One of the last written words that are ever recorded, that the Apostle Paul has ever penned, here by his hand to the New Testament Church. At this stage, Paul was a prisoner in a Roman dungeon. This was not the first time that Paul was cast into jail. In fact, in one of his missionary journeys coming to the city of Philippi, along with Silas, stirring up such a commotion with his ministry, Paul and Silas were thrown into a jail for a night. Again later on in Paul's missionary travels, coming to the city of Jerusalem several years later, again preaching Christ in all his fullness in the temple, Paul was arrested and kept in jail for five years. However, when we find the Apostle Paul here this time in this book in jail, this was to be the very last time we would see Paul, and it would be recorded that he was kept in jail, in Nero setting the city of Rome on fire. He had lit such a hatred for New Testament Christianity across the Roman Empire, that the Empire was screaming out at this time for action. In a year of arresting the church's foremost and most celebrated preacher, Paul, he had now cast him into jail. In fact, Paul now sensing that his departure was at hand, he now wrote to this young preacher called Timothy to come and to visit him before winter time. A winter time 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 time was riddled with many storms. Paul himself experiencing these storms firsthand in Acts 27. There we read, after the Roman centurion had persisted to travel to Rome at winter season, A strong easterly wind came and shipwrecked that vessel, casting Paul and the whole crew onto the island called Miletus. And Paul, now understanding and experiencing the dangers of traveling at wintertime, He advises this young protege, Timothy, to come now before it is too late. I know the changing of the seasons tonight should remind us how quickly this world is passing away. One moment the evenings were getting longer, The next moment, the evenings were getting shorter. One moment, we're planning for our summer holidays. The next moment, we're planning for our Christmas holidays. One moment, we're working forward to the garden and working in the garden, seeing our plants flourishing. The next moment, we're now sitting in our house, seeking to keep ourselves warm by the fire. You see, one moment, we were standing at the start of a new year, the year 2024. with many hopes and expectations. And now, how quickly, there are only two months left in the year. In other words, the passing of the seasons is showing us again tonight How rapidly life is passing us. In fact, autumn is a perfect parable of how everything quickly fades. Because even now as you travel along those roads, those trees that once promised life, what do you now notice? You've noticed this past month they have now turned to a golden brown. And doesn't it seem just like yesterday? We were just out in the garden commenting to our family. There's the buds forming in the trees. Look, springtime is coming, and now we stand here today, and though it only seems like yesterday, we're now sweeping those leaves out of our driveways. And every tonight as God speaks to us through the majesty of heavens, through the wonderful handiwork of his creation, and reminds us how great our God is, God is speaking to us in this harvest season. By the changing of the seasons, He is reminding all of us here tonight, time is short. In fact, so often we think that we have time, don't we? In fact, at the start of the summer, thinking that time was long and time was expansive, we said, we'll paint the fence, we'll cut the hedge, we'll clear out the garage, and we'll organize all the shelves in our homes. And then we thought, when we had plenty of time, we made a great list. all that we would do over the summer season. But what happened? Summer went past rapidly. We never had all the time to do those things. We underestimated how short the summer or time really is, and how often the sinner underestimates the shortness of time, how often the sinner thinks he's got plenty of time to come to Christ, thinks there's many moments and many opportunities in these 70 years that God has allotted us, and we can finally turn to God in faith and repentance and know His salvation. And yet one day, as we just realize now how short the summer really is, we will learn again when it's too late how short life is. You see, Paul recognizing here that the opportunities of life are few, that time is short. He says, Timothy, if you do not leave your pulpit in Ephesus there in the land of Turkey right now, Sit down all your responsibilities and prioritize in meeting me. Timothy, you'll never see me again. It'll be too late when winter sets in. The sea will be too tumultuous, and it'll be too difficult to travel. By the time you get to the city of Rome, Timothy, I'll be dead. I'll be home with my Redeemer, standing and receiving my crown from the Savior's right hand." You see, Paul, recognizing that time was short, in his invitation, he impresses upon this young preacher Do thy diligence to come before winter. And ever tonight to urge you, sinner, here this evening, to come to Christ before it is too late. I want us to consider this invitation of Paul here to Timothy to come, this invitation to come. And here is, first of all, the simplicity of the invitation, because Paul, recognizing that time was short, he writes on to this young minister, do thy diligence to come before winter. The invitation here wasn't long, nor was it complicated. Paul, recognizing how important it was for young Timothy to meet him before his death, he only instructs him here with one command. That command was to come. Timothy receiving