Stand Up and Be a Watchman

The passing—or rather, the murder—of Charlie Kirk has made me stop and reflect on the role of the church in our society. His boldness to stand for what is right, to take the government and culture head-on, has stirred a question in my heart: Where are the watchmen in our pulpits today?

The Watchman’s Cry

In Scripture, a watchman was responsible to sound the alarm when danger approached. The pulpit should serve that same purpose—crying out against sin, warning of societal corruption, and yes, even naming politicians and policies that oppose righteousness.

Yet, since the 1970s, I’ve noticed the silence. Sermons address the home and the church, but when it comes to government, suddenly the pulpit goes quiet. Why?

The 501(c)(3) Shackles

Too many pastors are more concerned about protecting their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status than they are about protecting the truth. They say they believe God has ordained three institutions: the home, the government, and the church. They say they believe the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. But do they really believe it?

If they did, they would drop their 501(c)(3) status and preach the truth about all three institutions—without fear of losing tax breaks.

Greg Dixon used to say of 501(c)(3): “With shackles come shackles.” And he was right. Those shackles have silenced too many preachers, evangelists, teachers, and even deacons.

Where Are the Men of Courage?

Our country is in a deep, ugly state. We’ve become weak, spineless jellyfish—citizens without backbone. And I’m sick to my stomach about it.

For decades, pastors have preached hard on the family and on the church, but they’ve conveniently ignored the God-ordained institution of government. They say, “My job is just to preach the Word, not get involved in politics.”

But politics is where you live. You’d better get involved.

A Call to Stand

We need men who will stand up and be watchmen again—men who won’t fear the IRS, men who won’t hide behind a tax code, men who will declare truth boldly no matter the cost.

The time for silence is over. Our country is desperate for courage. Our pulpits must once again ring with the cry of the watchman: Stand up and be a man.

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