These are the last written words of the Apostle Paul. At this stage, Paul was a prisoner in a Roman dungeon. This was not the first time that the Apostle Paul was found in such a place. Coming into the city of Philippi and causing such a stir with his ministry, Paul and Silas were thrown into the jail for a night. Again coming into the city of Jerusalem several years later, he again coming with such potency of speech, causing such a stir within the temple, Paul was arrested again for five years. However, when we find the Apostle Paul here, this time in prison, it would be his last time. Nero setting the city of Rome on fire, he had lit such a rage across the Roman empire against Christianity that the empire now at this stage was crying out for action. And Nero arresting the church's foremost and most celebrated preacher, Paul, he had now cast him into jail. In fact, Paul now knowing that death and his departure was at hand, Paul sensing the imminency of this moment, He now wrote to young Timothy to come and to visit him before winter time. A winter was a most dangerous season to travel in. The earth's atmosphere cooling and causing several jet streams to form over the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean Sea over winter was riddled with storms. In fact, Paul experienced that for himself firsthand in Acts 27. He's going out and traveling, being arrested and being across by that Roman ship, seeking to head to the city of Rome. During that winter season, we read that a strong east wind came and shipwrecked him at the Isle of Miletus. And Paul understanding and experiencing the treachery of traveling at winter time, He seeks to implore to this young preacher who is dwelling there in Turkey in the city of Ephesus in his ministry, come now before it is too late. In fact, Paul at this stage was extremely lonely. Experiencing the heartbreak of those churches that he had formed with his own blood, sweat, and tears in ministry. Experiencing the awe of rejection where he had shouted out and asked for men to help him at his time of need. He said in verse 16, at my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. In fact, loneliness screams out of this chapter, because when Paul writes to Timothy to come and to visit him, what was his reason in verse 10? For Demas hath forsaken me. In fact, not only Demas, but Croesus and Titus, only Luke is with me. And Paul, sensing the pain of loneliness. recognizing that time was short and that Timothy had a great ministry with great responsibility now looming on his soul. Paul, recognizing that the moments were few, he asked young Timothy to come before winter that he may prepare him for gospel ministry. and with the changing of the seasons tonight should remind us afresh how quickly this world is passing away. One moment the evenings were getting longer, the next moment the evenings are getting shorter. One moment we are planning for our summer holidays, the next moment we're planning for our Christmas holidays. One moment we are working in the garden, and the next moment we're sitting by the fire seeking to keep ourselves warm. One moment We were at the start of the year 2024, full of hopes and expectations, and now quickly we're coming again to the end of another year. In other words, the passing of the seasons is showing to us how rapidly life is passing us, and how quickly we'll enter into eternity to be with our God. In fact, autumn is a perfect parable of why everything quickly fades. Because even now, as you travel along those roads, those trees that you once seen a few weeks and months ago, the little buds forming, and then watching the trees filling out with leaves, what have you noticed this last fortnight? You've noticed those leaves now turning to a golden brown. Death has now come. Those leaves that were once alive, they are now dying in our sight. And therefore, as God speaks to us through creation, even the wonder of heavens of how great He is, God is speaking to this nation again. He is saying through the seasons and coming into winter, He say, death is coming. Life is short. We must settle our accounts with God. In fact, so often we think we have time, don't we? As I always said, at the start of summer, springtime, we saw life coming into the fields, little spring lambs skipping, and skipping, the flowers growing in our gardens. We were so full of hope and optimism. And we said to ourselves, we'll clean the garden. We'll paint the fence, we'll organize the garage, and think we had time and much of it. What has happened tonight? We sit back and think of all those jobs we said we would do at springtime, but the summer passing, those jobs are still not done. In other words, us not prioritizing it, putting it first and seeing time is short, setting aside every other responsibility to do those things. Those things have never been done. And I don't know if they see him in the gospel meeting tonight. Many have good intentions. Many have planned to come to Christ. Many have said in their hearts with deep honesty and sincerity that they would get right with God someday. But thinking they had much time, they'll soon learn, like us, at the end of the summer, at the end of life, they'll realize how time is short and how the Lord came and he never settled that account with God. You see, as Paul recognized, Timothy, you need to come now. Paul recognized him, but Timothy did not leave on all pastoral responsibilities and put that priority first to come to Rome and seek to come to him now. He would never come. So God similarly in the gospel invitation, he recognizes tonight if you do not come this evening, you will never come. You will never come and see how good our Lord is. See, our