Philip Anthony Mitchell & Tim Timberlake & Rich Wilkerson Jr. — Mature Me

I want to say this, right, like you know in the West a lot of us have been sold a Western gospel that try to make us feel we're gonna have just a flight with no bumps, right? We buy into a Jesus that does not exist and a gospel does not exist, when the reality is, I mean, the longer you live, the longer you realize life is a conveyor belt of disappointments, hardships, trials, tribulations, setbacks, betrayals, all these things, right? These things are what we would say inevitable, right? But one of the things that makes that kind of difficulty more tolerable are real friends, right? And real brothers and having someone and not only having someone that can step into the space, sometimes even if you don't have the answers, just the ministry of presence, just know I'm sitting here with you, I don't know what to say but I'm in this with you and having people in your life that love you enough to step into those spaces, man, it makes all the difference in the world, right? And so I thank God for this, brother, thank God for you, I thank God for just godly friendships and relationships that helped me get through one of the most difficult seasons of my life. I feel like both of you have had an assignment that you are helping the church recalibrate, you're bringing revival, you're bringing it back to the main thing. I was teaching out of Jude at the end of last year, just that whole word content, you know what I mean? Come on, Rich, don't go there, Rich. Now we're going in there. Come on, Rich. I'm writing a book right now on that. Let's go. I'm writing a book right now on the first four verses of Jude, yeah. I've felt to write you to contend for the fact there's been some that have slipped in among you that have turned this grace into a license to sin. And I was talking, and I want to tee this up for you guys to speak into this, but like false teaching, and there's a whole world out there right now, you know what I mean? People that are going to watch each one of your sermons, and there's a whole network of people that are making money off of, their whole job is to call it every bit of false teaching.

That's not where I'm going with it. But I like that word that he says slip. I'm thinking about like a slip and slide. We put up a slip and slide in my brother-in-law's backyard this past summer, and with a slip and slide, where you start is not where you stop. That's right. It's not where you end, you slip. And there are what I would call slipisms all over the American Western church, little isms that can lead to schisms, consumerism, universalism, all roads get there. And this one right here, what we're saying, which is an individualism. Talk a little bit, maybe for a moment, just Tim, like as you guys are on the road right now, you guys aren't saying something new. Like nothing about Philip Anthony Mitchell's ministry is something new. It's like, yo, I am preaching the word of God. I think it's fresh. I think the way that you guys do, it's very, very fresh, but like you're not bringing a new message. You're bringing this ancient message that's contending for the faith. Can you maybe just weigh into that? And if you agree with some of those isms that you're seeing, this is all about me or all roads. I think the thing that's hope-filled is that both of you are preaching messages that are needed and that are rooted in sound doctrine. The same point, the thing that's alarming is that people think it's new, and people think that it's different, and people think that it's controversial when in fact it is biblical. And so I think we need more voices that are well-versed in Scripture, that are well-educated in Scripture, that are grounded and rooted in Scripture to continue to speak with boldness. And so one of the things that I admire about Phil is he's graced to punch people in the soul. He is graced for that. He's a velvet hammer. You know what I'm saying? He will hit you in the soul, and you know after he's finished preaching, okay, I got some spiritual work to do. I feel convicted. And I feel like the Father loves me because of this conviction that I feel. And with what we see happening and that word slip that you see, it's not that people aren't preaching the Bible. It's that people aren't preaching the whole truth of the Bible. And if they can infuse a little bit of the convenience and a little bit of the comfort and a little bit of their opinion into it, it attracts people. And we've made church more about entertainment value than we have about making sure that people leave differently than the way that they came. And so I think that's one of the most dangerous things we see happening in the Westernized church. It's not that people aren't preaching