this letter, he didn't need a dictionary to understand it. He didn't need to go to his library and pull out his thesaurus to comprehend what Paul was asking him to do. The invitation being short and simple, Timothy understood it immediately. All Paul was requesting of him was to come unto him to Rome. He's recognizing that this was the most important thing. Timothy didn't waste any time. He didn't say to himself, I need to better myself. I need to improve my church. I need to improve my understanding about the things of God. He didn't say to himself, I need to go into my study and I need to read more. I need to do more in my church in Ephesus. No, Timothy recognized Paul wasn't demanding those things from him. Paul just wanted the presence of Timothy. He didn't want Timothy to come to boast with his great learning, to boast what he had done and how he had improved himself. He just wanted Timothy to visit him in his jail cell. that he can instruct this young preacher to be a better minister for the Lord Jesus Christ. I know the gospel is as simple as it is short. It's as straightforward as it is prompt, and as clear as it is brilliant. Because God recognizing how important it is for our souls to be saved tonight, thank God tonight, he has done the work. He is not asking you to move mountains. He is not asking you to reform yourself and to improve yourself. God in His gospel invitation just says to the sinner as you are, Come, all I want is your presence. Indeed, in Matthew 22, we find God likening heaven to a certain king who had made a married supper for his son. A God loving his son and loving his citizens, he put on the most splendid supper that the world has ever seen. And when he sent out his servants with those invitations to ask those guests to come, there was no added instructions to that invitation. The invitation just said, here is a marriage supper, and all I want you to do is come. God didn't expect them to buy a gift. God didn't expect them to provide for the supper. God didn't expect them to work at the marriage feast, or to come with their own robes, because all the robes were there furnished for the guests. God just wanted His guests to come as they were. He would furnish them in the best garments and give them the best seat in his house and to sit around the married supper of the lamb. You know what was the most shocking thing about that parable was this. People made excuses and didn't come. Though this was the most splendid feast the world has ever seen. It was the feast where the King was. In fact, today, if we got an invitation from our King, we would run immediately to Buckingham Palace, boasting that we can go in and see the King. Well, my friend, here was the King of kings and Lord of lords, inviting these sinners to come to the married supper of the Lamb. And yet they all made excuses. And it's not the same tonight. There are sinners who have heard the gospel their whole lives. They have grew up in church. They have sat on Sunday night evenings, and they know the truth, and they know what Christ done for them at Calvary. They know how perfect that work of atonement is, how the blood can appease the holy justice of God. They understand all these truths. They understand heaven and hell. And yet every night they keep making excuses to the Holy Spirit. You're striving with them, just saying to them tonight, come as you are. Come with all of your imperfection and God will accept you and bring you into the fold. There are sinners here even over this harvest weekend, hearing the Spirit and the bride say come. and they're still saying no to the Lord. You see, God loving our souls, God loving us to the infinite degree, not only did He give us His only begotten Son, He made the gospel invitation so simple. All He wants the sinner tonight is to come, come just as He is to the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, the Lord says in 2 Peter 3, verse 9, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance. And isn't it wonderful tonight? God has been so longsuffering. God has been so good. Even though God did not have to give you the invitation, and though God did not have to repeat Himself, yet how He has strove with your soul tonight, sinner, and He just wants you to come. The hymn writer put it like this, just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidest me to come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. And my friend, is that not what the Spirit strives in the gospel mission? Is that what the Spirit does at the end when God has been speaking? When we're singing that hymn, what's the Spirit saying secretly to that soul? He says, just step out in faith. The Lord will catch you, and the Lord will keep you forevermore, and bring you in through those pearly gates called heaven. Isn't it wonderful tonight? God is not asking you to memorize the Bible. God is not asking you to figure it all out. God is not asking you to transform yourself God is just asking you to come as you are, and God will receive you tonight. You see, all Paul wanted from this young preacher was his presence. He says, Timothy, just come as you are. Come immediately to the city of Rome. But as you know, the simplicity of the invitation, but the stipulation of the invitation, because Paul wanting to come and to give him some companionship, he said in verse 21, Do thy diligence to come before winter. Indeed, that verb here, come, it demands movement, a leaving of one place and a going to another place. In other words, commanding Timothy to come, he was commanding him to leave his present charge in his pulpit in Ephesus and to come to the city of Rome. In other words, there was to be movement here. There was