Lord is seeking to speak to the souls of men again. He is saying just as winter is coming, so your death is coming. In fact, this could be your last winter. You may never see Christmas dawning. You may never see your family gathering at your home. The Lord could come and call you home to go out into a lost eternity. See, as we come and consider this invitation of Paul to Timothy to come, we see many similarities of the gospel invitation. Where God seeks men again to come onto himself, we see many features, along with Paul's invitation, along with the gospel invitation this evening. It is, first of all, the first similarity we see is the simplicity of the invitation. The simplicity of the invitation, because Paul recognized that time was short, he writes on to young Timothy, do thy diligence to come before winter. Indeed, his invitation wasn't long, nor was it complicated. Paul, recognizing how important it was for young Timothy to meet him before death, he only instructs him with one command. It was to come. Timothy receiving this invitation, he didn't need a dictionary to understand it, nor a thesaurus to comprehend it. He recognized what Paul was wanting from him. Paul, putting it into the shortest words and the plainest words, he knew that Paul just wanted him to leave Ephesus and to come to the city of Rome. He'd recognizing that the only thing that Paul was wanting was his presence. Timothy here didn't waste any time in seeking to read more books, seeking to glean more understanding that he can impress Paul with how much he has learned. No, Timothy recognizing that time was short and the only thing that Paul wanted from him was his presence. Timothy left immediately to the city of Rome. In fact, Timothy didn't stay to himself. Let's stay and hold another gospel mission. Let's seek to win more souls that I can show how great the work of Ephesus is flourishing under my ministry. No, Timothy, recognize that the invitation was this. I just want your presence and nothing more. I just want you to come. And the gospel is just as simple as it is short. The gospel is as straightforward as it is prompt. The gospel is as clear as it is brilliant. God recognizing how important it is for you to be saved. God has done all the work. God has settled your account at Calvary's hill. All he wants you tonight, sinner, to do is to come by faith. Look, look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved. In fact, in Matthew 22, we find God likening heaven to a certain king who made a married supper before his son. A God loving his son and loving his citizens, he put on the most splendid supper that the world has ever seen. In fact, seeking to invite the guests to come and to taste how good the Lord was, when he sent the invitation out, there was no added qualifications to the invite which just said come. He didn't ask them to bring any gifts. He didn't ask them to provide for the supper. He didn't ask them to work at the marriage feast. God just said to come. And you know what the most startling thing is in that parable? Is that though that feast was glorious, and though all he was expecting them was to come, men still refused and gave excuses. They did not come to the Lord. Is that not the same tonight? You've heard the gospel for many, many years. You've heard of what Christ has done for you at Calvary. You've heard how Christ has successfully dealt with your guilt at Calvary's hill. And you've heard Christ imploring for you to come. And yet tonight you're just offering excuses. Though that gospel will give you an endless life and glory with God in high, to experience the wonderful marriage supper of the Lamb, the greatest blessings that any man or woman could ever experience, you're tonight is still saying no to the Lord. See God loving your soul. He has made the invitation so simple. He just wants you to come. In fact, in 2 Peter 3, verse nine, it says, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but it all should come to repentance. And tonight, the Lord is not asking you to pray, The Lord is not asking you to figure out all the promises and seeming contradictions that you think are in the word of God. God is not asking you to add righteousness to your account. He's not asking you to go up and clean that character and to defeat that sin within your life. The gospel invitation is simple tonight. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Sinner tonight, the Lord is just asking you to come in faith. Just come and trust in his merit. and know God's salvation forevermore. In fact, the hymn writer put it like this, just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me. That thou bidest me to come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come. And isn't it wonderful tonight? If you come, just as the gospel invites you, the Lord will receive you and cleanse you from your sin. See, there is no legitimate reason for rejecting the gospel. It's simple. The work is done. God is just asking you to come. And the only reason tonight you're not saved is that you're refusing to come. You see, if Timothy did not come to Rome, Paul knew it wasn't because of his invitation. It's because Timothy refused to accept it. Sinner tonight, the Lord is inviting you to come. Notice also the simplicity of the invitation, but also the stipulation of the invitation. Because Paul wanting Timothy to come and to give him some companionship, he said in verse 21, do thy diligence to come before winter. Indeed that verb to come, it demands movement. It demands a leaving of one place and a going to another place. In other words, it demands action from Timothy. Paul was saying to Timothy, I want you to leave your ministry at Ephesus