Encourage your Pastors and Bible Study Teachers

Have you ever felt like you are speaking to a brick wall when you speak to Christians about spiritual matters?
Non-believers as well as many Christians seem to have plugs in their ears to all religious talk. We have become like the rebellious house of Israel in the book of Ezekiel. I have been teaching people about revival and spiritual awakening for over 8 years, but I have little fruit to show from it. If I were teaching topics which tickled peoples ears, my classroom would be full.

Christians Want Their Ears Tickled
People do not want to hear about getting their sins confessed up-to-date or surrender to the Lord. They would much rather spend their time chauffeuring their kids to the many endless activities offered today. We do not have time to study the Word of God or pray. Christians want to be spoon fed when they go to church, but don’t bother them with homework assignments from the Bible. I prefer not to call Bible study homework anyway. I would rather call it quiet time with the Lord.

Christians want to attend a church which entertains their children and teens, preaches on prosperity and tickles their ears with pop psychology. Many Christians seem to have rebelled against teaching from the Word of God and replaced it with Bible study social clubs.

Don’t get Discouraged
If you are a teacher or preacher of the true Word of God, do not be discouraged. Do not settle for popular Bible studies just to increase the numbers in your Bible study or churches. Stay true to the Word of God so God can reward you in heaven for your faithfulness. The Lord has brought the following chapter from Ezekiel to my mind many times lately. When you teach or preach the Word of God, you are not responsible for the number of people who respond to your message. You are only responsible for delivering the message. Let God worry about the response. Let Ezekiel 2 encourage you to stay faithful even if you never receive a reward on earth for your efforts.

“And He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak to you.”
²  Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me.
³  And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.
⁴  For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’
⁵  As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse–for they are a rebellious house–yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.
⁶  “And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house.
⁷  You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious.
⁸  But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”
⁹  Now when I looked, there was a hand stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it.
¹⁰  Then He spread it before me; and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mourning and woe” Ezekiel 2:1-10 (NKJV).