You Don’t Belong Here

1 Peter 1:1–2

Have you ever felt like you don’t fit in? According to Peter, that feeling may not be a flaw—it may be a sign of your faith.

In this episode, Tim and Philip explore what it means to live as exiles in a world that isn’t our home. Discover why followers of Jesus should stop chasing acceptance, embrace their identity, and learn to stand firm in a culture moving the opposite direction.

You don’t belong to this world—you belong to Jesus.

Transcript

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It's just it's just wild how far God is taking it. I don't even know, and it's crazy always telling Tim like it's really like a testament to the Holy Spirit because he and I don't script anything. And I was like, I wonder if we start scripting stuff would it get better, but we don't we have any last year, we're just freestyling it. That's that's the that's the beauty of number one relationship facts. Both of us is evident we enough facts. It's evident we enough word facts because then you bring that together, it's just like iron sharp desire facts. Like my Sundays are better because of these days. So it's just what's up, family. You're now tuned into the Street Preachers podcast with your host Tim Timberlake and Philip Anthony Mitchell. We're honored that you're here, and we pray that you're blessed by the content you're about to receive. What's going on, Street Team? We are back for another incredible season, and we just want to take this first episode to thank you, the Street Team. There are very few places we can go, Phil. Yeah. Where somebody not running up on us talking about an episode that they've been blessed by your ministry, what we're doing here as far as Street Preachers Podcast 2819 Celebration Church. Yeah. We just want to take this opportunity just to thank you all. Phil, how are you feeling, man? Yeah, I feel very grateful. You know, I feel grateful, and um, we we do want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone that supported uh my brother Tim and I in season one of the Street Preachers Podcast. Um for everyone that shared YouTube videos with family members and friends, that meant a lot to us. For all of those who supported us on the tour, and we had a chance to meet you in various cities. That meant a lot to us. Uh, Tim and I have spent a lot of time just talking about the various stories of life change that we've heard, um, miracles that happen during the tour, yeah. Bona fide miracles, uh, testimonies we'll remember for the rest of our lives, um, brothers and sisters that were deeply touched. And so we just want to personally thank every single person who prayed for us, um, who showed up uh for us, who supported the tour, supported the podcast. Um, this moment right here uh is called gratitude. Yes. And uh we definitely don't take that for granted. There is no Street Preachers podcast without the street team. So um shout out to the whole street team. That's it, man. Right. All over the world. Yeah, shout out to the street. I was in London, bro. This dude ran up on me in the airport two days ago. So we gotta bring the tour to London, man. We gotta bring it to England. Man, I'm I meet people in the airport all the time to ask us, you know, can you bring the tour to this city, that city? And it's so encouraging, you know. Um, because you know, we had to deal with our own social persecution during season one, but it is encouraging people out there that appreciate the gospel that's gone through uh the podcast. And so shout out to the whole street team. Yes, yeah, shout out to the street team across America and around the world. Absolutely. This thing is I never could have imagined episode one, season one, yeah, where God would take these episodes and these messages and conversations. And I remember sitting in that tent on the beach. Yeah, we were dreaming, man. You know, I just saw that picture the other day. You know, I like sometimes you open your iPad and it gives you memory pictures. I opened the iPad and I saw that memory picture of you and I sitting on the beach when the vision for this podcast was born in my heart. I say when we got impregnated. That's right. Yeah. No, and I just saw that the other day with the tent and the wind was blowing. Windy, cold, but I never forget that dove resting in front of us. Yeah. As kind of a confirmation, man, that this is what God desired for us to do. Yeah. And man, what a beautiful journey it's been and has been. And uh we're we're just honored that we get this opportunity to go on this journey of faith and go on this journey of uh going through the word of God and seeing what God desires for us to hear and see and become in this season of life. Yeah, and I know that there've been people who have reached out to Tim and I uh saying, Where have you guys been? Yeah. And um uh we put out the BTS um episodes about uh season one. Uh one of the things that was important to Tim and I personally is to honor what Jesus has done. Yeah, right. There is a scene in the Old Testament when the children of Israel are getting ready to cross over the Jordan River, and as they crossed over the Jordan River, God gave them an instruction: find twelve stones and lay down those twelve stones as a marker to remember what I've done for you. And essentially what Tim and I did with our BTS episodes was lay down twelve stones. It was us taking our very first season and not allowing it to just disappear into the annals of time. Uh, but we