from the Word of God. It's that they are preaching a half-truth. And, you know, with that, the... and he will continue to raise influence in churches and in pastors because he doesn't strip influence. He wants it to be when you fall, you have influence over more people than you would if you have remained unknown. And so we have to be very careful of that and we have to be very prayerful for leaders all across the world that we know are trying to do their best and stay in community. It's something special about a brotherhood and something special about the women of God when they are in community because it holds us accountable. You know, you were talking about boundaries and the beautiful thing about boundaries is boundaries give us an indicator of how we can thrive in the thing that God has called us to thrive in. I think about football. I would not watch football if it didn't have boundaries and out of bounds. I wouldn't watch basketball if they continued to run. It would be no point in watching that sport, right? But we love it because these athletes are doing something so great and unique within the confinements that have been given to them. And I think that's what makes what God has allowed us to steward so unique and so beautiful and so great. We are doing what God has called us to do and we're stewarding what God has called us to steward in the confinements that God desires for us to stay rooted and grounded in. And that's what makes obedience so beautiful. And then speaking to the isms rich, I think it's important that we put this on record, right? I think we give the devil too much credit too often, right? Jesus goes on record in saying, you know, on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail. So we understand that the enemy is not going to overthrow the church of Jesus Christ. When the Lord returns, he will return to a bride who has been ready for him, and that bride will be received by him. And one of the things that I have said from my pulpit for many years, and I will continue to say this until the Lord calls me home, it is my personal conviction that the greatest threat to the American church is the American pulpit.

This is the warning of Jude. This is the warning of John. This is the warning of the New Testament writers, right? They say things like, I know that when I'm gone, you know, ravenous wolves, they're going to slip in behind you. And I think what we see happening right now in America, and it's good that we mention this at the top of the year, to prepare people like, your biblical illiteracy is going to hurt you more than anything else, right? Absolutely. That's right. Like, we're on a podcast right now. We're in Miami in a studio. There's podcasts happening all over the country. There's voices all over the country. Never in the history of our nation have we been saturated with so many voices. The problem is we don't have enough discernment, right? I think people forget, right? Like, they hear somebody talking something and it's true, and they automatically run with that. But I'm about to say this. Like, yeah, they talking truth. That doesn't mean it's God, though. So how could that be? Yeah. You know, Jesus is being tempted in the wilderness. Jesus says, it is written. And Satan says, it is written. But you got to know the difference. Yeah. Right? Like, in that moment, Jesus is saying it is written, but the devil's quoting from the Psalms, right? And so I think we forget that. Like, he's quoting the Bible during the temptation of Jesus, right? He's actually saying something that is written in the Bible, right? It's written in text. The point is the messenger is corrupting, right? And I think with all these isms we see is that I think the increase of biblical illiteracy is causing us to be in an atmosphere in which so many people are being led astray by false prophets. It's hard to discern if you don't know truth. The more truth you know, the easier it is to discern a lie, right? And so I think it's important to just say right here at the top of the year, let's encourage people to get in the word for themselves. Come on.

And to read the scriptures for themselves, and to have an intimate with the Lord Jesus Christ for themselves, and to have a prayer life for themselves, and to stop worshiping men, but worship Christ, right? And to encourage them because the thing that's doing the church the most damage is coming from the inside. It's not coming from the outside. This is why I try to encourage people all the time. We always pointing our finger at the enemy on the outside like he's not going to take down the church. That's right. Preach. It's not going to happen because Jesus said it's not going to happen. The gates of hell, he's not going to take down the church, right? He was disarmed according to Paul's letter to the church at Colossae. He was disarmed in the... He's not going to take down the church. Come on. What's taking down churches and what's ruining the influence of Christianity is the cancer that's eating us out from the inside, right? Which is the doctrines of demons and devils through the mouths of men and women who people cannot discern. God did not send that person. And because they have a title, we affirm them. And because they got a big Instagram following, we affirm them. And because they can fill a room, we affirm them. Because they got prestige, we affirm them. Men have, but God has not. I learned from Evan, right? And it's sad to me, and I'm on my soapbox right now for just a second, right, is I see people in culture like, y'all persecute false prophets, okay, good, do that. You persecute real prophets, like what do you want? Nothing is good enough for you. You know what I'm saying? Like, what do you want? I know what you want. Like, you want perfection. Right? They think, no, we want our ministers to be perfect, really? No, because if Jesus was here, y'all would persecute him too.

