2 Timothy 4:1-5 – 1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
What a message for today.
People do not want truth. They want what works for them. It’s like a policy that they’re putting together.
Let’s see:
I’ll purchase that coverage, but I don’t need that.
I could use this over here, but not too much.
There is way too much in the way of limits over here, I don’t need that.
This doesn’t work for me, but this does.
I do well in this area. I can’t believe others don’t do well in that area, shame on them.
This is so Old Testament and not for me.
God’s Word is for everyone to follow. Are all promises to everyone? No. The church has promises that Israel doesn’t. The Jews have promises that the church doesn’t have. Unbelievers have promises that believers don’t have. Thank the Lord for that. You don’t want the promises that have been given to the unbelievers.
However, we can’t pick and choose those things that are for us all. We can’t listen to our itching ears. It will lead you astray constantly. The only way you don’t wander from the faith in times of deception like these is to stay in the Word of God.
Why?
It is the only Sound Doctrine! Please heed the warning from the Lord through Paul. It was for us and especially in this time period.