EP. 2

Summary

Podcast Summary: Street Preachers Episode 2

Title: Street Preachers
Hosts: Phillip Anthony Mitchell & Tim Timberlake
Episode: 2
Release Date: August 12, 2025

Street Preachers is a fervent and unfiltered podcast hosted by Phillip Anthony Mitchell and Tim Timberlake, dedicated to spreading the Gospel of Jesus with passion and conviction. In Episode 2, released on August 12, 2025, the hosts delve deep into the pressing concerns surrounding the current state of the Western church, the mismanagement of spiritual leadership, and the urgent need for revival.

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1. Introduction and Call to Action [00:00 – 00:21]

The episode opens with Phillip and Tim expressing their heartfelt desire for the listeners to engage deeply with the content. They emphasize the urgency of their mission, urging listeners to share the podcast widely to foster necessary conversations about the Westernized church.

Tim Timberlake [00:06]: "This is what I want you to do. I want you to send this to your friends, your family."

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2. The Decline of the Western Church [00:21 – 06:14]

Phillip Anthony Mitchell initiates a critical discussion on the deteriorating state of the church, both globally and specifically in the West. He reflects on his ongoing conversations within his church about God's prophetic timetable and laments the lack of attention believers are giving to the imminent return of Jesus.

Philip Anthony Mitchell [01:10]: "I shed tears over the state of the church globally, but specifically the state of the church in the West."

Tim adds to the conversation, highlighting the necessity for an awakening in America to counteract the complacency and drifting faith among believers.

Philip Anthony Mitchell [05:02]: "The greatest threat to the American church is the American pulpit."

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3. Accountability of Church Leaders [06:14 – 18:03]

The hosts delve into the accountability of pastors and church leaders. Phillip references the New Testament warnings, particularly from Paul and John, which caution against negligent shepherds who harm the flock.

Philip Anthony Mitchell [06:23]: "Their biggest warning was about the pulpit. It was about the shepherds, both shepherds that have lost their way and shepherds that God did not call."

Tim expands on this by discussing how success often becomes the greatest test of faithfulness for leaders, leading to moral failures when dependence on God wanes.

Tim Timberlake [16:39]: "The greatest test of faithfulness is success."

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4. Personal Testimony: A Trip to Israel and Turkey [07:55 – 12:57]

Phillip shares a transformative experience from a 2018 trip to Israel and Turkey, where he observed the minimal influence of Christianity in its birthplace. This revelation intensified his concern for the Western church, drawing parallels to the reprimands of the five churches in Revelation.

Philip Anthony Mitchell [08:01]: "I had an encounter with God at the Garden Tomb in Israel in December 2018, that changed my whole life."

He mourns the spread of compromised Christianity from East to West, fearing for the future of the church in the United States.

Philip Anthony Mitchell [13:04]: "How long are we going to last on the path we're on right now?"

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5. The Culture of Success and Its Dangers [17:00 – 27:08]

Tim discusses how the pursuit of success—measured by growth, money, fame, and influence—can lead church leaders away from their dependence on God. He emphasizes the importance of forgetting both personal successes and failures to remain humble and reliant on divine guidance.

Tim Timberlake [17:00]: "The greatest test of faithfulness is success."

Phillip echoes these sentiments, comparing the current trajectory of the church to a plane veering off course by a mere inch, leading to significant long-term consequences.

Philip Anthony Mitchell [19:05]: "That's a fire truck we hear right now. That's what the American church needs—an alarm to sound in the West."

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6. Discernment: Identifying Genuine Leadership [38:41 – 48:35]

The conversation shifts to how believers can discern authentic spiritual leaders from counterfeit ones. Phillip uses the metaphor of a fig tree, emphasizing the importance of observing the "fruits" or character of leaders rather than being swayed by their outward appearances or influence.

Philip Anthony Mitchell [45:19]: "Jesus said, you will know them by their fruits."

Tim adds that longevity and authenticity are key indicators of true anointing, advising against the allure of new, untested voices that lack accountability.

Tim Timberlake [46:29]: "Authenticity, originality, true anointing sustains with longevity over time."

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7. Dealing with Criticism and Public Scrutiny [48:35 – 56:03]

Phillip opens up about the personal challenges of facing public criticism and attacks, both online and within the church. He shares his approach to overcoming these challenges through prayer, focusing on purity of heart, and maintaining dependence on Jesus rather than retaliating against critics.

Philip Anthony Mitchell [49:09]: "I find more healing in praying for my enemies than trying to be retaliatory."

Tim commends Phillip's approach, acknowledging the grace he displays in handling scrutiny and advising listeners to emulate such responses.

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8. The Urgent Call for Revival [56:03 – 63:54]

In the concluding segments, Phillip and Tim fervently plead for a revival within the Western church. They urge listeners to return to the scriptures, engage in sincere prayer, repentance, and develop a deeper, more intimate relationship with Christ. The hosts emphasize that time is fleeting and that immediate action is necessary to prevent further decline.

Philip Anthony Mitchell [60:41]: "We have less time now than the apostles did."

Tim Timberlake [63:20]: "The American church is in trouble. The church, especially here in the west, is in trouble."

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9. Closing Prayer and Final Plea [63:54 – 64:19]

The episode concludes with a heartfelt prayer, invoking God's intervention for awakening, repentance, and a return to true devotion among the believers. Phillip and Tim beseech listeners to steward their lives according to God's desires, ensuring that the church remains steadfast and untainted by worldly distractions.

Tim Timberlake [62:02]: "Lord Jesus, God, may we wake up as your people."

Philip Anthony Mitchell [63:21]: "We return to hunger. We return to desperation, we return to thirst."

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Key Takeaways

• Urgency of Revival: The Western church is perceived as being in a state of decline, with an urgent need for renewal and a return to pure, scripture-based worship and practice.

• Accountability of Leaders: Church leaders are called to accountability, emphasizing that the greatest threats come from within the pulpit rather than external forces.

• Culture of Success: The pursuit of success can lead to moral and spiritual compromises, distancing leaders from genuine dependence on God.

• Discernment in Leadership: Believers are encouraged to discern the authenticity of spiritual leaders by their character and adherence to scripture rather than their influence or popularity.

• Response to Criticism: Emphasizes the importance of responding to criticism through prayer and maintaining a pure heart rather than seeking retaliation.

• Call to Action: Listeners are urged to engage deeply with the scriptures, repent, and foster a more intimate relationship with Christ to sustain the church's integrity and influence.

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Notable Quotes:

• Philip Anthony Mitchell [05:02]: "The greatest threat to the American church is the American pulpit."

• Tim Timberlake [17:00]: "The greatest test of faithfulness is success."

• Philip Anthony Mitchell [45:19]: "Jesus said, you will know them by their fruits."

• Tim Timberlake [46:29]: "Authenticity, originality, true anointing sustains with longevity over time."

• Philip Anthony Mitchell [60:41]: "We have less time now than the apostles did."

