Richard Ellis Talks

Guest (Male): Today on Richard Ellis Talks.

Richard Ellis: He said as you’re going or the imperative is not go, it is as you’re going, make disciples. The imperative is make disciples. You say, "Well, you keep saying this over and over and over again," because that is the baton that he passed. Make disciples. So, what are we supposed to be doing? Making disciples.

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Richard Ellis: The title of this message is Passing on the Baton. Turn to Matthew 28 and we’ll probably jump in at verse 16. Some of the stuff that you read in the Bible, you go, "Well, that’s just what happened." It’s what didn’t happen that amazes me. You say, "Well, this is all we know is what happened. And how do you know what didn’t happen?"

Jesus comes to earth, born of a virgin, lives a sinless life, arrested, beaten, dies on a cross, buried, raised from the dead. One of the things you think might have been possible is that Sunday morning, they go to the empty tomb and he’s just gone. He said he’d be raised from the dead and he’s gone, and that’s it. He doesn’t appear to anyone, he doesn’t say anything else, he’s just gone. You either believe it or you don’t and that’s it.

But God is merciful, even after the resurrection, because he knows us. He knows how we think. As clearly as everybody sees this, nobody expected, nobody went to the tomb, nobody believed Jesus was going to be gone. They all went to embalm him, put spices, something. They were all shocked. "You’ve stolen the body." They weren’t expecting a resurrection.

So, why did Jesus not just be raised from the dead and he’s out? Because he is merciful. He is gracious. He understands us. He knows what we’re going to need. He knows what history is going to need. And that even a departure is a process. Even Jesus demonstrated how you leave the planet after you’re raised from the dead, and he keeps us in mind.

Some horrible thing sometimes happens to people out of nowhere. Cataclysmic, catastrophic things just befall a family or an individual. From my experience, God is either merciful in the process of getting to that, even in the moment it happens, and then the processing of that afterwards. He sends people, his spirit works in and through us to help us absorb what it is that’s going on in our lives.

One commentator, I'll just read what he said. He said Jesus made numerous appearances to his followers. He comforted the mourners outside his tomb on Sunday morning. So, the women, the men that show up, women especially. On the road to Emmaus, you remember the story where the two guys are leaving Jerusalem, literally on the road to a city called Emmaus? Jesus joins them as they’re talking and they didn’t know it was him. He expounded from the Scriptures, everything out of the Old Testament basically.

Later he ate in their presence and invited them to touch him. So, he's demonstrating to them, "Look, I know you didn’t believe, but here I am." Appears, disappears. You say, "Well, what is that about?" Look, I don’t get caught up in the appearing and disappearing, all that stuff. You’re dealing with a God who created the universe, raises his son from the dead. These are not complicated things.

I mean, you’ll believe it once some magician on TV does something you can’t explain, but you won’t believe the Bible, right? Some freaky deal, a guy puts a nail through his arm, comes out the other side and you go, "Oh, that’s so cool. What? Is it demonic? He’s a magician." So, we think, "Well, I saw that happen." These people saw something happen, and God gave them mercy and time to process all of this.

So, he eats in front of them. Jesus was seen by more than 500, we'll read this at one time. And then he goes on to say some may argue that a few people could have agreed to a deception. But how can one explain the collaboration of 500 people? Then someone else comes along and says, "But you’re assuming that what the Bible says is even true. What if the guys that wrote it just made up all these facts so you would believe it?" At some point, you just have to believe.

When are you going to stop analyzing the Bible, just scrutinizing it so intensely, when you don’t do that to any other writings that come out of history? You just say, "Well, that’s it. That’s what it says. That’s what happened." At some point, you can believe history if it’s documented. And Jesus did enough things here to make it obvious that he was alive from the dead and he cared about the disciples even in the process of leaving.

Now, go to this Matthew 28, verse 16. Then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. So, he gave them a specific place. And when they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. So, this is even at the end when he’s about to ascend into heaven. Some are worshipping but there's still some like, "I just can’t get my head around it. I just have trouble believing."

And these are people that went where he told them to go. So, he sends them, they worshipped him, some doubted. Jesus came and spoke to them saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen."

Whatever you say when you’re leaving, the last words are a big deal. And this is the last thing that he says to them. He is passing on the baton. He has trained them for three years. He prepared for 30, trained them for three, did what he came to do, died, buried, raised from the dead. And now he spends 40 days, we'll see in a minute the Scripture says, passing this baton on, giving them some instruction and making sure they get it and understand what it is after he's gone.

And we'll read also where the Holy Spirit shows up, that they have the power, they have the authority given to them by him, and the power to do what he’s asked them to do. Go to Luke chapter 24, another place that this is kind of laid out. Luke 24:45. It says this, "And he opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then he said to them, 'Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.'"