and I want you to come and to sit with me in my jail cell in the city of Rome. In other words, he was demanding Timothy to reprioritize all the priorities of his life. Don't worry about your ministry. Don't worry about your charge. The most important thing with his invitation, Timothy, is for you to leave Ephesus and for you to come to Rome. In fact, he was telling him to forsake his earthly responsibilities, to let nothing hinder him, Timothy, I want you to leave where you're at, and I want you to come to me. And so it is with a gospel invitation, though it is simple as it is short, it is assertive. God is demanding action from the sinner tonight, to leave the condemnation of his guilt, to leave the enjoyment of his sin, and to come and to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ in newness of life, and to live a life after him. In fact, in Matthew 11, verse 28, we find Christ there standing in a religious city of Jerusalem, surrounded by those religious Pharisees. These men laden with religion, what did the Lord say unto them? Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He was saying to them, stop, leave your religion, leave your hopes and your works and in your action. Just come and embrace me as your Messiah, that I will take away all your sin. And sinner, tonight the Lord is imploring you to just step out in faith after the Savior, to step out of your want and into his wealth, to step out of your bondage and into his freedom, to step out of your sorrow and into his gladness, to step out of your night into his light. The Lord just wants you to turn your back towards hell, and to put your face towards heaven, and to embrace the Lamb of God tonight. And I wonder tonight, have you made that choice? When the Lord has been seeking and imploring you to come, have you said, O Lamb of God, I come. O God, I'm a sinner, there's nothing good in my life, but God be merciful to me, a sinner. Lord, deliver me from my guilt. You see, the gospel, can be summed up in that word, repent. The Lord wants you to turn in faith and embrace Christ as that wonderful lamb that will take away your sin. But here notice the simplicity of the invitation, the stipulation of the invitation. Notice also the supremacy of the invitation. When Paul said, do thy diligence to come before winter, notice what also he says in verse 13. He says to young Timothy, bring with thee the books, but especially the parchments. In other words, this shows the purpose why Paul wanted Timothy to come. Paul recognized that the ministry was all in front of young Timothy and Paul living through a ministry of all of its challenges, he wanted to prepare and to equip this young man for a healthy gospel ministry. In fact, notice what he asked for his books. but especially the parchments. In other words, yes, Timothy, I want you to bring those religious books that will help us, but bring especially the parchments of God's word. Bring the wonderful man of heaven's scripture that I can teach you the promises and the commands of scripture that you can instruct the people of Ephesus. In other words, Paul was inviting Timothy for his benefit. He wanted to sit with Timothy in the remainder of his days. teaching him of the wonders of Christ, what Christ can do to helpless sinners on earth. And the gospel invitation is not for God's benefit. The gospel invitation is for your benefit. Christ is inviting you to come on to him as you can taste and see that the Lord is good. In fact, in Matthew 22, we read there that wonderful gospel invitation where that king had made that wonderful supper for his son. And what does he say in verse four? Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and my fatlings are killed and all things are ready. Come on to the marriage. In fact, that word feast is at times put in the plural. In other words, it sets forth the fullness and the variety of that feast. In fact, when you compare it to other feasts, you just see how great what heaven is that God is offering to men tonight. You think of Samson's wedding feast. It only lasted seven days, but the Lamb's wedding feast, it lasts forever and forever in the glories of heaven. In fact, you think back in the year 1520, From the 7th of June to the 25th of June, two marriages coming between King Henry VIII of England and also King Francis I of France. It was said that 29,000 fish were ate, 98,000 eggs were ate, 6,475 birds were ate, and 2,200 sheep. Well, my friend, if you compare that to what the Lord is offering you tonight. He owns the cattle upon a thousand hills. The Lord knows no end to his resources. In fact, not only has heaven got the sweetest food, heaven's got an endless supply of food. The Lord is just wanting you to come and to experience his grace. In fact, you think heaven was only produced for us redeemed people. He was produced to show how good and gracious God was, for eternity before the worlds were created, God dwelt outside of heaven in perfect blessedness. But God made heaven to show how good and how loving and how caring he is to sinners. And sinner tonight, why haven't you come? So often they say to themselves, if I come, it's gonna cost me. If I come, the Christian life will be miserable. My friend, there is nothing miserable about the Christian life. Christian life is just entering into fullness of joy and experiencing more of God's goodness where your cup runs over with the mercy of the Lord. See, the Lord's inviting you tonight not only to have your sins forgiven, not only to have a home in heaven, but to have a father who cares for you. One who'll protect, direct, and lead you. One who'll hear the cries of his children. the one who will minister goodness to your soul. What an