Trinity Chippenham

The last verses of Mark 1 show us Jesus' priority in his own ministry mix. While the healing ministry created the temptation to be popular in Capernaum, his priority was to reach much wider with the gospel. At the same time, his big picture vision didn't make him miss the opportunities to show compassion to those in front of him. Let's be praying for Jesus' priority and compassion to become ours too!

Mark's Gospel offers a wonderful glimpse into the ministry of Jesus, the ministry we have been called to join. Back to back teaching of God's truth, deliverance from God's enemy, and healing to show God's compassion, and then, just as the disciples were putting their feet up to reflect, the whole city gathered at the door! As the doors of the synagogue shut, Jesus just kept on giving. We are called to join Jesus in his ministry here in Chippenham . . . exciting times ahead!

There are some real parallels between our situation and the early part of Mark's gospel. Jesus was launching a new project and so focused on timing, location, vision and leadership. Surprisingly we find him walking in Galilee and picking some fishermen to be on his team! Here we are, two millennia later and Jesus' church project continues in surprisingly unimpressive places with people like us . . . we too are called to repent of self-focus and join Jesus in giving ourselves away as he builds his church!

New Series! Mark's document started a revolution as he launched a new genre of writing - a "Good News!" We saw how Mark doesn't want us to have any confusion - Jesus is the good news, because Jesus is the beloved Son of the Father stepping in to our world, to fight our fight, and to rescue us.

In the final week of "Starting Well," we see Paul was very much alone as he came to the end of his life, but he was ready to pour out his life for Christ. His final message for Timothy and the next generation of church growth was simple - herald the Gospel, preach the Word! This wasn't just a message for those of us who preach. It was an exhortation to us all - let's all be all about the Gospel, "preaching it" to ourselves, to each other, and giving ourselves away as we give Christ away to others.

Timothy, unlike evil people and impostors, was a man who had followed his faithful mentors (Paul, Lois, and Eunice) and knew the sacred scriptures that reveal salvation in Christ--the ingredients to living for Christ. And as a church and individuals we shouldn't ever let go of these ingredients to living a godly life in Christ Jesus. As we run our races in Christ, let us abide in the lessons of those who've gone before us and the Scriptures that reveal God's heart and are reliable for every moment of our lives.

Paul's warning is so important: not everything that claims to be Christian necessarily is what it says on the tin. Dangerous people are discerned by their character and their conduct, but what about those under threat? Just as a weak animal becomes prey when they drift out of the herd, so also we can become vulnerable if we are morally weak, emotionally unstable, spiritually fickle, and weighed down by unshakable anxieties. We live in a "survival of the fittest" society, but let's be different and care for one another in the body of Christ.

How could Timothy be sure to be a good leader, a good example, and a good servant in the church he was called to serve? What does it look like for us to grow together and serve together in the local church? Inky noses and effective relay workers . . .

How did Paul stir Timothy as he faced the next season of life and ministry in the early church? Inspiration for Timothy and for us in this heartfelt passage of Paul's final letter.

Timothy was launching into a new phase of life and ministry without Paul, but with confidence in the Saviour who saved us and called us before the ages began. The way we can guard the good deposit we've received in Christ, is not by being defensive or self-protective, but by giving what we have in Christ to another who can give it away to another. This new series is all about passing on to the next generation what has been passed down to us!