Restoration and Hope for Shipwrecked Faith

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I think it would be unbiblical and unwarranted and unhelpful for me to say to Jacob that he is beyond hope those six months of sin and Disobedience and distance from God are no sure sign that Jacob is beyond hope, so let me try to give five encouraging Reasons from the Bible why I say this for Jacob's sake especially in others no doubt who perhaps share his condition. [00:01:38]

He says hold faith and a good conscience by rejecting this the good conscience some have made shipwreck of their faith among whom are hymenius and Alexander whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme so Paul knows these two men he knows them and he says that they've made shipwreck of their faith by rejecting conscience and that he has handed them over to Satan. [00:02:40]

But why why did he hand them over he doesn't it does not say he handed them over for final punishment it says he handed them over to Satan to quote learn learn the word is pi Duo which means to give instruction to train to discipline so he handed them over to be instructed to be trained to be disciplined this is not a word for final judgment or damnation this is a word for remediation Improvement hope. [00:03:12]

The aim of handing him over to Satan is salvation not damnation which means that making shipwreck of your faith in first Timothy need not be final loss there is hope for a turnaround that's my hopeful argument number one number two why did Paul use the image of shipwreck giving you so many other images for the destruction of Faith or the damage of faith why did he use that they rejected conscience. [00:04:31]

Paul had experienced three shipwrecks even before the one in the book of Acts and one of them evidently left him drifting in the water holding on to some wreckage for a day and a night before he was what picked up by some other boat or got to shore I don't know amazing three shipwrecks as if it were not enough that he was persecuted everywhere and had every other manner of trouble. [00:06:11]

Shipwreck in Paul's experience did not mean death it didn't mean judgment and death it meant loss and suffering it was not final at least not in Paul's experience it wasn't final three times he had come through it alive he knew people survived shipwrecks he had three times so there's no warrant there's no warrant to think that when it says shipwreck of faith in first Timothy he meant at the end of Faith it'll never come back. [00:06:38]

Now I know that when John Mark left Paul and Barnabas and refused to go on the missionary journey work we are not told why we were not told that it was a crisis of Faith like a little mini shipwreck or something like that we're not told we don't know why he turned back what we do know is that Paul was really angry he was so displeased by Mark's behavior he refused absolutely refused at the expense of his own friendship with his close friend Barnabas. [00:07:58]

But the encouraging thing is that here at the end of Paul's life either he or Mark probably Mark has changed something's changed yeah Mark has become not just useful but very useful get Mark and bring him Timothy because he's very useful to me for Ministry and I mentioned this simply to show that there have been and there can be now dramatic changes in people's lives so that being rejected and useless can turn around and become accepted and useful. [00:09:23]

Surely this was a shipwreck if ever there was was what I mean three times three times he denies the Lord Of Glory after three years of experiencing his glory and beauty and and love and patience three times in the hour of his greatest suffering and loneliness and Peter knew the Lord saw it he saw it happen it was just no question Jesus knows what I've just done he saw me and he knows what he's done and and therefore his guilt must have been horrible. [00:11:09]

And then as we know from the Gospel of John the Lord met him after the resurrection and three times no accident three times asked him do you love me and after he heard yes after each of those three times he said feed my sheep you're back Peter you're back amazing absolutely amazing the ship of Faith wrecked it really did but it didn't wreck utterly not finally and Jesus welcomed him back. [00:12:00]

Now here's the sober warning it is possible to make shipwreck of your faith like Esau and never be saved that's a sober warning but here's the hopeful truth and my exhortation the text does not say even though he repented God withheld the blessing that's not what it says it says he sought repentance with tears and he couldn't find it could do it this is the final shipwreck from which there is no salvation. [00:13:26]

But the hope is obvious right it's obvious if you repent if by God's grace you can turn and renounce your sin and come to Christ and take him afresh as your savior and Lord and treasure he will receive you all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved so the exhortation Jacob is and every other person listening in Jacob's situation come to Christ come back if you can come have you amen. [00:14:16]

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