Hear What You Hear

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

-Second Timothy 4:3-4 (KJV)

Yesterday, we looked at the dangers of false teachers. But, what happens to a true preacher who is fearful of losing his job because the people he shepherds don't want to hear the truth? 

Paul is writing to a young preacher, Timothy, who would have to endure such opposition. He writes, in verse 3, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;" I believe the time is now that people don't want to hear the truth. Just go to Google, or YouTube and search for preaching, and you'll find all sorts of false teachings and doctrines. Why? Because people don't want to hear the truth. People want to hear what they want to hear. The rest of verse 3 says, "but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;" Those who don't want to hear the truth will find teachers that will itch their ears with what they want to hear. Verse 4 says, "And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be tuned unto fables." People will turn away from the truth, and follow  false teachings, the things they want to hear, straight to Hell.


What's a true preacher of the Word to do? Verse 2 answers that. "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine." We are to preach the word. The whole Word, even when people don't want to hear the truth. Even when people want to be comfortable in their own sin. Tomorrow, we'll look at the Word, and what it is used for. But for today, are you only listening to what you want to listen to? Or, are you learning from the Word of God. Think About It.