But Rather Reprove Them — Jerry Mawhorr

Good evening as we were singing that song revive us again. I Thought to myself Why? Interesting question if God would come and here God is we believe. Looking upon the meeting tonight and God is watching what's going on here and He sees Maybe 200 people.

Saying singing from their heart. Revive us again. The Lord says why? What would you do if I revived you? What would you do if God? Revived you have you ever thought about that it might scare you to get revived.

You might end up in a jail if you get a real revival. Why do you want to get a revival? You know I? going to mention this verse a little bit tonight, but that early church and. And boy as I study and spend time in the Bible, I really see the need.

Revival for Obedience and Boldness

For us to go back to the original pattern. The early church, but I see the early church and there they are trembling. They had been filled with the Spirit of God at Pentecost and I don't know it looked like a few weeks.

Maybe a few months later. The church is gathered together again, and they're trembling, but they're praying. But in all of their trembling they want to do something. They're fearful of doing it. But they want to do something and they want God to come and revive them because they want to do something.

They were been that way Lord I want to do what you want me to do. It's in all my heart, but I'm fearful. I'm going to go ahead and do it. That's the way they were. They were there praying. Here's how they pray.

Lord behold their threatenings and Grant unto us that with all boldness we might speak thy word. God says you want a revival to speak my word and all of a sudden. The place was shaken where they were assembled and they were filled with the Holy Ghost.

Why do you want to be revived? Is it because you can go home and feel close to Jesus? Or another couple of months or a couple of weeks. And then wait till the next year's revival meetings because you've fallen away again.

And then come back and get revived so you can be close to Jesus again. You know God has a purpose in us being revived. There's a reason for it if you've never thought about that. If you want to think about that a little bit tonight, why do I want to be revived?

Well last night we talked a little bit about the life of Christ. Tonight I would like to magnify the life of Christ again. Lift up the life of Christ before us because he is our example first. John chapter 2 says that He that sayeth he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as Christ walked.

And I have no doubt tonight that if you have a revival this week. You will begin to walk like Jesus walked. I'd like you to open up your Bibles tonight to the book of Ephesians. You know if there's one subject.

That is very much neglected today, and I guess the devil has come and he has silenced this subject. It's silenced us he has silenced. This teaching what I'm going to share with you tonight. And and I guess if there's perhaps any teaching that the church has fallen down in this one tonight.

Let's begin by reading. In Ephesians chapter 5 in verse number 1 be therefore followers of God as. Dear children there is a good verse for us be followers of God. How can I follow God? I mean who is going ahead of me to give me an example to follow the life of Christ.

Be therefore followers of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. But for an occasion in all uncleanness or covetousness let it not be once named among you as become a saint.

Neither filthiness nor foolish talking or jesting which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know that no whoremonger nor unclean person or covetous man who is an idolater. Have any inheritance in the kingdom of God and of Christ?

Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For you sometimes were darkness, but now are you light in the Lord?

Walk as children of the light. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth proving. What is acceptable unto the Lord and Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light. For whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith awake thou that sleepest and many of us are asleep and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light.

See then that you walk Circumspectly not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time. Because the days are Evil let's have a word of prayer this evening our Heavenly Father. I want to stand here this evening Lord and preach thy word.

And I want to Lord do it out of a heart of love concern Lord. I know I do not have the love and concern for your people that you do Heavenly Father. I stand here tonight. I do not want to please men, but I want to please God.

For if I please men Jane says I should not be a servant of Christ. I Want to be a servant of Christ. Pray Heavenly Father tonight that you will help us. Even as a songwriters wrote breathe on us tonight Lord the breath of God.

Help us to see Jesus in all his glory this wonderful example and the benefits of Following in his footsteps. We do pray Heavenly Father you would revive us again. But revive us to do thy will. Oh God and thy will is in this word, and we're reading some of it tonight.

So we pray father you would revive us to obey and to do thy will. We ask it in Jesus name. Amen. Well, I as I was reading the verses there I remember that I was told to remind you that after each service.

