“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.” II Timothy 4:3
“Did not your hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the scriptures?” Luke 24:32
These two verses stand juxtapose to each other in describing where we are today
compared to where we should be. Many sit in pulpits wishing to be entertained by 
popular preachers whose sermons are a mile wide and an inch deep. Many endure false doctrine because they do not know true doctrine. Even the few that might recognize sound doctrine struggle with its application and flit from church to church, preacher to preacher, and denomination to denomination. We substitute entertainment for edification and showmanship for sower-manship. We accept anything and ignore many things. Rather than discerning evangelicals we have become undiscriminating evan-gullibles. It is a day of itching ears.
When the two strangers are walking along the road to Emmaus and they are joined by the resurrected Jesus who they did not recognize, 
He spoke to their hearts. Though their eyes were not opened until the end of their conversation, His words were strong and powerful and meaningful. After they recognized Him and He took leave from their presence, they spoke of the way His words affected them. They did not want Him to leave. They ran to others to share the good news. Their hearts burned within them. They did not listen with itching ears to be told shallow truths, but desired to know the true depth of Christ. Once we have concluded to hear the truths of God Word, we will not settle for fluff. Our hearts will burn for more truth, for more scripture, for more knowledge. We need an outbreak of holy heartburn, that moves us from hearers to doers. We need hearts that wish to be touched rather than ears that wish to be scratched. God needs to move us from itching-ear lemmings to burning-heart leaders!”
Over 1900 years ago Paul warned Timothy that, “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” (2 Tim. 4:3). We have things being preached in well-known churches, by well-known figures that skewer well-known verses. They are able to lead us astray because we don’t question what they say. In Israel the people cried out to the prophets, 
“See no more visions! Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!” (Isa. 30:10-11) The people did not want to know the truth. As was said in a famous movie, they “could not handle the truth.” So instead of hearing it, accepting it, and using it, they ask the prophets to quit saying it. Tickle our ears they cried, just like many do today.
Today many who attend church say, “We’ve heard enough of this judgment message,” (but the judgment is now at the door). They cry out, “We’re tired of hearing so much preaching on repentance,” (but too many have not truly repented). They shake their heads and say, “We’ve had it with all this talk about holiness,” (but the holy God is the only one who can change an unholy world). So pastors listen to their cries for pabulum. Those in leadership soften their words to fill the seats. 
They preach. a compromising gospel instead of the promising one. They don’t talk about the “one way” to God, but the multitudinal pathways that all lead to the same place. They ignore truth because it is too narrow and spread lies because they are less offensive- and offensive doesn’t fill the pews.
We might think that this cannot happen. People are too wizened to these things. They cannot be fooled by pulpit puppeteers. But remember, it was the people of Israel — not Babylon, not Assyria, not Canaan, not Egypt — but God’s own chosen nation that “made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy” (Amos 2:12). They told those who were set apart as holy to the Lord to lower their standards, to quit being extremists, and to to soften their tone. We don’t want to take all of this too far. We don’t want to be seen as extremists accepting the Bible for what is says about sin and repentance and salvation.
There is a great little illustration of today’s church in 1 Kings 22. King Ahab of Israel was trying to convince King Jehoshaphat of Judah to join him in battle against Ramoth Gilead in Syria. All of Ahab’s “prophets” were yes-men who said what he wanted to hear rather than tell the truth. They told him to go and make war against Ramoth Gilead, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand” (1 Kings 22:6). King Jehoshaphat was cautious, however, and asked if all the prophets had been consulted. Ahab said, “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah’” (1 Kin. 22:6-7). The king’s messenger went to Micaiah and told him to agree with the other prophets because the king would like it. Instead, Micaiah told the truth and was thrown into prison. Ahab went into battle (the battle he was not supposed to enter) and his army was routed and he was killed. We can tell preachers to say what we want them to say, but changing God’s Word does not change the consequences of disobeying it.
A newsboy was standing on the corner with a stack of 
papers, yelling: “See it here first. Fifty people swindled! Fifty people swindled!” Curious, a man walked over, bought a paper, and checked the front page. Finding nothing, the man said: “There’s nothing in here about 50 people being swindled.” The newsboy ignored him and went on, calling out: “See it here first. Fifty-one people swindled!” A funny story, but unfortunately we can be fooled, as well. We need to be cautious or we will easily become swindled by fake messages from false churches.
How do we keep from being deceived? By knowing God’s word and not being fooled by charlatans in the churches. Right now, if someone slips heaven in to the title of a book or 
makes a movie that talks about God in it, we flock to the bookstores or movie theaters and accept things that are theological train wrecks. We must not be deceived about that which we have received. Pastors should not be cooks trying to cook food that just tastes good, but food that really is good. The Word needs to be nourishing. Man does not live by chocolate alone (see, a twisting of scripture to fit my point!)
If we are man-pleasers we will surely be God-insulters. We need to listen to those who bring challenging, convicting, life-changing messages on 
the word of God rather than wimpy mouthpieces for the devils deceptions. Check out what is said in the pulpit with what is said in the Word. Joel Osteen, a popular “preacher,” has a big grin that hides a deceptive message. Just because someone is popular does not make him right. Be aware. Be careful. The way to heaven is narrow. If the way that is painted is too broad, it is probably not headed for heaven.
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