"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 ESV)
Sound teaching will anger people and cause division. Why? Because people have "itching ears". In the original Greek, the verb translated "itching", or "tickled" in other translations, can carry the idea of wanting to hear something pleasant. Sound teaching isn't always pleasant. Sin isn't pleasant. Repentance isn't pleasant. Hell isnt pleasant. The sovereignty of God in all things, especially salvation, isn't pleasant to prideful people. Humans, by nature, want to hear nice, sugary, positive affirmations because that is what their sinful, corrupt, prideful hearts desire.
In parenting, some people try to be their child's best friend. In an effort to keep them happy, they let things slide. They don't do what needs to be done or say what needs to be said. This is to the detriment of the child. They need to hear the hard truth. They need to receive disciplinary action. The child may not like it. They may be mad at you. They may try to avoid you or shame you because they don't like what you said or did. That's ok, though, because it's our job, as the parent, to prepare them for the real world. The real world isn't always the way they think it should be and they need to learn this. As parents, it's our job to discipline our children, telling them the hard truths they don't want to hear or doing the job of disciplining that they don't want done, whether they like it or not, because that is what they need.
It's the same in the world of the church. We are not called to be everybody's friend, making them feel good about themselves in particular and life in general. We are called "to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). As a believer, that's our job. We are all called to contend for the faith. That means we are going to have to take a stand against false teachers, some of whom may be darlings among the people. We have to stand against Sarah Young and "Jesus Calling". Jesus isn't calling Sarah Young. He didn't speak to her in her alone time. She was hearing from someone other than Jesus. How do I know this? Because Hebrews 1:1-2 tells me that God SPOKE to prophets long ago but in these last days, he HAS SPOKEN TO US THROUGH HIS SON. God doesn't need to speak to us. He's already done so through the written Word and the Living Word. Peter talked about his experiences with Christ, referring to when he was on the Mount of Transfiguration. But, immediately after this, he says that "we have something more sure, the prophetic Word" (2 Peter 1:19). Scripture is our only sure, objective foundation.
We need to speak this truth. Our family and friends may not like it. But, it is necessary. It is necessary because the enemy has come in, "disguised as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14), and has wrecked havoc upon an undiscerning, poorly taught church. He is attacking the word now just as he did in the garden. He is calling the authority of God's word into question now just as he did in the garden. Our family and friends need to hear these truths. They may not like it. They may disagree with us. They may get their feelings hurt. They may try to avoid us or shame us. However, that's beside the point. They need the truth.
Brothers and sisters, we must be watchmen on the wall and sound the alarm. We must take a stand for the truth. It will not be pleasant. It will not be easy. It will, however, be necessary.