There is an opportunity to get some tapes if you would like tapes of the services just 15 minutes after the services. You can have a copy of the tape of the service tonight, so I was told to remind you of that.

So I don't want to forget to do that. I'd like to focus our attention this evening on verses 11 through 13. And Paul here writes to the church at Ephesus these words when he says and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather Reprove them.

Separation and Reproof in Ephesians 5

Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. But rather reprove them now. I'd like you to notice that this verse and this passage here is not Speaking to the leadership in Ephesus. It's not speaking to the Apostles.

It's not speaking to the elders. It's speaking to the church. That is at Ephesus. This is for all of us every one of us here tonight. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Now most of us understand that we believe in separation.

We believe in coming out from among them and being separate and touching not the unclean thing. We don't send our children to public school systems. We don't do a lot of things because we want to come out from the world and we want to live a Separated life from the world not fashioning our life according to the fashions of this world.

But living according to the obedience the Word of God we want to be separate separated Sanctified Vessels that God can use. Here Paul discusses the principle of separation in verse number 11. Have no fellowship.

No koinonia, no a communion with the unfruitful works of darkness. And I know you've heard many sermons on that separation. But I'd like you to notice the second half of the verse. Many of us don't consider perhaps the second half.

Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather but rather reprove them. But rather reprove them. Now this word reprove means to rebuke. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather rebuke them.

Rebuke them in other words. Here's what true separation is. The world is over here. We come out of the world get ourselves from the world and then we Reprove the evil of that world that we've separated from for us to come away from the world and Be separate from the world and say nothing to the world is not separation in its entirety.

You see God called us out of the world and to rebuke the darkness of the world. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather Reprove them you notice. There's a negative don't fellowship, but there's a positive Rebuke them reprove them.

What does it mean to reprove them? Well, it's a good example given to us many examples in the Bible, but one good example is John the Baptist. John the Baptist lived a separated life. But that wasn't all John the Baptist did.

John the Baptist was a vocal Reprover of the deeds the deeds of darkness in the world in his day. It's a matter of fact John the Baptist got his head cut off because he stood up and reproved the deeds of Herod.

Who is doing an ungodly act and therefore John the Baptist was put in prison and his head was taken off because? John the Baptist Followed Ephesians 511 even though Ephesians 511 was not written. I was in a dairy mart a couple of months ago and I had not any intention to do this and I need God's grace in this area perhaps as much as anyone here.

But I didn't have an intention to do this. I was in a dairy market was heading to work and and while I was there buying a Milk and some doughnuts there was a man that came up behind the calendar. And he wasn't the man that was waiting on me, but he came up behind the calendar and he was Had a couple of bumps of immorality.

Immoral magazines you know what they are behind the counter there. And I don't know what happened to me, I trust it was the Lord. I just stopped and I said to the man that was at the counter selling me these doughnuts and milk.

I said sir do you realize that that that is disgusting in the sight of God and That if you sell that you're going to be held accountable for doing that. That man looked at me. He said no. I don't believe I'll be held accountable.

Those are not in my magazines. I didn't buy them. I said yes. Listen you will be accountable if you take those magazines, and you sell them. Stop you thought of me. I said I don't have anything else I can do.

What can I do I? Said to him listen. I said listen. I'm a painter. Want to come and paint with me? Said no, but here's a man who was doing something that was was wrong in the sight of God he was selling magazines that were immoral.

I Guarantee brothers and sisters the next time that man takes that magazine and puts it on the counter. He'll think about what he's doing. You see the Bible doesn't say to come out from among that wicked world and to lock yourself in a corner and to be silent.

No, God says come out from that world and then speak to that world about its evil. Reprove them, but rather reprove them. We often do well on the first half of the verse, but fail on the second half of reproving the world.

Biblical Examples of Confronting Darkness

We're going to see the life of Jesus tonight and how Jesus lived out this beautiful example for us to follow and How everyone who abides in him will also walk even as Jesus walked? In this area of life.

