The Imminent Return of Jesus | Pastor Tim Notz

Devotional

Day 1: Oil Lamps and Open Doors

The disciples huddled behind locked doors, hearts racing as rumors of resurrection swirled. Jesus appeared unannounced, scars visible, broiled fish in hand. He calmed their fears with tangible proof: "Touch Me." Two thousand years later, James writes to believers straining toward Christ’s return: "Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand." The Judge stands at the door, not to condemn but to gather those who’ve kept their lamps lit. [05:35]

Early Christians lived with urgency, expecting Christ’s return within their lifetimes. Jesus’ resurrection body—physical yet glorified—proves His power to transform mortal bodies into eternal ones. This truth fuels readiness: trimmed wicks, oil stocked, eyes fixed on the door.

Many of us live as if eternity’s a distant theory. We ration spiritual oil, assuming we’ll refill when storms brew. But midnight comes unannounced. What habit, relationship, or compromise would leave you scrambling if He returned tonight?

"Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its precious crop... You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near."
(James 5:8, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal one area where your lamp grows dim.

Challenge: Text one believer today with this phrase: “He’s near—let’s stay ready.”

Day 2: Armor in Daylight

Paul gripped his parchment, urgency sharpening each stroke: "Wake from sleep! Salvation’s nearer now." Roman Christians shuffled feet, remembering last night’s drunken feasts or today’s bitter quarrels. The apostle listed sins like battle gear—orgies, jealousy, sensuality—then commanded: "Clothe yourselves with Christ." [14:41]

Night hides stains; daylight exposes them. Christ’s return isn’t escape from reality but invasion of pure light. To "put on the Lord" means draping His character over our raw edges—kindness over gossip, purity over lust, peace over strife.

You wouldn’t attend a wedding in pajamas. Yet we often approach eternity dressed in yesterday’s compromises. What threadbare habit clings to you, clashing with your Bridegroom’s robe of righteousness?

"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."
(Romans 13:12, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one specific "deed of darkness" you’ve rationalized.

Challenge: Delete one app or unsubscribe from one service feeding compromise today.

Day 3: Stirring Dust in the Aisles

Hebrew believers skipped gatherings, weary of persecution’s heat. The author pleaded: "Don’t forsake assembling!" Early churches met in homes, breaking bread while scanning skies for Christ’s return. Their togetherness wasn’t optional—it stoked faith’s embers into flame. [07:51]

Isolation extinguishes hope; friction between saints sparks revival. Jesus designed His Church as a forge—hammering pride, melting cold hearts, shaping warriors. When we avoid accountability, we miss the anvil’s transforming blows.

You’ve felt the pull to worship alone—no messy relationships, no challenging conversations. But who needs your encouragement today? Whose faith would falter without your presence?

"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together... but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
(Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for three people who’ve "spurred you on" recently.

Challenge: Call someone who missed church last week. Say: “We noticed you.”

Day 4: Unadulterated Hearts

Jesus climbed the Galilean hillside, crowds trailing like curious children. "Blessed are the pure in heart," He declared, eyes locking with a tax collector hiding in back. The Greek "katharos" meant unadulterated—no additives, no hidden agendas. Two millennia later, John warned believers: "Abide in Him so you won’t shrink in shame." [32:47]

A divided heart breeds shame at Christ’s appearing. Purity isn’t perfection but singular focus—like a bride fixated on her Groom’s face, not her dress’s wrinkles. Every idol we entertain adulterates our devotion.

What subtle compromise have you labeled "harmless"? What false lover shares your heart’s altar with Jesus?

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."
(Matthew 5:8, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to expose any "foreign substance" diluting your love for Him.

Challenge: Write down one impurity. Burn or tear the paper as a surrender act.

Day 5: Torn Hearts, Not Garments

Joel watched Israelites rend robes while hoarding idols. "Tear your hearts!" the prophet thundered. Centuries later, Jesus praised a tax collector’s raw prayer over a Pharisee’s polished performance. True repentance requires guts, not garments—vulnerability before the Judge at the door. [48:15]

God rejects cosmetic repentance. He wants hearts split open like pomegranates—juice-stained hands, seeds exposed. Our Judge became Advocate, His scars pleading our case. But mercy assumes remorse; grace demands transformation.

Are you managing sin or massacring it? Does your repentance cost more than comfortable words?

"Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love."
(Joel 2:13, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one sin aloud to God, using its raw name—no generalizations.

Challenge: Fast one meal today. Spend that time praying Psalm 51:1-12.

Sermon Summary

The imminent return of Jesus takes central attention and urgency. Scripture passages across the New Testament portray Christ returning at any moment, and early believers lived with constant expectancy. That imminence drives a call to holiness, practical readiness, and sober self-examination. Scripture repeatedly links the coming of the Lord with moral seriousness: believers must abandon ongoing sin, put the flesh to death, and walk in the light rather than managing darkness.

The text stresses both justification and sanctification. Justification declares the believer legally clean at conversion, while sanctification begins immediately and unfolds as a daily process of becoming more like Christ. Water baptism appears as an outward symbol of dying to the old self and rising into new life, marking obedience and a public turning away from sin. Spiritual growth requires sustained proximity to God so the old patterns loosen their hold and true change happens.

Community and corporate assembly emerge as practical engines of readiness. Regular gathering, exhortation, small groups, and mutual accountability sharpen love and good works and help expose and uproot hidden sin. The biblical picture links watchfulness in prayer with fellowship, urging believers to stir one another toward holiness as the day approaches.

