The Coming of The Lord | John Bevere
Sunday, April 19
John Bevere brings a powerful message on The Return of Jesus at Free Chapel. Discover why living with eager expectation for Christ’s return purifies us and keeps us ready for the King who is coming soon.
Key Verses
Luke 2:25; Luke 2:38; Luke 12:35-36; I Corinthians1:7; II Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 9:28;
Colossians 3:1-2; Philippians 3:18-20; I John 3:2-3; Matthew 24:48; II Peter 3:3-4; II
Peter 3:8; Philippians 4:5; James 5:8; I Peter 4:7; Revelation 3:11; Revelation 22:7;
Revelation 22:12; Luke 12:35-36; Matthew 25:1-8; Ephesians 5:5-6; Ephesians 5:15;
Jude 1:4; I John 2:24; I John 3:24; I John 2:28; Revelation 19:7-8
Puntos clave
· There are three distinguishing characteristics of those who received Christ at
his First Coming. Simeon was righteous, devout, and eagerly waiting for the
Messiah. When Jesus spoke about his Second Coming, he told the Church to take
on the same characteristics. Stay dressed for action, keep your lamps burning, and
remain eagerly waiting for Jesus to come again.
· Set your sights on Jesus’ Second Coming. When you set your sights on the
things of heaven, it creates eager expectation. Where your eyes are set determines
what you think about. When your mind isn’t focused on a task, it will always go back
to what it’s set on. Setting your mind on Jesus’ Second Coming empowers you to
live a pure life, forgiving and loving others selflessly without yielding to the desires of
your flesh.
· Keep your lamps burning. According to Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins, only fifty
percent of the Church is ready for his Second Coming. Be careful how you live, not
like the foolish who excuse sin, but like the wise who live righteously. Obeying
Jesus’ commands keeps you in fellowship with him.
Introducción
Today we’ll look at the message “The Coming of the Lord” by John Bevere, part of the Return of Jesus series. In this teaching, author and minister John Bevere speaks about the importance of being truly ready for Christ’s return. He encourages us to live with an “eager expectation,” keeping our hearts focused on Jesus and His promise to come again.
He also points out that many of the Bible’s teachings about the end times are directed not to outsiders, but to believers and the Church. This matters because it challenges us to examine our own lives. It’s possible to be involved in church yet still live in a way that isn’t aligned with Christ—something Bevere urges us to take seriously.
At the same time, this message isn’t meant to create fear. Scripture speaks often about Jesus’ return—one of its most repeated themes—not to alarm us, but to prepare us. God’s Word gives us a hopeful perspective that refines our lives and lifts our focus toward heaven. When we keep eternity in view, it stirs urgency, encourages purity, and awakens a genuine readiness, rather than allowing us to drift into complacency.
This week we will dig into:
· The Key to Personal Purification
· Stay Dressed for Action
· The Urgency of ‘Soon’
LET’S START THE DISCUSSION:
· What stood out to you in this past Sunday’s message?
· Does the talk of the ‘return of Jesus’ fill you with joy, concern, or a mixture of both? Why?
Eager Expectation – The Key to Personal Purification
John Bevere shows in Luke 2:25-38, how we see this active and expectant anticipation by two older and faithful witnesses who recognize the infant Jesus as the promised Messiah. ‘Simeon, who was righteous and devout…it had been revealed to Him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.’ Likewise, ‘There was also a prophet, Anna… She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying… gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.’
Notice the righteousness and faithfulness in both Simeon and Anna. It was through active, long-term devotion, consistent prayer, fasting, and worship in the Temple that they remained focused. It is written that they were elderly; they patiently waited because of their hopeful expectation.
Our duty or responsibility is to be prepared, to remain pure, as the Bride of Christ. The Apostle John shows us the principle that setting our sights on heaven and eagerly awaiting Christ’s return gives us power to purify ourselves, even as He is pure.
"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure." 1 John 3:2-3
When we are seeking the Lord, and guided by His Holy Spirit, our behavior changes. No longer are we slaves to sin and worldliness.
· What causes us to remain eager about His coming?
· What are the signs, cues that show you are eagerly awaiting? How does this affect how you walk in your personal daily life?
Stay Dressed for Action
Jesus calls us to live in constant readiness for His return: “Stay dressed for action” and “keep your lamps burning,” like faithful servants eagerly waiting for their master (Luke 12:35-40).
Luke 12:35-40 (NIV): “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes… You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
This is not passive waiting. The Bride of Christ makes herself ready through righteous acts and daily obedience—not merely belief (Revelation 19:7-8). Spiritual preparation cannot be borrowed at the last minute, as the foolish virgins learned in Matthew 25 when their lamps went out.
