Mark 13:1-37

“The temple complex covered about thirty-five acres. The sanctuary stood one hundred and fifty feet high, as did the temple wall. The columns that held up the portico were so massive that three large men could barely encompass them by touching fingertip to fingertip. Josephus tells us that some of the stones that made up the temple were sixty feet long, eleven feet high, and eight feet deep, with each stone weighing more than a million pounds. Other historians of antiquity said Herod’s temple looked like a mountain of marble decorated with gold. The temple complex was architecturally stunning and must have looked strong enough to stand for a thousand years or more.”

“[Children and young people], swollen from starvation, roamed like phantoms through the market-places and collapsed wherever their doom overtook them.”

One hindrance to our spiritual readiness: Indifference to our own sin.

Three Ways to Grow Our Spiritual Readiness

  1. We must cultivate our affection for the Lord.

  2. We must sacrifice for Christ’s mission here on earth.

  3. We must boast increasingly in the gospel.

Life Group Discussion Questions

  1. Are you more tempted to obsess over the nature and timing of Jesus’ return, or be indifferent about the nature and timing of Jesus’ return? What is an appropriate balance between these two extremes?

  2. What seems to be the overarching point of Jesus’ teaching in Mark 13? How does that “big idea” push against the extremes mentioned in question 1?

  3. A great hindrance to being ready for the return of Christ is being unconcerned about our own sin. What kinds of sin are you tempted to excuse - in others and in yourself? How have you experienced the danger of being too casual about your own sin/sinfulness? How can you grow to take your own sin more seriously?

  4. The sermon discussed three ways we can grow our spiritual readiness (our preparedness for the Lord’s return). Which of these three pathways do you need most to prioritize in 2024? Why? How do you plan to prioritize these things?

A. We must cultivate our affection for the Lord.

B. We must sacrifice for Christ’s mission here on earth.

C. We must boast increasingly in the gospel.