wanted to use the BTS episodes to kind of give you a sneak peek to some of the moments that was happening um that didn't come out on camera, and just let that live on social media as sort of like 12 stones to just for us to be thankful, Lord, Lord, this is what you did. And so for all those who even watched the BTS, um, we thank you for watching the BTS episodes. That was our 12 stones, a marker of what Jesus did. It was uh it was our uh our inauguration of sorts of our very first season and podcasting, and so we wanted to just lay a marker down for what Jesus has did and what Jesus done and and where have we been? We've been resting and lifing. Absolutely. Tim and I have been resting and lifing, and I think uh rest is important. Um rest is godly, rest is holy. Um I do not believe that God called us to run at a hundred miles per hour without a pause. Yes. If that was the case, he would not have given the children of Israel, the Sabbath, um, a moment of rest. And the principle is is to work and pull away. Uh work and pull away, work and pull away. And we see this in the life of our Lord, how he would he would do ministry and then slip away. He would he would preach and teach and then slip away. He would feed the hungry and then slip away. And it says about our Lord, and he himself would slip away often, yeah, and he would go alone and be with the Father. And so Tim and I have slipped away the sorts um between season one and season two, and we've taken that time to rest and that time to life. Um uh there's been growth at Celebration Church, and and God is doing a beautiful work uh down there in Florida. We in New York, by the way, yeah, uh in our studio in New York City, uh my hometown. U shout out to everybody, and why shout out to the Knicks, and uh, and uh, and and there's been growth at 2019, yeah. God has been doing beautiful things at both of our ministries, and so life has been life in. And Tim and I took a moment to rest and to just be alone with the father, and then uh and here we are, uh, episode one of season two. Man, it feels of the Street Preachers Podcast. Feels good, man. It feels good to be back in the studio. Feels good to be back, my brother. Come on, man. It feels good to be back with our street team. And as Phil was saying, rest is so biblical. You know, one of the things that culture and society would make us believe is that rest is for the weak. Come on, talk about it. Um, but one of the things I've learned in my personal life is that when the enemy can't get you to stop, he'll get you to overdo. So that by the time you get to where you desire to be, you'll be burnt out. Too burned out to reap the benefits and the fruits from it. And so these pause, these moments of retreat, these moments of um not necessarily pulling back, but change of pace are biblical. They are biblical. One of the most encouraging things about God's creation is that scripture teaches us God never sleeps nor slumbers. Right. But on the seventh day of creation, he rested. He rested. And so rest is deeper than sleep. Yeah, I think we could add something to that too, Tim. God did not rest simply because he was tired. Come on. He rested to give us a model. That's right. Right, that's right. That's right. He never sleeps slumber. So he did not rest because he was tired, he rested to teach us a lesson. Yeah, yeah. And I think it's it's a beautiful thing to understand that this race is not given to the swift. Who is it given to? It is given to the ones that endure. How far? To the end. And it is impossible to endure to the end if we don't take moments to rest and draw back and get into not just the presence of God, but into the fullness of his presence. Yeah. And uh, it's been a beautiful season, man. You know, that's powerful that you said that because um I was talking to a few people on my staff a few days ago and I asked them, I said, I was doing an all-staff. As a matter of fact, I was doing an all staff, and in the all-staff I was leading, I said to the staff, I said, Are you guys familiar with the doctrine of preservation? Doctrine of preservation. Um as you relate that this race is given to those who will endure to the end. And I was reminding them that um in this doctrine of preservation, that God will preserve the saints that truly belong to him so long as we remain, right? We we remain in him, we abide in him, we remain in him, stay connected to that vod. We remain in the palm of his hands, and that if we if we just remain, I was saying to my staff, through trials, through tribulations, through hardships, through difficulty, through pain, uh, through loss, um, through all the things that bring tears and frustration to the heart. Yeah, and all of that, if we are in the will of God and we know that we belong to God, um He promised to bring us all the way to the end, He will finish what He started in us. Right. And um and maybe there's somebody watching right now as Tim and I are talking about rest. I just want to encourage you. Maybe, maybe there's a a street team, brother or sister going through a very difficult time right now, a hardship, um, a trial, or something that's just made you wary. Maybe there's somebody right now, you feel like you're right at the edge, you're ready to give up. Uh, let Tim and I encourage you not to do that. Yeah. Right? Please don't do that. Don't throw in the towel. Don't give up, don't jump off the edge. Um, there is trials and tribulations inside the context of God's will. Yes, it is. We