#9 Mark 6:7-44 "Jesus in Tragedy and Triumph"

The Gospel of Mark: Servanthood, Discipleship, and Following Jesus
#9 Mark 6:7-44 "Jesus in Tragedy and Triumph"
Sunday, October 31st - Reformation Day/Halloween!Mission - Empowered and Sent (Mark 6:7-13)

1. Have you served in any sort of apprenticeship? What do you remember about the first time you did the work on your own? 
2. What are the advantages of working as a team in mission work? What are the dangers of going alone? 
3. When people know that you are Jesus' ambassador, what do they see? 
4. How should Jesus' restrictions on what the apostles should take with them be applied today? 
5. What are the advantages to having few possessions? What are the advantages to having abundant possessions? What are the dangers of either situation? 
6. What are the advantages to staying in someone's home on the mission field, as compared to staying in paid lodging or on a missionary compound? 
7. What might we do or say as an equivalent to the custom of shaking the dust off one's feet when leaving an unreceptive town?  
8. How would you define repentance to someone who had never been in a church? 
9. What are the thematic connections between the story of Jesus' sending the Twelve on their mission and the beheading of John the Baptist? 
10. What is the true definition of success with regard to missions? What, then, is the nature of failure? 

Tragedy - Unbelief and Death (Mark 6:14-29)

1. Which is harder, dying for Jesus once or living radically sold out to Jesus day after day, year after year? 
2. What is the most recent example you have heard of a martyr for Christ? What is the most recent example of persecution you heard of in your own country? 
3. What reactions have you seen in today's world that could be characterized as fear of Christianity? 
4. Why did Herod fear John, and what was he (Herod) tormented after his (John's) death? If you live radically for Christ, who might fear you, and why? 
5. What are the right reasons non-Christians should fear Christians? What are some bad ways some Christians cause fear and loathing in society? 
6. What unbiblical practices in your own country are popular, so that if you spoke out against them, you would be persecuted? Should you speak out anyway? 
7. What other cases do you know of where someone has used sex and lust to manipulate a leader? How can a leader prepare his or her mind and heart to resist such manipulation? 
8. Is there any person or leader you fear more than God? Are you tempted to protect your own reputation rather than honoring God? 
9. How would you explain to a non-Christian why bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people? How would you explain it in a Sunday school class? 
10. Who do you think of that, "Even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith"?

Triumph - Miracles and Provision (Mark 6:30-44)

1. What do you think was Jesus' purpose in having the apostles report about their mission? What benefit is there in sharing failures with a group? What benefit in sharing successes? 
2. Do you have a tendency to work too much or too little? When Jesus invited the disciples to come away to a remote place, what does that say about the balance of work and rest? 
3. What would be your ideal timing for periods of rest? What kind of activity in what kind of place restores your spiritual energy and equips you to resume ministry with renewed vigor? 
4. How is a spiritual sabbatical different from a vacation? Can the two be combined? 
5. Have there ever been times that you were so tired you seemed to have no compassion? What is the remedy for this deficiency? 
6. Are peoples' "felt needs" sometimes different from what they really need? How can you determine what are the real needs of the people to whom you minister? 
7. How can we meet the physical needs of people without turning our ministry into a "social gospel"? How can we advance the gospel of salvation without neglecting the physical needs of people? How is the response of the crowd a warning for us (John 6:15, 26-27)? 
8.  How did Jesus keep the feeding of the five thousand from being a mere social gospel? Was the miracle for the benefit of the crowd or for the disciples (see Mark 8:16-21)? 
9. Have you ever known of a situation where the resources and manpower were clearly inadequate to complete the ministry task that God had unquestionably assigned? What happened? 
10. What are some events that have brought you the most spiritual encouragement and prompted the most praise to God? Do these often arise out of impossible challenges?