Sound Doctring or Itching Ears
2 Tim 4:1-5
1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
ESV
Sound Teaching or Itching Ears?
(2 Tim. 4:1-5)
Intro:
A. I admit, I like junk food. There is something about that fried food that you get a fairground that calls my name. But it doesn’t take a summertime fair for me to eat junk food. I love the sweet food, salty food, greasy food, just about all the food I shouldn’t desire. It’s why I loved going on a cruise last year. Just about all the junk food my heart could desire all my waking hours. Let’s face a truth, there are times when all of us want an unhealthy snack and not a celery stick or vegie tray without ranch dip. You know what I mean.
B. Before I sound more like a nutritionist than a preacher, I want you to think about something Jesus said when he was tempted by Satan. Go back to the record that Matthew gives us and think about how Jesus was hungry after a long fast and Satan tries to tempt him by telling him to turn a stone into bread. Remember what Jesus said, “man shall not live by bread alone.” Jesus didn’t say bread was bad, he was telling Satan that there is more to life than just food that goes into our stomach. The full phrase that Jesus answers Satan is, “It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
C. Do you want to know why many Christians fall to temptation instead of overcome it? We don’t believe that the way Jesus dealt with Satan is effective for us today. I can only speak for me, but when I do a sinful action, thought or word, I know I didn’t spend much time before hand in prayer and speaking scripture back to my temptation.
D. The old phrase “you are what you eat” is also a good phrase to ponder from a spiritual level. Have you ever wondered why we partake of the Lord’s Supper each week when we come together? It’s not just because that’s what the early church did. It’s because we partake of, we fill ourselves with, the body and blood of Jesus. We see the Lord’s Supper as the spiritual connection that it is between you and me in fellowship with Jesus. But what about the rest of your week?
I. A Charge to Preachers
A. Paul knows that Timothy needs to be a leader for churches. He knows Timothy needs to help Christians in local churches develop a deep connection to the Father. He knows Timothy has a proclivity to be more timid in conflict and a go-along-to-get-along type of personality. Paul had just written to Timothy that ALL scripture is God’s breath and is profitable for reproof, correction and training in righteousness an now Paul continues by placing a change on Timothy. It is as if Paul put Timothy on the stand and made him take a vow before God.
B. Listen to the charge: (READ 2 Tim. 4:1-2). The reason Paul gives for the charge, is that Jesus will judge the living and the dead.
C. When Jesus comes judgement day will take place. Now, let me remind you about that day. Paul told the church Thessalonica that relief will come to those who are in Christ but what he says about how he will judge those outside is just plain scary. (Read 2 Thes. 1:7-9)
D. Do you understand now why preaching scripture is so important? We are talking about souls – about eternal destiny and Paul takes that charge very seriously. So he tells Timothy, and all preachers, be ready with God’s message all the time! In season, out of season. When you preach - reprove, rebuke and exhort, but do that with great patience.
II. Sound Teaching or Itching Ears
A. Since souls are on the line, what I say from this pulpit, in my classes, in my personal Bible studies with people during the week better be God’s word and not mine. Paul put it this way (2 Tim. 4:3-4)
B. Most of you will never know what it’s like to be a local preacher that is paid by a local congregation. Every time the budget comes up, so does your salary. The jokes are made about only working 30 minutes a week, and you sit back and wait for that process to be over as the entire church talks about your pay. Uncomfortable is not even the right word. So preachers work hard to show themselves worthy.
C. Preachers have many weaknesses. One of them is the desire to see a congregation grow in number. When the numbers are on the rise many churches credit their preacher. When the numbers are in decline many churches blame their preacher. So how do you get more people in the pew? You offer more junk food than the milk and meat of God’s word.
D. Preachers are no different from the people in the pew. We have the similar struggles, desires, and problems and often feel inadequate to preach a strong message because our lives are not good enough to cast the first stone. But at some point in time, preachers have to get over that complex and teach the truth in love.
E. I am sure if I asked every adult in this church what topics or passages should I preach on this year, I would get a variety of answers. I would get pushed to preach about the social injustices that we see happening, about gender inequality, about how we need to hear more about grace and love and others would say I need to preach more about sin, hell and holiness. I have known people to leave a church because the preacher didn’t preach what they wanted to hear from the pulpit. While all of those issues and topics have root in scripture, I need to make sure I am preaching with the motive to bring this church before the throne of God.
F. Itching ears, or some translations, tickling ears, is Paul’s illustration about only wanting to hear the parts of the Bible you like, and not about hearing the full gospel message. I pray you are not the type of person that only hears one message and doesn’t know the full gospel. Paul tells Timothy that preaching should “reprove, rebuke and exhort.” That last word is about encouraging. The Bible is God’s message to equip us for every good work.
Conclusion:
A. While this portion of the letter is specifically to preachers, the warning is also for members to desires preachers to preach the word of God, not just the messages you like to hear. When I fulfill my ministry, all of us as a church will be blessed.
B. While you may not be a preacher, I hope you are deeply involved in ministry and service. When you become the servant to this church, you will take deeper ownership in making sure truth is preached and taught. This family of God is here to be a blessing to all. Fulfill your ministry with me. Let us work together so that Jesus is glorified. Please pray with me.
Because of Jesus,
Jeffrey Dillinger, minister