• Tim Timberlake [63:20]: "The American church is in trouble. The church, especially here in the west, is in trouble."

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Conclusion

Episode 2 of Street Preachers serves as a passionate wake-up call to the Western church, highlighting critical internal issues and the pervasive influence of modern culture on spiritual leadership. Phillip Anthony Mitchell and Tim Timberlake implore listeners to seek genuine revival through scripture, prayer, and authentic leadership, emphasizing that the time for transformation is now.

Transcript

[A]

What's up, family? You're tuned in right now to the Street Preachers Podcast with Tim Timberlake and Philip Anthony Mitchell.

[B]

We pray that you're blessed by the content you're about to receive. What's up, fam? We are back for episode two of the Street Preachers Podcast. We are your hosts. I'm Tim Timberlake.

[A]

I'm Philip Anthony Mitchell, and we are.

[B]

In for an incredible conversation. So this is what I want you to do. I want you to send this to your friends, your family. It is a conversation that I believe is necessary for the time that we are in. Both me and my brother Phil, we believe that time is running out, and we want to do everything we can from the pulpits to podcast platform to shout to the top of our lungs. Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. Return to the heart of the father. And I believe one of the conversations that we need to have today is about the Westernized church.

[C]

Yeah, we are. Yeah, we got to.

[A]

We got to have a conversation about the church and. And where we are right now in the state of the church. And, man, I think this is a very important conversation because, like, even right now, as we are recording this, you know, I'm having conversation with our church about just where we are right now on God's prophetic timetable.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I'm looking at the things that's happening in the earth, and. And one of the things that's grieving my heart is that, you know, I feel like there's a lot of believers right now that are not really paying attention to the fact that God is preparing the world for the return of the Son. And, you know, one of the things that. And you and I talk about this a lot. One of the things that I shed tears over, maybe every day. I'm not sure if a day go by I don't shed a tear. When I think about just the state of the church globally, but specifically the state of the church in the West. Excuse me, bro. And, man, it just breaks my heart, you know, And I feel like what we need right now, Tim, we need an awakening right now in this country. We need people to come alive. We need people to understand that time is running out. We need people to take seriously the mission and the call that God has given the church. And so. So as we even think about just the state of the church right now. I know. I know how I feel, you know, And. But. But what are you seeing right now? Because you. You've been traveling.

[C]

Yeah, right.

[A]

I've been traveling. You know, some of my travel team is even in the studio with us right now. But you've been traveling in your travels. Like, what are you seeing out there in the church? Like, as you travel, as you move around, you've been to different conferences. You're all around the country. What are you seeing right now in the church? Like, what are you seeing out there? And what are you feeling about what you're seeing?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And I want to preface what I say from the posture of number one. I want to communicate this in love.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Not from a stance of I'm better than anybody. Definitely not from the stance of my church is better than any other church.

[A]

Definitely.

[B]

Because I believe that we are all imperfect, serving a perfect savior.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But there's a difference between a lifestyle of sin.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And sinning. And what I'm seeing as I travel, what I'm seeing when we turn on YouTube, social media, whatever the platform is.

[A]

Come on.

[B]

Is leaders, pastors, ministers, evangelists, prophets who are using Jesus for content.

[A]

Come on, bro.

[B]

Using Jesus for content. Not living the lifestyle that should go before.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You're speaking.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

And we have a lot of performers.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

We have a lot of people that are producing content.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Off the back of Jesus Christ. And I'm disturbed by what I see happening in the Westernized church culture.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

It is a culture of convenience. It is a culture of comfort. It is a culture of transaction. And, you know, when leaders are able to live however they want to and continue to carry a message, I can't even call it the message. A message, because it's not God breathed upon. Because they have selfish ambition, they have selfish motive. They're sleeping around with whoever they want to sleep around with. I'm disturbed.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And so I think we have an obligation as men of God to speak into the climate. And like street preachers do with our bullhorns and our signs like Ezekiel and telling, standing, like pleading, begging, people turn back to the heart of the Father.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Because this is what this will eventually turn into if we do not.

[A]

Yeah. And I even like. You know, I even like the fact you talk about just the state of the pulpit first is where you're addressed. And I. I think that's important because I think when we look at the condition of the church globally, but specifically here in the west, there's a lot of pointing at the chairs, pointing at the pulpit. Pointing at the pulpit.

[C]

Right.

[A]

But I think we gotta take some accountability.

[C]

Right.

[A]

The pastors and the leaders. I think we gotta take some accountability for what we're seeing right now in the church. So, you know, I think what's happening is, like, I always say this, and you've heard me say this before, right. I feel that the greatest threat to the American church is American pulpit. Absolutely right. And I think it is the pulpits that's doing the greatest amount of damage to the church. In fact, you know, a lot of time, people always talking about Satan's attacks on the church, you know, so they. We point the finger at the devil all the time.

[C]

Right.

[A]

But when you read the New Testament. When you read the New Testament, we look at some of the warnings from Paul or some of the warnings from John. Their biggest warnings was not about Satan.

[B]

Yeah, bro.

[C]

Right.

[A]

The biggest warnings was not about the demonic. Their biggest warnings was. And I paraphrase, when I leave the.

[C]

That's right.

[A]

I know that ravenous wolves come in behind me, would not spare the flock. And so their biggest warning was about the pulpit. It was about the shepherds, both shepherds that have lost their way and shepherds that God did not call. And that was their biggest warning. And so I. I think it's important for us to establish that. I think a lot of what we're seeing right now in the body of Christ, I think a lot of it has to fall at the feet of people that sit in our seats, Right. Has to follow the feet of all of us, the shepherds. How are we stewarding God's bride? How are we stewarding the proclamation, or how are we stewarding the word? And I think it has to start there.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And I think this is what you're alluding to, the brokenness you feel when you look at the shepherds and how they handling God's flock. Let me tell you where my brokenness begins. Right. So my brokenness begins over the state of the church, and I think this is very important. In December 2018, Lena and I was in Israel, and we was there for maybe about 10 days toward the whole nation, from the northern parts of the nation, the Golden Heights, all the way down to the south to the Dead Sea. I had an encounter with the. You know, you and I have talked about this. I had an encounter there in Israel that changed my life, changed my preaching, changed my. My perspective about church, changed my perspective about God. It was. It was in that trip in Israel when I had an encounter like what Isaiah had when I realized God was supremely holy.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And that he had given me a clear charge to come back to the United States and to cry aloud.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And so I had an encounter with God at the Garden Tomb in Israel in December 2018, that changed my whole life. I would never be the same. I feel like a man died there, right? I feel like a man died in Israel and a different man came back to the United States, if that makes sense. But this is. This is what. This is what opened my eyes. It was a 17 hour flight back from Tel Aviv to the United States, right? And I'm sitting at a window seat, and we're flying over Israel, we're flying over Tel Aviv. You know, you got to fly over Turkey as you head your way back across the Atlantic Ocean back to the United States. And as I'm looking out the window, as the plane is climbing, you know, it's climbing over Israel, you're coming across Turkey. And I look out the window and I can see all these gold domes everywhere, right? I just see gold domes everywhere. They're just dotted all over the landscape. Gold domes everywhere, domes here, domes there. And I'm looking out the window at all these domes, and I'm seeing, like, all of these moss. These are all moss, right? And as I'm flying back at 17 hours, I'm conflicted in my soul because I'm thinking, I'm leaving the place. This is when I was in Israel, and then this happened to me, specifically in Israel and in Turkey. Let me be clear. This happened in Israel. I'm leaving Israel. And this happened again when I'm leaving Turkey. Two separate chips. But I'm putting the stories together. I'm being like a gospel writer. I'm taking two stories, but I'm kind.

