Sometimes we hear some people complaining that they are tired of listening to the same old lessons.  They say, "I am tired of always hearing the same things" or "I already know everything that this preacher has to say."  They expect the preacher to invent some wonderful new story with which to entertain them.  This is not the correct attitude for a child of God.

Consider the words of Peter in 2 Petet 1:12-15: "Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.  And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.  And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you may be able to call these things to mind."

The people to whom Peter wrote knew the truth and were established in it, yet Peter saw that it was necessary to continue teaching the gospel to them.  He did not consider them ignorant and lacking of knowledge, but he recognized that Christians need constant reminders of the things of God.  Peter understood that when he was gone, these people would need to remember these things so that they could continue to serve God and teach others also.

Those people who have the attitude of being tired of the truth are confessing to having become dull of hearing.  No Christian should ever tire of hearing the story of Jesus and the truth of His gospel.  If anyone does become "bored" with the gospel, then something is seriously wrong, and apostasy is not far away.  Although that person has heard the lessons many times, he needs to hear them again and take them to heart.

Paul also instructed both Timothy and Titus to remind the brethren of the truth (2Tim. 4:6; Titus 3:1).  This is one of the responsibilities that God has given to preachers in the ministry of the gospel.  They are to continuously present the truth, which does not change.  This is the charge of God to preachers, and no man should expect anything different from them.

Maybe the trouble with such a person is that he has always heard the truth and never has applied it.  James wrote, "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves" (Jas. 1:22).  If a person knows the gospel so well, he should be using his knowledge to teach others the truth.  Unfortunately, when this suggestion is given to such a person, his estimation of his own knowledge suddenly decreases, and the response is, "I don't know the Bible well enough to teach anyone."

Children of God ought to love to hear the old story of the Bible every time they hear it.  To Christians, it is the nourishment that feeds our souls.  We need that constant reminder of God's love and God's will for us.  Without it, our spirits would starve, and we would fall into danger: "For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it" (Heb. 2:1).

Stacey E. Durham