Remain Watchful and Prepared for His Return

In one paragraph

On the Fourth of July, Pastor Carl walked First Baptist Jackson through Mark 13, the chapter where Jesus tells his disciples about the destruction of the temple, the rise of false messiahs, wars and persecution, and his own return. The big idea was simple: remain watchful and prepared for when Jesus comes again. There is hard news in this chapter, but there is good news too. Pastor Carl set the...

Read together

1. Psalm 146 cited as the source for the song 'Goodness of God' sung at the opening
2. Mark 13:1-37 the main passage read and taught through the entire sermon
3. Hebrews 10:23 closing encouragement to hold tightly to hope because God can be trusted to keep his promise

Talk about it

1. Carl pointed out that Jesus' first instruction to his disciples was not about the temple or future events but 'don't let anyone mislead you.' Why do you think that warning came first, and what does it look like practically to guard against being misled today?
2. Carl described persecution in the early church as often leading to the growth of the church, pointing to Peter and John in Acts. Has there been a difficult situation in your own life where something hard opened a door to share your faith with someone?
3. Carl listed five questions for spotting a false teacher, including whether a teaching contradicts what the Bible says about God and whether practices are meant to glorify the teacher rather than Jesus. Which of those five questions do you find most useful, and why?
4. Carl said it is more important to prepare than to predict when it comes to Jesus' return. What does actually being prepared look like in your day-to-day life, and how do you know if you are?
5. Carl closed with Hebrews 10:23, 'let's hold tightly and without wavering to the hope that we affirm because God can be trusted to keep his promise.' Given everything in Mark 13, which of God's promises from this chapter do you most need to hold on to right now?