action demanded from this young creature. He was to leave with all of his demands, with all of his priorities, He was to reprioritize everything in his life. He was to come immediately into the presence of Paul. I know the gospel invitation is not only simple, it is also assertive. It demands action from the sinner. He says, take that gift of faith that the Spirit is producing in the new birth. begin to act and move that faith towards me in a life of repentance, in a life seeking me to hold you in my right hand forevermore. In fact, in Matthew chapter 11, there we find Christ preaching to the religious Pharisees of his day. He's looking at them and seeking to extend to them that gift of everlasting life What did he say to the audience? He said, come on to me, all ye that are labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He was telling those Pharisees, stop trusting in your works. Stop trying to better yourself and improve yourself. Stop seeking to come into heaven by your own labors. leave your present sinful state, and come to me by simple faith. And take up my yoke and follow me, for my yoke is easy and light." And the Lord tonight, as He commands the sinner to come, He also commands him not only to believe and to trust the Son, but He says, except we repent, we shall all likewise perish. In fact, Billy Sunday, seeking to illustrate one day what repentance was, that dynamic preacher of America who preached over to a million souls, he suddenly did a backflip in the pulpit. And it caught everybody off guard. And he says, that's a demonstration of what repentance is. The Lord wants you to turn around tonight. He doesn't want you to go towards hell in your sin. He wants you to turn to Christ and to head towards heaven. to live a life of gratitude and grateful obedience and giving your heart over to the Lord. And tonight, God is striving with you. And what does He say? He says, come out of your bondage and come into my freedom. Come out of your sorrow and come into my gladness. Come out of your night and your sickness and come into my light and health. Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." See, the Lord tonight, in that faith He is seeking to place into your heart, He wants that faith to be an act of faith. He wants you to cry out in simple faith, Lord, save me. I'm a sinner. Lord, take me as I am, and I will follow after Thee. In fact, a young man coming to Spurgeon and asking Spurgeon, Spurgeon, the Lord has done it all. Why does he keep asking us to believe and to follow him? And the spiritual looking to that young man, he says, it's simple. is because God's a good heavenly Father. He's not like many parents who ruin their children by doing absolutely everything for them. God wants to save you into good works, and to be a zealous and a peculiar people, and to live a life of obedience where your faith is active, demonstrating the transformation what Christ has done in your life. A matter of a moment tonight, God, in his invitation, is saying, go out in faith. That gift that I have given you, Follow me and trust me that my blood will cleanse away all your sin." She died on His invitation. The Savior is commanding you to come and to follow after the Savior. Notice also here the simplicity of the invitation and the stipulation of the invitation here in this passage. But notice the supremacy of this invitation. The supremacy of this invitation, because when Paul said to Timothy to do thy diligence and to come before winter, he also said in verse 13 of this chapter, bring with thee and the books, but especially the parchments. Here Paul reveals the purpose, why he wants this young preacher to come. Paul recognizes this preacher needed to learn a little bit more about the faith. He needed to show him a little bit more of what the scripture says and the promises say, and to show him the depth and the breadth of the love of God in the personal work of Christ. In other words, he says to Timothy, bring those books, but especially the parchments, the word of God. When you bring those things with you and you come into my jail cell, the last few months of my life, I will dedicate those moments to you to teach you more about Christ. And the gospel invitation is not for God's benefit. The gospel invitation is for your benefit. Christ is asking you to come on to Him that he can show you the wonders of God's grace and how rich God's love is towards you. In fact, in Matthew 22, where we find that great marriage supper off the lam, the king sending out his invitation, we read in verse 4, 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 in the plural, emphasizing to us the fullness and the variety of that feast. In fact, when you compare the marriage supper of the Lamb, what heaven is going to be like for the child of God against other wedding feasts, you just see how rich and how glorious The provision of God's grace in His Son is given over to us. In fact, when we think of Samson's wedding, it was only seven days long. You think of Christ's wedding, that day when the church was brought up to dwell with Him. It will last for all of eternity. When we've been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we'll have no less days to sing His praise than when we first begun. In fact, when you compare it even to some of the greatest weddings that this world has ever seen, in fact, when King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I sought to bring their two families into alignment through the marriage of a son and a daughter, That marriage feast lasted from the 7th of June to the 24th of June, 1520. There was 29,000 fish ate, 98,000 eggs ate, 6,475 birds ate, 2,200 sheep ate, and endless mugs of