Shooting The Messenger

I saw the following the other day on Facebook - “The only people mad at you for speaking the truth are those living a lie. Keep speaking the truth.” Unfortunately, the quote has a lot of truth to it. Gal 4:16 says pretty much the same thing as it reads “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”The messenger was literally shot in Acts 7:51-60 when Stephen was stoned for preaching the truth. Many Christians react in a similar way today. Instead of appreciating being warned about their sin and false doctrine (Ezek 3:18), they “heap to themselves teachers” (II Tim 4:3) that limit their preaching to what their audiences already agree with. My observations tell me preaching to the choir is at an all time high among Christians; it is much more common these days than preaching “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).Of course gospel preachers should speak the truth “in love” (Eph 4:15), but the issue here is our attitude toward truth; do we really want to hear truths that would demand changes in our belief and practice (Matt 13:15)?