Feel free to use the personal illustrations, change them to fit anyway you like..
Picture this: you’re working a shift as a firefighter. The call comes in—a house fire with flames showing. As you roll toward the scene, you know that people are depending on you to help bring control to the chaos. Your crew is trained, prepared, and ready to face the dragon head-on. But, despite all your training, there’s still that moment where you wonder, will I be able to do enough to save everyone that is in danger?
The feeling of being thrown into the chaos but finding strength in your training—is similar to what Jesus was preparing His disciples for in Mark 13. In the scripture today, Jesus warns His disciples of impending destruction and turmoil to come. The disciples were stunned & shocked the same as we might be when the foundations of our lives begin to crack. But Jesus goes a little farther, He urges them to be ready, not to be alarmed, and to stay anchored in faith.
That’s the mindset we need as we get into this scripture today and begin to look at what Jesus is calling us to do when life feels out of control.
1. The Disciples were shocked (Mark 13:1-2) Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
The disciples saw the Temple as a symbol of God’s enduring presence—a solid foundation for their faith and community. When Jesus told them of its coming destruction, it shook them to their very core.
I want you to Think of something in your life that feels immovable—a familiar routine, a relationship, or a tradition that you cherish. Maybe it’s getting up and going to work every day , or a friendship with someone that you’ve had since childhood, or getting together with the whole family on holidays… Now Imagine it gone… How does it make you feel? Does it make your life feel a little unstable, like you’re drifting down the river without a paddle and no anchor to throw out?
Jesus wants us to examine the foundations we rely on. Are we trusting in things that, even though they are important, are ultimately only temporary? Or are we grounded in our faith, are we anchored to God, whose presence is eternal?
2. Signs of the Times (Mark 13:3-8) Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.
There are going to be False Prophets and Deception… Jesus gives the warning… that false messiahs and deception are coming. Think about it, in today’s world we have an abundance of voices telling us where to find happiness and where to find security, everyone from social media influencers to political leaders are telling us what we need to do and where we need to go in order to find what we are seeking, to find what we need to make us feel happy and secure. But I gotta tell you something… not all of these voices speak the truth…
When I was still on the job as a firefighter anytime, we responded to a major emergency, whether it was a fire, Haz-Mat incident or a rescue, we responded with multiple teams and sometimes multiple agencies, all trying to handle the situation or mitigate the incident. But if everyone was giving contradictory orders CHAOS would reign. But In those situations, you rely on the chain of command, and an Incident Commander who was the trusted voice to give direction and coordination to everyone involved...That voice was the anchor we relied on… In the same way, God’s voice is the anchor in the chaos, and His voice, His direction is what guides us through life’s emergencies.
And the Wars, Rumors of Wars, and Natural Disasters; The Conflict, natural disasters, and other crises we face today are unsettling, and we see plenty of them in today's world.
And Just like we prepared for different types of fires, in the fire service knowing that each one demanded it’s on unique approach, God wants us to be prepared spiritually for the “fires” of life. When challenges arise, we cannot rely on our strength alone, but we must rely on our faith in God’s strength and His wisdom.
3. So What’s Jesus Saying : “Do Not Be Alarmed”
He’s saying Trust in God: Jesus tells us don’t be alarmed by these signs because God is in control. Don’t be alarmed, God sees the whole picture.
One of the most important things I learned as a Firefighter, was to stay calm under pressure. Because when panic sets in, mistakes start to happen. We were taught to stay grounded, to follow our training, and to focus, so that we could navigate the danger.
Spiritually, when the world around us is chaotic, When we feel like everything is crumbling down around us we need to stay focused on God, knowing that He’s in control, and that we can find peace in His presence.
Jesus isn’t saying that we won’t face difficulty; as a matter of fact He told us that “In this world we would have trouble” But in the scripture today He’s reminding us that no matter what happens, no matter what’s going on, no matter how big the storm or how loud the thunder… God is steady and God is present and that through it all He is there and the Anchor will hold…
4. We need to live with eternity in mind
Jesus reminds us to endure and to share our faith. We need to turn times of uncertainty into opportunities to become beacons of hope.
Every time we were on a chaotic emergency scene, there were always people watching—bystanders, family members, neighbors, the news media… you name it, somebody was always watching. Our actions could either bring calm or add to the panic. It’s the same in our lives, when we live out our faith in confidence, we bring calm and hope to those around us.
Our purpose is to be a light to others, to show compassion and share the good news of Christ. When we focus on serving others, our fears and our anxiety begins to become less, and that allows us to become part of God’s healing work in the world.
5. The “Beginning of Sorrows” “ The Beginning of Birth Pains”
Jesus describes the trials coming as “the beginning of birth pains.” Just as labor pains are necessary to bring forth new life, the turmoil in the world is part of God’s unfolding plan.
I remember one time I was at the State Fire Academy taking HAZ-MAT tech and on our night time scenario everything went wrong—equipment malfunctioned, communication broke down, and we had so many setbacks. We started the scenario right at dusk and didn’t clear the scene until daybreak… But through the struggle, our team came out stronger & Wiser. The challenges strengthened our bond, built our skills, and prepared us for the real thing.
In God’s plan, trials prepare us and bring us closer to the fullness of His kingdom… We may not see the purpose of our suffering immediately, but we can trust that God is working to bring about His good purpose, for us and for the world.
We may face an unpredictable world, but the words of Jesus call us to trust in Him, to stay anchored when things get rough, and to focus on the mission of loving and serving others.
In firefighting, you have your protocols, your training, and your team to rely on. In faith, we have the promises of God, we have the Word, and the community of believers to depend on. We don’t face times of struggle alone. So, let’s be intentional in staying grounded in Christ, let’s seek peace in His promises, and bring hope to a world in need.
Amen & Amen