wine. I'm sure the ladies are glad in their supper they don't have to bring that much here to church. But my friend, will you compare that to glory? When God owns the cattle of a thousand hills, when God's resources are endless, not only will we sit in heaven for all of eternity, but we will see how rich God's love and His grace is toward us. We'll see that the golden streets are there for our benefit. We'll see that that sapphire sea is for our benefit. In fact, we'll see that that light, which is Christ, is for our benefit. All the glories of heaven are given over to us. In fact, you think God, before the world was created, God dwelt within himself. He had perfect communion with the Holy Spirit and his Son, communing and being blessed with that fellowship of love and sharing their love toward each other. And God was happy. God did not need to create the world. God didn't need to create the heavens. God was completely content with himself. And yet why did God create heaven and this earth? He created heaven to show how rich his salvation is. Notice that he'd come to the extent of himself right down into the depths of this world to pick us up. But God's love then lifts us right up into heaven to experience all the fullness of our Redeemer. My friend, the reason why the Savior asks you tonight to come is because He wants to enrich your life. He wants you to know the communion of God the Holy Ghost in your heart. That He'll witness to you every single day that you are the children of God. He wants you to experience His Father, the fatherhood of God in our lives. How God directs us, protects us, and feeds us and leads us. And how God is doing everything by His providence. to make us more and more like Christ, that one day we'll wake up in his presence forevermore. My friend, Christ wants to take you out of your sin, and he wants to bring you into power over sin, and to live a life of victory and a life of freedom, a life of living after your God. See, that's what my Savior is offering to you tonight. This is no meagerly invitation. This is the invitation of the King of Kings. He wants to bring you into fullness of joy and do his pleasures at his right hand forevermore. He wants to make you a free man tonight and to enter into the glory of Christ in heaven forevermore. Paul was inviting young Timothy. He was not seeking to deprive this preacher. He was seeking to enrich this preacher. He says, come, come immediately. because I'm going to teach you some wonderful things about the Savior." Notice here the simplicity of the invitation, the stipulation of the invitation, and the supremacy of the invitation. But notice here most wonderfully the sincerity of the invitation. Because Paul here desperately wanted Timothy to come. He wanted to enjoy his fellowship. He wanted to help this young preacher that he could see his Savior glorified on earth. And remember when he asked Timothy to come, he didn't just ask him once in his chapter. He asked him two times in his chapter. Because earlier on in chapter 4 and verse 9, what does he write to this young preacher? Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me. In other words, this was a genuine request. There's no fakeness here. There was nothing superficial, just seeking to keep face. Paul was inviting this preacher because he loved him in the Lord, and he wanted his company. He wanted this man to come. And doesn't that put us to shame? How often we send out invites, and we invite somebody around for tea, or we invite a birthday party for our children, or invite all the children from the class. Why? because we want to see a face. We don't want any of the parents coming knocking on our door saying, why didn't you invite my young Jimmy? We invite everybody. And then what do we hold on secretly in our hearts? The hope that somebody will say no to save the cost and that birthday party we're going to hold for our child. And how often when those people come, what do we do? We sit and look at our watch, hoping and wondering when they're going to leave. Well, my friend, that was not the invitation Paul extended. Paul wanted to give the remainder of his life over to this young man. He wanted the company of Timothy. And my friend, so it is with my Savior. My Savior invites sinners because he loves sinners. My sinner asks you to come tonight and to have his sins forgiven because he loves your never-dying soul. Have I God loved you so much that he gave his only begotten Son? In fact, you'll notice throughout Scripture, God invites sinners to come countless and countless of times. In Genesis 7, verse 1, He tells Noah, that sinner, In fact, in Isaiah 1, verse 18, He says, Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as white as wool." In fact, our God's so earnest and sincere in wanting sinners to come, God even humbles Himself and takes the position of a shopkeeper. In Isaiah chapter 55, He says, Come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come ye buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. In fact, Christ, God in flesh, said, Come unto me all ye that are labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. In fact, when he met Andrew and John that day in the banks of Jordan, What did the Savior say today? Come and see. And you look throughout Scripture, how many times we find our God extending the invitation to sinners. In fact, when you look back out through history, how many times he has sent out preachers, how many pulpits were open yesterday across the world. Because our God is genuine and sincere in his love for sinners. He wants you to come tonight. And the wonderful thing is this, the Bible tells me, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to