A clear pastoral summons appears to live with holy fear and affectionate longing. Fear of the Lord means awe and careful living under God’s gaze rather than terror. That reverence produces clarity of heart so that those who are pure in heart see God and experience a transformed life. Mercy does not equal approval of sin; patience invites repentance, but judgment remains real.

The text closes with a direct gospel invitation. The choice between eternal life and eternal separation stands plainly. Repentance, faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, and personal surrender remain the pathway into restored fellowship with God. The call emphasizes immediate response, ongoing growth, and the practical steps—confession, baptism, community, and disciplined dependence on Christ—that shape a life ready for the Lord’s return.

Key Takeaways

1. Christ's return is imminent Belief in an imminent return reorients daily priorities and moral attention. Expectancy pressures the heart to choose authenticity over religious performance and to measure actions against eternity. Living with that tension refocuses the disciple on obedience, not escapism. [01:48]
2. Live holy not escape mentality Holiness becomes the proper response to longing for heaven rather than a flight from earth. True longing produces transformation of habits and attitudes, not resignation to sin or spiritual neglect. A right desire for Christ fuels incremental obedience, not reckless indifference. [12:10]
3. Sanctification begins at repentance Repentance instantly justifies and simultaneously launches a lifelong sanctifying work that changes desires and character. Sanctification demands daily choices to align thought and action with Scripture, not merely a one-time moral effort. Growth unfolds within grace as the Spirit reshapes motives into love for God. [42:31]
4. Expose and kill recurring sin Hidden sins gain strength when excused or managed; exposing them breaks their power and enables decisive action. The biblical picture calls for confronting entrenched patterns until they surrender, turning former chains into sources of empathy for others. The discipline of honestly naming sin invites the Spirit to apply healing and authority. [25:14]
5. Community fuels spiritual readiness Corporate assembly, mutual exhortation, and small groups cultivate vigilance and practical holiness. Social accountability helps reveal the blind spots that solitary spirituality often misses and provides concrete resources for change. Fellowship sharpens devotion so personal readiness becomes shared momentum. [07:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:48] - Imminent Return Defined
[04:52] - Early Church Expectation
[12:10] - Call to Holiness
[19:46] - Dealing With Sin
[21:20] - Baptism and Dying to Self
[32:14] - Purity of Heart Explained
[42:31] - Justification and Sanctification
[47:09] - Gospel Invitation
[50:21] - Response and Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Romans 13:11-14 (ESV)
1 John 2:28 (ESV)

Observation questions

In Romans 13:11-14, what specific actions does Paul urge believers to take in light of salvation drawing near?
According to 1 John 2:28, what is the result of "abiding in Him" when Christ returns?
The sermon emphasized that holiness is a response to longing for Christ’s return rather than an "escape mentality." What practical examples were given to illustrate this contrast? [12:10]

Interpretation questions

Why does Paul link "waking from sleep" (Romans 13:11) with "casting off the works of darkness" (v. 12)? How do these ideas connect to living with urgency?
What does it mean to "abide in Him" (1 John 2:28) in the context of daily choices and habits? How does this relate to avoiding shame at His coming?
The sermon described "fear of the Lord" as awe and careful living, not terror. How does this kind of fear shape our response to recurring sin? [26:00]

Application questions

What recurring sin or attitude have you been "managing" instead of exposing and putting to death? What practical step could you take this week to confront it? [19:46]
How could you intentionally "abide in Him" this week through specific habits (e.g., prayer, Scripture, worship) to cultivate confidence for Christ’s return?
The sermon stressed that community helps expose blind spots. Who in your life has permission to ask you hard questions about your spiritual readiness? If no one, how could you initiate this? [07:20]
The phrase "make no provision for the flesh" (Romans 13:14) includes subtle compromises. What environments, relationships, or routines might you need to adjust to avoid feeding sinful desires?
If Christ’s return is imminent, what one priority in your schedule, finances, or relationships would shift? How?
The sermon warned against confusing God’s mercy with approval of sin. Where have you been tempted to assume God’s patience means indifference toward your choices? [30:20]
Baptism was described as a public declaration of dying to self. If you haven’t been baptized, what hesitations hold you back? If you have, how does this truth renew your commitment to live "raised to new life"? [21:44]

Sermon Clips

You know, when you come before the lord and you begin to live your life right and you realize the depth of what he did on the cross and the blood that was shed and you really get that on the inside, you you stop sinning and your shame just begins to leave and you can live free. You cannot live free and commit ongoing sin. You can't. It it's like a it's like a a just thing that's attached to you. It's like a heavy weight that's attached to you and you're carrying it around with you everywhere you go. I know this is a heavy message but again it's just something that we've got to hear. If you believe that his return is imminent, then you need to change. I need to change, you need to change, we as a church need to change. [00:29:01] (47 seconds) #ChangeForChrist

Now, if that's you and you're in here, you need to turn your heart to Jesus. And the beautiful thing is that he gave his life for you because of his great love for the world, not just for believers in here but for the world, For anybody who would turn to him and give their life to him and say, I wanna follow you, Jesus. I trust you. I believe you died on the cross for me. He's he's quick to forgive and he's quick to restore and he and he's quick to move us forward and and to bless our lives but us as believers, we have a responsibility to get sin out of our lives and you know the sin that you deal with. You need to deal with it. [00:18:47] (44 seconds) #TurnToJesusNow

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The Imminent Return of Jesus | Pastor Tim Notz | 4/26/2026