transcript

Speaker 1:
[00:01] Welcome to The Daily Blade. The Word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.

Speaker 2:
[00:20] Alright guys, let's get into it. This week on The Daily Blade, we're addressing the growing crisis of discernment in today's world. So using findings from the 2025 State of Theology survey by Ligonier and Lifeway, we'll examine what self-identified evangelicals believe, and then turn to scripture to see what God's word truly teaches on these issues. So yesterday's conversation took a hard look at the notion that God accepts the worship of all religions, which is a view that is insanely held by almost half of self-described evangelicals, and we just didn't let it stand. So today we turn the page and open up on the topic of attending church. So I didn't grow up in church, so I didn't grow up knowing a lot of the ins and outs of the whole thing, and I certainly wasn't aware of any of the written or unwritten rules about church. But even from my outside observation and from that position, I just assumed that if you purported to be a Christian, that at the very least you had to go to church, like, often. I thought that was just part of the deal. So it was pretty surprising to me after I became a Christian as a teenager, and as I got into my adult years, to see so many people that said they were Christians, but came up with all kinds of excuses as to why being a part of a church wasn't necessary. You know, I'd hear things like, well, God doesn't live in a building, or, you know, my church is in the woods, or, you know, on the golf course, or, you know, I don't go to church, I am the church. And then you got people that are like, yeah, you know, I love Jesus, but I'm not a fan of his fan club, right? And there are many others, but, I mean, I think you guys get the point. Now, I was never really convinced by any of these excuses, but they were, you know, used all the time, all the same. And apparently, a lot of so-called evangelicals feel the same way. So here's a statement from the 2025 State of Theology survey. Every Christian has an obligation to join a local church. So guys, only 61% of self-described evangelicals agree with that statement. So 39% of evangelicals, which is a huge chunk, do not think that you have to be a part of a local body of believers if you are a Christian. So let's do what we've done all week. Let's go to God's Word to see what He has to say on the matter. So in this first passage, we're going to see this topic addressed directly. So let's go to Hebrews 10, 24, and 25. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Okay, so the writer of Hebrews, likely the Apostle Paul, is using language that directly addresses Christians. So he's like, let us consider how to stir up one another. So the us here is referring to groups of Christians. So the statement demands a known, consistent community, okay? So when he uses the word consider, it obviously implies that members of that community are spending time thinking about one another. So this is a very intentional and targeted kind of a thing because you can't do a very good job of stirring up one another to love and good works if you're not in a committed and consistent relationship with those people, right? It's hard to stir up strangers. Then he says, not neglecting to meet together. So the language here doesn't imply a polite suggestion. It's a command. The words here carry the connotation of abandonment and desertion if you don't do this, right? But here's the thing, if meeting together were truly optional, then there's nothing neglectful about not showing up, right? So the simple structure here assumes that attendance is normal and required. And then in Ephesians 4 verses 15 through 16, we see this, Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, for whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. So, whereas the Hebrews passage we just looked at directly addresses church membership, this passage assumes it. So this passage assumes if you call yourself a disciple of Christ, that you will in turn be a part of the body of Christ. I mean, obviously, if a shoulder joint isn't attached to a body, it doesn't have much use, does it? And when he talks about when each part is working properly, the implication is that the right ordering of things would include all parts of the body. So the assumption isn't that the body can do just fine when some or most or enough of the parts are there. Just like in your body, every part of the body must be present for optimal health and growth. And what both of these passages tell us is that we are obligated to the body of believers. So the church you choose to attend may not have the best music or the easiest parking lot to navigate or a pastor that sufficiently entertains you each week. But none of that stuff matters because we are commanded to serve a local body of believers. And I mean, too many men seem to be okay with complaining about church or just avoiding it all together, which just leaves me wondering how much better and healthier the greater body of Christ would be if those same guys stopped looking inwardly at their own desires and wants and pointed that attention and energy to stirring up one another to love and good works. Wouldn't that be something? Alright guys, come back here tomorrow so we can wrap up the week.

Speaker 1:
[05:51] Thank you for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review. Stay sharp.