I love this story I want to read it to you of a man by the name of Peter Cartwright. These men of old time you know we make heroes out of them, but you know we need some heroes today. In this tent some heroes like this.

Peter Cartwright was a man who understood That when we come out from the world we don't just Hide in a corner and be silent we reprove the world. Here's what he did. Peter Cartwright the backwoods Methodist preacher was once belated among the Cumberland Mountains meaning he was stuck there must have been a storm and Obliged to seek shelter for the night at an inn where a large party assembled for drinking and dancing.

Obliged to sit and look on he was at length invited by a young lady to join in the festivities. Instantly he resolved and what he confessed was a desperate experiment. He walked into the midst of the dancers with his new partner and Addressing the company said that for several years he had he had not undertaken any matter of importance without first asking the blessing of God upon it.

Then grasping the young lady's hand he fell on his knees and prayed with all the power of soul and body he could command. The young lady tried to get away, but he held her fast. Presently she fell on her knees as did some of the rest while others sled.

Some sat still and all look curious. When he had finished his prayer Cartwright commenced an exhortation and then sang a hymn. No resistance to his impetuous zeal being offered. During the whole of the next day the work so strangely begun continued and before resuming the journey.

The backwoods preacher had organized a society and taken 32 members into the bosom of the Methodist Church. You know why. Because he reproved the world of its evil. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reproved them.

Why are we not this evening confronting the world with the righteousness of God? Why are we not confronting the world with the righteousness of God? I think it's interesting tonight to realize that these words were written by Paul to the church at Ephesus.

Now if you remember in the book of Acts what happened at Ephesus. I mean these people knew exactly what Paul was saying. Paul had come to Ephesus and he had stood up publicly and preached against the idolatry of the great goddess Diana of the Ephesians and So stirred there was an uproar in the city of Ephesus.

And if you were around Paul you'd have realized that Paul reproved the world Of its darkness and So when they received this letter have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

They knew by example Paul's wife what it meant to reprove the world of darkness. You see the early church didn't just separate from the world and its evils they contended against them. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather Reprove them.

That's an interesting passage in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 29 24 says whosoever is a partner with a thief Hated his own soul. He Heareth cursing and Bereath it not. He heareth cursing and bereath it not.

How many of you would want to be a partner with a thief? None of you would none of you would go hand in hand with a thief and go into a house or go into a Walmart and steal something and and team up with a thief to steal.

If you did the Bible says here you'd hate your own soul, but God says he that heareth cursing and Bereath it not. It's like a man who walks into a store with a hand in hand a partner with a thief. The word berea means to stand boldly in opposition to.

I'd like you to realize something tonight if the world is over here and you and I come out from the world and We stop here in the middle ground and we don't continue over here to this side where we reprove the world of its sin.

But we only stop here in the middle. We are like a man who hears curse. He did not we come halfway. You know what if we come halfway. We're still partners with the world. Jesus said if you're not for me, you're not over here for me actively for me.

You're against me. Too many of us have come out of the world that we've come halfway and I want to tell you why the later on we've Only come halfway. If you hear a man cursing Jesus and you don't speak against it.

We have become a partner with his deed. You see to separate from the world and then to be silent towards its evil still leaves us partners with the world. Through separation not only comes down from the world.

It also takes a stand against the world and its evils. Now that is Christ likeness. I Mean if you'd have watched the life of Jesus you'd have watched a man the God man Who would come out from the world and he would take a stand against the world the world's evils.

We're going to see a little bit of that too. And if we are to walk even as Jesus walked we ought to walk in the very same way. Let me give you a quote as he who stands by and sees another commit murder Without giving an alarm is accounted accessory to the murder or as he who sees a blind man running into a pit in which He's drowned and makes no effort to save him is guilty of death.

So is he who sees his brother destroy his own soul without any effort to prevent it? Ezekiel 33 God said when I say unto the wicked old wicked man thou shalt surely die. If thou does not speak to warn the wicked from his way.

That wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand you realize what that's saying. You were a partner in his death. Because you didn't say anything to warn him of his wicked way.

