The Things That Are Coming – part 6

Nov 8, 2026 • Rory Mosley

082 The Things That Are Coming – part 6

Mark 13:1-37 (9-13)

November 8, 2026

We’ve referenced the conversation a couple of times already,

But it is again very fitting

As we look at Mark’s version of this Olivet Discourse.

On the day when Jesus was ascended:

Acts 1:6-8 “So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

We have previously noted

· How the focus of the disciples was on the timing of the kingdom.

· How Christ redirected their focus from “when” to “what”.

The objective wasn’t to know when Christ was coming.

The objective was to be faithful until He comes.

Clearly revealed in that passage is the requirement of that faithfulness.

Jesus said, “you shall be My witnesses”.

It is interesting to us that the word “witnesses”

It is the word (MAR-toos)

It’s where we get our word for “martyr”.

Blueletterbible.com gives a 3-fold

definition for the word.

It means “witness”.

But there are 3 ways in which it can be understood.

1) In a LEGAL SENSE

· Where one is called to testify of that which they have seen.

2) In a HISTORICAL SENSE

· Where one is a spectator of anything, like a contest. I was an eye-witness of the event.

3) In an ETHICAL SENSE

· Those who, after His example, have proved the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death.

So there’s three ways to view that word (MAR-toos)

Where you are called to give testimony under oath (LEGAL SENSE) to something you know.

You see that in our text where Jesus says, (9) “you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them.”

IT IS WHAT THE APOSTLES OFTEN DID,

· Do you remember when Paul stood before Festus, and then Festus told Agrippa about him?

Acts 25:18-19 “When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.”

· Festus merely recounted the legal testimony of Paul.

· That Paul asserted that the Jesus who died was now alive.

That is a factual and legal witness to a truth.

That is part of what Jesus was talking about in Acts1

· When He said that they would be His “witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Jesus told them that multiple times:

Luke 24:46-48 “and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. “You are witnesses of these things.”

· You are going to go out and testify to the truth that Christ suffered, died, rose and that forgiveness is found in His name.

AND CERTAINLY WE ARE CALLED TO DO THAT.

· We know the facts about Jesus.

· We have heard the truth.

· We know the truth.

· We proclaim the truth.

But we also see that the apostles were called in a HISTORICAL SENSE to testify of what they had actually witnessed or seen.

They were spectators who were called to give an account.

You weren’t there, they were, they are called to tell you about it.

John wrote:

1 John 1:1-3 “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

It was after Peter and John were arrested in the temple and warned to stop preaching about Jesus that Peter said:

Acts 4:19-20 “But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Now, we obviously do not have a testimony exactly like theirs,

But we do have an experiential testimony.

We did not see Jesus with our eyes,

But we have had a front row seat to the way He transformed our lives.

We bear witness to the facts about Jesus

We also bear witness to the power of Jesus

So you see how we are called to be both a legal witness and a historical witness.

But then we come to that third and most difficult aspect of being a witness. There is the ETHICAL WITNESS.

That “martyr-type” witness.

Where we are called to bear witness to something

By manner of our conviction and willingness to suffer

In order to defend it.

This is the one who bears witness through his actions and usage.

Think about the faith of Abraham here.

Hebrews 11:17-19 “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.”

· Abraham DIDN’T give you a theology lesson on the resurrecting power of God.

· Abraham DIDN’T give you a history less on the resurrecting power of God.

· Abraham gave you an ethical testimony that God can raise the dead.

The apostles did this as well.

Consider Paul:

· When he was told that he would be bound in Jerusalem and his friends tried

To dissuade him.

Acts 21:13 “Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Paul was prepared to bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus.

Legally – Historically – Ethically.

AND I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE

Clearly that is the type of witness that Jesus is going to talk about

In our text tonight here in Mark 13.

You know that we are looking at Mark’s version of the Olivet Discourse.

#1 OBSERVATION

Mark 13:1-2

· The disciples were enamored with the temple,

· Jesus pronounced it’s impending judgment.

#2 CURIOSITY

Mark 13:3-4

· The disciples wanted to know “when” it would happen,

· But that is information they will not receive.

· Instead they are going to be told “what” they should do in light of the coming judgment.

#3 PRIORITY

Mark 13:5-27

This is the point we are at now,

And the one which we will be in for a while.

