endean is making a methodological point: the Gospel accounts aren’t mythology or inspirational literature. They present themselves as testimony—as the kind of evidence that would hold up in court. John explicitly says he’s writing “that you may believe” based on signs he and others witnessed. The implication for contemporary believers is direct: if the original gospel spread through credible eyewitness testimony, ours must have similar integrity. We’re now the eyewitnesses—not to the resurrection itself, but to transformed lives, including our own.
Second, he outlines the characteristics of biblical witnesses. Here Endean makes crucial distinctions that cut against contemporary evangelistic practice. A faithful witness directs people to Christ, not to themselves. John the Baptist understood this: “He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30). This seems obvious until you consider how much modern evangelism centers on personal testimony—“my story,” “my journey,” “what Jesus did for me.” Endean isn’t dismissing testimony, but he’s insisting it must serve as a door opener, not the main message.
The focus must be on the truth about Christ, not merely our experiences of Him. Facts precede feelings. The goal isn’t winning arguments but winning people—which means sharing the gospel with grace even when facing hostility. Endean notes Kirk’s grace toward hostile questioners as an example of showing Christ’s heart. This matters because truth without love becomes weaponized doctrine, while love without truth becomes sentimentality. The biblical witness holds both in tension.
Third, and most substantially, Endean details the content of the gospel message. This is where the sermon moves from methodology to substance. What must people understand to come to “saving knowledge of Jesus”? Four non-negotiables:
- Who God is—specifically His holiness. God isn’t a cosmic life-coach or a therapeutic presence. He’s set apart, transcendent, morally perfect. We’re created for His glory, not our own self-actualization.
- The seriousness of sin—not as a psychological problem but as a theological one. Sin isn’t primarily about messed-up relationships or unfulfilled dreams. It’s about separation from a holy God. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). A perfect God cannot allow sin into heaven.
- Who Jesus is—both His person and His work. The Word became flesh (John 1:14). He had to become human to die for humans, had to be God to bridge the infinite breach, and had to live sinlessly to pay for our sins. The exchange language here is crucial: His righteousness for our sin, His robes for our filth.
- The nature of saving faith—and this is where Endean becomes most pointed. Faith isn’t mental assent to facts. It involves three dimensions: intellectual (understanding truth), emotional (personal acknowledgment of one’s own sin), and volitional (surrender to Christ’s lordship). It’s not “Christ plus works,” but it’s also not faith that leaves life unchanged. Being “born again” (John 3) means new life, new birth, a new path. “If your faith hasn’t changed your life,” Endean warns, “it’s not a faith that’s going to save your soul.”
Fourth, he explains the purpose of faithful witness: to emphasize Christ’s work while prioritizing its personal application. The gospel isn’t just historical information about something Jesus did 2,000 years ago. It’s a present offer requiring a present response: repent and believe (Mark 1:15). Those who trust Christ are redeemed, justified, forgiven, sanctified, adopted, and given eternal hope. Christ is the Passover Lamb, the living water, the bread of life, the light of the world, the door, the good shepherd. Each metaphor points to satisfaction found only in Him.
Underlying Assumptions and Theological Framework
Beneath the sermon’s structure lie several foundational assumptions worth examining:
Exclusivism is non-negotiable. Endean operates from a robust evangelical conviction that salvation comes through Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone—the classic Reformation solas. This isn’t presented defensively or apologetically; it’s assumed as biblical bedrock. When he questions whether the Jewish speaker at Kirk’s memorial understood that “no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6), or whether the Hindu congresswoman grasped the gospel she was quoting, he’s not being uncharitable. He’s insisting that religious sincerity doesn’t equal saving faith, and that Christianity’s truth claims are stubbornly particular.
In our pluralistic moment, this sounds harsh. But Endean would argue—correctly, from his theological framework—that false hope is crueler than difficult truth. If there are many paths to God, then evangelism becomes optional and the cross becomes unnecessary. But if Jesus’s claim is true—“I am the way, the truth, and the life”—then the most loving thing Christians can do is bear clear witness to that reality.
Regeneration precedes transformation. The sermon operates with a Biblical understanding of salvation. You don’t clean yourself up and then come to Christ; Christ transforms you, and transformation follows. The Holy Spirit indwells believers at conversion (John 14:17), producing new affections, convicting of sin, and conforming believers to Christ’s image. This is why Endean can say with such certainty that faith without life-change isn’t saving faith. He’s not teaching works-righteousness; he’s teaching that genuine faith inevitably produces fruit. As James writes, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).
