Greetings, radio friends. In the ever-precious name of the Lord Jesus our Saviour, shall we turn together to the Word of God in Second Timothy chapter four, reading from verse five, six, seven, and eight, these wonderful words of the closing ministry of the great Apostle Paul. But watch thou in all things and do reflection. Do the work of an evangelist. Make full proof of thy ministry, for I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord... the righteous judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them that love his appearing. May God bless the reading and the hearing of this portion from his precious and his holy word. We come to the closing section of the great apostle's ministry in the last letter he penned, written to his son in the faith Timothy. reminding him of his responsibility to the truth of God, that he must indeed hold it, that he must also teach it, that he should also abide in it, and finally that he should preach it. And the apostle admonishes that he should be watchful in all things. How this is needful for you and me For those of us who are believers in the Lord Jesus, in these great days of spiritual departure and moral declension, may the Holy Spirit enable us to be watchful in all things. And then may we be willing, as also Timothy was enjoined, to endure afflictions, whatever the cost might be that is involved, to be willing to take our share of the hardship that are involved in the Christian testimony. But in the midst of it, to do the work of an evangelist. Paul certainly reminds Timothy of that great evangelical work that still must be going on for the bringing of souls to Christ. So in the midst of these perilous days, may you and I recognize and proved by our testimony God is using us for the winning of souls. And thus as we are faithful, we will do that, which Paul enjoined Timothy to do, make full proof of thy ministry. What a responsibility is given to the believer in the Lord Jesus. For every one of us have a ministry to perform for our Lord Jesus Christ while in this present scene. Now the Apostle in verses six and seven makes first a retrospective glance backward and then in verse eight a forward look in anticipation. And I'd like you to dwell with me upon these precious words of divine testimony the Spirit of God gives through the heart and the pen of his beloved servant The Apostle Paul. Note what the Apostle says, I am now ready to be offered. The time of my departure all release is at hand. The beloved Apostle was conscious that he was soon to be taken out of life, and that his very life would be taken from him by the wicked Nero, the emperor of the Roman Empire. But he says, I am ready. I am now ready to be offered. The time of my departure is at hand. May I insert this remark, my beloved friend? May I ask, are you ready? If this today was to be your day of departure from this life, are you ready? What a wonderful thing it is to say, I am now ready to depart out of this life. Paul's contemplation of this moment was not just alone that he was saved, but also that according to the will of God, he had sought faithfully to represent his Savior in this present scene, and he was unashamed to go on to meet his blessed Lord. But now notice testimony. The sudden we have a retrospective contemplation of his experience as a Christian. And here are the words. First, I fought a good fight. And may I correct the present translation of the authorized version. I have fought the good fight. Not meaning that he believed he had fought a good fight, but I had been in the best combat that anyone could be engaged in. Oh, my beloved Christian, there is no greater combat. There is no greater battle. There is no greater warfare for you and for me to be engaged in than being in the army of the Lord and waging a good warfare by his grace and in his power. As Paul testifies, I fought the good fight. And was he not a good soldier? God helped you and me to be a good soldier too. Then he declares, I finished my course. The end of the race was in sight. And he was confident that the end was very near. But he could say, I've run my course. I finished the race. And that blessed servant had undoubtedly run with patience the race that God had set before in, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, for his example. But a third statement he made. I have not only fought in the best combat, I have not only finished my race, I have kept thee faith, meaning I have been faithful to keep the word of God. I have kept the truth of God. My beloved radio friends, here is the testimony of a man who kept the truth of God as it had been committed to him from the day of his redemption. From the time that Christ came into his soul, that blessed apostle had sought to be faithful to be true to the Word of God. All that this could be said by you and by me, my beloved Christian friend, may this be our goal, that at the end of the race, at the end of the battle, at the end of the journey, we might repeat the apostle's words. I have been in the best combat one could participate in. I have been running in the greatest race, the Christian race. I have kept the faith, the word of God, the Christian truth. Here we have the Christian warfare, the Christian race, and the Christian truth. God help us to be faithful to them all. Now note the anticipated delight that was set before him. Henceforth, because I fought the good fight, because I finished my cause, because I kept the truth, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also, that love his appearing. Oh, my beloved radio friend, you, together with my own heart, belonging to Christ, may we realize that there is before us for the thankfulness of a testimony upon the earth a verily eternal and suitable reward. There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. Now note that crown was a coveted reward. It was not only a coveted reward, it was a reward that was earned. May I tell my fellow believers, salvation we know is by grace. But God is pleased, and Christ the coming judge will be pleased, to give to his faithful servants eternal rewards. And what a crown is here given. a crown for right living, a crown for faithfulness, a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, and note the title given to the Lord, the righteous judge. My fellow believer it will be the Lord Jesus Christ and him alone, who will be the judge of your life and mine. And in his faithfulness he will not fail. To minister the suitable and the earned reward that will be ours for what we have done and for what we have been for him. May I commend to every Christian a glance to the future. Commend to you to take a good look at the future. Look by this present world. Go beyond the horizon of this life. See the eternity that is to come. Look into that eternity and know there is a Christ who will take you to be winning in glory. Look into that glory and recognize from the word of God there are rewards and crowns for his own. And God grant that you shall win one of those coveted crowns that he offers to those who are faithful to him. For the beloved apostle says, Thanks be to God that it is not only for himself, But he says, Not to me only, but unto all them that love his appearing. My fellow Christian, do you love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ? Is your heart centered and the affections of your heart set on the coming Lord Jesus? For if you and I have our heart set upon him and the soon coming, there is no question of doubt. That purifying hope will have its effective power in our lives to enable us to live for His honor and live for His glory. And in view of that appearing, looking for Him, working for Him, and seeking to glorify Him until He comes. Oh, my beloved friends, I set before you the great eternal rewards. that the Lord Jesus, in his precious words, offers to his own. These were the climax of Paul's journey in life. Words are tellers. He had no regret when he looked back, but he had great anticipation and hope and joy as he looked in the future. All that you and I may be able to look back upon a life with satisfaction in the past. And upon the future that is nothing but glory. My sinner friend, if you would never come to Christ, why don't you come to Christ today and live a life for the Lord Jesus to satisfaction here below and for glory that is yet to come for his namesake? Father, we pray, the Holy Spirit will fix the heart and the mind and eternal things today through thy word in Jesus' worthy name. Amen.