So, he's telling them what they’re going to have to do and he’s telling them what to wait for. You don’t move without God moving. Timing is everything and they’re literally, this is down to the day. Jesus left about the 40th day after he was raised from the dead, left that 40th day. Then 10 days go by and the Holy Spirit shows up, but they waited. You don’t go out there in your own power, because you’ll get nothing done. You’ll get your butt kicked in your own power. You wait. And when he says move, then you move.

Go to Acts chapter one. The great thing about reading this out of Acts is that the writer here goes back and covers some things that happened and then kind of moves it forward a little bit. Acts chapter one, verse one. The writer here makes reference to something that he had written before. He said, "The former account I made, O Theophilus," so this is written to an individual, Theophilus, "of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach." So, what he did and what he taught.

"Until the day in which he was taken up." So, you say, "Well, then Jesus did his three years of ministry with these disciples, he died, buried, raised from the dead." He wasn't done. He kept teaching. He kept passing on the baton. He kept delivering what he wanted them to do and to be. So, he says, "Until that day in which he was taken up, after he through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom he also presented himself alive after his suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during 40 days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."

Unquestionable stuff. Keep reading there in Acts chapter one. "And being assembled together with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, 'which,' he said, 'you have heard from me. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.' Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him saying, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' And he said to them, 'It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the Lord has put in his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'"

This is somewhat of a no-brainer, but if you say, "Well, I’m not sure that this power has hit me yet." If you are a witness, you have power. You say, "Well, what if I’m not witnessing? What if I’m not doing anything with that? Does that mean I don’t have power?" You have power, you’re not using the power. You’re not accessing it. You’re not letting God live in you and through you the way he intended.

Keep going to verse nine. "Now when he had spoken these things, while they watched, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?'" Like, what are you doing staring up into the sky? "This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven."

So, how is Jesus going to come back? The same way he left. "Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. And when they had entered, they went up into an upper room where they were staying. Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers."

"And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about 120)," so there’s a bunch of people in this room, "and said, 'Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.'" Great story there.

"And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms: "Let his dwelling place be desolate, and let no one live in it," and, "Let another take his office." Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that first day he was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.'"

So, they have to pick someone who was there from the baptism of John until he was ascended into heaven, to be witness of the resurrection. And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two you have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the 11 apostles.

So, they replaced Judas by drawing straws basically. So, things continue to be put in order, even the replacement of Judas. Now, go to Acts chapter two, verse one. So, you’ve got Jesus, crucified, buried, raised from the dead. He appears, disappears, stays with them all these days. And it says when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

It doesn’t say the wind blew by the way. It said there was a sound like a mighty rushing wind. So, whatever that sound you can imagine. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And this is very important. Read your Bible, don’t just listen to crazy stuff people say. What happened? When the Holy Spirit shows up, look what happens.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues or languages is the word, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and were confused. Why were they confused? Because everyone heard them speak in his own language. And literally the word is dialect. Wherever they were from in a country, maybe there’s one language spoken, but their little part of the country spoke a specific dialect. They heard them speak in their own dialect. This is not possible.

Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans?" In other words, they’re kind of blue-collar rednecks. How would they possibly know my language? "And how is it that we hear each in our own language in which we were born?" It’s a miracle. The Holy Spirit shows up and uses this miracle of languages here to speak and signify what had happened.

So, the Holy Spirit does show up. In a way, Jesus kind of weans them off of himself for 40 days, leaves them for 10 days praying and waiting. And then bam, he hits them with what? The power and the presence of the Holy Spirit, which is equivalent to him. Go to 1 Corinthians 15. We did Acts chapter two, go to 1 Corinthians 15.

I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he was seen by Cephas," talking about Peter here, the rock, "then by the twelve. After that he was seen by over 500 brethren at once."

One time in a setting, Jesus shows up, 500 people and they see him. Still, some of them don’t believe, we saw a minute ago. But that’s a lot of people to have together and see Jesus, and everybody corroborate the story and lie together. We saw him. And after that he was seen by over 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep, euphemism there for dying.

"And after that he was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all he was seen by me also as one born out of due time." So, who’s the last person to see Jesus? Paul. "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God." But he is an apostle and the criteria here is that you had to have seen him. He saw him, had a massive impact on his life.

So, Jesus shows up, disappears, shows up, disappears, then finally ascends into heaven. And I just believe he’s coming back. And I think it’d be crazy cool to be alive when it happened, if you’re ready. Now, this is how he passed the baton onto this group of people. The twelve, the 120, the 500. One at a time, gives them instructions, tells them what to do.

Go to Hebrews chapter 12. Let me read you one little passage out of here. Hebrews chapter 12, verse one. Before we read this, let me recap something. Disciples making disciples. You go back and read in Matthew 28, all these passages. He said as you’re going or the imperative is not go, it is as you’re going, make disciples. The imperative is make disciples.