You know Paul said at Ephesus here's what he said to the church at Ephesus in the book of Acts. Wherefore I take you to record this day That I am pure free from the blood of all men. For I have ceased not to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

In other words Paul was saying I am free from the guilt from the blood of all these here because I have warned you every one of you of your evil way and If you go on and live wickedly Your blood be upon your own head have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather Reprove them.

How many people die and go to hell without their deeds ever being reproved or warning given to them. Yet the church will give an account for it. You know the world needs us to reprove it. AJ Gordon said this there were Negroes in Central Africa who never dreamed they were black until they saw the face of a white man.

You know there are many people who are living in sin and don't even realize it. Until you and I turn on a light in their soul. I Remember a few years ago. We were out on the streets of Mount Vernon and a young boy Probably no more than 11 12 years old came up and began to contest we were handing out Certain tracks that talked about sexual immorality and he'd come up and began to contest with me about the legitimacy of homosexuality.

He was trying to tell me and from his heart. He was trying to convince me that that yes. There's nothing wrong with this lifestyle. 12 years old. You know how many young people today are growing up with no concept of what's right and wrong and Here they are walking in darkness heading for the pit and God says to the church aren't you going to warn them as they walk towards their destruction?

Worship with them yes, but rather reprove them. We're living in a generation of young people That are walking straight into hell, and they have no idea. What is right and wrong? You know why that is the church has buttoned its mouth.

Ephesians 5 look there Verse number 12 for it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things and notice this all things that are reproved same word as verse 11 all Things that are reproved are made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light.

You realize what Paul is saying. He's saying people are in darkness, and when you come and reprove them you turn on a light in their soul. Everything that is reproved makes manifest it reveals makes manifest.

When we rebuke sin, it's like turning on a light in a person's soul. Verse 13, but all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. So as this young person is on his or her way into the pit of destruction and you come along.

And you begin to reprove the deeds of that young person all of a sudden some light comes into their soul. And they begin to see another side the picture. Whatsoever is reproved makes manifest. That's why it's so important to reprove the world of sin.

The world today is in darkness and the church is to be shedding the light and one of the ways to shed light is to Reprove sin and notice verse 14. Wherefore wherefore because he just said what he said.

Wherefore he saith awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead. I'll tell you what the church needs to awake in this area and rise from the dead and Take the responsibility that God has given each one of us To not only come out from the world, but to reprove the world for the world's sake.

I thank God I had a mother and father who told me certain things were right and certain things were wrong. Now my mother and father never opened up a Bible and sat down with me and taught me the scriptures.

But they did teach me some morality, but we're having children growing up in our generation that have no idea No comprehension of the difference between right and wrong. And God lays the church gives the church Responsibility throughout every generation to be a light to this dark world.

And brothers and sisters, you don't take the light and sit it under a bushel. You don't take the light and hide it in a corner. But you take the light and you bring it out and set it. Jesus said on the tabletop that everyone can see.

John the Baptist in John chapter 535 was called a burning and a shining light. He was a burning and a shining light. You know why that is. He reproved the evil of his day. Jesus said there's a man who is a burning and a shining light and Jesus says to us as Christians You are the light of the world.

You are the light of the world here the world is Sailing alone in darkness Nearly crashing upon the shore of Eternal damnation and you and I are the light of the world to warn them of their evil way. Reproof brings light to a darkened soul.

The World’s Hatred and the Christian’s Witness

Let's look at John chapter 15. John chapter 15 verse number 18. John 15. Jesus is speaking to his disciples and Also speaking to all who will follow him in his footsteps throughout the generations to come.

And he's speaking to you tonight through these words if you want to follow his steps also verse 18. If the world hates you. You know that it hated me Before it hated you. If you were of the world the world would love his own.

But because you are not of the world. But I have chosen you out of the world. Therefore the world hateth you the world hateth you. I Wonder how many of us tonight could truly say that the world Hates you.

