10/11/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B7PLWv4ob/
📖 “DON’T BE LEFT BEHIND: FROM GRACE TO JUDGMENT”
Main Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; Revelation 9:1–12
Gospel Text: 1 Corinthians 15:1–4 KJV
Theme: In a Dispensational reading, we must distinguish the present Dispensation of the Grace of God from the coming prophetic judgment associated with Israel and the Day of the Lord. The believer’s hope is not to endure God’s prophetic wrath, but to be caught up with Christ. Therefore, the urgent message today is not “prepare yourself for the Tribulation,” but “Believe the Gospel of the Grace of God while salvation is freely offered in Christ.”
🔰 INTRODUCTION — GRACE TODAY, JUDGMENT TOMORROW
Revelation 9 contains one of Scripture’s most terrifying descriptions of future judgment. When the fifth trumpet sounds, John sees a star fallen from heaven, the bottomless pit opened, smoke covering the air, and extraordinary locust-like creatures coming upon the earth.
📖 Revelation 9:3 KJV
“And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power…”
But from a Dispensational perspective, we must rightly divide this passage.
📖 2 Timothy 2:15
Revelation 9 is not describing the normal Christian life during the present Dispensation of Grace. Neither should every war, plague, earthquake, or modern disaster automatically be identified as one of Revelation’s trumpet judgments.
Paul reveals the distinct hope of the Body of Christ:
📖 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
“…the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them…”
And Paul declares:
📖 1 Thessalonians 5:9
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath…”
Therefore, the great question is not:
“Can I survive Revelation 9?”
The greater question is:
“AM I IN CHRIST?”
There is still a message of grace being proclaimed today.
📖 2 Corinthians 6:2
“…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
1️⃣ THE PRESENT PERIOD OF GRACE
📖 Ephesians 3:1–9; Romans 5:20–21; 2 Corinthians 6:2
Before preaching Revelation’s coming judgments, we need to understand where we are in God's dispensational program.
We presently live under the message committed to the Apostle Paul concerning the Dispensation of the Grace of God.
A. GRACE IS PROCLAIMED
📖 Ephesians 3:2
“If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward…”
God's message today is not:
Keep the Mosaic Law and earn righteousness.
Rather:
📖 Romans 3:24
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Salvation is freely offered because Christ has already accomplished redemption.
B. GRACE IS PROVIDED
📖 Romans 5:20
“…But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”
No sinner is too sinful for Christ's crosswork.
Your salvation does not depend upon cleaning yourself up enough for God to accept you.
It depends upon the sufficiency of Christ.
📖 Ephesians 1:6
We are “accepted in the beloved.”
🔥 YOU DO NOT MAKE YOURSELF ACCEPTABLE TO GOD; GOD ACCEPTS THE BELIEVER IN CHRIST.
C. GRACE MUST BE PERSONALLY BELIEVED
📖 Ephesians 1:13
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation…”
The Gospel must be heard and believed.
Not:
❌ church membership
❌ water baptism
❌ law keeping
❌ religious ceremonies
❌ good works
But faith in what Christ accomplished.
📖 1 Corinthians 15:1–4
Christ died for our sins.
He was buried.
He rose again the third day.
2️⃣ THE PROMISED RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH
📖 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15:51–53; Philippians 3:20–21
The Body of Christ has a distinctive heavenly hope.
Our expectation is not Antichrist.
Our expectation is Christ.
A. THE RETURN OF CHRIST FOR HIS CHURCH
📖 1 Thessalonians 4:16
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven…”
Notice:
THE LORD HIMSELF.
Our hope is not merely escaping trouble.
Our hope is being gathered to our Lord.
Paul writes:
📖 Titus 2:13
“Looking for that blessed hope…”
B. THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD IN CHRIST
📖 1 Thessalonians 4:16
“…the dead in Christ shall rise first.”
Death does not cancel God's promise to the believer.
The cemetery is not the believer's final destination.
📖 1 Corinthians 15:52
“…the dead shall be raised incorruptible…”
Every believer who has died in Christ awaits resurrection.
C. THE REMOVAL OF THE LIVING BELIEVERS
📖 1 Thessalonians 4:17
“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds…”
Paul reveals a glorious mystery:
📖 1 Corinthians 15:51
“We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.”
In a Dispensational pre-tribulational understanding, this catching away is distinct from Christ's later visible return in judgment.
🔥 THE BODY OF CHRIST IS LOOKING FOR CHRIST—NOT LOOKING FOR THE LOCUSTS OF REVELATION 9.
3️⃣ THE PROPHETIC RESUMPTION OF JUDGMENT
📖 Revelation 6:1–17; Revelation 9:1–12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–3
After the present mystery program reaches its divinely appointed completion, God's prophetic dealings and judgment move toward fulfillment.
Here we must distinguish Prophecy from Mystery.
A. PROPHECY CONCERNS EARTHLY EVENTS
📖 Acts 3:21
Peter spoke concerning things:
“…which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”
Compare that with Paul's revelation:
📖 Romans 16:25
“…the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.”
That contrast is crucial.
Prophecy — spoken since the world began.
Mystery — kept secret since the world began.
B. PUNISHMENT COMES UPON A REBELLIOUS WORLD
📖 Revelation 6:16–17
“…the great day of his wrath is come…”
Humanity presently experiences suffering because we live in a fallen creation, but Revelation describes specific divine judgments.
Therefore, we should not carelessly label every modern catastrophe as a Revelation judgment.
Revelation describes an appointed prophetic program.
C. PEACE WILL PROVE DECEPTIVE
📖 1 Thessalonians 5:3
“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them…”
Humanity wants peace without the Prince of Peace.
It wants a kingdom without God's King.
It wants prosperity without submission to God.
But human rebellion ultimately meets divine judgment.