This is the practical and urgent reality of what we are called to do.

THIS WORLD IS HEADED FOR DESTRUCTION.

· What would Jesus have us do while we are here?

6 practical priorities to follow.

1) A DECEPTION TO AVOID (5-6)

There are going to be a lot of false Christ’s,

A lot of people are going to be deceived by them.

Make sure you aren’t one of them.

· Christ has revealed Himself to us in His word – study it.

· Get to know who He is so you’ll recognize when it is not Him.

2 Peter 3:17-18 “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

2) A FOCUS TO MAINTAIN (7-8)

We saw it this morning.

· This fallen world is going to shake and suffer greatly as we approach the end.

· The sin is heavy upon this globe and it is shaking and tottering.

· There are a lot of scary things that may come down the pipe.

But the Christian is called to not panic or get distracted.

This is NOT a time to hole up and enter self-preservation mode.

This is NOT a time to go into battle mode to kill every threat.

As we saw with the Thessalonians this morning

We are called to “good works” and “good words”.

But now, let’s go to THE THIRD PRIORITY that we are to maintain

In light of a world that is headed for judgment.

3) A GOSPEL TO PREACH (9-13)

(9-13) “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. “When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. “You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”

I would FIRST point out something Luke reveals that Mark does not.

When Luke spoke of the wars and rumors of wars and earthquakes and famines, he then recorded this from Jesus:

Luke 21:12 “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.”

There is a more urgent matter than cataclysmic judgments.

Clearly that more urgent matter is PERSECUTION.

Now first, let’s just make some sweeping observations

Regarding what Jesus said here in these 5 verses.

Let’s talk about CERTAINTY

When you read those 5 verses there is nothing here that speaks in anything less than absolute certain terms.

· (9) “they will deliver you to the courts”

· (9) “you will be flogged”

· (9) “you will stand before governors and kings”

· (11) “when they arrest you”

· (12) “brother will betray brother, and a father his child”

· (12) “children will rise up against parents and have them put to death”

· (13) “you will be hated by all”

· (13) “the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”

Not a lot of potential talk there.

These 5 verses are saturated with certainties.

And that is certainly consistent.

John 15:18-20 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”

1 John 3:13 “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.”

1 Peter 4:12-14 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

And you are likely aware that this is just the tip of the iceberg regarding passages which promise that God’s people will be hated in the world.

Certainly that was true for the apostles and the early church,

But it is just as true today.

Thomas Paul Shirrmacher is the president of The International Institute For Religious Freedom.

He spoke this past Tuesday in Berlin regarding hostility toward religion.

He said:

“Religious freedom faces a twofold threat worldwide: from those who trample it underfoot, and from those who seek to marginalize it in international politics.”

He want on to say:

“The horrifying reports of religious persecution show no sign of abating…In Africa, for example, the killings of Christians…by Islamist extremists are spreading geographically ever further.”

Johann Matthies is the political representative of The Evangelical Alliance In Germany and he gave statistics regarding things like the war in Ukraine.

He noted, “According to Ukrainian Ministry of foreign affairs, more than 640 places of worship have been damaged or destroyed in the course of Russia’s war of aggression…congregations are being dispossessed, church services are being disrupted by raids. Clergy are being interrogated and sentenced to long prison terms.”

Matthies reported that 67 ministers in Ukraine have already been killed in the conflict.

Https://www.christiandaily.com/news/religious-freedom-yearbooks-show-bleak-global-outlook?Utm_source=chatgpt.com

This is happening around the world.

This is true.

But you see Jesus speaks of CERTAINTY in this passage.

We also take notice that He speaks of SEVERITY

We see words like:

· “courts”

· “flogged”

· “arrest you”

· “betray”

· “put to death”

Those are pretty serious things.

It moves noticeably beyond being “unfriended” on Facebook.

There is a CERTAINTY of persecution

And there is a SEVERITY of persecution.

We also notice here THE REASON

BUT TO FULLY GRASP THE REASON

You have to look at it from two perspectives.

The one we recognize the easiest is THE WORLD’S PERSPECTIVE.

· They persecute believers because they hate Christ.

(13) “You will be hated by all because of My name…”

They hate Christ, so they hate you.

I’m always struck by the statement Paul made to the Colossians.

Colossians 1:24 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.”

