Act Quickly 2 Timothy 4:9-22

-The time to answer God’s call is right now!

The ancient allegory of 'Occasio' or 'Opportunity' is represented by a unique statue. This figure is often depicted as a youth with a peculiar hairstyle: lush and long in the front but completely bald at the back. The imagery is profound in its symbolism. The long lock of hair at the front signifies that opportunity is easy to grasp as it approaches. However, the bald back represents the impossibility of seizing it once it has passed by. This allegorical figure teaches a vital lesson about the fleeting and elusive nature of opportunities.

I. A Lonely Time vv. 9-13

In our passage this morning, Paul is penning his final words to Timothy from prison with an important request: “Do your best to come to me soon”

What is going on in Paul’s life that makes this so critical?

First, we see that Paul is lonely, there in the prison:

He was abandoned by Demas, a once faithful partner in ministry who has been drawn away because of his love for the present world

I don’t think we need to miss this. We don’t have a lot of conversation about the dangers of worldly thinking as opposed to the spiritual

However, it does not make the danger less real; we all are potential Demases

Others, like Crescens, Titus, and Tychicus have left out of necessity, or even at Paul’s instruction to go strengthen the churches in other places

Regardless of the circumstance, Paul is in an isolated spot!

How should we respond, when we see brothers and sisters who are facing isolation and suffering as Christians?

Remain faithful- let’s learn from Luke’s example who stays the course as he is able

Seek reconciliation- in one of the most hopeful moments in the book, we see Paul’s desire to be restored to Mark, a young man that he once rejected for ministry

Pursue the practical- Paul really needs a cloak and his was left in Troas with Carpus; this small creature comfort is a blessing to Paul that Timothy can fulfill

Encourage spiritual growth- Paul is looking for his books and parchments. Largely, these would have been copies of Old Testament books. They are tools for Paul’s ongoing study in the Scripture and ministry to the churches

We do not have to look very far to find brothers and sisters who are cut off from God’s people and we have an opportunity to connect with them in a way that blesses them and builds the Kingdom!

"The wold is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."

Albert Einstein 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity. He is regarded as the father of modern physics.

II. A Dangerous Time vv. 14-15

Next, Paul issues a warning about Alexander the coppersmith

He is mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20 alongside Hymenaeus as someone who has made a shipwreck of his faith

He embraced false teaching and abandoned the gospel of grace for speculations about genealogies and the Law

Alexander did Paul great harm. While we are uncertain exactly how, it is likely that he became an informant to the Roman authorities and/or he created dissent within the church towards Paul

Paul issues the warning for Timothy, and for us:

First, this does not go unnoticed

The Lord is aware and the Lord will repay him according to his deeds

If you make a shipwreck of your faith and turn on God’s people, there will be accountability from the Lord

Second, the Alexanders of the world don’t stop being dangerous

We must be wary of those who are or embrace false teaching

They will absolutely destroy more people along the way!

Have you ever heard of the Poison Garden?

The Alnwick Garden [located in Alnwick, UK] plays host to the small but deadly Poison Garden—filled exclusively with around 100 toxic, intoxicating, and narcotic plants. The boundaries of the Poison Garden are kept behind black iron gates, only open on guided tours.

Visitors are strictly prohibited from smelling, touching, or tasting any plants.

Entry to The Poison Garden is included with your day ticket but please note tours are subject to availability.

III. A Hopeful Time vv. 16-18

Third, Paul shifts and gives Timothy some of his reasons for hope

It definitely is not circumstantial

It turns out that at his first defense, Paul was left all alone, from a human perspective

However, Paul was never abandoned by the Lord

In the middle of trial, in a tangible way, the Lord stood with him

Paul was strengthened in that moment

Paul was given the opportunity to proclaim the truth.

God delivered Paul from a judgment of death so that the mission could be fulfilled

Paul has a certainty here:

He has been rescued from every evil deed performed against him

Now, he trusts that the Lord will certainly deliver him into the heavenly kingdom

In life or in death, God is glorified by Paul and in Paul; his reflection overflows as praise

Why is Paul telling Timothy this?

So he doesn’t miss out in the ultimate hope in Christ

Timothy faces the temptation that many of us face:

Desert those who are suffering

Despair in our own suffering

In either case, we miss three realities:

The Lord is sometimes most present in suffering

The Lord uses our suffering for a missional purpose

The Lord never loses control when we suffer

1 Peter 5:8–10

[8] Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. [9] Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. [10] And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (ESV)

IV. An Urgent Time vv. 19-22

Finally, Paul closes with greetings to several more people, but he does make one more request: “Do your best to come by winter”

Why does Paul insist on this timing?

Because when Winter comes, there will be no more opportunity to cross the Mediterranean

By Springtime, Paul will likely be dead

Paul makes the plea because the situation is urgent:

There is a brief window of time to respond to his invitation and that time is right now.

Here’s the reality of opportunity: if you miss it, you missed it!

We must seize the moment now and respond to God’s invitation today.

By the early 20th century, with its wartime inhumanity connotations nothing more than a speck in American culture’s rear view mirror, a new meaning emerged from the pages rapidly churning off journalistic printing presses.

Printers used the word to describe that point at the bottom of a type case (printing tray), below which typeset could not be added. It was the "deadline" on the tray. Journalists, rushing to get their stories to press, competed to get space on the page before the “deadline” was "set" and there was no more room to include another story. While the typesetting machines of the early 20th century are likewise but a speck in our rear view windows, the connotation of the term has since stuck and expanded. Today, the word deadline is used broadly to refer to any date or time by which something must be accomplished.

We are all facing a deadline today:

At the deadline there will be no more opportunity to

Believe the Gospel

To Stand With God’s People

To Fulfill God’s Calling