Study Questions

1. Before this sermon, what was your understanding of Mark 13? Did you believe it was primarily about the end of the world, or something else? Has your thinking shifted at all?
2. Ken emphasizes the importance of reading scripture in context. How does knowing that the disciples were specifically asking about the destruction of the Temple change how you read Jesus' answer in Mark 13?
3. Jesus warned his followers about false messiahs and people claiming to be the Christ. Where do you see that kind of deception showing up in the world today, and how do we guard against it?
4. The Christians in Jerusalem actually fled to Pella when the Roman armies approached, taking Jesus' warning literally and seriously. What does that kind of obedience to Jesus' words look like in your own life?
5. Ken traces the rapture and tribulation theories back to John Nelson Darby in the 1800s and the Scofield Reference Bible in the early 1900s. Does knowing that these are relatively recent doctrines affect how you think about them? Why or why not?
6. Luke's version of this passage interprets the "abomination of desolation" as Jerusalem being surrounded by armies. How does comparing parallel Gospel accounts help us better understand what Jesus was teaching?
7. Jesus says in verse 32 that no one — not even the angels or the Son himself — knows the day or hour of his return. Why do you think people continue to set dates and predict timelines despite this clear statement?
8. Ken argues that the church's energy around end-times speculation is largely an American phenomenon. Do you agree? What do you think drives that fascination, and is it healthy or harmful?
9. Peter summarizes how to be ready for Christ's return: live holy lives, be sober and watchful in prayer, be blameless and at peace, and grow in grace and knowledge. Which of these feels most challenging for you personally right now?
10. Jesus uses the parable of a master leaving his servants in charge to illustrate the importance of readiness. What "work" do you believe Jesus has entrusted to you while you wait for his return?
11. Ken said that one preacher told his congregation that if Jesus didn't return by 2013, they shouldn't believe anything in the Bible. What are the dangers of tying faith to specific prophetic predictions, and how do we help people whose faith has been damaged that way?
12. The sermon ends with a call to repent and be baptized. For those already in Christ, what does it look like to continually renew that commitment and "stay ready" in your everyday life?