me I will no wise cast out. In fact, in the Greek, it's in a great emphasis, it means I will never, never, never, never, In fact, we see that picture in the prodigal son. Who was the father picturing but our God and Savior? And when that prodigal son came back, what was the father doing? He ran sprinting and put his arms around his son. And the wonderful truth about the gospel tonight is this. My God is so sincere. when He extends to you, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. If you just believe tonight, my God will receive you and keep you in His presence forevermore." See, our God is so genuine and so sincere in His invitation You know, there's the extending invitation and standing at his gates waiting for you to come. In fact, he's ready to sprint into this meeting to receive you. But once he has received you, our God and love will let us sit in his heaven forever and forever. In fact, the Bible tells me he'll lead us from spring on to spring, teaching us more about salvation and the word of God. In fact, it reminds me of a salesman one day in London. And going across London, he was seeking to sell some fish. And going into the market, he had his first original price, and finding he had no bidders, he kept lowering and lowering the price, till eventually it was down to pennies. And this famous preacher who preached in that vicinity, watching this salesman, he called him over. And he says, young man, I've got sympathy about you. I saw your hard work today, and I want to buy your fish. What was your first price? And he bought all the fish. And he says, go out into my neighborhood, the people that I love. and give that fish for free. And you know what happened? Nobody would take one of those fish. Even though it was free, they all had their suspicions about the character of that man. They said, there's something up. There's something wrong with that fish, or he's going to come and look a favor from us if we take that fish. You know, a man coming back disappointed, he says, preacher, I couldn't get rid of those fish, even though they were free. He says, give them to me. And you know, a preacher went out, and everybody knowing the love and the sincerity and the truth of that man's heart, When he said, these fish are free, everybody ran to his feet, and everybody lifted the fish. My friend, tonight, my God is truth. My God is the truth. My God is the way and the life. There's nothing insincere about him. In fact, even when them children ran to him, and when the disciples sought to forbid them, he said, suffer the little children to come on to me and forbid them not. For such is the kingdom of God. Ah, my Savior has never once turned away a sinner. But there's also, you know, there's sincerity, there's invitation, but notice also the seriousness of this invitation. Because Paul, wanting to come Young Timothy, to come and to give him some companionship, he said in verse 21, do thy diligence to come before winter. Do that adverb, diligence, it means earnest or to make every effort, to do one's best, to be eager, to hasten, to exert oneself or to agonize. In other words, he says, Timothy, I understand the implications of my request. your congregation is not going to be too happy. You're going to be leaving for several months and it's going to leave them in a hole. Somebody else is going to have to stand up and preach week by week. In fact, your flock who are weary and your flock who are downcast, they love your company and they want you to come on those pastoral visitations into their home. And I know Timothy, what I'm asking you is a great ask. People are going to be annoyed, and people are going to speak ill against you. But Timothy, whatever is the cost, pay it willingly. Come to me immediately, because this is a great invitation. My friends, so it is with the gospel invitation. Though it is free to the whosoever. It does come to a cost to a sinner. In fact, my Savior says in Matthew 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 at variance against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. In other words, the Savior understood the implication of this request. Though it was glorious and though it was free, it could cost a sinner, his parents or his wife or his husband, Coming home and telling them the good news that they got saved. Instead of being met with a smile, they could be met with a frown. And they could be ostracized for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. My Savior knows tonight it could cost you. But he says even if it costs you, he says pluck out your right eye and cut off your right hand. It's better to enter into eternal life. than to go into everlasting destruction with all of your companions and all your friends and all your business acquaintances. It's better to go into life rich with God than to be poor here on earth. In fact, my Savior tonight, he says to you, yes, it costs, but come, pay it immediately tonight. In fact, you think of it like this. There's many people tonight, and they know they can get a credit card, And they could go out, and they can go out and live a really illustrious life the rest of this week. They could buy a Ferrari, and they could live in the richest house. Why do men and women do not do that? They recognize it comes at a cost. For the rest of their lives, they'll be paying that credit card debt, and they'll be miserable just for one week of happiness. And you think of it tonight. There's people who felt the call of the Spirit, the bride, and the Spirit saying, come. And they've been in meetings. In fact, over this weekend, they knew God has been speaking to them to get saved. But they keep saying no to God. And what will happen? Yes, they