This has pastoral implications. Endean’s warning about “too many professing Christians in America” who said a prayer at eight or nine but show no evidence of regeneration is aimed at a real problem: false assurance. In traditions emphasizing “decisions for Christ” and praying “the sinner’s prayer,” it’s possible to inoculate people against real Christianity by giving them a vaccination of religious experience that never takes. Endean wants his congregation to examine themselves: Do you have new desires? Do you hunger for God’s Word? Do you grieve over sin? If not, your prayer may not have connected to genuine repentance and faith.
Scripture is sufficient and authoritative. The sermon moves through John’s Gospel with confidence that its testimony is reliable, that its purposes are clear, and that its message is applicable. When Endean says “Scripture is given to make wise for salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15), he’s affirming both clarity and sufficiency. You don’t need the magisterium to interpret it, you don’t need continuous revelation to supplement it, you don’t need scholarly credentials to understand its core message. The Holy Spirit uses the Word to produce faith.
Corporate worship and prayer are essential. Though this is a sermon about individual witness, it’s embedded in corporate practice. Endean invites people to Wednesday prayer meetings, references Pastor Minnick’s challenge to spend ten minutes daily in intercessory prayer, and emphasizes the church family’s role in encouragement and accountability. The Christian life isn’t solitary. We need the body of Christ to keep us faithful, sharp, and engaged.
Complimentary Commentary
What Endean Gets Profoundly Right
The sermon’s greatest strength is its insistence on gospel clarity in a moment when evangelicalism risks losing it. We live in an age where “Christian” can mean almost anything: a cultural identity, a political affiliation, a moral framework, a therapeutic worldview, or a collection of traditional values. Endean refuses that diffusion. He’s calling his congregation back to first things: sin, holiness, atonement, faith, repentance, regeneration. These aren’t negotiable add-ons to a Christian life; they’re the foundation.
His concern about the Kirk memorial service—not about Kirk himself, who by all accounts was a genuine believer, but about the theological confusion in some of the tributes—reflects a mature pastoral instinct. When Christianity becomes publicly visible, what version of it do people see? If they see a kind of vague religiosity or civil religion, we’ve failed in our witness. The world doesn’t need more nice religious people; it needs the gospel.
The emphasis on grace in evangelism is crucial. Endean notes Kirk’s grace toward hostile questioners and connects it directly to “showing the heart of Christ.” This matters enormously. Too often, evangelical witness comes across as combative, defensive, or triumphalistic. If the gospel is good news—and it is—our manner of sharing it should reflect that. We’re not prosecutors arguing a case; we’re witnesses testifying to a rescue.
The warning against false assurance is pastorally responsible. In traditions where childhood conversions are common and where assurance is sometimes equated with remembering a prayer, people can drift into adulthood with a false sense of security. Endean is right to press the question: Has your life changed? Not “Are you perfect?” but “Are you different?” If someone claims to know Christ but shows no hunger for spiritual things, no grief over sin, no desire for transformation, something is amiss. This doesn’t create a works-based righteousness—it recognizes that genuine faith produces genuine fruit.
The sermon’s concern about theological confusion at Kirk’s memorial raises questions about Christian unity and cooperation. When do evangelicals partner with Catholics or other groups in public witness? When does such a partnership compromise the gospel? These aren’t easy questions. Endean doesn’t press them hard—he notes his concern and moves on—but they loom large in our cultural moment. Evangelicals increasingly find themselves in alliances with Catholics, Orthodox, Mormons, and others on issues like religious liberty or cultural values. Are these alliances wise? Do they muddy our witness? Or can we have open conversations on common-grace issues while maintaining clarity about gospel distinctions?
The historic evangelical answer has been “yes, but with care.” We can recognize genuine Christian brothers and sisters across traditions while still insisting on gospel clarity and being willing to identify where we differ. We can work with people of other faiths on shared civic concerns while not pretending those differences don’t matter eternally. This requires discernment, humility, and courage—and deserves more attention than a single sermon can give.
The Christian life includes seasons of struggle, dryness, and doubt. Mature believers sometimes feel little spiritual hunger; they persist in obedience even when affections are cold. The presence of ongoing sin doesn’t invalidate faith—if it did, none of us would be saved. What matters is the trajectory: Are you, over time, being conformed to Christ? Do you hate your sin, even when you fall into it? Do you flee to Christ for forgiveness rather than hiding from Him? These are better diagnostics than simply asking, “Do I feel spiritual hunger right now?”
