The Preaching Community

The Preaching Community
Words of Faith 8-8-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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2 Timothy 4
[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.

Paul was all too aware that the times would change and things would be increasingly difficult for the community of believers. Timothy's primary responsibility in Ephesus was to defend and proclaim sound doctrine within this community of believers. He was called to be diligent in this since the time would come when people would not listen to the truth.
Paul warned Timothy of the time when people would not only drift from sound doctrine; they would not "put up with" or even tolerate sound doctrine. It sounds incredible, but Paul could see a point in the future when the pressure would not be so much to be "tolerant" of aberrant views, but sound truth would no longer be tolerated! Sound familiar?
Paul saw that even within the church, the time would come when people would not attach themselves to sound doctrine. They would slide away from the truth of the Gospel and sound doctrine as people would shape new ideas to suit their own desires. These are the ones that Paul earlier described as "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- having a form of godliness but denying its power."
This is why the Word is so essential. There is no other standard or norm. Without the Word, even believers become confused as they are driven and tossed by the current winds of the day like a ship without an anchor or a compass. Truth is not determined by the committee. Holiness is not a democratic issue. These matters are settled only within the scripture.
Paul could foresee the time when people claiming to follow God and Christ would gather around themselves teachers who would say whatever they wanted to hear. If their ears itched for a more permissive interpretation, then they would have it. If they desired a more judgmental declaration that would criticize some aspects of society, teachers would also make this available.
The truth is that there is something within the broken human nature that thinks that we can make truth better than God. We think we know more. We believe we have a better perspective. We think we can come up with either a more compassionate interpretation or a more controlling one. Just leave it to us, and we will create a better set of rules, suggestions, or guidelines. But it never works.
The truth is you can have compassion for those who struggle with various sins, urges, desires, and lifestyles that are part of the broken nature we all live in. But you cannot change what the Word of God says about our need for forgiveness, redemption, and healing from those depravities. No matter how much our ears itch for a "different Gospel," there is only one Gospel. The Gospel of Christ does not declare: "I'm okay; You're okay." It declares, "You're sick, and I'm sick, and we all need Jesus to redeem us, heal us, and give us hope."
Paul knew that this time was coming. He described a time when people will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. Myths are simply those man-made false stories, perspectives, and interpretations that we are left with when we turn away from the Word of God as our anchor, compass, map, and guide.
So let us preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.

Father God, forgive me for times when I have wandered even slightly from sound doctrine rooted in the Word of God. Give me eyes to see the truth and courage to adhere to the sound teaching of Your Word. Keep me from the temptation of those who come with a "form of godliness." In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.