[B]

Of putting them together.

[A]

I'm conflating the two. Flying out from Turkey, flying, and then seeing all these gold domes everywhere, coming out of Turkey, I'm thinking to myself, this was the birthplace of Christianity, right? This part of the world in the east was the birthplace of Christianity. And I think a lot of people in the Western church who think that Christianity was born in the West. No, Christianity was born in the East. This is a Eastern religion.

[C]

Yeah, right.

[A]

It is an Eastern religion. And so I'm leaving Israel and I'm leaving Turkey. Two separate trips. But I'm putting the stories together. And I'm looking out the window, I'm seeing all these domes. I'm thinking this was the birthplace of Christianity. But in the place where Christianity was founded, it almost has very little influence.

[C]

Yeah, man, Right.

[A]

It has very little influence. And I. I'm thinking about from when I left Turkey, I'm thinking about the words of the Lord, his Rebuke to those churches of Asia Minor. Because I've been to Turkey, I've been to the cities of Asia Minor, been to Ephesus, been to Thessalonica, been to Laodicea, been to Philadelphia, been to all those cities. And so when you think about in Revelation, chapter two and three, when Jesus opens up the Revelation, let's go to Genesis chapter one, when he appears to John on the isle of Patmos, right? So he appears to John. John is on the isle of Patmos. He's there as a prisoner for the preaching of the Gospel. He's the last surviving apostle. All the apostles have been martyred for the faith. They've been martyred for what? They've been martyred for what? They saw a resurrected Christ. Let's establish that, right? They saw resurrected Christ. They're all martyred. John, in the year 1895, is on this island for the testimony of the Gospel. Christ in his resurrected form, appears to John and tells John, I want you to write these things down. That must come to pass. He gives him seven letters to those seven churches of Asia Minor and the entire copy of the Book of Revelation. So he sends seven copies of the Book of Revelation to these churches. Now, two of those churches, he does not rebuke, right? The Church of Smyrna and blesses them. I think the church in Philadelphia, nothing. But the other five churches, he said something to them. One of them lost their first love. One of them, you tolerate Jezebel. One is full of sexual immorality. One is full of compromise. The other one, you have a reputation for being alive, but you're really dead on the inside. And then another one, he says to them, you are lukewarm, right? And so I'm thinking about that as I'm flying. And I'm saying, I start to weep on the plane. I'm crying on the plane. And I'm crying on the plane, Tim, because I'm saying to myself, this faith that you and I have, this monotheism, this great religion of Christianity, was born in a place where it almost has no influence, right? And I'm wrestling with that on a plane. How is it? This is an Eastern religion, and it almost has no influence where it was born. And I'm thinking about the Lord's rebuke to those five churches. I would say a cycle, a pattern.

[B]

Come on.

[A]

We see in the church, right? Abandoning your first love, tolerating false doctrine.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Tolerating compromise, tolerating immorality. Reputations. They look warm dead, right? And I'm Crying on the inside, right? And I'm thinking to myself, the influence of Christianity fell here not because the devil, right, because remember Jesus said in Matthew, chapter 16, on this rock I will build my church. That's right, the gates of hell will never prevail against it, right? So Christianity, its influence did not fall in the east because of Satan solely. It fell because of the people of God's drift, who from orthodox Christianity, drift from Christ. There was an erosion on the inside of the Eastern church that causes influence to fall. It created a vacuum. And then another great monotheism filled that vacuum, right, and started setting up shop all over the East. Now watch. I'm thinking about this, Tim. I'm crying. And then we see that spread east towards the west. That's right, it comes through Africa, it comes into Europe and then that same type of pattern begins to hit Europe. And think like, Christianity came to the shores of the US from Europe. But I was just in London two weeks ago, right? You go to London often and, and in London, Christianity has lost his influence. Absolutely. In London. Yeah, right, it's lost its influence in London. In fact, when I was there, the believers I was with on the ground are talking about this, right? How London needs a revival, how the UK needs a revival. They need an outpouring of God's spirit. They feel like there is a. A spiritual darkness over the UK and the people are walking around like zombies and they need an awaken and they. And they're crying out how they need an awakening in the uk. But here's the thing I'm saying though, Tim, here's the, here's the thing I'm saying, right? This started in the east, that compromise spread all the way to the West. It spread into the uk. Where else is it going next? It's spreading out into the United States. And I feel like, personally, bro, if we don't have a revival in the United States of America, if there is not an awakening in the United States of America, if there is not an outpouring of repentance in the United States of America, if there is not a turning away from the ways of the world towards the ways of the kingdom. My whole thing, bro, here's my question to you, Tim, is how long are we going to last on the path we're on right now? Before your son sitting in the studio right now, my kids, like, what world is he going to live in, right? Like what, what is the church going to look like by the time Max is our age? What is the church going to look like? What is the church going to look like if we don't have some kind of revival right now? So for me, I feel like that's where it started for me. It started on those two trips and recognizing that, oh, this thing is spread all the way to our shores now from the east. And if something does not happen, you know, I'm. I'm afraid for what world he's going to live in.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You feel what I'm saying?

[B]

Absolutely. I think, you know, what we see uncovering and really revealing itself, you know, one of the greatest moral tests for any leader. And I think this is where we are today.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Great. Leaders don't fall purely because of sex. And we talk about sex a lot. There's a lot of leaders that fall because they're sexually immoral.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But I believe more than that, it's because of success.

[A]

Unpack that, bro.

[B]

I think the greatest test of faithfulness is success.

[A]

Unpack that.

[B]

When we experience or step into moments of what the world defines as success.

[A]

Growth. Growth, money.

[B]

People coming, fame, influence.

[A]

Influence.

[B]

All the things it. It brings us to a place where we no longer are reliant on God.

[A]

Jesus, bro. Come on.

[B]

The way that we once were.

[A]

Come on, Tim.

[B]

We no longer are dependent upon God. Come on. Because what we are doing.

[A]

Come on, bro.

[B]

Is working, bro.

[A]

Come on, bro.

[B]

And so two things that I have to forget every single day.

[A]

Two things you have to forget.

[B]

I have to forget.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

My successes and my failures.