Revelation 19:7-8 (NIV): “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure—for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
John Bevere shared that studying Jesus’ return deeply transformed him: he became more passionate about winning souls, calmer with his family, and less easily offended. He discovered that eager expectation of Christ’s return purifies us and gives power over sin (1 John 3:2-3). When we set our sights on heaven and remain in fellowship with Jesus by obeying His commands, we gain strength to live holy.
Discussion Question
· John Bevere explains that eager expectation of Jesus’ return gives us power to purify ourselves (1 John 3:2-3). Share an area in your life where you sometimes struggle with sin, distraction, or compromise. How could fixing your eyes more firmly on Christ’s return and living with that sense of urgency help you overcome it?
· (Optional follow-up) In contrast, Jesus warns that when servants think “My master is delayed,” they begin to mistreat others, give in to the flesh, and live carelessly (Matthew 24:48-51). Why do you think a lack of expectation about Jesus’ soon return often leads to spiritual complacency and sin?
· Read Luke 12:35-40 and Revelation 19:7-8. What does it practically look like for you to “stay dressed for action” and “keep your lamps burning” in daily life? What specific righteous acts help make the bride ready?
Illustrations
A bride once spent months carefully making her own wedding dress, pouring love into every detail. She wouldn’t appear in a wrinkled or stained gown—that would show the day meant little to her. Jesus is returning for a bride who has made herself fully ready through consistent holy living.
In engineering school, the dean warned freshmen that 50% would fail out by year’s end. That urgency drove serious students to work hard from day one, while those who partied later felt shame. In the same way, living ready for Jesus keeps us diligent now so we will meet Him with confidence, not shame.
Challenge
Stay dressed. Keep your lamps burning. Remain eager. Consistent obedience and righteous acts are how we prepare daily. This is not about earning salvation—it is the natural fruit of a heart that truly loves Jesus and longs for His appearing.
The Urgency of “Soon” – Living with Heavenly Perspective
God’s timing is perfect and eternal. “But beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8-9, NKJV). God’s divine timetable has kept Christ’s return urgent in every generation. This truth empowers believers to overcome sin through eager expectation. Proper eschatology doesn’t breed fear but fosters urgency, calm hearts, and bold witness for Christ.
Since Christ’s ascension, scoffers have followed sinful desires and dismissed his coming. “Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation’” (2 Peter3: 3-4, NKJV). This attitude is spiritually dangerous. It dulls our minds and blinds our hearts to the nearness of Christ’s coming.
In contrast, believers should live as a bride preparing for her Bridegroom’s return. Pastor Bevere’s image of a spotless bride captures the call to wholehearted devotion – without compromise – as we wait the day when Christ returns for His Church. Revelation 22:12 and 22:20 remind us: “Behold, I am coming quickly” (NKJV). We must prepare ourselves daily while eagerly expecting His return.
James 5:8 exhorts, “You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (NKJV).The Lord’s timing protects us; therefore, we must keep his imminent return ever-present in our minds. Each generation, including our own, must live prepared in faith, hope, and devotion to Jesus, our Bridegroom, who is coming soon.
· What does 2 Peter 3:8–9 teach you about God’s timing, and how does that help you trust Him when life feels slow or uncertain?
· Peter warns about “scoffers” (2 Peter 3:3–4). What are some everyday attitudes or habits that might make us forget Christ’s return, even without meaning to?
Conclusión
As we wrap up this study, let’s hold on to a few simple but important truths. Living with an eager expectation of Jesus’ return has a real impact on our lives—it helps shape us to become more like Him. It guards our hearts against apathy and weakens the pull of sinful desires, not by removing temptation, but by strengthening our desire to choose what is right.
This kind of expectant living also changes how we view His return. Instead of fear or shame, it builds a quiet confidence and joy in knowing we are walking closely with Him.
At its heart, this message is an invitation: to be ready. Like a bride preparing for her wedding day, we are called to live with intention—choosing righteousness and obedience in our daily lives. As we do, our lives begin to reflect just how much Jesus means to us, so that whenever He returns, we are ready to meet Him with joy.
Llamada a la acción:
Take time for an honest evaluation of your spiritual heart, attitude, and readiness for the return of Jesus.
Commit yourself to set your sights on heaven daily and to await “eagerly” and “expectantly” the return of Christ.
Spend time in your Bible each day, looking to keep plenty of oil in your lamp and keep it well trimmed so that you can “keep your lamp burning” for the Lord’s return.
Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and to give you discernment and resolve to stay “dressed for action.”
Journal what God is doing in your life and how you are responding to Him.
These simple steps can help you daily live a life of faithful expectation and readiness for Christ’s return.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You that even in these last days, You have given us a Spirit of hope and confidence that we would be able to overcome fear and be ready for Your return. Help us to be aware of the efforts of the world and our enemy to dilute our resolve to remain pure and compromise our readiness for Your return. Guide us by Your Holy Spirit to live with both urgency and faithful obedience so that our we are always ‘dressed for action’ and keep us in your word daily so that the oil in the lamp of our spirits will never be low.
In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
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