In 2 Timothy 4, Paul  gives what  some  have  called  his  “Last Will and Testament.” He wants to encourage  Timothy to stay  faithful to the Word of God.  He tells him and  us that we  need to be in the  “Lord’s Army” for the “duration.”  We   need to be  faithful to the  end.  Paul  wanted to  impress on Timothy that the  Christian life consists, not only of  privileges, but  responsibilities.

In 2 Timothy 4:5-8 Paul  tells  Timothy  he  must  fulfill his ministry.  I think that  primarily  Paul is  referring  to  Timothy’s  work as a  preacher of the  Gospel.  But  we all can  make  application to our lives in Christ.  All of  have a  ministry to fulfill.  The Lord has “called us out of a  kingdom of darkness and conveyed us  into the  kingdom of the  Son of His love.” (Col.1:13-14).

To fulfill our  ministry  means  to do whatever God wants you to do. Each of our ministries for the Lord  are  different though grounded in the same  Lord and based  upon the Word of God.  In 2 Timothy 4:5 Timothy is told to “be sober in all things.” This  means  he must  carry on his ministry with seriousness of purpose. We must do the  same.

In  2 Tim. 4:6-8, Paul contrast  some of the   things in his life to encourage  Timothy in his  responsibilities  to the Lord and His Church.  He  give    his own personal testimony to the  Lord’s faithfulness. He  says that:

• He  has  fought the good fight.
• He has finished the course.
• He has  kept the  faith.

I  want to take  each of these   and  show  how “An Approved  Servant of the  Lord”  will  incorporate the  principles in his or  her  life.