LEADERS NEED FRIENDS
Text: 2 Timothy 4:9-15
9 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:
10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
12 And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
13 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.
14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
Intro:
- Paul is coming to the end of his letter to Timothy and to the end of his life. He knows that his trial could be any day now and his expectation is a sentence of death which would be carried out swiftly.
- In these moments he is alone and lonely. Leadership and
- That may sound surprising since leaders have followers, but Swindoll said, “The fact is loneliness stalks where the buck stops.
1. Paul’s Desire (v. 9)
- Paul pleads with Timothy “to come shortly” (come soon, some quickly, make haste). This is both a plea for
Paul knows his trial could be any day now. His execution in his mind is always a couple days away.
Do you know what Paul desires in this moment? A
- Do you know what Paul needs in this moment? A
- Paul needs a friend to just come and support him and be with him and help in a lonely time.
2. Paul Forsaken (v. 10)
- Paul says that Demas has forsaken him because of Demas’ love for “this present world.”
- The phrase ‘this present world’ refers not only to the worldly pursuits of money, power, status, pleasure, or possession but also to the fallen world system, which operates according to
3. Paul’s Friends (vv. 10-13)
1) Crescens is one of six faithful men Paul references in this passage. We know almost nothing about him. He is not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture, yet the fact that he is here mentioned among four notable names means that Paul thought highly of him.
- Paul was lonely, but Crescens is in Galatia at the bidding and directing of Paul.
2) Titus is the second of six faithful men Paul references in this passage. Paul has since gone to prison and sent Titus to Dalmatia to serve.
- Paul is lonely, but Titus’ assignment is too
3) Luke is the third name mentioned by Paul. Luke is a beloved physician and friend of Paul, and he is the only person in Paul’s life that is currently visiting and ministering to Paul.
4) Mark is the fourth name mentioned. This is the same Mark that abandoned Paul on the first missionary journey. Even though Mark had disappointed Paul on the first missionary journey, over time he had proven himself to Paul. Now Paul wants not only Timothy to come soon, but when Timothy comes he is to bring John Mark.
5) Tychicus is the fifth name. Paul needs friendship, but he realizes that the church at Ephesus needs faithful leadership. So he asked Timothy to come to him once Tychicus arrived in Ephesus to
6) Timothy has been asked of Paul to come to Rome and minister to him, comfort him, be a friend in a time of need.
3. Paul’s Foe (vv. 14-15)
- Unlike Demas who had once been a
Alexander
Paul brings up Alexander to Timothy to remind him that this Alexander could possibly one day be a thorn in Timothy’s side seeking to do to Timothy what he had apparently done with some success in Paul’s life and ministry.
- Beware of him.
Conclusion:
- Leadership and loneliness go hand in hand. But for a spiritual leader, like Paul, loneliness became an opportunity to cultivate a deeper intimacy with God.
Application:
Paul’s closing lines reveal a man strong in his faith and sure of his convictions, yet very much in need. His pleas for help offer four reminders for difficult times:
1) When you’re lonely, you need caring, close
- God made us for relationships on the vertical plane and horizontal plane – with Him and others.
- You know what we need to do? Cultivate relationships and friendships. Make it a priority now because caring friends won’t suddenly emerge when you’re lonely.
2) When you’re hurt, you need loyal
- A friend that is an advocate is someone who supports and defends you in a cause. They act in your best interest, especially when you are unable to act for yourself.
- Advocates help us find solutions when we are powerless to do so.
3) When you’re loved, you need to be
- If you are loved by others let them know both your gratefulness and love in return. Say it. Say you’re grateful. Say you love them. Say it with sincerity.
4) When you’re needy,
- There are two things that keep us from expressing our neediness and vulnerability: pride and fear.
- The simple admission “I need help” or “I need you” has the power to shatter both pride and fear.
Sharing our needs and vulnerabilities builds bonds with friends, welcomes advocates, and multiplies potential solutions to problems we’re facing.
Paul didn’t suffer without asking for help. As a man of grace who extended grace to so many in his lifetime, he believed in grace enough to ask for it and to receive it when offered. Let’s follow his model.