Broader Implications: The Crisis of Gospel Clarity
Endean’s sermon, focused on a specific congregation’s need for clear witness, speaks to broader challenges facing American evangelicalism in the 2020s.
The erosion of theological literacy. Many self-identified evangelicals can’t articulate basic gospel content. They may know that “Jesus died for their sins” without understanding why that was necessary (holiness, sin’s seriousness) or how it works (substitutionary atonement) or what response it requires (repentance and faith, not mere mental assent). Endean’s systematic presentation of gospel content isn’t just for non-Christians; it’s catechesis for believers who need the basics restated clearly.
This illiteracy has consequences. When Christians can’t explain the gospel clearly, evangelism falters. When they don’t understand doctrines like sin and holiness, grace becomes cheap—a divine wink at human imperfection rather than costly rescue. When they conflate cultural Christianity with genuine faith, the church fills with people who’ve never been born again. Endean is trying to shore up these foundations before the structure collapses.
The temptation of civil religion. America’s Christian heritage creates a peculiar challenge: it’s possible to sound Christian, invoke Christian language, reference Christian ideas, and even quote Scripture without actually believing the gospel. Kirk’s memorial service illustrated this perfectly. In moments of national or cultural significance, Christianity becomes a useful symbolic vocabulary—but the vocabulary gets detached from its theological grammar.
This isn’t new. Civil religion has always threatened to domesticate Christianity, turning it into a cultural glue or moral system rather than a message about sin and redemption. But our cultural moment intensifies the challenge. As Christianity loses cultural dominance, the temptation is either to compromise distinctives to maintain relevance (becoming a vague civil religion) or to retreat into defensive isolation (becoming culturally irrelevant). Endean is trying to chart a third way: remain culturally engaged while maintaining theological clarity.
The necessity of winsomeness without compromise. Endean’s emphasis on grace in witness—noting Kirk’s demeanor toward hostile questioners—reflects a growing evangelical awareness that culture war posturing doesn’t win souls. You can be right about theology while being wrong about tone. You can defend truth while destroying relationships. The challenge is holding conviction and compassion together, being firm about truth while kind toward people.
This matters especially for younger evangelicals, who’ve watched older generations fight culture wars with tactics that won political battles but lost spiritual credibility. If Christianity is perceived primarily as angry, judgmental, and political, the gospel gets obscured. Endean’s call to share truth with grace isn’t capitulation; it’s strategic faithfulness. We bear witness to a God who is both holy and loving, just and merciful. Our witness should reflect that complexity.
The urgency of the moment. Beneath the sermon’s structure runs a current of urgency. Kirk’s unexpected death, Voddie Baucham’s passing, the reminder that we’re “strangers and sojourners” heading toward an eternal home—all of this presses the question: Are you ready? Do you know Christ? And if so, are you telling others?
The urgency isn’t manufactured panic. It’s rooted in the gospel’s own logic: Jesus is the only way to the Father, people without Christ are perishing, and believers are sent as witnesses. If these things are true—and historic Christianity insists they are—then complacency is a form of cruelty. The most loving thing we can do is tell people the truth about their condition and about God’s rescue plan.
Conclusion: Witnesses in Babylon
Pastor Endean concludes with three application points: let your witness be supported by godly living, commit to intercessory prayer, and be confident you have eternal life. These aren’t random additions; they flow from the argument. If we’re witnesses to Christ, our lives must back up our words. If the greatest need is for people to believe in Christ, we must pray for their hearts to be opened. And if we’re going to call others to faith, we must be certain of our own.
But the sermon’s real conclusion is its opening illustration revisited. We live in a moment when Christianity gets public airtime—at memorials, in political discussions, in cultural debates. What will people hear when they hear “Christianity”? Will they hear the clear gospel truth, or confused civil religion? Will they encounter Jesus Christ as the exclusive way to God, or a vague spirituality that affirms everyone’s journey?
Endean is calling Tri-City Baptist Church—and by extension, evangelicals everywhere—to be credible witnesses in a confusing age. Not angry culture warriors, not compromised accommodationists, but faithful witnesses who know what they believe, live what they profess, and share truth with grace. The task isn’t to win culture wars or to baptize political movements. The task is to bear witness to Jesus Christ—who He is, what He’s done, and what He requires.
In a watching world, with millions observing Christianity through memorial services and public moments, the stakes couldn’t be higher. People need to hear the gospel. They need to hear it clearly, compellingly, and consistently. They need to hear it from witnesses whose lives have been transformed by the Light they proclaim.
The question Endean leaves hanging is simple and unavoidable: Will you be that witness?