[A]

Like Paul. These two things you.

[B]

These two things. Your success. Don't forget my successes. It becomes a ceiling I can't break through.

[A]

Come on, man.

[B]

If I don't forget my failures. Come on. It becomes a barrier that I can't get over.

[A]

Come on, man.

[B]

And so every single day, we have to forget both success and failure. What we see happening today is people living in what worked. But God has moved on because they found success.

[A]

Hold on, bro. You got to say that one more time, bro.

[B]

We. We see leaders, pastors.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Living. Living, teaching, thriving.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Hit me with that one more time.

[B]

In what they are doing. That worked.

[A]

It worked.

[B]

It worked.

[A]

But God has moved on.

[B]

God has moved on. And we find leaders. We find pastors in positions and in places where God used to be.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And that's where immorality comes in. That's where greed comes in. That's where the. The. The mentality to water down the gospel.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Comes in, to tweak it, to make it continue to work. Because it did work. And people are now coming. And so I believe One of the greatest threats to what we see in the Westernized church isn't failure, isn't necessarily moral failure, although that's attached to it.

[A]

But success is success. Success.

[B]

We have big churches, we have influence. For some of these pastors and leaders and teachers and, and, and, and, and evangelists, the world is watching.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And we are not built for glory.

[A]

We're not built for glory.

[C]

We.

[B]

But not built for it. We can't sustain it. Anytime we try to sustain glory, anytime we try to sustain an ungodly level of influence, yeah, we break.

[A]

We break. And that's what, that's what they're seeing right now.

[B]

And it's disturbing, bro.

[A]

That's powerful, bro.

[B]

Because when, when we look across the plane of what God is doing in the American church, there's some great things, there's some phenomenal things, but you keep watching it. People get in the way.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And they distort.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

They corrupt.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

They turn, they pivot. I was talking to a pilot one time, bro, and he told me, he said, in order to get a plane off course, you don't have to turn it. You just have to change the trajectory for one inch, just a little bit. Just one inch, and it starts going.

[A]

In the wrong direction.

[B]

If it starts going in the wrong direction for one inch for the continuation and duration of the flight, it will end up on the opposite coast just.

[A]

Like that siren we hear. I'm telling you, that's what we need right now.

[B]

That's exactly what the church alarm to.

[A]

Sound in the church, just like this alarm that's sounding right now. And that's a fire truck we hear right now. Absolutely right. That's a fire truck we hear right now. Sound an alarm as you're talking. And I feel like that's what the American church reads right now. You know, let's just say, because I'm hearing that there's issues in Australia, there's issues in the uk, there's issues on the continent of Africa. So we want to be clear. I feel like there, there was a global need for revival, obviously. But we talking specifically in the west, like that alarm right there we heard outside the window. I feel like that's what we need right now in the West. We need an alarm to sound in the West. We need an awakening right now in the West. And, and from what you're, what you're seeing in your travels, what's breaking your heart is you're really talking a lot about the state of the pulpit.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

The state of God's shepherds That thing is really on your heart.

[B]

It is. We. We have. And I want to be careful. It's our podcast, so we can say whatever we want to say. And. And we don't have to worry about the host kicking us off.

[A]

Yeah, but.

[B]

But yeah, we. We have a generation of leaders that are more focused on viewership than they are hearing the voice of God.

[A]

Why. Why do you think that is, though?

[B]

Because we seek popularity. We have people that will settle for popularity versus the power of God.

[A]

Come on.

[B]

And anytime we settle for popularity, we void the power of God. Like, we're not here to be popular. He set us apart. We are chosen. We are a royal priesthood.

[C]

We.

[B]

We are a peculiar people. He never called us to be popular. He called us to be submitted and surrendered to the will and to the heart of the Father. When we do that now, this is what God does. He gives us favor.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

And he says, when you have favor for me, I'll give you favor with men and women.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But we distort that favor and we water it down to popularity. Water it down for earthly influence. And we, as leaders, we want to be loved and liked by everyone instead of being affirmed and accepted by the one that matters most. And that's what I'm saying.

[A]

So let's just say they. Let's just say there's a. A young brother, young sister, older brother, older sister watching this podcast right now, and God has blessed them with favor.

[C]

Y.

[A]

He has blessed them with influence. He's blessed them with resources. How do they steward their heart in such a way as to not allow those things to pervert them? Like, cuz you like, for example, for where I am right now, we're just keeping 100. Right. Like, nobody knew who I was two years ago.

[C]

Right.

[A]

Stewarding influence for me is relatively new.

[C]

Right?

[A]

Stewarding, you know, a large amount of souls is relatively new. Stewarding a larger budget and platforms, and all of this for me is relatively new. Right, but you've been stewarding influence for a very long time. I don't.

[B]

I don't know if people know that still.

[A]

I know. Right, but you've been student influence for a very long time. For years, you've been student influence. You've stood on major platforms all around the country. You've stood in major conferences all around the country. You came from influence your parents had, if not one of the most influential churches in the entire state of North Carolina. So you've been steward of influence for a long time.

[C]

Right?

[A]

So. And yet you, from what I know Right. I'm. I'm a. I'm a.

[C]

You.

[A]

You're a man of God, pure heart, serious about the gospel, serious about God's church.

[C]

Right.

[A]

Somebody right now. God has blessed them with influence, has blessed them with resources, has blessed them with a platform. How do they steward that and not corrupt them? Like, how do they steward the blessings of God and not turn the blessing into an idol? How do they do that?

[B]

I think we have to understand what we steward.

[C]

Right.

[B]

Is not our identity. We are not what we do.

[A]

Come on.

[B]

That's the first thing. When we come to the realization that we are sons first.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Husband second, fathers third, then leaders.

[C]

Yeah. That's.

[B]

That's a beautiful realization. That's the first thing. The second thing is understand everything that we have comes from God.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

There's not a system. There's not a structure. There's not a remedy. There's not a format.

[A]

Come on.

[B]

That I can put in place to see what we are seeing today. You can't look in a manual and find what God is doing in 2819. It has not been done. I have not seen people waiting in line at 1am to get into a 6am service for resurrection weekend. I've never seen that before. There's not a manual. There's not a blueprint for that. What we are experiencing comes from God. That's the first thing. And understanding. We are not built to carry it.

[A]

Come on, bro.

[B]

We are built to steward it. If we try to carry it, it will break us.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And that's where a lot of leaders are. They're trying to carry it. They're trying to manufacture momentum. And you can't. The thing that most people don't know about you, that I love about you, is that you dug in the unseen.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

For 12 years before anyone saw or heard anything from or about Phillip and Lena Mitchell. And I believe those 12 years developed something on the inside of me. A dependence, a reliance, a surrender, a submission to the will and to the heart of God. And it's the same thing for me. My greatest joy, bro. My greatest desire is not to lead a big, influential church.

[A]

And you have that.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

By men and women's standards.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You have that.