may enjoy the sins of this world for a season, but they will pay the debt of it for the rest of the eternity in hell. Forever and forever they will pay the price of saying no to the gospel invitation. See what shall profit the man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Yes it comes at a price. My friend what a great reward. You'll wake up in glory with our Savior forever and forever. You see this is the seriousness of the invitation. It comes at a cost What the sinner will claim and go home with, he'll be rich towards his God. It was lastly, the season of his invitation. The season of his invitation, because when Paul said to him, do thy diligence to come before winter, Paul recognized that this was the last chance that Timothy could ever come and sit in his presence. He realized if he left it, even for one more week, winter will have set in. And by that stage, even if Timothy had the best intentions and sought to come to him, the sea in the Mediterranean Sea would be too rough and too dangerous. He would never make it in time. In other words, his invitation had an hour. This is the last invitation. This is the last chance, Timothy, you'll experience my company. You need to receive and accept the invitation this very moment. My friends, so it is with the gospel invitation. God tells us in his word, today if you shall hear my voice, harden not your hearts. In fact, he tells us in Isaiah, seek ye the Lord, wide he may be found, and call ye upon him, wide he is near. And what is the reason? He tells us this great warning in Proverbs chapter one. Then they shall call upon me, but I will not answer. They shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord." In other words, they left it too late. They walked out of those meetings, though they felt God so real and so personal. And they felt the love and the genuineness of the invitation. And yet because they said no to God, God had shut the gates. The Spirit no longer strove with them again. They went out into a lost eternity. In fact, I remember speaking to a man recently. There was a mission held up in Ardara many, many years ago. And this man was speaking to that farmer, and he says, at that time, he knew the man was under deep conviction of sin. Every night he was eager. He was the first into the mission, and he listened to everything the preacher said. Why? Because he felt the striving of the Spirit of God. But that man was not willing to pay the price. Near the end of the mission, he said no. That man today has no fear and has no more disturbance of soul. In other words, he crossed that invisible line. The Spirit is no longer inviting him. He is now cast over to the devil. And recognize, yes, God stands at the door and knocks. And yes, he says, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him. The same Bible tells me, grieve not the Holy Spirit. The same Bible tells me, quench not the Spirit. My friend, the Spirit will only knock for a time. And then when winter comes, when that season that God has allotted is over, it will be the last time the Spirit will knock on your door. And you'll never feel the power of God in your life again. And you'll go out into a lost eternity. See, the seasons of the year is God speaking to us again. He says, as this year has went in so quickly, so will the opportunities for you to get saved. And then when you get to the end of life, you'll look back and regret. It'll be too late. He never took those opportunities. Time was really short. In fact, it reminds me of a man. His son came in and ran in and says, daddy, daddy, daddy, I want some hugs and kisses. And that man was a preacher and he was very busy. And he looked at the lad and says, go away, Andy. No time now. I have a sermon to make. I have a meeting later on tonight. Little Andy went away disappointed. Little Andy went up to his room. And his father came back from that meeting, he got the bad news. There was a doctor in the ambulance waiting outside the house. Little Andy had died suddenly, that moment when his father was out preaching. And his father lifting up his pen, he wrote, if only I could tell him how much I regret those thoughtless words I spoke that evening. Go on, Andy, you'll have to leave, I'm too busy. There'd be no man in this whole wide world so happy as the one who sits here today and thinks how he prevented that act. Oh, how I'd receive his hugs and his kisses a thousand times over. And how many times you've been urged by your family, get now to the house. These are his last moments. And us being presumptuous like that rich farmer thinking there's plenty of time. We left it too late and we're living lives of regret because we never got to the deathbed of our loved one. And we never said those kind words in time. My friend, time is short. Do not wake up like Esau, with tears, striving for repentance. It'll be too late. Once you get to eternity, no more. No more striving of the Holy Spirit and of God anymore. See, child of God, life is short. Winter is coming. The sad truth is this. Some of us may never see Christmas, and some of us may never see our family coming to our doors. God could come and He said, I spoke to you this harvest weekend. How faithful and good I was. But you said no to my love. And you said no to the precious blood of my son that I shed for your soul. You will now reap, reap eternal night. You will reap the consequences of your actions. See harvest season is not only a time for reaping in the field. It's a time for reaping tonight. There's a reason why we're here in God's church. God wants to bring you into the kingdom, and he wants to save your soul. Paul wrote to young Timothy, do thy diligence to come before winter.