“NOW ALL THE ATHENIANS…would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.” Acts 17:21 These Athens men had what’s more commonly known as “itching ears”, a sign of the last days: “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, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 A friend calls this, “Pep rally Christianity”- people want to be encouraged and not corrected, they want inspiration but no instruction, and to be patted on their back and not slapped across the face.
Many have left our church because the preaching was “too hard” and the pastor talked “too much about sin” and that somehow we are not “loving” because every message did not make them comfortable. I’m not sure if you know this, the preacher’s job is to preach THE WORD and the Word of God is meant to be a sharp scalpel, cutting and separating sinful flesh from the bone.
The Word is a lamp unto our path, lighting the way in a dark and getting darker world. All Scripture is God-breathed and is for correction and instruction in righteousness, not to make you “happy” and pump you up on a sugar high. Furthermore, how you respond to the preaching of the Word, shows what kind of person you are. The wise respond in humility, “let the righteous smite me, it is a kindness”. The foolish will not be corrected, but bite back in defense, deflection and denial.
The fool even argues against the very Word of God. “Give me something new! Inspire me and make me feel good about my fleshly choices!” The promotion of fools will be shame and he that does not receive correction is stupid, “and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed, and you say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors. I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.””Proverbs 5:11-14 ESV#runyourrace
To Learn More About Pastor Crystal please visit the Leadership Page
