7.2.23 Huddle
Opening Discussion:
- What is something you planned in advance for, or you are currently planning for?
- What steps did you take to prepare?
Read and Discuss
Luke 21:25-29
25 “Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and there will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is near.”
29 Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they put out leaves you can see for yourselves and recognize that summer is already near. 31 In the same way, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.
- What are some of the signs Jesus tells the disciples to watch for?
- Have you seen any evidence for these signs around us?
- What does the parable of the fig tree tell us?
- What are some things you can do to prepare for the end times?
- Why do some people not recognize that the kingdom of God is near?
- If followers of Jesus were prepared for the things Jesus talked about in this passage, how might their lives look different?
1 TImothy 4:1-2 NIV
1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
- What is Paul wanting Timothy to know about the end times?
- What does it mean that some people’s “consciences have been seared as with a hot iron?”
- Will things taught by demons be obvious to people or hard to detect?
- How can you differentiate between things taught by the Spirit and those things taught by deceiving spirits?
- Who are some people you could meet with to make sure you are following God’s teaching from the Bible and not things taught by demons?
2 Timothy 4:2-5 NIV
2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
- In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, what are some things he warns Timothy about related to future events?
- Why will people turn away from the teaching of God’s word?
- What are some examples of teaching that suit people’s own desires?
- What are some ways Paul tells Timothy to keep his head in all situations?
- Give an example of a situation where it may be easy to lose your head in the world’s ways instead of God’s ways.
Apply it!
- What’s something you can do every day to help keep your head in all situations?
Going Further (This can be something you encourage your group to do on their own, or if you have time you can do it during your Huddle):
- What are the commendations and condemnations of the churches in Rev. 2-3?
- How can those things help us be better prepared for Christ’s return?
Prayer TACOS
Thank God for giving us signs for the end days so that we can be better prepared.
Adoration- Worship the Lord for His perfect plan not only for our life, but for the entire world
Confess the times when you’ve neglected sound doctrine and teaching because you wanted to do your own thing instead of following the Lord
Others- Pray that the Lord would bring someone into your life that you can start discussing the truth of the scripture with.
Self- Ask the Lord to guide you to keep your head in all situations
Closing thoughts
Today we looked at a couple of the warning signs that the Bible gives us about the end times. Some of these things are cryptic, scary, and overwhelming, but as Jesus reminded us in that these signs mean our redemption is near. He also tells us to watch carefully for what is going on in the world around us for clues that the end is near.
Paul reminds us that the things that will happen near the end is that people will turn away from God because of false teaching laid out by demons. At first when I read that, I thought that those teachings would be obvious. Things like sacrificing goats and drinking their blood, worshiping Satan, but it won’t be like that. Satan is the father of lies, and as such he takes what is true and good, and gives it a little twist. So the teaching still sounds good, it’s not too far off base.
This is why it is imperative that we know God through His word. He will not tell us to do anything that contradicts it. He won’t tell us to do anything outside what He has already spoken. So when a teaching goes against that, we have to know God’s word so we can listen to what He says instead of the world around us. At some time or another we all get itchy ears and when people say things that scratch that itch, it makes us feel good. Helps us justify our sin. Lets us keep living how we want. That’s when we need people around us to bring us back to the truth. Who are you surrounding yourself with? People that tell you what you want to hear or people that tell you what you need to hear?