invitation. Paul was inviting Timothy, not to deprive him. He was inviting Timothy to enrich him. And so God is inviting you, sinner, tonight, not to deprive you, but to enrich you in the glories of our God. Notice also the supremacy of this invitation, but the sincerity of the invitation. Because Paul desperately wanting some companionship in his trouble, notice he just doesn't invite him once in verse 21. Notice he also invites him two times in verse nine. Because in verse nine he says, do thy diligence to come shortly unto me. In other words, Paul desperately wanted Timothy to come. He desperately wanted to help this young man, to further him in his gospel ministry. So much so that Paul was not content to write it once, but to write it two times. In other words, this was a sincere and a genuine invitation. Paul was wanting the companionship of Timothy. And we must confess to our own shame, how often we send out invitations, how often we'll organize a birthday party for our children, and not wanting to offend all the other children in our primary school, we invite them all. And yet how hollow and false, because oftentimes we want some of the parents to come back and say, young Jimmy can't come to remove the cost of the birthday party. My friend, it wasn't with Paul. Paul invited Timothy, and Timothy arrived that day. A great big smile beamed on Timothy, Paul's face. And Paul gave him the most sweetest and the most firm hug a man had ever received. Such was the warmth and the love of Paul's heart. It was a genuine invitation. My friend, that's the glory of the gospel tonight. The invitation that Christ delivers to men is sincere and genuine. It's from the heart of our God. God loved you so much, he gave his only begotten son. God loved you so much, he strove with you for year after year with your sin. God has loved you so much, he has given you gospel churches. God has loved you so much, that he's given invitation after invitation onto you. And my friend, coming from a sincere heart that genuinely loves you, when you come onto your God, he will receive you with open arms. In fact, is that the picture of Luke 15? Is that the message of it in the prodigal son? There the prodigal son knew and he returned. Such was the heart of his father. The father wasn't content to wait at the gates. He ran after him and embraced him. And what a wonderful day it will be for the child of God who has came to the savior and accepted that invitation. because there he'll find his God waiting at those pearly gates and he'll run towards us. He'll wipe away those tears and he will lead us from spring on to spring to show how much he loved us and how genuine that invitation is. It so often was a false invitation. We usually cut the party short, don't we? We don't want people to leave eventually. We invite them around for a cup of tea, and they're there, and you're looking at the watch, and you're thinking to yourself, when can I get this person to leave after a bit of time? But you know what, my friend, when you go to heaven, and God, we receive that invitation accepted, when we come and sit with our Savior, the Savior will not be looking at his watch. The Savior will say, this is forever. When I'd been there 10,000 years bright shining as a sun, it's only just begun, those days of spending company with my Lord. It reminds me of a preacher in London watching this fish salesman. He saw he had no success. Such was his reputation and character, nobody would buy his fish. And he kept dropping the price down every time he went through the market. And then the preacher said, man, man, come here to me. I'll buy all the fish at the very first price you offer to men. Go back out and say these fish are free. But nobody believed the invitation was genuine. Such was that salesman's reputation when he went out and said, there's free fish. Somebody says there's a catch. There's something wrong with those fish. And that man came back disappointed. He says, preacher, nobody would buy the free fish. He says, give the fish to me. And that preacher being well-known for being an upstanding city in his community, a man of honesty, when he went out and offered the fish, they all ran immediately to him and grabbed the fish from his hands. My friend, we've got a genuine God, and he's inviting you tonight to come on to him. In fact, the Lord promises in John 6, verse 37, him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. There is also here this insert of the invitation. the sincerity because Paul wanting to come and to give him some companionship. We read in verse 21, do thy diligence to come before winter. And either you'll notice here, the word diligence can be also rendered to make every effort, to do one's best, to be eager, to hasten, to exert oneself or to agonize. In other words, Paul was saying, make every effort, be eager, hasten yourself. even agonized Timothy, because I'll know your church will not want you to leave your pulpit and to come to me. I know you'll have people in your flock and they will get annoyed when you leave your pulpit. Timothy, no matter what the cost is, you come to me because this is the most important thing in life. you need to come to the city of Rome. And so it is with a gospel invitation. What do we find the Savior saying in Luke chapter 13 verse 24? Strive to enter in at the street gate. For many I say unto you will seek to enter and shall not be able. In fact, that word strive means to fight, to wrestle, to take pains. In other words, the Lord is saying to you tonight, even if it costs you and your wife, even if it costs you your children, even if it costs you your relationship with your friends, even if it costs you your job and your