[C]

Yes. Yeah.

[B]

My greatest desire is to lead people back into the presence of God. That's what we're missing. We. We settle for service, bro. We settle for services.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

We settle for a remedy. Siri is agreeing with me. We settle for a remedy of.

[C]

Of.

[B]

I know what I'm going to get when I go to Service. They're going to sing two cute songs. They don't sing my song. I'm upset.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Pastor's going to get on stage, he's going to preach a message.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That's not going to convict the hell out of me.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

It's not going to talk to draw out of me, the old me, so that I could be resurrected. My flesh can be killed and the spirit of Christ can be bought to new life in me.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

They're going to talk about offering. We're going to pray. We're going to get our. Like, that's. That's where most of us rest today.

[A]

It's a routine.

[B]

It's a routine and we. We know that's where it is. And I think we have to break that. I think we have to break the service and settling for service and being so concerned, and so that's what we need. We need alarm to the alarm, bro.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So concerned about the user experience.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

That we forget, man. We're not here for us. We're here for him.

[A]

You know, it's. It's powerful you saying that too, man, because, you know, like, for me, for me, man, I probably shed tears about this just about almost every day. True story, bro. I'm not sure if there's a day that goes by that I have not shed a tear over the state of the church in the West. And when I. When I think about God's bride in the West, I see a bride who is adulterous. She has many other lovers. She feels like her lover is not good enough. The bride in the west is not satisfied with her groom. Her groom is not enough. And so Christ is not enough.

[C]

Right?

[A]

And just this week in my prayer time, you know, I was sitting in my prayer time in tears in the midst of persecution, navigating all this weight. And I was thinking to myself, I had this piece, Tim, with people throwing arrows at me all over the place. Everybody got my name in their thumbnail, you know, using my name to build their platform and all these other things. And with all of these attacks around my name and all these things, you know, I was sitting in my prayer room in tears, and I had this perfect peace, right? And I had this perfect peace because for me, I am most satisfied in Christ.

[B]

Yeah, man.

[C]

Right.

[A]

Like this is. I am so satisfied in Christ. Like. Like, even. Even as I'm looking at the sky behind you right now, this New York City skyline, right? I. I think about the day that I'm going to see him.

[C]

Yeah. Right.

[A]

I think about the day that will be with him. And, and the Lord has done such a work in my heart where there is a desire for eternity.

[C]

Right.

[A]

There's a. There's a longing to be with Him. And because there is a longing to be with him when I sit with him in my prayer time, I. I am. I am growing to a place where I'm so satisfied with him. That, like a big following that's not going to satisfy.

[B]

Like.

[A]

Like I. I know what it is to have five people following me on Instagram and, you know, now almost a million. Yeah, you got a million people following you on Instagram that don't satisfy. Like building, having a big Instagram following. That, that's. That don't satisfy, you know, or having a big church. Like, like these are things I'm thankful for, but that don't satisfy.

[B]

Right, right.

[A]

Or. Or, you know, driving a vehicle. You like all, like, these things, these things betray, like you. They can come into your life and then you realize it will still leave you empty. Absolutely. And. And if Christ, if her, if. If he is not the thing that satisfies the most, then the bride will never be satisfied with him. We will keep looking for all these other things. It's like the bride will always be adulterous if she don't fall deeply in love with her groom.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And so when I. When I think about. When I think about the church in the West, I see a bride that is wayward, a bride that is unsatisfied. A bride who feels like her groom is not enough. A bride who is searching for all these other things to fully satisfy the deepest longings of her soul, not knowing that her groom is enough. And so for the sake of. That we have all these other lovers, right? Unchecked ambitions, unbridled ambitions, Rampant idolatry, rampant immorality, rampant. All these things. And some of it is not that everybody is evil. It's that they are searching and feeling like I need Jesus plus filling the blood. And so the bride in the west, she just doesn't seem satisfied with the groom. And then what she has done, she has all these other lovers. She has. Has corrupted her soul. And so I feel like we have a church in the west that is gripped by apathy. She has been gripped by lethargy. She has been gripped by indifference.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

She does not care. She only sees her groom as a means to an end.

[C]

It's.

[A]

They only see her groom as a means to an end. What can I get from him?

[B]

Transactional.

[A]

Transactional. Can he platform me can he give me my laundry list of what I want? And so she. She is. She is battling with that. She's battling with compromise. She's battling with her love affair with titles, and she's battling with her love affair with everything other than her groom. And what we do not see is that she is infected with cancer, and it's eating her out from the inside. And so when I. When I. When I. When I look across the landscape of the church in the west, this is what I see. And it breaks my heart, bro. Like, even right now, as I'm talking to you, like, it just. It breaks my heart because it's like. Like, why is Christ not enough, right, man? Like. Like, what more does he have to do, right?

[C]

Like.

[A]

Does he have to die a second death?

[C]

You know?

[A]

Does he have to be strung out on another cross? Does he have to endure another scourge? Like, why is he not enough? Why are we not satisfied with him? And then it goes right back to what you started, goes right back to his shepherds, us, right? Are we pointing the bride towards the groom? Are we pointing the bride towards ourselves? Are we pointing the bride towards all these other things, right? And it just. It just breaks my heart, man. And this thing will have me up at night. It will have me in tears, Tim. It'll have me in tears. It'll have me grieved, you know, and that's why I just keep crying out for revival. Like, I am praying for the shepherds in our nation. I am praying for the body of Christ. I am crying out and interceding that something would happen and that. And that we would have a real awakening, not just put the name revival on a service, but that there would be an outpouring of repentance on our nation. And now point of awakening on our nation and now point of revelation on our nation of where we are, the time that we have left, and the desperate we need we have for something to change. Like. Like, Tim, this thing is bothering me, right? This thing is bothering me. This thing is in my soul, Tim. You know, I even think about, like, what we doing here? Like, why are we doing this? No, we're trying to stick in gospel voices into a very toxic culture. You know, I want to be remembered of those voices that said, you know, there was. There were voices crying in the wilderness, you know, saying, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. You feel what I'm saying, man?

[B]

I think also you have the pastors, but then you have the consumers who define people as their pastors. Who have never been called by God. And so you have a generation of YouTubers who are not connected to a local body, who don't have spiritual covering.

[A]

Come on, talk about it.

[B]

You have prophets who hate the church who are not connected or submitted and surrendered to a spiritual authority. You have evangelists who travel around, poach people that do things contrary to the Bible because they're not submitted to spiritual authority that people are looking to for spiritual nourishment. And they're not connected to anything that is life giving.

[A]

This is a big issue you have.

[B]

You have that issue. That's why I believe this, this podcast is necessary.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

Because there's a void of content creators who are not surrendered to the heart of the Father.

[A]

Come on, bro.

[B]

That are spewing venom to God's children, that need to run up against two dudes that can say, nope, that's wrong. I encourage you as listeners, as viewers to go listen to this, to go find this out, to search this out in scripture, tell me where that is, so that you can align yourself with the heart of the Father.

