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Having Itching Ears
June 02, 2013
In recent lessons, I discussed false teachers and preachers, and how to watch out for, and avoid, them. In this lesson I discuss the fact that many people who call themselves Christians actually prefer to follow falsehood and fleshly doctrine, rather than live righteously according to the teachings of God Almighty. Why do they do it? As often is the case, it is done for different purposes.
Bernie Parsons
Having Itching Ears
by Bernie Parsons
Presented to Load church of Christ on 06-02-2013
Presented to Globe church of Christ on 06-09-2013
We have recently studied about following Christ, for that is what makes us
Christians. We also studied about not adopting traditions of men as
doctrine, after which we studied about why men lead others astray. Today, I
want to examine why people actually may prefer false teachers.
2 Timothy 4:1 "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus
Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his
kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke,
exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 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."
Paul said that some will have itching ears – that is, they want to hear a
particular message. These people do not want to know what God has said and
requires of us, just what they want to do. Such will turn away from the
truth.
Luke 6:39 "And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind?
shall they not both fall into the ditch?
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall
be as his master.
41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but
perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the
mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is
in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own
eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy
brother's eye."
Jesus said that some follow spiritually blind teachers and preachers because
they are, themselves, blind. In other words, some people just blindly follow
what others tell them. They are looking for someone attractive or
charismatic to follow, and the message doesn’t matter a whole lot to them.
John 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the
light, lest his deeds should be reproved."
Some don’t want to hear the truth, because it reproves their sins, as Jesus
pointed out. Since their deeds are evil, and the truth functions as a light,
they run away from truth into the darkness.
2 Peter 2:9 "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations,
and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness,
and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not
afraid to speak evil of dignities.
11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing
accusation against them before the Lord.
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak
evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in
their own corruption;
13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it
pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting
themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling
unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed
children:
15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way
of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice
forbad the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to
whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through
the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean
escaped from them who live in error.
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of
corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in
bondage."
Jude 1:4 "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of
old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God
into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus
Christ."
Jude 1:10 "But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but
what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt
themselves.
11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily
after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of
Core.
12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you,
feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried
about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead,
plucked up by the roots;
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to
whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying,
Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among
them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of
all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and
their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in
admiration because of advantage.
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the
apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who
should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit."
As both Peter and Jude wrote, many are so wrapped up in themselves and
pursuit of their own pleasures and goals, that they oppose the teachings of
God. These people, even though many of them are “church-goers”, are sensual
and fleshly, and not spiritual at all.
Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath
shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither
were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish
heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their
own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the
creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their
women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned
in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is
unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which
was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave
them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness,
covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit,
malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil
things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection,
implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are
worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do
them."
Some think themselves smarter than God, but are also among those who care
about their own fleshly pleasures than they care about the will of God. God
has abandoned such to their own wickedness. God does not force us to do
right, He asks us to do right.
It is up to us to choose to live righteously, rather than choosing to follow
false doctrine and ungodliness.