employment. Sinner, this is the most important thing. You need to get right with your God tonight. No matter what the cost is, pay the price because the gains are much greater if you come to the Savior tonight. In fact, what the Lord say in Matthew chapter 10, think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man out of variance against his father and his daughter against his mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. In other words, Christ knew the implication of the gospel invitation. It could cost a sinner tonight. But my friend, what shall it profit the whole world if you could gain the whole world and lose your own soul? My friend, you could gain all the riches and all the happiness of this world But in a moment, it'll be gone. It'll be a Christless eternity forever and ever with you. My friend, it'll be like you this week, going out with your credit card and maxing it, living the most wealthy and most extravagant life in the world. And why do people not do that? Because they know the implications of the rest of their life. They'll be spending months and years slaving to pay off the debt of that credit card and the pain that it will bring. And yet how many sinners tonight, because of the cost, they say to themselves, Let's go out and enjoy the world. And yet they're building up a great debt that they will pay for the rest of eternity out in outer darkness. See, the Lord says that, yes, it will cost you, but you will gain so much more. Come Timothy, come young man, come to the Lord tonight. Brothers, lastly, the season of this invitation. The season of this invitation, because Paul says, do thy diligence to come before winter. There's a thought here to come before winter. As Paul knew, if Timothy left it after winter, by the time he would get there, it wouldn't be able for him to meet Paul. Paul, at that stage, would be exterminated and his life would be taken from him. In other words, he was saying to Timothy, even if you left it to winter, Timothy, it still would be too late. If you left it winter, such will be the weather and such will be the wind. You will never make it over to me into my jail. In other words, Timothy, if you don't come now, you'll never come. You'll never know my experience and my presence in that city jail. And so it is tonight, sinner. If you don't come tonight, it will not get easier. Every servant is either saver of life unto life or saver of death unto death. And every time you put off the gospel message and the invitation, your heart is getting harder and harder. Instead of getting simpler to come to the Lord, it is getting harder. And then one day you'll feel the cold chills in your feet. You'll feel your circulation filling in your body. And there you will lose your mind and your sanity. And there lying on your deathbed, being consumed with pain, lying sleeping hour after hour with your family around you. Even when you ask the preacher to come, it'll be too late. No more having moments of alertness and lucidness to sit and to think and talk about the things of God. The mind being given over to sleepiness and weariness. The mind is now ready to set to send you out to a lost eternity. See how often ministers have experienced it. People have said to the preacher, preacher, I've got good intentions. I'll get saved, but I'll wait to my death bed. And how often when the preacher hears that man's in hospital and he is sick, And he runs with a great urgency to see that man saved, knowing he had promised in his deathbed he would come to the Lord. And yet, when he comes into the hospital bed, the family are saying, we'll stay with you, preacher. John, he's not awake, but you keep talking to him, preach, and we'll keep talking to you, and hopefully he can hear our conversation. And that man, not getting right with the Lord when the Lord was striving with him, he went out into a lost eternity. See, man or woman, the day is now. The Lord says in his word not only to come, the Lord says to come and to seek the Lord now. He says now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. The Lord is imploring you to come this evening. You see, as the seasons pass, so our life will quickly pass. One day the Lord will come and time will be no more. Yesterday is finished, tomorrow is future, today is forever. Now is the accepted time. And I wonder tonight at the close of this meeting, what will you do with our Lord? Will you end up being haunted by this meeting? Waking up like Judas in a lost eternity, haunted and plagued by your conscience. I could have got saved that night, but I put it off. And there you are haunted for thousands and thousands of years. Will you live a life of regret? Oh, you'll come and make the matter right tonight, no matter what the fear is. Come and receive Christ and know his salvation. Paul says in this passage, do thy diligence to come before winter. Oh, I trust and pray this evening, you'll heed the warning call of the Lord and you'll come to the Savior. And there the Savior will be sincere. He will receive you and save you forevermore. You know, in closing, can we sing that great hymn of warning? The hymn 256, the hymn 256, where will you spend eternity? This question comes to you and to me. Tell me, what shall your answer be? Where will you spend eternity? And if you took a crayon and you sought to measure out eternity tonight, there wouldn't be enough wall space in this building. When you've consumed that crayon on that wall, There'll still be many more wall you have to fill out. Eternity goes on and on and on forevermore. Let's sing this hymn and let the warning off it sound into your heart and conscience to come and to make fast with Christ tonight, the hymn 200.