Open Rebuke and Faithful Words Prov. 27: 5-6 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

Open rebuke is better than secret love – open rebuke doesn’t cost you their love like you’re afraid it will.  Notice:

Jesus openly rebuked Peter – Matt 16 but Peter loved him Jn 21

Paul openly rebuked Peter – Gal 2 but Peter loved him 2 Pet 3:15

Open rebuke manifests your love (if your rebuke is not just continual criticism) –

Paul rebuked the Corinthians 1 Cor 3:1-3; 1 Cor 5:2; 1 Cor 6:7; 2 Cor 2:2; 2 Cor 11:19 – but he loved them 2 Cor 12:15 – he would not have spoken to them the way he did if he hadn’t loved them (Parents/children – if you love them you are going to rebuke them).

Open rebuke helps those you love – rebuke is part of the preacher’s calling 2 Tim 4:2 –

Jesus openly rebuked Nicodemus – Jn 3:10 – Nicodemus came secretly at night (there was a lot of pressure on the Pharisees Jn 12:42-43) – but he came nevertheless because he was more forward than they – Jn 7:48-51; Jn 19:39 – so the rebuke helped him.

Listen if there is something standing in the way of your love for another person, then call them on the carpet about it and express your love – that’s far better than to sit on the side lines and not enjoy the mutual friendship of love – what’s that worth – two friends have said to a friend of mine “we are for him; we have nothing against him” – that sounds like secret love and it does nothing for my friend.

Paul and Barnabas had it out over Mark and in the end Paul wrote Timothy and said send Mark because he is profitable to me for the ministry (they got it straightened out) – people who spend time in the counselors office might need a referee to get their communication jump started but in the end they just need to get it out and get on down the road.

Therefore open rebuke is going to sometimes involve wounds – 6 – BUT the wounds of a friend are faithful.  Nathan wounded David but David benefited from that wound Ps 51.

Would you rather have Nathan’s faithful wounds or Absalom’s deceitful kiss?  How about Joab’s deceitful kiss (when he killed Abner)?  Or Judas’ deceitful kiss when he betrayed Jesus?

A man who loves you will tell you straight up – you should know he loves you because he is honest with you and what he has to say is right on the money – if he is just a critic or just blowing off steam, then what he has to say won’t fit you anyway (good to know the difference).

A man who hates you, on the other hand, will pretend to love you until he has taken full advantage of you – that’s what the world does and the coming antichrist will do.