Don McClain 1 W. 65th St church of Christ / February 10, 2007

“I Am Not Ashamed of The Gospel of Christ”

Proclaiming The Truth In

An Age of Itching

EarsDon McClain

1

W. 65th St church of Christ / February 10, 2007


Much Of Modern

Preaching Is full of error – Misuses Scripture - Caters to people

who do not care for God

Caters to people whose first love is themselves –

Proclaiming The Truth In An Age of Itching Ears

Don McClain

2



Our Preaching Must Be To Please God!

Therefore – our preaching should follow scriptural instruction –

Not books on modern marketing and management techniques –


Don McClain

3




Noah - 2 Peter 2:5— Jeremiah – Jeremiah

1:10 Jonah - Jonah 3:4-5 John - Mat 3:1-2 Jesus Christ - Mat 4:17 Peter – Acts 2:11-39 Stephen – Act 7:51-56 Paul – Acts 17:30,31;

24:25


Don McClain

4




2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NKJV) 1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ,

who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His

kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke,

exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will

come when they will not endure sound doctrine,

Don McClain

5




2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NKJV) . . . but according to their own

desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the

truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill

your ministry.

Don McClain

6



Timothy needed to be concerned about what God thought of his preaching – not what men thought – (Gal 1:10; 1 Thes 2:4)

Judgment is coming – (Rom 14:10,12; Heb 9:27)

Souls are at stake – (1 Cor 9:16; 1 Tim 4:16)

Proclaiming The Truth In An Age of Itching EarsPreaching Is Serious Business!

“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom”:

Don McClain

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The preachers task is to proclaim scripture and give the sense of it (Neh 8:8; 2 Tim 2:15; Acts 20:27)

The power of conversion is ONLY found in the word of God – (1 Pet 1:22,23; Heb 4:12; Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18,21; 1 Tim 4:16)

The task of a faithful preacher revolves around the word of God – (Acts 6:3,4; 1 Tim 4:12-16)

Proclaiming The Truth In An Age of Itching EarsThe Kind of Preaching That

Pleases God! Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

Don McClain

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The preacher is to always preach the word, when it is wanted and when it is not – (Acts 7; 17:10,11; 18:4-6; 28:31)

The religious world TODAY says – “less Bible and more fun, humor, entertainment, things really relevant to our daily lives.”

This is no time for weak men or weak messages – (Acts 4:29-31; Phili 1:20)



Don McClain

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When the word of God is preached – the word of man is NOT –

When the word of God is preached – the ultimate authority is appealed to – NOT the authority of men!

When the word of God is preached – men learn what God says -



Don McClain

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Preaching That Convinces The sinner of his sin – The false teacher of his

error - The seeker of what is true

– The faithful that he is

right! Preaching that rebukes - the

sinner – the false teacher – the slacker – (Acts 2:36; Acts 7:51)

Preaching that exhorts - men unto godliness & spiritual growth



Don McClain

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Preaching that is “Long Suffering“ - patience - (Gk. , makrothumia) is used in connection with people, not events or circumstances. - Spiritual change usually takes time.

Preaching that is “doctrinal“ - Rebuke tells people where they shouldn't be, while instruction in doctrinal truth tells them where they should be.



Don McClain

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Preaching that yields to those who do not want sound teaching -

Sound doctrine is NOT popular today!!!! - (cf. 1 Tim 1:9,10; 4:1)

People are steeped in false theological systems –

People want their preachers to justify their sinful behavior – not expose it – (John 3:19-21)

Proclaiming The Truth In An Age of Itching EarsPreaching That Does NOT Pleases

God!For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine,

Don McClain

13



Preaching that yields to those who do not want sound teaching –

Paul has already warned Timothy that -

people will give heed to deceiving spirits - 1 Ti 4:1-2

people will be lovers of self and pleasure - 2 Ti 3:1-2


God!but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears

Don McClain

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God!but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears

But after their own lusts. They will seek such kind of

preaching as will accord with their carnal desires; or

such as will palliate their evil propensities, and deal

gently with their vices. Comp. Isaiah 30:10, "Speak

unto us smooth things; prophesy deceits."

—Barnes' Notes on the New Testament

Don McClain

15

http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Isa+30:10



God!Isaiah 30:8-11 (NKJV)

9 That this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of the Lord; 10 Who say to the seers, "Do not see," And to the prophets, "Do

not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. 11

Get out of the way, Turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel To

cease from before us."

they will heap up for themselves teachers;

Don McClain

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There are plenty of preachers willing to accommodate the desires of ungodly people –


God!they will heap up for themselves teachers;

Jeremiah 5:31 (NKJV) 31 The prophets prophesy

falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?Don McClain

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God!and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables

“They will turn” is in the “active voice” – this is an act of the will -

“Turned aside to fables” is what happens to the one who turns away from the truth -

When people turn away from truth – they become easy victims of deception -

Don McClain

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And shall be turned unto fables—Believe any kind of stuff and nonsense; for, as one has justly observed,

"Those who reject the truth are abandoned by the just judgment of God to credit

the most degrading nonsense." . . .

—Adam Clarke's Commentary

Don McClain

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People will reject the Word of God, but believe in witchcraft, UFOs, ghosts, etc.

People will reject the Gospel of Christ, but accept religious traditions of men

People reject "sound doctrine", but accept "unhealthy teaching“ that endangers body and soul

Don McClain

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God!But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions,

Preaching is indeed serious business – and the faithful preacher will guard against compromising the preaching of the word of God in favor of scratching the ears of the ungodly!

As a result – there will be suffering -

Don McClain

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God!do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

The work of an evangelist is to - “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

The faithful preacher is to preach the whole counsel of God, (Acts 20:26,27)

Don McClain

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God! Paul does not suggest that

the way to reach an ungodly society is to so soften the message that people will be comfortable with it. - Just the opposite is true –

Paul does not suggest that we replace preaching with drama, entertainment, or recreation when people tire of it – but rather to continue to preach the word . . .Don McClain

23


do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.


Much Of Modern

Preaching Is full of error – Misuses Scripture - Caters to people

who do not care for God

Caters to people whose first love is themselves –


Don McClain

24




Noah - 2 Peter 2:5— Jeremiah – Jeremiah

1:10 Jonah - Jonah 3:4-5 John - Mat 3:1-2 Jesus Christ - Mat 4:17 Peter – Acts 2:11-39 Stephen – Act 7:51-56 Paul – Acts 17:30,31;

24:25


Don McClain

25



Preaching That Pleases God:

Is Ever Ready... Convicts ... Rebukes... Exhorts... Is

Longsuffering... Is Doctrinal...


Don McClain

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Preaching That Does NOT

Please God: Is Unsound In

Doctrine... Is To Entertain –

To Scratch The Ears of The Ungodly . . .


Don McClain

27




2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NKJV) 1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ,

who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His

kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke,

exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will

come when they will not endure sound doctrine,

Don McClain

28




2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NKJV) . . . but according to their own

desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the

truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill

your ministry.

Don McClain

29



Documents

Don McClain 1 W. 65th St church of Christ / February 10, 2007