2 Peter 2:1 – “They bring teachings that cause disunity and division”.
Whenever you find that people are divided, not by the truth, but by teachings that flatter - that make you feel good about yourself, make you very important… “oh brother, you're going to have a great, wonderful ministry”. Well, here's the thing… God calls everyone to greatness, but there is a path you take, and it's called humility in serving. So, if all the words are always great - wonderful things about the future, then you've got to ask: what are the conditions, entailed in all of this? What's my part?
The tendency that false prophets have is to move, and the agenda is often to make money, exploit people, or to draw a gathering to themselves. There are true prophets, of course, but here's what Paul's warning was… Paul's warning to Timothy: “preach the word, be ready in season and out of season; convince, rebuke, exhort, with all suffering”.
He's saying: this is what the remedy is - preach the word of God. Not a hang a scripture in on your own ideas, but rather, see what God has to say, and proclaim it.
Then it says: convince! Persuade people to follow the truth.
It says: rebuke! Confront people, when they're missing the mark.
You don't get a lot of that these days, because people are too afraid that they will upset someone; but if they're wrong, they're wrong. Tell them they're wrong! You're doing them a favour. You're showing that you love them.
2 Timothy 4:3 – “For the time will come…”
Which time do you think he's talking about? He's talking about the End Times. The time will come, and something is going to happen!
“…when they will not endure sound doctrine”.
A time will come, in the church, where people don't want good, sound teaching. They don't want sound doctrine. Sound doctrine means sound teaching, and it has a purpose. Sound teaching is Bible teaching that establishes you in your faith, and in maturity.
Many young people, when they walk out of church, go into the cities, and they get into an environment where there's another spirit operating, very strongly - and they haven't got sound doctrine. They've had a great experience. “Oh, it was great - someone prophesied, I got a touch from God!” I love all of that, it's wonderful, but you need sound doctrine.
Sound doctrine (teaching) shapes the way you think, and what you believe; so that when someone comes up with some weird thing, you don't believe them, because you know the word of God. You've got a reference to the word of God. If you're not in the word of God, how will you know the truth?
The time will come (the end of the times) when people will want messages that make them feel good. They won't want things that change them. There are some truths, but here's the thing about truth - it's incredibly uncomfortable! We are in an age where there's this thing of ‘tolerance’ - just include everyone; and accept everything. It's fine to include, to accept; but tolerance is another thing. Tolerance is we go along with what they're saying and believing, rather than standing up and saying: that's actually wrong!
Fornication is wrong - it keeps you out of the kingdom of God. Homosexual acts are wrong – they will keep you out of the kingdom of God. Pride is wrong – it will keep you out of the kingdom of God. Gluttony is wrong – it will keep you out of the kingdom of God. There are many things the Bible says will keep you out of the kingdom of God. Do you know what they are? They're in the word. They're spelt out in two or three places, in the word, very clearly.
They won't endure sound doctrine. He says: they will have “itching ears”. He describes a condition where people ears are itching – meaning that you want someone to scratch it. You want people to tell you the messages that you like to hear - you'll be great, marvellous, wonderful, fabulous! Now listen, there's a place for encouragement, and exhortation… but not for flattery!
Having itching ears means you're looking for the things that are nice to hear, but don't challenge you to change. I had a friend of mine, a pastor, who brought a message which was truth, at a very significant world conference; and was told afterwards - don't preach that. It was about the rightful role of men and women, working together, in partnership, under God. How about that!