🔥 THE WORLD CANNOT PERMANENTLY ESCAPE THE GOD IT CONTINUES TO REJECT.
4️⃣ THE PUNISHMENT PICTURED IN REVELATION
📖 Revelation 9:1–12
Revelation 9 should not merely satisfy our curiosity about strange creatures. Its purpose should impress upon us the seriousness of divine judgment.
A. THE PIT IS OPENED
📖 Revelation 9:1–2
The bottomless pit is opened, and smoke rises from it.
The imagery immediately communicates something terrifying:
restrained evil is being released under divine permission.
Even here, however, Satanic forces are not sovereign.
God remains sovereign.
B. THE POWER IS LIMITED
📖 Revelation 9:3–5
The locusts receive power, but their authority has boundaries.
Notice the repeated concept:
“it was given.”
They do not possess unlimited authority.
They cannot simply do whatever they desire.
Even in judgment:
GOD REMAINS IN CONTROL.
C. THE PAIN IS TERRIBLE
📖 Revelation 9:5–6
The passage describes torment so severe that men will seek death.
This is not material for entertainment or sensational prophecy preaching.
It demonstrates the seriousness of divine wrath.
But again, our message today is not:
“Try to survive Revelation 9.”
Our message is:
“BE RECONCILED TO GOD THROUGH CHRIST.”
📖 2 Corinthians 5:20
5️⃣ THE PERSONAL RESPONSE TO THE GOSPEL
📖 1 Corinthians 15:1–4; Ephesians 1:13; Romans 4:5
Prophecy should never distract us from the Gospel.
Knowing every prophetic chart will not save anyone.
You can correctly identify every seal, trumpet, beast, and kingdom—and still be lost.
The issue is:
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST?
A. HEAR THE GOSPEL
📖 Ephesians 1:13
“…after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation…”
You cannot believe a Gospel you have never understood.
The Gospel today is clearly declared through Paul's epistles.
📖 1 Corinthians 15:3–4
CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS.
HE WAS BURIED.
HE ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY.
B. BELIEVE THE GOSPEL
📖 Romans 4:5
“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly…”
Salvation is not a religious process through which you gradually become worthy of heaven.
It is received by faith in Christ and His finished work.
You don't help Christ save you.
You trust what Christ has already accomplished.
🔥 FAITH DOES NOT ADD SOMETHING TO THE CROSS—FAITH RESTS IN WHAT THE CROSS ACCOMPLISHED.
C. REST IN THE GOSPEL
📖 Ephesians 1:13–14
After believing, the believer is:
SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE.
Salvation is not:
Believe today, earn it tomorrow, maintain it afterward.
The believer's security rests in Christ.
📖 Romans 8:38–39
Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
🔥 CONCLUSION — GRACE WILL NOT ALWAYS CHARACTERIZE GOD'S DEALINGS WITH THIS WORLD
Today God is extending reconciliation through the Gospel.
📖 2 Corinthians 5:19–20
But Scripture also reveals coming judgment.
Revelation 9 reminds us that God's patience should never be mistaken for indifference toward sin.
Yet the believer's message is not merely:
“BE AFRAID OF WHAT IS COMING.”
It is:
“BELIEVE WHAT CHRIST HAS ALREADY DONE.”
Christ died for your sins.
Christ was buried.
Christ rose again.
Salvation has been completely provided through His finished crosswork.
📣 CALL TO ACTION — THREE B's
A. BELIEVE THE GOSPEL
📖 1 Corinthians 15:1–4
Stop trusting:
religion, rituals, works, morality, denominational membership, or personal righteousness.
Trust Christ's finished work.
B. BE ESTABLISHED IN TRUTH
📖 Romans 16:25
Paul writes:
“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel…”
Don't build your doctrine merely from frightening internet prophecy claims.
Study Scripture rightly divided.
📖 2 Timothy 2:15
Understand the difference between:
Israel and the Body of Christ.
Prophecy and Mystery.
Law and Grace.
Rapture and Revelation.
C. BROADCAST THE GOSPEL
📖 2 Corinthians 5:20
“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ…”
Don't merely argue about prophecy.
PREACH CHRIST.
Your family needs the Gospel.
Your friends need the Gospel.
Your neighbors need the Gospel.
The lost world needs the Gospel.
🔥 DON'T ONLY WARN PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT IS COMING—TELL THEM WHAT CHRIST HAS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED.
💡 FINAL THOUGHTS
1️⃣ PRESENT GRACE — GOD IS OFFERING SALVATION.
📖 Ephesians 3:2; Romans 3:24
2️⃣ PROMISED RAPTURE — THE BODY OF CHRIST HAS A BLESSED HOPE.
📖 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18
3️⃣ PROPHETIC RESUMPTION — GOD'S PROPHETIC PROGRAM WILL REACH FULFILLMENT.
📖 Acts 3:21; Romans 16:25
4️⃣ PUNISHMENT — REVELATION WARNS OF REAL DIVINE JUDGMENT.
📖 Revelation 9:1–12
5️⃣ PERSONAL RESPONSE — BELIEVE THE GOSPEL NOW.
📖 1 Corinthians 15:1–4; Ephesians 1:13
✝️ DON'T PREPARE TO MEET THE LOCUSTS—BE PREPARED TO MEET CHRIST.
DON'T TRUST RELIGION.
DON'T TRUST YOUR WORKS.
DON'T TRUST YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
TRUST CHRIST AND HIS FINISHED CROSSWORK.
📖 CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS.
HE WAS BURIED.
HE ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY.
— 1 CORINTHIANS 15:1–4 KJV
TODAY: GRACE IS BEING OFFERED.
OUR HOPE: CHRIST IS COMING.
OUR MESSAGE: PREACH THE GOSPEL.