understand that from Philippians, that some of these things have been granted to us as a gift. And so I just want to say to any street team person right now, uh brother or sister, who is just going through a difficult season, God does promise to bring us all the way to the end. Uh, we will we will persevere to the end if we truly belong to him. And uh and that should be an incentive for you uh that you will make it through to the other side of whatever you're going through. Until we are divorced from this life through death, he promises to be with us in all things, every mountaintop and valley. So I don't even know how we got here right here in this moment, Tim, but maybe somebody watching just need to hear that God is with you even in that difficult place. And as long as we remain, that's right, as long as we abide, as long as we don't jump ship. Yeah, um, he promised to get us to the end, Tim. Yeah, he does. And you know, regardless of the season that you're in, as Phil was encouraging our brothers and sisters. I'm reminded that what tried to hurt you doesn't have to hush you. Yeah, that's good, bro. Keep talking about it. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the words of our testimony. Don't you dare allow the enemy to keep you silent and share it. Allow people to go on this journey of faith with you, and it will strengthen them to come out of whatever is trying to hold them hostage. And so as we kick off, you know, this season, we got a loaded text. Yeah, we do, and and uh I think the text that we're kicking off season two with is applicable to the times. Yep. Um the Holy Spirit dropped this text on Tim's heart uh when he was flying back. I think he was flying back from Europe at the time. And um, you know, Tim and I was kind of working through Jude in season one, and Tim was flying back from Europe, and as he was kind of meditating on season two, the Holy Spirit put a text in his heart um that's gonna kick off our season two. Um, for those of you who are new to our podcast, our podcast is kind of the intersection of biblical wisdom and uh the times, yeah, right? Biblical wisdom and the times. Tim and I are not doing this podcast to just hear ourselves talk. We're doing this podcast because we want to introduce and uh the culture that we're in, the times that we're in. We want to we wanna have an intersection between the g God's word and the times that we're living in, right? And so we don't want it to be just a bunch of empty rhetoric, but what is God saying? That's right. His word is alive and it is active, it is sharper than any two-word sword, it is breathing, it is a living document, and because it is a living document breathed out by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit knows how to put things in our hearts for the times that we're living in. That's right. Tim was flying back from Europe and um just kind of thinking about season two, and felt like the Holy Spirit dropped um a letter, a very powerful New Testament letter, uh, on his heart. And when we think about that New Testament letter, I think is applicable to the times, especially when we understand the context of that letter. So um, why don't you kick us off with what the Holy Spirit dropped in terms of the letter we're gonna be tackling in season two, and then we'll jump into context. Yeah. We'll jump into the first two verses uh and um and just see what where the Holy Spirit takes us at the beginning of season two. So, street team, grab your word, grab your pen, grab your pad. This season we're gonna be in First Peter. Yeah. And uh I'm excited, man. Yeah, I'm excited about First Peter. A little context on First Peter uh before Tim jumps into the first two verses. Um, Peter was essentially the pastor of the very first church. Um, the church was formed um in the first century AD after the resurrection of Christ. The book of Acts records for us the first 30 years of church history. Uh Peter emerges as the its first pastor, first leader. Uh, by the time Peter writes this letter, Tim, um, the Emperor Nero is in power. And the people of God are being persecuted across the Roman Empire. They are dealing with what we would call uh difficult times. Yeah. Uh they're dealing with hardships, they are dealing with trials and tribulations, and at the same time, they're trying to be faithful. Um the church at that time is experiencing social persecution as we are right now. Right now. The church at that time is experiencing an atmosphere that's growing hostile to the gospel as we are right now. Um, believers are feeling the pressure from a society that has values and norms um that are in direct conflict, opposition, and affront um to Christian values as it is right now. Um and there is that tension between the growing church and uh and its values and the social persecution of the Roman Empire under one of its most brutal, yeah, would say, Empress Nero, a man who impaled uh people alive and set them on fire to use them as candles uh for his garden. Um a man that burned down Rome and fixed or fastened, I would say, that um accusation to the Christians. And um and so he's not writing during a time of like um, you know, I I I got a flat tire and the devil's trying to beat me up this week. No. Uh Peter's writing during a time of of fierce persecution for the Christians, and they are feeling that pressure from the uh Roman Empire, and in a sense, um uh we're feeling that pressure right now. Absolutely. Right. Um before we jump into the