[A]

Come on, bro.

[B]

You know, and so this is. This is for me, this is big.

[A]

Bro, what you're talking about right here. This is big.

[B]

It's running rampant.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't trust any YouTuber that's not in a church, submitted and surrendered to a pastor to give theology. I don't. I don't trust any prophet that hates God's church and his bride that's not surrendered or accountable to any spiritual issue. That's what we see happening in the westernized church. People who feel like they have been given this opportunity because they have followers. Followers don't account for anointing. Followers don't account for being obedient and surrendered to the heart of God. My greatest fear, bro, isn't failing. It is being successful. It's something God never called me to be successful in. And that's what we see happening today. People finding success in YouTube, people finding success and being a social media TikTok Instagram influencer, going on the different streaming platforms and then not submit it to anybody and not accountable to a local body. And so how can you tell me that you love Jesus and you're not submitted to his bride? How can you tell me you have a heart for the Father and you're not anchored in the hands of the Father? How can you tell me that you want to grow in the things of God, but you have not been rooted in the house of God? It is impossible. And that's what we have running rapid in the westernized church.

[A]

Rogue. Have a generation of rogue preachers, rogue voices, rogue apostles, rogue prophets, rogue. Just. So your. Your thing is there's a lot of people out there who are just rogue. Disconnected from the bride.

[B]

Orphans.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, orphans. Orphans.

[B]

People speaking on behalf of God.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That have not spoken to God.

[A]

And. And the thing about that too is there's a. There's a backside of that. Yes. Not only do we have all these rogue voices, but then we have unsuspecting sheep who don't have enough word in them or enough discernment to discern. These voices are revealed.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And so I don't condemn the sheep for that. I just weep over the sheep.

[C]

Right.

[A]

I weep over the sheep like a weep over the sheep where you see New age apostles and New age voices leading the bride astray. And we see that the bride does not have enough discernment to separate between voices that God has established and voices that the enemy has established.

[C]

Right.

[A]

It's just like Jesus made it very clear. And this is the thing I think people forget. Jesus made it very clear.

[C]

Right.

[A]

When he told the parable, that parabolic story of the seeds, and then he talks about the wheat and the tears. It's very clear.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

That the Lord has planted voices in the earth and the enemy has planted voices in the earth. And if you took all the voices in America and put them in an arena, in that arena are voices that God has established and voices that Satan has established, but look exactly the same.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And the thing is, if we don't have a depth of intimacy with Christ, if we don't have a life that has been forged in prayer, if we don't have knowledge of God's word, then it'll be very easy to turn on a podcast, fall up into a church gathering, turn on a YouTube, and be led astray by a voice that God did not plan. And this is what's happening right now. And not to mention the fact that this is what Jesus was said. The closer we get to the end times, the closer we get to his return. He already prophesied we're going to see a rise of false voices, a rise of false Christs, a rise of false prophets, there will be a rise of false voices. The closer we get to the end, who will lead the people of God astray? And by the time we get to the great tribulation would deceive if it was possible, the very elect. And I think if we are not rooted in the scriptures, this is why, like for example, like in our gatherings, man, I be yelling at our people. I scream at that, please, read, read, read, Read like, know this Bible for yourself. Like, read like. Because the more truth they know.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

The easier it is to discern a lie. The more word they know, the more they can say. Now that's static. That don't sound right. That's not in accordance with God. That's why I've been encouraging people. Don't just get all your theology from podcasts or from a YouTube video. No, read. Know the scriptures for yourself. And in this culture right now, we have a, A, a, A generation that is emerging that is biblically illiterate.

[C]

That.

[A]

Gets all that theology from podcasts and from conferences and from books. They think they can't hear from God for themselves. And we need to listen. We need to encourage people watching this podcast. Right now, you can hear from God for yourself 100%. Every time they open the scriptures, they're hearing from God for themselves. All scriptures inspired by God, breathed by God. In fact, Jesus said, man, people search the scriptures for in them, you think you have life, but not realize it's in them. They testify of me. You could open the word of God and find Christ. Get on your knees and find Christ. We need intimacy with Christ. Because I feel like there's a lot of people being led astray because they don't have discernment in terms of the voices they're listening to. So I feel like the American church right now, not only all those things I said about the bride, but what you're talking about right now, rogue voices that are disconnected from the bride, leading the bride astray. And this is a growing problem, and it's going to continue to increase because of the proliferation of social media. This is going to continue to increase and be a major problem in our country, 100%.

[B]

Let me ask you this, because I want to know this. I know our listeners want to know this. Let me set it up like this. In the city. If I called out this particular street, you wouldn't know what it is. Yeah, a lot of our viewers would know what it is, but it's known worldwide for counterfeit. Yeah, you can find a Louis bag, Gucci bag.

[A]

Yo, we can go right here in Chinatown right now.

[B]

Belly, go right there, right now, right.

[A]

There and get a fake Louis.

[B]

And on the outside, it looks real. Yeah, it looks real. The logos are in the right place. It feels real on the outside, but when you open it up. Yeah, the inside is different. There's no weight to it. How do you determine if an orator of the gospel, a pastor, a teacher, an evangelist, a prophet, an apostle, how do you determine if they have the weight of glory that rests on their life because they've spent time in the things of God? How do you determine that? And who do you determine? Or how do you determine who you listen to and engage with?

[A]

I. I think, I think for me, first things first, I want to use the Scriptures as the ultimate authority, the standard, right? If anyone is speaking something in the name of God and it continues to fall to the floor, then the Scripture tells us that God has not spoken to that person. So where prophets are prophesying and what they're saying is not coming to pass, the Scripture gives us a standard to say that this person has not spoken from God. So first things first. Are their words fallen to the floor, prophesying? And then for those who are just proclaiming, right, I'm looking at what are they proclaiming? You know, are they preaching the Word? Are they preaching man made traditions? And are they legalistic? Who are they exalting? Are they exalting themselves? Are they exalting Christ? Whose platform are they building? Are they building their own platform? Are they building the kingdom? What are their motivations? Are they motivated by the things of the scriptures? Are they motivated by worldly things? At the end of the day, it's like this. In my front yard, I have a fig tree in my front yard, right? And if you pulled up on my house right now, Tim, you saw that fig tree in my yard. It's big, it's lush, it's beautiful, it's green, right? But a fig tree is an interesting tree because it has fruit on it that you cannot see unless you get up on that tree because the leaves are so big. It's not like if you saw apple tree, you could see apples hanging or a lemon tree. The fig tree is different. A fig tree has fruit on it. When the leaves are full, it's supposed to have fruit. But you can't see that fruit until you get up on that tree, right? So if you came to my house and you pull up in my driveway, you will see this big, beautiful green tree. But you could not see the fruit until you got closer to the tree. And once you get closer to the tree, you can see the fruit. Now two things, right? If those leaves are big and there's no fruit on that tree, we know that something is wrong with that tree. But if those leaves are big, and you really want to know, you got to get up on that Tree.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And it's the same thing. Jesus said, you will know them by their fruits. And so I think. This is why I say all the time, I think we got to be more impressed with character than we are with talent. Now, I'm not talking about people who are perfect or never made a mistake. That's what I'm talking about, character. So for me, if I'm sitting in the pew, I'm. I'm using these things as a metric. This is why I'm using a metric. Who are they exalting? What are they preaching? What is the character of this person? What am I hearing coming out of their heart? Do I hear Christ coming out their heart? Are they exalting Christ? How do they honor God's word? This. This is what I'm looking for. And so I'm not going to submit myself to a lot of voices because I feel like when we do that, we cheapen our soul. I think we have to care for our soul and be mindful about all of the voices we're listening to. I think that's very, very important. What about for you? Like, how do you. How do you determine who you listening to and what's real from what's fake? For me, it's the fruit on the tree. It's character. For me, it's. Who are they exalting is their fidelity to the Scriptures? What is it for you?

