Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Church of Eleven22
Episode: It Is Well - Worship is War: Week 2
Date: September 21, 2025
Host: Pastor Joby Martin

Episode Overview

This powerful episode of The Church of Eleven22’s series “Worship is War” explores the tension between worship and suffering, focusing on how worship serves as a spiritual weapon in the hardest seasons of life. Pastor Joby Martin weaves biblical insight, personal stories, church announcements, and the history behind the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul” into a passionate call for believers to persevere in worship—even when God’s ways are mysterious, painful, or beyond understanding.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Worship is War: Spiritual Battles in Troubled Times

• Pastor Joby reiterates the episode’s main theme: "Worship is war because worship is all about ascribing glory to God." (02:45)
  • When we worship, we declare God’s worth amidst spiritual opposition and confusion.
  • Worship shapes us: “We become what we worship.” (04:30)
  • "Pride got the devil kicked out of heaven and when we worship together, we’re saying, it’s not about me." (05:15)

2. Celebration & Tragedy: The Current Climate

• Recent church events (Saturated attendance—75,000 in-person, 334,000 online, 2.5 million views, 348 salvations, 866 baptisms) are celebrated as evidence of God’s movement (07:45).
• But the world’s pain is real: mentioning the stabbing of a Ukrainian girl, two school shootings, and national grief following the assassination of Charlie Kirk (09:00).
  • "Some people ask me, pastor, do you think things are getting better or getting worse? I just think they're getting more clear. I think things are polarizing." (10:30)

3. Worshiping Through Pain: Lament and Real Faith

• Joby draws from the Psalms of lament (Psalm 13, 22, 42) to show that it’s biblical and honest to bring sorrow before God.
  • "Nowhere does God scold somebody for their feelings." (19:30)
  • We shouldn’t fake happiness—God meets us in pain.
  • The Psalms teach us not to let circumstances dominate: “He quits listening to himself and starts talking to himself... praise is going to be the loudest voice in my life, whether I feel like it or not.” (23:10)
• Quote: “Feelings are a gift from God... but feelings make a terrible lord of your life.” (24:00)

4. The Story Behind ‘It Is Well with My Soul’

• The life of Horatio Spafford: A successful Chicago lawyer, deeply involved in Christian mission (supporting D.L. Moody), who endured immense tragedy (41:00).
  • Lost his business in the Chicago fire.
  • Lost his four daughters in a shipwreck; his wife sent the telegram "Saved alone. What shall I do?" (44:30)
  • On a ship passing the site of the tragedy, he wrote,
    "When peace like a river attendeth my way... whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul." (46:50)
• Quote: “It doesn’t feel well. It’s not actually well, but it is well with my soul.” (49:00)

5. Biblical Response to Disappointment: John 6

• Jesus feeds the 5,000 and walks on water; the crowd wants more miracles, but Jesus instead offers himself as ‘the bread of life’ (53:00+).
  • "You're following me for the gifts, but you need me" (55:30)
  • Many “disciples” walk away when Jesus’ teaching becomes hard to understand or accept.
• Quote: “God owes you no explanation, and we owe Him belief and worship. That’s just true, man.” (1:09:10)
• The pivotal moment: Jesus asks his disciples if they, too, wish to leave. Peter responds,
  • “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (1:19:00)
  • Quote: “Belief precedes knowledge... What do you do with your unanswered questions? What do you do with your doubts?... Pick them up and follow Jesus because He is the one that offers eternal life.” (1:21:50)

6. Worship in the Face of the Unexplainable

• Pastor Joby links the responses of Horatio Spafford and biblical figures with examples from the church family—widows, parents who lost a child, etc.—who worship through hardship (1:25:30).
• Recounts Erica Kirk’s statement after her husband Charlie Kirk’s assassination:
  • “I will never, ever have the words to describe the loss that I feel in my heart... But our God is so good...” (1:35:20)
  • She publicly shares the gospel in the midst of her grief.
• Quote: “The number one example of evil in our world that God used for his own glory is the cross.” (1:39:00)

7. Communion as Worship and Remembrance

• The episode concludes with the context and purpose of communion, drawing from the Passover narrative and Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper (1:42:30).
  • The bread represents Christ’s body, the cup his blood—a new covenant of grace.
  • Communion is both remembering and “participating” in the sustaining gospel.
• Quote: “The grace that saved me whenever I put my faith in Jesus sustains me today.” (1:48:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Worship is war because worship is all about ascribing glory to God. That’s what we do. We all get together and we say, he is worth it.” — Joby Martin (03:30)
• “The psalmist brings his real self to a real God, because it really matters.” — Joby Martin (21:15)
• “Feelings are a gift from God... but feelings make a terrible lord of your life.” (24:00)
• “It is well. Doesn't feel well. It's not actually well, but it is well with my soul.” (49:00)
• Peter’s confession:
  • “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (1:19:00)
• On the cross as God’s answer to suffering:
  • “Don’t look at your circumstances to see if God loves you. Fix your eyes on the cross because God has demonstrated his love for us in this: While we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us.” (1:41:00)
• “Life is hard and God is good. If you deny either one of those, you’re gonna be in rough shape.” — Quoting Pastor Britt’s father (1:27:00)

Important Timestamps & Segments

• 02:45: Series theme: Worship is War, intro and climate of the moment
• 07:45: Recap and celebration of Saturated event
• 19:30: Psalms of lament and being honest before God
• 23:10–24:00: Talking to your soul and feelings as ‘lord’
• 41:00–49:00: The story and message behind “It Is Well with My Soul”
• 53:00–1:10:00: John 6 — Hard teachings, false disciples, the cost of following Jesus
• 1:19:00: Peter’s famous confession: “Lord, to whom shall we go?”
• 1:25:30–1:35:20: Modern testimonies of worshiping through loss (e.g., Lisa, Keith Kelly, Erica Kirk)
• 1:42:30–1:48:15: Communion: remembering and participating in the gospel

Conclusion: The Call to Worship Amidst the Storm

Pastor Joby’s ultimate encouragement:

• When God doesn’t do what you want, keep worshiping.
• When you don’t feel like singing, worship your way through it.
  • “You believe in Jesus more than you believe in your circumstances.” (1:43:40)
• Communion and worship are the means by which believers fight for joy, hope, and peace, not by denial of reality but by deepening trust in Jesus, who alone holds the words of eternal life.