· It almost sounds like an inconsistent or heretical statement from Paul

· As though Christ didn’t suffer enough to complete His mission

· And now Paul is suffering to finish what Christ started.

That is NOT what Paul is saying.

He is merely pointing out the reality of persecution.

· Namely that this world is not finished persecuting Christ.

· They’d kill Him again if they could.

· But since Christ is out of reach they settle for His bride.

· And Paul accounts that he has taken his share of the afflictions.

The world hates you because it hates Christ.

That we are pretty familiar with.

But to fully understand the reason behind persecution you also have to look at it from GOD’S PERSPECTIVE.

It’s easy to see why Satan would attack you.

Perhaps the more puzzling reality is why God would allow it?

And yet we read in verse 9, “you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them.”

Luke’s version brings a little more clarity.

Luke 21:12-14 “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. “It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. “So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;”

How else were you planning on witnessing to a king?

We think of Paul’s incredible journey to Rome.

· He was falsely arrested in Jerusalem.

· He was unjustly detained by several corrupt rulers.

· He was placed on a slave ship

· And in the slave ship he found himself in a hurricane.

And yet:

Acts 27:21-24 “When they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up in their midst and said, “Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. “Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. “For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’”

Everything Paul endured was the sovereign plan of God

To get Paul before Caesar.

How often we consider the persecution of the early church.

They were dispersed from Jerusalem at the hands of Saul of Tarsus.

· But as they were dispersed they took the gospel with them everywhere.

This persecution to which Jesus refers

Is not contrary to the plan of God,

It is a vital element of the plan of God.

· It is necessary.

· It will happen.

· It is happening.

· And it is happening for a purpose.

Now, that’s a sweeping look at these 5 verses.

That is sort of the low-hanging fruit that we clearly see.

BUT, AS WE HAVE SAID,

There is a point here from Jesus,

And that is what we want to get.

In these 5 verses, while Jesus reveals persecution

He also addresses our priorities in it.

We see two specific COMMANDS here.

1. (9) “Be on your guard”

2. (11) “Do not worry”

Those are specific commands that we want to concern ourselves with

So that we will behave properly in this world headed for judgment.

But in this section we also see something of THE OBJECTIVE.

(10) “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations.”

Clearly the commands affect our objective.

Tonight let’s dig a little deeper

And see if we can gain a better understanding

Of exactly what we are supposed to do here.

LET ME SHOW YOU 5 THINGS JESUS ADDRESSES HERE.

HE ADDRESSES OUR PREPARATION

(9) “Be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them.”

I actually think the translation of that command to us there

Is a little regrettable.

I told you that the phrase “Be on your guard”

· Is the exact same Greek word that is rendered “See to it” in verse 5

· And then “Take heed” in verses 23 and 33.

I really wish they had not translated it “Be on your guard” here.

I know that when you read of coming persecution and arrest and flogging

It makes sense assume that Jesus is saying, “Look out!”

But I don’t think that captures the full essence of the point He is making.

Let me read to you again Luke’s rendition.

When you hear Luke’s version, you can see that “Look out!”

Is NOT really the idea that Jesus is driving out.

He is NOT talking about how you need to be careful to avoid persecution.

He is NOT talking about you being skeptical of everyone and making sure no one persecutes you.

His point does not have to do with avoiding persecution.

It has to do with preparing for it.

His point is that you need to prepare yourself for the coming persecution

SO THAT YOU HANDLE IT CORRECTLY.

You need to see things like arrested and being dragged before kings

AS A MEANS OF EVANGELISM.

We live in a world that is headed for judgment,

WE DO NOT NEED A TIMID CHURCH.

We need a church that is more concerned with saving sinners

Than they are with saving their own skin.

Now that’s easy to say and very difficult to do,

But that is exactly WHO Christ was, and it is exactly WHAT Christ did.

John 12:27 “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.”

· He wasn’t dodging hatred, He was prepared for it.

Remember when Peter tried to rescue Him in the garden?

Matthew 26:52-54 “Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

What a penetrating question to Peter.

· Peter, if you save Me, how were you planning on saving them?

It is not our calling to avoid the hostilities of this world,

But to be ready for them and make the most of them.

He addresses our preparation.

HE ADDRESSES OUR EXCUSES

(11) “When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.”

We’ve all heard that excuse haven’t we?

First from the great leader Moses:

Exodus 4:10-16 “Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? “Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.” Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. “You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. “Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him.”