Jesus says if you were of the world the world would love his own. Do you know why the world doesn't hate you. And I because the world is over here and Christ is over here. Jesus calls us out of the world the lukewarm stage here and over to the place where Christ is.

We might walk like he walks and stand over here and reprove the world of its sin but too many of us have come out of the world and We're standing right here in the middle and we want the acceptance of Christ.

But we don't want to offend the world. We want the acceptance of Christ. But we don't want people to be mad at us. We want the acceptance of Christ, but we don't want to spend a week in jail. We want the acceptance of Christ, but we don't want to be away from our families for two or three weeks in a jail cell.

So we stand right here and we say we have come out from the world. But Jesus stands over here and says come on over to me and take a stand Against the evils of the world and they are going to hate you for it.

They will hate you. I know it's comfortable to be over here. God didn't call us to come here and stop. He called us to come over here and Following his footsteps if the world hates you know this it hated me Before it hated you verse 20 remember the word that I said unto you the servant is not greater than his Lord.

If they have persecuted me they will also persecute you. Are you a servant of Christ? If they have persecuted me Jesus said they will also persecute you. Verse 21, but all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake.

Because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them listen to this if I had not come and spoken unto them. They had they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin.

You know many people in the world have a cloak for their sin. It's hidden. It's hidden to them. Jesus said I have come and I have spoken unto them about their sin. Now. The cloak is taken away. They have no excuse and our ministry is a church.

That's our ministry as believers. Jesus says I have spoken to them and have shed light in their souls and now they cannot excuse themselves. Oh, there's such a need for that today. There was a man by the name of Telemachus.

He was in the fourth century lived in the fourth century lived in a little community. Many many many miles from Rome. He was out there a very godly man. He was tending his garden. He prayed much during the day and the sense the story goes a true story.

God spoke to his heart and Asked this man to to leave his home and go to Rome. We had no idea why he was going to Rome, but he began this journey to Rome. He got to Rome and he was walking through the streets of Rome and he saw a large congregation of people.

So he followed them. As the story goes he followed them right into the Roman Colosseum. This little man was godly man. Telemachus was sitting the Roman Colosseum. He looked down on the field there in the middle of the Colosseum and there was some gladiators and they were Pledging their allegiance to the Caesar of Rome and and talking about how that they were going to fight to the death.

And when this godly man realized what these gladiators were about to do this little man For the back of the Colosseum began to cry out in the name of Christ in the name of he worked down through the crowd Isle by isle and he got down and got he began to laugh.

They thought it was a part of the show. He continued to cry out and then the laughter turned to anger. They realized it was not a part of the show and one of the gladiators Took his spear and thrust it to through the shot of us the small man Telemachus this godly man.

There he lay on the ground. Bleeding to death it is said that one by one. The people of the Colosseum began to walk out and history records that this year 391 BC. This day was the last time. That ever a fight to the death was fought in the Colosseum in Rome because one man stood up and Reproved the world of its evil all because of one tiny little voice brothers and sisters one little shining light that shone in the hearts of thousands of people that day in the Colosseum and Reproved their evil.

God wants some shining lights like that today. You know, we talked about having liberty in Christ. Liberty for what? Liberty. To speak and to open our mouth and to reprove evil. Is that the kind of liberty we have or are we bound up bound up by fear?

Not at Liberty like we may think we are. I like how the early church prayed and now Lord behold They're threatenings and granted to thy servants that we might find a place of solace to live out the rest of our lives in peace.

Is that how they pray? Know that we might or granted to my servants that we might with all boldness speak thy word. Lord give us liberty to speak thy word and The Bible says God looked down and saw what he was pleased and the place was shaken.

You know if we got that kind of liberty in our hearts today if we got in our hearts Lord I want to obey this. I want to be a bright and shining light Lord. I need a revival. I want to have boldness Lord to be a bright and shining light.

Like like what we're talking about tonight. I think God would begin to get interested in sending you a revival. To do his will God like that prayer. The early church was bold in its rebuking of sin. Paul cried out against the idol worship in Ephesus the great goddess Diana.