text, I want to acknowledge the fact that we are living in very difficult times and we're living in very perilous times. Um I believe we're living in the final hours of the church age. I believe that time is running out, and I believe that what we're what we're feeling right now, the apostle John talked about this, and the apostles talking about the spirit of the antichrist already being in the earth. Yes. Um, and the apostles was writing about this in the first century, about the spirit of the antichrist in the earth. And it's one thing for them to be writing about that in the first century, it's another thing for us to be in in this century. It's it's 2026 at the time of this recording, and his his his spirit is is being felt even more in the earth. Absolutely. From uh global headlines to things we see happening in America, in Europe, yeah, um, on the continent of Africa, um in China and in Russia. We can see the pieces, God moving them around the checkerboard, preparing the world for the return of the sun. And we're we're feeling the spirit, even as you you thumb through social media, Tim across TikTok and Instagram and X and Facebook, and we see some of the let me use the word uh delusions, yeah, uh lies, things that I think is going to foster the uh the apostasy, the great falling away of those who claim Christianity. Uh, we've seen a lot of false prophetic voices emerging in the world. That are celebrated. That are being celebrated. Uh right now we are celebrating good. Uh we're celebrating evil and condemning good. Yeah. Uh we're calling things that are good evil and things that are evil good. We are letting false prophets roam while we persecute true prophets and true voices of God. And and for uh even from the rise of AI and some of the things that is happening right now, we I can see all of the pieces being set up for the Antichrist. It's almost like I wouldn't be surprised if he was alive right now on the earth, probably somewhere in college or in his or in grad school, or maybe even uh rising through the ranks of politics somewhere, but his spirit is in the earth nonetheless. We can feel his presence, and so there is a there is a a growing animosity, yes, hostility, uh toward visceral hostility towards the Christian faith, towards the name Jesus, towards believers, and uh, and that pressure we're feeling from the outside is akin to the pressure that the brothers and sisters was feeling uh when Peter wrote this letter to encourage them of sorts, yeah. And so that is the context. It is a context that is germane to the times that we're living in right now. Yeah, and um and so that's what we're about to get into right now. And so 1 Peter chapter 1, yeah, verse 1 says Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as strangers, strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithania, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood. May grace and peace be multiplied to you. It's so much heat in this text. I don't even think we're gonna make it past verse two. I don't but Tim, you you you gave emphasis to a word right in the text. Yo, shout out to New York City, shout out to the the the streets, the noise. It's like it's growing, it's organic, right? I love I love that noise. Um But Tim, you gave emphasis to a word here that I think is gonna be very important. Exiles. Exiles, right? Right? Like Peter introduces himself as the author of the letter. Uh he introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. We know that he was among the chosen twelve. Judas committed suicide, he was replaced by Matthias. But you gave emphasis to this word to those who are the elect, the chosen of God. That's right, right? The redeemed, the redeemed, but he uses a word for them that we can't just repass. You gave emphasis to that word. Let's unpack that word. Exiles. Exiles. He called them exiles. He called them exiles. Yeah, let's talk about that too. The Greek word, I believe, is a word peripidemius, which means stranger in a foreign land. Sojourners of sorts, pilgrims, pilgrims, temporary residents, yeah. Um set apart. And as we consider this text, you have to ask yourself the question Have I made a home where Jesus desires for me to pitch a tent? Yeah. When we read This, we're not supposed to get comfortable here. And so much of life caters to the comfort of this world. Yeah. And for a lot of people, I think, Tim, and I think I was here in the beginning of my walk. I think when my faith journey started, I did not see myself as an exile. I didn't see myself as a sojourner. I didn't see myself as someone who was passing through, right? I I think in full transparency at the beginning of my walk, my heart was so tethered to this life that it's inconceivable for me to see myself as an exile. Like, no, this is my home, right? But I think I think the statement you made, have we built a home where God intended for us to pitch a tent? I think it's very important. Because I I think that there is a type of strength that comes to the believer when our hearts begin to become more untethered to the things of this life. Right. I think when our hearts are overly tethered to the things of this life, we get rocked very easily by things and that we forget that our hope goes beyond the grave. Our hope goes beyond, like, so for example, I'm staring at the clouds right now outside this window behind you, and and I say all the time, I stare at the clouds a lot. And I stare at the clouds a lot because I know