· Did Moses think that God was commissioning him without first doing His research?

· Did Moses think God was unaware of his limitations?

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Do you think that God is somehow incapable

Of using your weaknesses for His glory?

THAT’S REALLY JUST AN EXCUSE.

It’s a revelation of cowardice

Hidden beneath a thin layer of false humility,

And preserved by a lack of faith.

THAT EXCUSE WON’T WASH.

Quity worrying about what to say.

“say whatever is given you in that hour”

Now, let me say just a little here

To make sure we don’t get all mystical and lose our minds.

JESUS WAS TALKING TO THE APOSTLES.

· They did not yet have the New Testament,

· They must have wondered what in the world they would say.

Jesus would tell them shortly:

John 14:25-26 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”

I quote that to point out that

The Holy Spirit was not going to “freestyle” with them.

He was simply going to remind them of what Christ had said.

John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”

Again, the Holy Spirit wasn’t going to go rogue.

He only speaks what He hears.

NOW FOR US THE PROCESS IS EVEN EASIER TO GRASP.

2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 3:12-15 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

Don’t have the expectation that you can just walk into suffering or persecution and at that moment receive some new revelation.

What you will receive from the Holy Spirit,

Is the very Scripture He has authored, which you have studied.

I can’t tell you how many times I have this happen in my life.

· Whether I’m writing a sermon or counseling or witnessing, and all of a sudden Scriptures just come to mind.

· It’s not new revelation, but it is the Holy Spirit bringing to mind the very things that need to be said.

HE’S REMARKABLE LIKE THAT.

So don’t give God excuses, study to show yourself approved.

Jesus addresses their preparation

Jesus addresses their excuses

HE ADDRESSES OUR PURPOSE

We mentioned this already, so we’ll just touch on it briefly.

· (9) “you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them.”

· (10) “the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.”

The purpose in all this is clear.

IT IS A GOSPEL PREACHING MISSION.

· It is NOT a “random acts of kindness” mission.

· It is NOT a humanitarian mission.

· It is a gospel proclamation mission.

Everything we endure is to get the gospel to those who need to hear it.

He addresses our preparation

He addresses our excuses

He addresses our purpose

HE ADDRESSES OUR CONVICTION

Jesus is very explicit why we are to suffer.

“for My sake” and “because of My name”

I’ve always liked what Peter had to say about this.

1 Peter 4:15-16 “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.”

Suffering comes in this life from many things,

Not all of them are a result of our spotless Christianity.

· Sometimes we suffer because we were a jerk.

· Sometimes we suffer because we deserved it.

THAT IS NOT THE CALLING.

We’re not just going out trying to get arrested

So we can boast about being arrested.

Our conviction is the name of Christ

That will bring with it all the trouble we will want.

But this really has to be the message and the conviction.

Imagine being on a ship that is sinking

And people are facing the reality of drowning in the ocean.

So we go around wanting to talk about

Our favorite sports team or politics.

IT JUST WOULDN’T BE RELEVANT AND IT WOULDN’T BE IMPORTANT.

AND IT WOULD BE FITTING if those who were facing death

· Became so weary of you that one of them punched you in the nose

· Because at the point of destruction he didn’t care what you thought about the

coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

The focus is the gospel.

The focus is the name of Christ.

THAT MUST BE OUR CONVICTION.

Romans 1:14-16 “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

One more thing He addresses

HE ADDRESSES OUR CALLING

(12-13) “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. “You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”

It’s going to be bad.

Jesus is under no illusion otherwise.

· Even your own family may turn against you.

· Even the most natural relationships you have may go bad.

God told Jeremiah on a day when he was complaining about the people who hated him:

Jeremiah 12:5-6 “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, Then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, How will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? “For even your brothers and the household of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you, Even they have cried aloud after you. Do not believe them, although they may say nice things to you.”

· Jeremiah, it’s worse than you know.

THAT’S WHAT JESUS POINTS OUT.

AND YET, THE CALLING IS CLEAR.

“but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”

The one who clings to the name…

The one who holds fast to Christ…

“he will be saved.”

Let me just quickly bring this to one easy to grasp point.

Sort of summarize the entire day for us.

Jesus is well-aware that this world is going down in flames.

He’s the One who will set it ablaze.

· He knows war is coming.