Some of you sit at night and say we don't have any that going on around here. We got more idol worship America than they ever had in the feet of emphasis. We got an idol called Mary. People worship great goddess Mary.

Wonder what would happen if Paul and the early church were alive today here in our nation. You don't think that the world would hate you. Friend and I a couple of years ago probably five or six years ago now we went.

We decided we were going to eat Sunday morning. Before our services our service to start at 10. We were going to go and hand out tracts. Reproving the deeds. Catholicism after sitting here tonight. You're a Catholic.

I Love Catholics. I just don't believe their doctrine is right. But we went to the Catholic Church and we were handing out tracts reproving the idolatry the worship of Mary and 15 minutes when I can remember at a half an hour at the most out on the sidewalk in front of the Catholic Church in Shelby, Ohio.

The priest was out. The priest said to us if you're not going in five minutes, I'm calling the police. Listen brothers and sisters the world still hates us. The world still hates us. You know we get this idea that we live in America, so we don't suffer.

I Guarantee you if the Apostles were alive today. They would be in prison in our cities. It would be in prison. Nothing's changed. How many of us are reproving? Catholicism. Pornography. The murdering of unborn babies cursing in modest dress.

How many young people grow up have no idea that a pair of shorts and a tank top is Ungodly, how many people they are growing up like that and who is going to tell them the lottery? Alcohol. Beer joints.

Look at John 15. Jesus says in verse number 18 if the world hates you, you know that it hated me. Before it hated you now. Why did the world hate Jesus? Let me read to you what it says in John 7. Listen to what Jesus says.

Then Jesus said unto them. My time is not yet come. But your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but me it hated and here's why. Because I Testify of it that the works thereof are evil. Here is why the world hates me men because I testify of it that its works are evil.

I speak to the world and show that their deeds are evil. Now we learned last night that the Bible says that he that abideth in Christ. He walks. Jesus walked. Jesus said I testify unto the world that their deeds are evil.

Are you going to walk in the early church? Disciples walked like their master walked and they testified of the world's deeds that they were evil and they were persecuted for it. The early church walked as Jesus walked.

They walked as their master walked and they testified against the evil and they were martyred for it. Now here you and I are the 20th century number the 21st century. Are we walking as Jesus walked. Do I abide in Christ while the Bible said if you abide in Christ you want to walk even as he walked.

They hate me Jesus says because I reproved them of their evil deeds now. I believe God to reprove them in love. We're not to be obnoxious, but we're to be concerned about them. You know sometimes I would love to preach a sermon on this sometimes.

But I really think sometimes we are we're confused on what non-resistance is. Non-resistance is to not let evil go all around all over the place and not to say anything about it. That's not non-resistance.

Persecution as the Cost of Faithful Witness

All the sisters from New York here. But um a few weeks ago Was up in New York sharing it. I Was asked to preach at a Catholic facility. Remember the name of it right now, but there was a number of juveniles.

Do not delinquent young people and what a blessing it is to come and just share and preach to a bunch of juveniles. Who are who are open who are living in darkness, but wanting to see some thought some thought some some light.

They were sitting there about 25 of them and and they just asked me to come and was a Saturday night they asked me to come and just share and. So I came and I shared it. I didn't know I preached on Why we're created to please God and not ourselves.

During the message. I just began to share a little bit about Homosexuality when we live for ourselves it destroys our life our soul our body and a great example of it is this Homosexuality that's very prevalent today and one young girl began to cry and get up and left.

Shortly thereafter another girl left. I finished. And The man who was in charge that night came to the man who was in charge of our group and me and said you to Come with me right now. What happened. So we went into the room and the man sat us down and he said listen.

You can't preach on that here. You can't preach on that here. He said we Teach these young people to follow their heart. Follow their heart if they feel like their heart is going this way we teach them to follow their heart in this issue of Sexuality if they believe their heart wants to go this way we teach them to follow their heart.

What you're sharing with them goes contrary to what we're trying to teach them. He said listen you either not teach that or you not come back here the world still hates us. You know that The world still hates this book right here.