DO YOU REALLY WANT YOUR TOES STEPPED ON?

I am amazed how many times I have heard people say, "I like it when a preacher steps on my toes a little during the message." and each time I hear that, I think, "Sure you do." In over twenty years of preaching, one thing that I have noticed is the fact that if the preacher preaches about a sin that you do not struggle with, you say 'Amen', but if the preacher preaches about a sin that you do struggle with, then you get mad and say that the preacher is attacking you from the pulpit. What you need to realize is what a preacher says from the pulpit will be said whether you are there or not, so if it hurts you, ask God why.

Look at these quotes from other pastors about this subject...

"Often, I have finished a sermon and been greeted by a parishioner who said, "You stepped on my toes today, Pastor." Sometimes they're smiling. Sometimes they're not. Most people don't like getting their toes stepped on. Many people don’t come to church to be challenged. They only want to hear pleasant messages. They flock to be one of thousands attending televised megachurches whose pastors preach a feel-good message without any substance. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 says, "For 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. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths" But when we go to church, we need to be open to hearing from God, so that we will be challenged--so that we will be changed." Rev. Greg Smith says in his blog.

When the Lord confronts them with the problem through caring family or friends, they get defensive and angry. If they go to a church where the Bible is preached, and the sermons confront their sin, they drop out or find a church that isn’t so threatening. I often hear of people who stop coming here because my preaching stepped on their toes. Well, it steps on my toes, too! But the sad thing is, if you walk away from God’s Word, you won’t get healed. Steven J. Cole

The apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV) 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, and many folks are okay with the teaching and the training but when they hear the reproof and correction, they get upset. Please don't run from God's Word. It is life to all who hear it and live by it.

John 6:67-69 (ESV) 67  So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68  Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69  and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”