[B]

For me, I look at the longevity.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Because veneer always cracks under the right pressure. But authenticity, originality, true anointing sustains with longevity over time. And so I want to see, hear, observe a leader that has gone through pain, that has gone through valleys, that is going through dark seasons.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And the way that we know that is because they continue to depend on Jesus in those things.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And continue to rely on Him. And so for me, I'm looking for that.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't listen to a lot of new pastors.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I just don't. I don't listen to a lot of pastors in general.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I admire the gift of God and great men and women. Make no mistake about it. I admire the way they approach scripture.

[A]

Come on.

[B]

I don't listen to a lot of them. And the reason being, like you said, I don't want to consume all of these different voices that may be going different directions. I have a handful of people that I listen to that I learn from, that I grow from. I believe we should always continue to learn. But those people have been proven through time. They've been proven through struggle. They've been proven with test of success and failures and how they relied on God over time with the help of God to get through every season that they've been through.

[A]

That's good, bro.

[B]

I think, you know, another while we're on this, because I think it's important for our audience to hear the flip side of that. You've been put under an unreal, unhuman level of scrutiny and expectation and how people view you and the expectancy for you to live your life perfect. It's. It's a unfair burden and weight.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Number one, in this season, how are you stewarding that? And then number two, what does that feel like?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

To steward that with so much scrutiny. Literally. People making YouTubes about you that have never had a conversation with you, people talking about you, that have never heard a full message, people that are giving their opinions about you.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But have never even heard you teach or proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[A]

I think I'm going to share this, and then we're going to land a plane on this. On this episode.

[C]

Right.

[A]

I think in full transparency, I say at the onset and even sometimes it hurts. I think if I said it, it never bothers me, I would be lying. So I think. I think for me, sometimes it hurts. And it does bother me.

[C]

All right.

[A]

Especially because my wife and my kids, they see that stuff, too. So for me, the way I deal with it is that first, I do make it my business to pray for all my enemies. And I pray for them, Tim. Yeah. And I, you know, coming from the street, I know it is to be retaliatory in nature. You know, it's like, you come after me, I'm going to come after you. You know, you got beef with me, I got beef with you. And so that's. That's in my nature. But after walking with the Lord now, Walking with the Lord now for, you know, like, 21 years, I pray for my enemies. And I find more healing and praying for my enemies than trying to be retaliatory. So first things do I. I spend a lot of time praying for my enemies. I pray for them. I pray for my heart, that God would continue to help me journey towards purity. I want to have a pure heart. I want to have a consecrated interior life. Other thing, too, is I want to remember that. That if all men speak well of you, Jesus said, then woe is you.

[C]

Yeah, Right.

[A]

And that if my Savior did not make it out of his ministry without being crucified, critiqued, spoken, evil of, then who am I to Think or who are you to think that you and I are going to do ministry and nobody's not going to have something negative to say. So I think it's an unrealistic person that thinks that they can do ministry and never have people who say negative things.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And then there is something Jesus said is very powerful, and I'm trying to learn this, you know, and he said, blessed are you when men persecute you and revile you and say all manner of evil things against you for my name's sake. He says, rejoice. I'm still trying to figure that out.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven. That rejoice part, I'm trying to figure that out. I think you do this much better than me because you've been in public, like, much better than me. And you're teaching me this. You're helping me with this in private. I think. I think we should acknowledge that. I think you do an excellent job of dealing with critics and, you know, people saying visceral things about you in the church, in the media. I mean, you and I over breakfast, you. You are right now helping me to steward attacks and steward arrows because you've dealt with this much longer. So I've learned a lot from you on how to see that stuff and not let it affect me so deep. Like, one of the things I admire about you the most is I say when I pray for you is, like, that part of Tim. I want that in me. Like, I. You know, I'm a sheep, too, and so are you. We're still.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

And sometimes, you know, I got some. Some. Some anger in there.

[C]

Yeah. And.

[A]

And some fight in me. And I. One of the things I admire most about you is that you have such poise, such calm, even in the middle of the most visceral battles. And I'm trying to learn to have that same poise. And I think I'm getting there. I think I'm getting there. And I want to say this, too, because I think this is very important. You know, I was sharing with a young sister who's like a. She's a little sister to me. I was sharing with her the other day. This is very important because she's dealing with a lot of public scrutiny, too, and she's an influencer. And she. And I did a Bible study over the phone. I said, let's go to First Samuel. So we're in First Samuel. I think it's around chapter 17 or so when. When David is getting out to go to war with Goliath. And there is a detail in that text that a lot of people don't pay attention to. You know, in First Samuel. I don't know. Can we. Can we. Can I just share this with our. With our audience really quick? I want to get them the. The actual place where it is in 1st Samuel, chapter 17.

[C]

Right?

[A]

In chapter 17. All right, so in chapter 17 and verse 41.

[C]

Right.

[A]

Listen to what it says. So we know this historical account of when David goes out to meet Goliath.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And in 1st Samuel, chapter 17, verse 41, it says, and the Philistine moved forward and came near to David with his shield bearer in front of him. And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him. Now just stop right there.

[C]

Right.

[A]

It says the giant saw David and hated him. He moved forward towards David with his armor bear in front of him. And it was a friend of mine that pointed something out to me as he and I was doing a Bible study. In this text, every time we preach this historical account, we only talk about David's battle against Goliath. No one ever talks about the armor bearer that was in front of Goliath.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

According to this passage, there was an armor bearer standing in front of Goliath. So there's three people on that battlefield. There was David. There was an armor bearer between them.

[B]

Goliath.

[A]

And there is Goliath.

[B]

Come on, man.

[A]

And if you read the rest of the text, David never addresses the armor bearer.

[B]

Come on.

[A]

He only addresses Goliath. Wow. Watch. Wow.

[C]

Wow.

