https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2004\/09\/Frankness.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Proverbs 28:23<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. Most of us desire the esteem of those around us. We don’t want people to think bad of us;\ninstead, we want the respect of people.\n
A. It is that basic desire that Satan exploits – James 1:13-16<\/p>\n B. Behind “pride of life” is the simple desire of wanting to get along with people and\nenjoy their respect – I John 2:15-17\n
C. Our words and actions reflect our inclination.<\/p>\n 1. We often try to avoid conflict, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – James\n1:19-20\n 2. But we can take it too far. A contributor to World War II is the attempt to\nappease Nazi Germany in its aggression – it didn’t work.\n 3. But you can see it closer to home in parenting. Parents who want to be\ntheir child’s friend, so they work at avoiding any conflict and are surprised\nthat they end up with spoiled brats.\n D. On the surface, it seems that telling someone they are wrong isn’t the way to gain\nhis respect and admiration – Proverbs 28:23\n
II. Rebuke<\/p>\n
A. The Hebrew word for “rebuke” is yakhach<\/i>. <\/p>\n 1. It means to be right, to set to right, to show what is right, to decide, judge,\nreprove or correct.\n
2. In a legal sense, it means to render judgment<\/p>\n a. Example, Laban accused Jacob of stealing his household idols, but\ncould not show proof – Genesis 31:37\n b. Then Jacob announced that God had rendered judgment (rebuked)\nLaban in a dream that night – Genesis 31:42\n
3. It can also mean to bring a charge against, as with a lawyer<\/p>\n
a. Seen in Job’s complaint – Job 19:5<\/p>\n
4. It can be also be people sitting down to decide what is right – Isaiah 1:18<\/p>\n
5. Of course, it also means to rebuke or correct. <\/p>\n
a. But notice there is always the implication it is toward what is right.<\/p>\n
B. It was required as the counter to hatred! – Leviticus 19:17-18<\/p>\n C. Rebuking requires courage and love of your fellow man – enough to overcome the\nfear of his anger.\n 1. Think what courage Nathan had to tell the great King David that he was a\nsinner.\n 2. We often don’t think about it, but some prophets lost their lives doing such\nthings – II Chronicles 24:17-22\n 3. Just because they were delivering a message from God, it didn’t mean they\nwere shielded from men’s anger.\n
D. Rebuking ought to be painful.<\/p>\n 1. We should not enjoy the fact that someone is in sin or that we need to\ncorrect them – Ecclesiastes 7:5-6\n 2. “Nothing is more irritating or hardening than to be rebuked by one who\nevidently enjoys his office. But if the one who points out our fault is\nevidently deeply pained himself, we must be very obdurate [stubborn] if\nwe are insensible to such an appeal. The wayward child is conquered, not\nby the rod in his mother’s hand, but by the tears in her eyes.” [E.\nHurndall].\n
3. The example of Paul – II Corinthians 2:4<\/p>\n
E. Rebuking cannot be avoided. It is commanded!<\/p>\n
1. If someone sins against you, you are required to rebuke him – Luke 17:3<\/p>\n
2. You have to tell someone when there is a fault – Matthew 18:15<\/p>\n
F. It is not a punishment. It is a call to repentance – II Corinthians 7:8-11<\/p>\n
III. Favor afterwards<\/p>\n A. In the long run, rebuke is more likely to bring admiration and respect than\ndispleasure.\n 1. “We are so prone to self-love, and pride, that the most prudent, and\nneedful, rebukes are apt to create transient displeasure. Yet upon reflection\nmost men will have a better opinion of a faithful reprover, than of a\nsoothing flatterer, and will show him more favor.” [T. Scott]\n
2. A wise man will love you for it – Proverbs 9:8<\/p>\n
3. It is more effective on a wise man – Proverbs 17:10<\/p>\n 4. A delight and blessing with come upon the one who rebukes – Proverbs\n24:24-25\n
B. That is why open rebuke is better – Proverbs 27:5<\/p>\n C. Not everyone will be happy about being rebuked. Those who reject the warning\nhave no love for the one who warns\n
1. Proverbs 9:7-8<\/p>\n
2. Proverbs 29:1 – Sudden destruction awaits<\/p>\n
IV. Flattery Fails<\/p>\n A. You aren’t helping people by telling them they are right as they are – Proverbs\n24:24\n
B. The failure of flattery is that the flatterer is only thinking of himself – Psalm 12:1-4<\/p>\n C. “He who gives us kisses when he ought to give us reproof, or who holds back\ndeserved rebuke from cowardice, is more cruel than if he withheld from us an\nindispensable medicine simply because it had a bitter taste. And if a wound is to\nbe probed it is surely better for the patient that it should be done by a skillful and\ntender hand than by one who has no sympathy with us and no acquaintance with\nour inner life.” [W. Harris]\n
D. Don’t take this as saying you never give a complement.<\/p>\n
1. Remember that rebukes are correcting toward what is right<\/p>\n
2. Thus flattery is praising people in the wrong.<\/p>\n
E. A deception – Romans 16:17-18<\/p>\n
F. A flatterer is laying a trap – Proverbs 29:5<\/p>\n
V. Rebukes work because it leads to an improved change. Are you ready to change?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 28:23 I. Most of us desire the esteem of those around us. We don’t want people to think bad of us; instead, we want the respect of people. A. It is that basic desire that Satan exploits – James 1:13-16 B. Behind “pride of life” is the simple desire of wanting…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[1598],"class_list":["post-62496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-rebukes"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":95016,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/desire-for-relationship\/","url_meta":{"origin":62496,"position":0},"title":"Desire for Relationship","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Download Audio by Brent Paschall Draw Near to God","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":51232,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-to-want-to-join-the-military-to-kill-terrorists\/","url_meta":{"origin":62496,"position":1},"title":"Is it wrong to want to join the military to kill terrorists?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If you join the military with the intent to kill terrorists, is it a sin? I know killing in a war is not. But what about having the intent to bring safety to the world, or revenge against what the terrorists have done, or someone who just wants to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":63324,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/religion-on-parade\/","url_meta":{"origin":62496,"position":2},"title":"Religion on Parade","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 29, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Matthew 23:5-12 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Jesus condemns the Pharisees many times and in our reading he condemns them for using religion as a way for people to notice them. - Matthew 23:5 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0What is a phylactery (or some translations say frontlet)? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It comes from passages\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62760,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-to-grow\/","url_meta":{"origin":62496,"position":3},"title":"How to Grow","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 16, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 5:6-14 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Each of us started life as a cell so small it would take a microscope to see you. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0But we don\u2019t stay that size, we grow \u2013 and rapidly \u2013 into a small infant born into this world, we become toddlers, children,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4152,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/growing-in-respect-to-salvation\/","url_meta":{"origin":62496,"position":4},"title":"Growing in Respect to Salvation","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Raymond Warfel","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":66882,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/four-ways-to-desire-being-an-overseer\/","url_meta":{"origin":62496,"position":5},"title":"Four Ways to Desire Being an Overseer","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Perry Hall So much, and I'd say too much, weight is placed on whether a man desires to serve as an elder. I'd say \"too much\" because it is too often used for a man to disqualify himself - \"I don't desire it.\" Could it be that we need\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62496\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}