Tickle Me Pastor

2 Timothy 4:2-4
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.

In the mid-90's a toy hit the market called, "Tickle Me Elmo".  The craze was ridiculous.  Parents were fighting in stores to get this toy that all the children wanted.  You would stand Elmo up on his feet and search for the tickle spot.  Once you found it he would begin laughing hysterically.  He would say, "You found it" or "You did it again".  He would begin to slap his knee in laughter. Then he would roll forward in a belly laugh.  He would fall backwards and roll around on the floor laughing over and over while kicking his legs.  Children, and adults, would immediately smile and be filled with laughter.

I'm saddened to say this but many of our pulpits are filled with this type of preaching.  Now before you pick up that pitch fork listen to what God said would take place.  He told Timothy to "preach the word:"  So often we hear jokes, and I love humor.  We are filled with cliches about scripture, but far too often we never hear the meat of scripture.  We love to be entertained, this is why Hollywood is rolling in much of our money.  We love comedy, drama, entertainment and happy warm feelings. Why? Because we have itching ears that we think need to be scratched.

It's time that the preachers stop scratching the ears and take a good look at them. It may be that they don't need to be scratched anymore. The truth is they are infected and these people need a doctor.

Be ready! So many of us are not. There is a foundational lacking in the pulpits, so why wouldn't it be in our pews? Now look... Reprove, Rebuke and Exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. This speaks of telling the truth of God's Word through putting ourselves in their shoes and with nothing but the doctrine of Jesus.

This scripture says, "for the time will come..."  That time is now. People turn to pleasure instead of the scriptures. We have turned from showing the error of our ways (reproving, rebuking and exhorting) to telling the joke of the day in order to make people feel good. So look at the result of this style of preaching. They turn from the truth unto fables.

Preachers! Encourage them laugh, there is nothing wrong with that. Encourage them to weep, there is nothing wrong with brokenness (in fact we need more brokenness). But more than anything else that you do... MAKE THEM SEE JESUS! Stop tickling the ears and pray that God pricks their hearts.