[A]

His focus is not on the armor bearer. His focus is on his real battle, which is Goliath.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And when I learned that in the text, I had to realize a lot of this noise.

[B]

Powerful, bro.

[A]

Just armor bearers.

[B]

Come on.

[A]

They are not. My focus won't address them. Not responding. Not thinking about you at all. Not thinking of you. Keep throwing arrows. Armor bearers. I got to keep my eyes fixed on the real battle. The real battle is what's happening in culture. The real battle is what's happening to Ken. I'm focused on the real battle. I'm focused on Goliath. I'm not focused on. So I'm not going to waste David. Ain't waste a stone on the armor bearer. He only had five.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

He made sure he did not waste his weapons on the armor bearer. He did not waste his words on the armor bearer. He did not waste his time on the armor bearer.

[C]

Bro.

[A]

I am not going to waste my words on armor bearers. I'm not going to throw stones at armor bearers. I'm not wasting my time with armor bearers. My weapons is for the battle. God has called me. Come on, bro. And it's to preach this glorious gospel, to try to awaken as many people as possible.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And I think. I think if we cannot get distracted, you and I, men of God, women of God, not be distracted by ancillary things. That's not going to matter. It's not going to matter.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

We got to stay focused on the real battle at hand. If we lose sight of the real battle and we start playing around with armor bearers, man, we're not going to defeat what we need to defeat in this generation.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And so I think even. Even right now, as we're landing the plane on this episode, I think we want to acknowledge that the church is in trouble.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

The bride of Jesus is in trouble. That time is running out.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And we need an awakening in the hearts of God's people.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And I think Tim and I want to say, you know, for everybody watching right now, we want you to hear our hearts. We want you to hear our hearts that we. We are. We are not doing this to create another platform for ourselves.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, Tim and I, we. We talk about this all the time. He and I have shed tears about this over the phone. We cry. We weep. I can almost cry right now.

[B]

Right.

[A]

We feel this deep burden. Tim and I feel this deep burden that something has to shift in this nation.

[C]

Right.

[A]

Something has to happen in this nation.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And it has to start with the scriptures. If my people, Jesus said it, God said, if my people if will humble themselves, pray, turn from them wicked ways, then. Then we know what we need is a return to the word of God, a return to prayer, a return to repentance, a return to holiness, a hatred for sin.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

A hatred for the corruption in the church. We need an alarm to sound in America, and we need to be like the sons of Issachar who rightly discerned the times and they knew what to do about it.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

What Tim and I are trying to do with this podcast, we're trying to sound an alarm in our nation. Hear us. Hear us. The church is in trouble. The western church is in trouble, and time is running out on us. And what Tim and I are trying to do with this platform is use this platform outside of our pulpits to try to awaken as many people as possible.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And so if you're watching right now, and we want to plead with you.

[C]

Yeah, man. Right.

[A]

Like, Tim and I, we want to. We want to plead with you. If you're watching right now, hear us, please. Like, this is not the time for us to be judgmental and critical. This is the time for us to be repentant.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

This is the time for us to search our own hearts. This is the hour for us to begin to love the things that our Savior loves or to hate the things that our Savior hates. This is the hour to have a deep, intimate, personal relationship with the Lord for yourself. This is the hour to lean into God's word for yourself. This is the hour to take inventory of your relationships, your circle, the voices that you were given access to, to your life. This is the hour to be awakened. This is the hour to push our idols off the table of our heart. This is the hour to be serious about your calling, the anointing, your gifting, what God has placed in your life. I mean, this is the hour we should be using everything God has given us to help move the kingdom forward. Our prayers, our gifts, our talents, our abilities, our resources to move the kingdom. We are sitting here right now. We don't even know how much time we have left. Listen to me, man. As Tim and I are sitting here right now, we don't even know. That's right. How much time we have left. We don't know.

[C]

Right.

[A]

We don't know how much time we have left. But what we do know, we have less time now than the apostles did.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Please hear Tim and I's hearts pleading with you, our brothers and sisters. The American church is in trouble. The church, especially here in the west, is in trouble. And if we don't pray, if we don't repent, if we don't go back to the scriptures, if we don't take a stand and fight and listen, contend.

[B]

For that, too, if we don't do.

[A]

That, and God help the generation coming up behind us.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And so, family, this is our plea to you.

[C]

Yeah. Right.

[A]

Like, man, hear our hearts right now.

[C]

Right?

[A]

We. We pray that you will be awakened. That's right. And we. We pray that you would. You would continue to journey with Tim and I on this new journey for us as we want to use this new platform to sow another seed of the gospel into the culture outside of our Sunday pulpits. And our prayer for us, our prayer really is that you would. You would. You would pray for us. You would share this podcast with as many people as possible, man. And that you would. You would. You would hear what we have Shared today, man, and. And take it very serious as time is running out. Yo, Tim, you want to close us out? What would you rare managers about to say?

[C]

I think we think we should, we.

[A]

Should close this one out in prayer.

[B]

I think that for our viewers, one of the things to remember is the voice you listen to determines the destiny you experience. Yeah, if you listen to the wrong voices, you'll come up with the wrong conclusions. If you listen to the right voices, those right voices will lead you back to the heart of the Father. They will lead you closer to Jesus Christ. They will lead you into a deeper and more intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit. And so right now, in the name of Jesus, we thank you, God.

[A]

Yes Lord.

[B]

For our brothers and our sisters that are leaning into this moment. Leaning into your Lord, this podcast right now in the name of Jesus. Grip them right now in the name of Jesus. Grab a hold of them, God, right now. Turn us back to your heart. Hallelujah. Us back to your mind, God, Allow us to know what you desire, God, Allow us to know what you have in store for those who are hungry and desperate and seeking.

[A]

Hallelujah.

[B]

Lord Jesus, God, may we wake up as your people. Yes, in the name of Jesus, God, may we repent. Turn back to what it is that you desire and design for us to do in the earth right now in the name of Jesus. And so right now, God, I just thank you that those that are watching that they would turn away from the things that they desire and turn to what it is you desire for us.

[A]

Yes, Lord.

[B]

No longer will we live for ourselves, God, we live for you.

[A]

Yes, Lord.

[B]

And God, we put the veil back on your bride.

[A]

Yes, Lord.

[B]

Purify us right now in the name of Jesus. Make us new, stir in us vision afresh in the name of Jesus so that we can steward this season and the next away you desire for us to steward it, God. We are your people that we desire to be used by you. But in order to be used by you, God, we have to humbly submit our lives at your feet.

[C]

Yes, Lord.

[B]

And so we return.

[C]

Yes, Lord.

[B]

We return to hunger. We return to desperation, we return to thirst. We return back to you, God. And God, may we never forget what you've done for us. In Jesus name we pray.

[C]

Amen. Amen.

[A]

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Street Preachers podcast with Tim Timberlake and Philip Anthony Mitchell.

[B]

Do us a favor like subscribe, comment on all platforms, help us share the gospel of Jesus Christ.