that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us beyond these clouds. Right? It is it is a world like we will live in now. Scripture talks about a new heaven and a new earth. It's not it's not like we're gonna be just floating around on clouds forever with with angels' wings and little harps. No, the scripture actually describes a scene in the end where where God, the abode of God, comes down out of heaven. He makes us abode in the new earth with men. So a picture a new world, a new earth where there is sky, there is water, there is trees, there is food, there is fellowship, right? There is community, there is everything we enjoy right now on earth without pain, yes, without tears, without suffering, without sickness, without disease, without barren wounds, without cancer, without medical issues that preachers have been dealing with for three months in their body. And by the way, I am healed in Jesus' name. Yes, sure. God, clear bill of health from my doctor who is confused by what happened to me, cannot find the things that was talking about my body. So shout out to the Lord Jesus Christ, who's Christ our healer, right? A world where there's no doctor's reports, there's no marital fights, you know, all these things would have gone away, and what will remain is Christ and the redeemed and a brand new world, right? That's what he has gone to prepare for us. But if we if we never think about that, it's old Philip, that's too much to think about. But it was the scriptures set your mind. That's right. Set like a thermostat, like the thermostat is not moving on its own. We must go and program it, set your mind on things above. If our mind is set on things above, then I remember that this is not my home. I remember that I'm in a tent. I remember, like what you said, we we we're not pitching a home here. So so as I begin to, Tim, untether my heart from this life to the degree like I'm I'm I'm doing marriage, doing parenting, pastoring, I have businesses, ministry, all the things, knowing that all this stuff is temporal. In fact, Peter will say later on in one of his epistles, all of this is gonna dissolve. Ain't that what he said? All of the fade away. All of it is gonna fade away, all is gonna dissolve. And so if we if we if our minds never think about the fact that we are going someplace, right? Like I love what you said about the Greek word, sojourning, um, we are going someplace, then it's it's easy for us to not have hope that goes beyond this life. And I feel like let me say this, Tim. If our hope terminates in this life, um, then our hope is too myopic. And it won't be strong enough to endure the trials of life if we don't have a hope that goes beyond this life where Jesus promised us we will have tribulation. Like, you know who Peter's writing to? He's writing to brothers and sisters who are being put to death brutally for the faith. And look how he starts out. Look at the hope he starts out with. I want to remind all of y'all who's being who's being persecuted, who's running from Nero, who's hiding in dens and caves and and watching your sons and daughters being executed. You are exiles in this life. I'm telling you. Yeah. And the way you view eternity determines how you steward time. Talk about that, Tim. The way you view eternity. Say that again. The way you view eternity determines how you steward time. If there is no perspective of eternity, then you waste time here. Come on, Tim. If there is no perspective that there is an afterlife, then this life becomes the pinnacle. And something that I wrestle with for a long time. What's that, bro? Why don't people like me? And it was probably 11 years ago the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, Because you're different. And I just want to encourage somebody with that. You are different. Encourage me, too. You you're different. You know, I got a I got a gang of haters. I text you this all the time. You're different. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? I think we sometimes look at our difference as a bad thing. Yeah. And people take shots at you, people take shots at me. And one of the things that I I have to just constantly remind myself and allow the Holy Spirit to encourage me in, you're different. Yeah, you're different. You're not meant to blend in in a world that God has called you out of. You're not meant to be affirmed by everyone, you're meant to be affirmed by one. And when I came to that realization, I'm different. And I only have to be liked by God, my brother, my wife, my son, my family. Yeah. I don't need to be liked by anyone else. Yeah. But when I come to that realization, it's freeing. It it liberates me to know I'm an alien in a strange land. Come on, Tim, that has been called on assignment. I love this right here. I love where you're going with this. To fulfill a purpose. Come on, bro. I feel heat. I love it. Then to go back home. Listen, man. Listen, man. I'm about to jump out this couch. I feel the spirit right now in the studio. I love where you're going with this. I love because do you know, like you and I've talked about our persecutions, and you have you have encouraged me through a lot of my persecutions. And I'm doing much better this year than I was last year. Yes, sir. It doesn't bother me as much, right? It doesn't bother me as much. But you know one of the things that has helped me too, Tim, in terms of like your exhortation, your your exhortation to me is remembering I'm going somewhere. Yeah. When you