Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
The other day I put on my shoes, and took a short stroll out into the woods behind our house. I had misplaced something in the backyard, and I really needed to find it. But on my walk I had to go through some very heavy brush and eventually walked through a whole pile of thistles. I really didn’t think anything about it until 15 minutes later when I felt them scratching my legs and my back. When I checked myself over, I realized that hundreds of them had attached themselves to my shirt and sweatpants. They were so sharp that they had penetrated the thin layers of clothing, and they began to make me itch. They itched so much, that I eventually had to go back into the house and get changed.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
In the same way, some people in the church are going to develop itching ears that will become extremely irritated by the teachings of God’s Holy Word. The truth of scripture does not sit very well in the ears of the impenitent, and rather than opening their ears to the truth and repenting of their sins, they will become so vexed that they will completely reject it. Just like removing a thistle from your clothes, they will remove God’s Word from their lives, and listen to all the lies of false prophets instead.
2 Timothy 4:1-4 (KJB) 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; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
How many of you have rubbed a cat’s fur the wrong way? Most of the time they will get irritated and eventually get up and walk away. How many times have you turned on a radio station but you became so irritated at the things that you were listening to, that you changed to a different channel? People in the church are going to do the same thing, because rather than admitting the truth of the error of their way, they will become so irritated that they will turn to others who tell them exactly the things that they want to hear. This is why there is such a massive form of false Christianity in this world today. It is a religion that guarantees that you are going to heaven, and there is no need for works of repentance, transformation, conversion, contrition, Godly sorrow, mortification of the flesh, and becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus. Like a spoiled child, they have become so filled with pride, that they refuse to allow themselves to be corrected or rebuked from the teachings of scripture. Pride is the main attribute of the devil, so when people turn their ears away from biblical truth, who do you think they are going to listen to? The devil of course.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (KJB) For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Did you ever sit down next to another child on the school bus, but they were so chatty and talkative, that you eventually got irritated and moved to a different seat? When you have itching ears, it means that you become so annoyed by the things that you are hearing, that you refuse to listen to what is being said anymore. No matter how much they claim to be a Christian, if people refuse to open up their ears to the truth a scripture, they really are not sincere followers of Christ Jesus.
1 John 4:5-6 (KJB) They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
Many people who begin the Christian Life will eventually turn away from it, simply because they cannot overcome sinful lusts of the flesh. Oh, many of them will certainly claim to be a Christian, but are only deceiving themselves.
Matthew 7:21-23 (KJB) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Jesus teaches here that many are not going to be able to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Many, is defined in the dictionary as the great majority of people. The seed that was sown in their heart will become unfruitful because they will love the things of the world more than God.
Mark 4:18-19 (KJB) And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
You can warn people over and over again, but you can’t live their lives for them. You can warn them about God’s eternal judgments and punishments for what they are doing, but for some of them will be left to find that out for themselves.
Proverbs 29:1 (KJB) He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
Romans 2:8 (KJB) But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
To live the Christian Life is more than just claiming to believe in Jesus, it’s being educated in what Jesus wants you to do. After all, if you want to be a diesel mechanic, you have to be educated in how to repair them. If you want to fly an airplane, you have to be educated in the things of aviation. Our lives are a process of learning from day to day, and so much more a Christian! We must be transformed from sinners into Saints, which will require turning away from the darkness of this world to the light.
But just like somebody who goes off to college and then quits halfway through, some people are not going to complete the Christian Life. The lusts of this world will enter into their lives, along with a rebellious spirit, and they will turn their ears away from the truth. Just like removing a thistle from your clothes, they will remove God’s Word from their lives, something I’m reminded of when I think back to that day,…..
…….Walking through Thistles
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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