Y'all be in his comments, in his DMs too. Jesus wouldn't be good enough for some of the people that are your heresy hunters. The Lord would not be good enough for them, right? And so, now what's doing us the most damage is not the devil, it's the points he has that are eating out the church from the inside, right? And they'll crucify, I'll say this last thing. This is one of the most deceptive, dangerous plots of the enemy, right? I see Tim Timberlake, he's a real man of God, the enemy know that. Oh, I see Rich, he's a real man of God, the enemy know that. Oh, look at P.A.M., he's a real man of God, the enemy know that. Man, I can't take them down, okay? I'll make as many people as possible think that they're false, do everything I can to discredit their voice. You turn people away from listening to voices that God has established, right? And that too is doing the church a lot of damage. Because we don't have discernment, we got too many ears, too many itching ears and too many wrong people in our itching ears, and you're not listening to the voices that God has established. That's why we should be more impressed with character and talent, and we should be more impressed with fruit and just like platforms and stages. I got a fig tree, I don't know if I ever told you this, I got a fig tree in my front yard, Rich. I got a fig tree in my front, it's beautiful. My wife and I bought that house back in 2020, and there was a fig tree already planted in the front yard, so it's beautiful. So every time the scripture references fig trees, I've seen the ebbs and flows of the fig tree in my front yard. You know, if you pulled up in front of my house, Rich, like closer to the summertime, that fig tree is so thick, the leaves are so thick and green, you can't see anything on that fig tree.

And you would assume there's fruit on it, but you can't see it. You'll just make an assumption there's fruit on that tree, because it looks big and beautiful from a distance. But if you walk up on that tree, Rich, and then you pull back the leaves, you see, man, there's no figs on here. The tree looks good from a distance. If you came to my house around April, that thing is big and it's blossoming, and it looks good from a distance. But if you get up close on there, there's no fruit on that tree. And that's what's happening. We're looking at stuff from a distance, oh, he's a man of God, he's a woman of God, really? But there's no character there, there's no fruit there. And I think we need to be more impressed with fruit and character than just talents and giftings and platforms and all this stuff that's going to burn up 100 years from now, 200 years, it's not going to matter. And so I think that is what's doing us a lot of damage. And I think it's good right here in the beginning of the year to encourage people, run after Jesus and know the Bible for yourself, right? And be discerning, be discerning, pray and ask God to increase your discernment so you're not led astray by the wrong voices, on the wrong podcasts, on the wrong platforms. The devil has his people preaching every Sunday and doing podcasts every week, and they're writing books and doing conferences, and we don't have discernment, it's crazy to me. This summer I was studying Nehemiah, and there he is, burdened from God, leading people, rebuilding the wall, and here comes these threats. Here comes these accusations, sorry, I can't come down, this work is too great. And I feel like for both of you, there's so many little distractions that are trying to vie for your attention. We're speaking about Jesus in the wilderness. The attack is to your identity. Oh, if you are the son of God, yo, my dad just told me the chapter before that that's

exactly who I am. Absolutely. This is my son whom I love and I'm well-pleased. Yeah, come on. And the very first thing out of Satan's mouth is, if you are the son of God. So there is this constant fight, and I love the fact that you're on contend, the Christian life actually isn't a dance, it's a fight. It is a fight, yeah. And I think we're constantly fighting, and we have to really know the word of God, and we have to keep it in our hearts. That's good, Rich. And the interesting thing about Jesus is when he fights back, he uses the book of Deuteronomy. Come on. Yeah. Back when they were in the wilderness for 40 years, meaning it wasn't a new thing, it's this old thing that you never obeyed. Is there any practical things, because we're kind of on this new year flow here, that both of you guys, once again, as your influence increases, people try to get you to come down off that wall. Yeah. They try to get you into petty drama, talking about stuff. I just pray for both of you guys. I'm like, dude, these are such silly distractions always coming your guys' way. You're actually building a great work, but everybody out there has got some kind of of distraction, any practical things that you can say at the start of this year for you, maybe in your own personal life, that's gonna be helpful for people in terms of keeping God's word at the center? I would say very quickly, something is only a distraction

if I give it focus and attention, right? And if I'm not careful, come on. And if I'm not focused, come on too. Distractions begin to look like opportunities. And those opportunities are presented to me to take my attention off of what I'm building. And that verse in Nehemiah, he says, I'm doing a great work, I'm not coming down. When I focus more on the attempt of distraction from people and from the enemy, then I do the work that I'm stewarding, then I'm already off the wall and I still can be on the ladder. Yeah, that's dope.