when when I start to think about the fact that all of this is gonna dissolve, right? Like, think about it. What what person who has made a YouTube video about me? Is that YouTube video gonna stand forever? No. You know what will though? My work for Jesus will stand forever. Is is a blog gonna stand forever? No. No. All the blogs, all these videos, all the stuff, Tim, all this is gonna dissolve, right? And the only thing that's gonna remain is my work that was tried by fire. And and the more I thought about that, the more I love I I love that you went here. You took us down this path because we're still talking about being exiles. The more I thought about um like that day is coming, Tim, where we gotta stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and fire is gonna come out and it's gonna try everybody working. What's gonna get on the other side of that fire? Uh, slander is not gonna make it on the other side of that fire. Yeah. Um, misjudgments is not gonna make it on the side of fire. But what we have done for Christ is gonna make it on the side of fire. So, to that end, I'm more concerned about finishing my race than being pulled left and right, and with every comment and every troll and every other stuff, because you know, it it it is disappointing to see people heap up on you lies and heap up on you false narratives and heap up on you, and you and you think to yourself, you have teenagers, you have kids, that stuff was on YouTube, you know, and it's there, but you know what? It's there for how long? Absolutely temporary. You know what I'm saying? Like, no, all jokes aside, it's there for how long, Tim? A blip. I'm telling you. It's there for like, it's like literally like it's there, and then it's gonna be gone, and the only thing that's gonna remain is what we have done for Christ. And you know why I think more like that? Because we're exiles. I'm telling you, man. Right. We we we're passing through as and and Peter is reminding them in this world of persecution, hardships, and trials, you don't belong here. Do the work of Christ while your mind is fixed and your eyes are fixed on eternity. And remember that we are going someplace. And if we if we if we keep that like a hum in the back of our mind, in the basement of our soul, man, we can go down there in the middle of our worst times and pull that out from the basement of our soul, even to say to the person in tears, these momentary and light afflictions. Right? We we can when we're when we're shedding tears in the stillness of the night and we're going through the dark night of the soul, Tim, and people are wounded and they're crying and they're tired and they're weary and they're frustrated, and they're saying, God, where are you in this? And they feel abandoned or rejected by God is like, no, in the middle of the hardship, like God, why haven't you delivered us from this? Delivered me from this. I I I reach into the basement of soul and said, These momentary of light afflictions. That's the way exile, people in exile talk. You know, this is not my home. Our Lord has gone to prepare a place for us, so we are people of people of exile. We are as exilic people. That's right. You know what I'm saying? It's like we should we should make a street team. We should make exile. We should get the exile shirt. Yo, wait, hold on. Shout out to our designers. We got brand new merch that seems dropping. Yes, sir. I think our merch is dope. It's uh we can street team merch. You street team, this is for you right here, right? Street team. This is this is for you to street team merch all around the globe. We got street team all around the globe. But yeah, I think there is a there is a strength that comes to us when we remember we are going someplace. When when you were talking, the Holy Spirit dropped this on me, and I'm I'm processing this in real time. So bear with me. Yep. No apostle in scripture escaped being afflicted and persecuted. In fact, all of them was martyred except one orange was John. That's right, boiled in oil, boiled in oil, survived, placed on the island of Patmos. Yeah. Today apostles chase stewarding titles but don't want to steward trials and tribulations. In order for us to really understand the season, the climate, the call, the purpose, it's not about the title. It's about your ability to trust God through the trials, through the tribulations, through the chaos, through the confusion. I mean, we we're living in a dying world, and we're listening to voices that are dead. So if we live in a dying world, why would we? Why would we listen to a voice that is dead? Why not listen to a voice that gives life? Yeah. And the voices that are giving life, we persecute. And the enemy is using people to persecute voices for life the same way the Pharisees was doing to Christ. And he said, When you do that, you shut the doors of the kingdom on people. Absolutely. You lead them away from voices God intended for them to listen to. Yeah, yeah. And so I think considering what it means to be a disciple, what it means to be a believer, those things come with the responsibility to know that because you are following Jesus and are a disciple of Jesus, you will be persecuted, yes, you will be afflicted, yes, you will have seasons of chaos, confusion, trials, tribulation, pain that you can't process on your own. You won't be able to have words to the pain that you are experiencing. But there is hope in Jesus. Not only is there hope in Jesus, but there's hope in his words. When he said things like uh Blessed are you when men persecute you and revile you and say all men of evil have gained you falsely for my name's sake. And this is the part I'm growing to accept. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. And um and so I want to I want to street team as Tim and I prepare to land this first episode of season two of the Street Preachers Podcast. Uh I want to draw your attention to one more word in the text. And the word is foreknowledge. Come on. We're gonna land the plane on this first episode with this powerful word called foreknowledge. And that word should be an encouragement to everybody watching right now who's going through hardships, trials, situations, and things of that nature. Foreknowledge. You know what that word reminds us of? You know what that word teaches us? It tells us that there is nothing happening right now in your life that has caught God by surprise. Yes. Right. According to his foreknowledge, he knew everything that we would go through, he knew everything that we would suffer. He knew that you would be right where you are right now. He knew the tears that you were shed, the marital troubles you were going through, the hardships, the difficulties. Peter is saying to them that all of this is happening according to the foreknowledge of God, and he's writing to Christians who are being put to death for the faith, who are being brutally executed, who are suffering under the most, I would say, probably one of the most vicious emperors in Roman history, Nero. And he's saying everything is happening right now according to the foreknowledge of God. And so uh I want to remind you, uh Street Team, our family, as we land the plane on this first episode, uh, that God knows exactly where you are. Um He sees you exactly where you are. He even sees those of y'all who are on mountaintops and don't even know that you're headed for a valley in the very next season. And when you get there and you get rocked, I just want to remind you, he knew that you would be there. Yeah. He sees those right now who are in valleys and going through hardships and difficulties. Uh he knows. And so we we're we are serving a God who is sovereign and there is no um ambiguity with sovereignty. Uh he knows all. He knew that Peter will be writing this letter to brothers and sisters that will be going through his persecution, and nonetheless, when Tim and I start to get some of the back halves of this letter, we would see all of the encouragement that Peter writes to people who are suffering, but foreknowledge. Yeah. Right. Um foreknowledge. And so um Tim, let's pray for our street team. Yeah. Yeah, let's let's let's pray for them and um uh let's pray for them and uh and um just encourage those who who maybe have not seen themselves as exiles. Let's let's let's pray for people who have been overly tethered. Um maybe don't have hope that goes beyond this life. Let's pray for street team who um have not thought about eternity. Yeah. Maybe they have built homes where they should have built tents. Maybe they've never looked into the clouds and thought that my savior went to prepare a place for me. Let's let's pray for them and let's believe God that that they would they would have a an exile mentality to remember that we're heading someplace with so journalists. Pray for them, Tim. Deavily Father, I just ask right now that you would make us so uncomfortable in settling and making this earth our home. Yeah, that we would have a heavenly awareness and an urgency to get our house in order. Yes, Lord. I ask right now, in the name of Jesus, that you would remind us every single day of how loved we are by you, the plans and the purpose that you have for us. They are greater than the entrapments of this world. Yes, Lord. And I thank you, God, for making us into the people you desire for us to be. I know that there's some watching that are so uncomfortable in this season. Yeah. And the reason I believe that some of us are uncomfortable, Lord, is because this world is not the world that our soul remembers. Yeah. Our soul remembers home. Yeah. And so, God, as we continue to walk out the assignment in this life, we ask, God, that you would continue to draw us closer to you. Yeah. For your word says that in your presence there is fullness of joy and pleasures at your right hand forevermore. Give us glimpses, God. Yeah. Give us pictures. Yeah. Give us signs. Yeah. Allow us to see wonders and miracles too, so that our soul can be reminded of home. Yeah. That's good. We're homesick. Homesick. And we desperately want to see you. We desperately want to be with you, Jesus. And so, God, remind us every single day that we don't belong here. We're working here. We're pilgrims traveling through. Yes, Lord. And we're coming. We're coming. Coming to the end. Yeah. And so infuse us with hope, God, as we take this journey. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Hey, Street Team. Uh, if you've enjoyed this first episode of season two, uh, Tim and I ask if you would just do us a small favor. Uh, like, subscribe, comment, share this episode with someone you feel it may encourage. And would you just continue to keep Tim and I in prayer as we are setting out on uh this second leg of the ministry that he has entrusted to us? Uh, we love your street team, and we thank you for joining us for this first episode of season two of the Street Preachers Podcast. We'll catch you in the next episode. Yo, go in peace.