You say, "Well, you keep saying this over and over and over again," because that is the baton that he passed. Make disciples. So, what are we supposed to be doing? Making disciples. How do we make disciples? First of all, you go find out how did Jesus make disciples? What did he call a disciple? What did a disciple look like? Did it take time? What was the process?

So, listen close. If you are not making disciples, someone that you know you’ve poured all of this into and they are up and running and eventually they get to the place where they can do the same thing with someone else, it’s not working. You’re on the planet. I’m not saying you’re not a Christian, but instead of passing on the baton, you are passing on the baton. You say, "I’m out, no thank you." And then you wonder why you don’t feel like you’re doing what God made you to do. You’ve got to get in the race.

Now, read this out of Hebrews chapter 12, verse one. "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight." What is your weight? You say, "Oh, I have this sin." It may not be some simple little sin. The weight may be pressure to succeed. Don’t just go jumping and growing and trying to succeed and make more money. It may eat your whole life up. Figure out what God made you to do and left you here to do, and do that.

You say, "Well, I may not make as much money if I spend time doing what you’re saying to do." Who cares? What are you going to buy anyway? Find out what he made you to do. He saved you for a reason. You say, "Well, I think he saved me to go to heaven." Then why are you still here? Why did he leave you here? I don’t know.

Now, I know you say, "Well, you keep going back to this simple thing over and over." Go back. What’s the last instructions anyone passing on something to someone else? The last thing they say to you is usually really important. Go look at what he said and ask yourself the question, if this baton is being passed generation, generation, generation, and someone is literally trying to hand the baton to me in the race, and I’m not there, what is going to happen?

You say, "Well, I guess I’ll miss out on what God wanted me." It’s not just about you. You can’t just say, "Well, I screwed up and it’s just me." When you don’t take a baton, you don’t pass a baton. I found a definition for this baton deal and part of it was this: responsibility for something. If you pass the baton to someone, you give them responsibility for it. And if someone takes the baton or picks up the baton, they take responsibility for it.

So, what are we trying to do as a church? What am I trying to do? What are we trying to do as elders in this church? Put things in place and literally pass this baton, as it were, onto you so that when we drop dead, our kids have seen enough of this and we’ve passed it to them. Where after all of us in here are gone, it’s still going. That’s what he left in place. And you’re either part of that or you’re not.

Now, read that passage out of Hebrews I mentioned. Hebrews chapter 12. So, he says since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

As it turns out, this running the race that is set before you, it’s a relay race. And you have to be a part of taking it, taking responsibility for it, running your race with it, and then handing it off to someone else. You say, "Well, I think I know what you mean. I give money to the church." And? "I pray for sick people." I think that’s awesome. Where are your spiritual kids? Where are your spiritual grandkids? Where are your spiritual great-grandkids? You say, "Well, how’s that going to happen?" It’s right here. It’s what he did. It’s what he’s telling us to do.

You say, "Well, I don’t want to do that. I’m going to pass on the baton." It’s very expensive. Not just because of the impact it has on your life, it’s the lack of impact you have on someone else’s. You say, "Well, I just don’t know what I would do." Then learn. You take a new job, you figure out how to do the job or you lose the job. And the instruction manual is right here.

I read a story, and I’m just going to read this straight out of an article out of SportsGrid. This is back in the Olympics in 2012. In a feat of supernatural courage that could make even a virtual Greg Jennings jealous, U.S. 4x400 relay lead-off man Manteo Mitchell put the team on his back Thursday afternoon by finishing his split on the relay even though he broke his leg halfway through his run. Did anybody hear this story?

Considering what you or I might be able to do on a broken leg, which is limited to maybe breathing and sleeping, though the latter still might be difficult, what Mitchell did on his busted left fibula could go down as one of the greatest Olympic performances of all time. It wasn’t just that he ran 200 meters on a broken leg. He heard and felt his leg break, which I can only imagine is one of the more terrifying things that can happen to a human. Then he finished his split in an otherworldly 45 seconds.

He said he felt like he could go 40 seconds low back when both of his legs worked. Finally, his effort propelled the U.S. team to the event final Friday morning. This is an incredible alternative to Mitchell collapsing like when a normal person breaks their leg, leaving his teammates dead in the water. But by some act of God, Mitchell found it in himself to run roughly the length of two football fields on a broken leg.

What’s your excuse? You say, "Well, I can’t do that." Of course you can’t, and that’s part of what I’m talking about. Say, "God, I can’t, but you can. You have authorized me, you have empowered me, you live in me." So, here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to wake up every day and say I can’t, and then I’m going to say but you can, so let’s do this thing. And you run your race.

Guest (Male): We'll get back to Richard in a moment to close out today’s talk. But first, I want to share something with you about the program. Our mission is actually very simple: to take the planet. So, it’s our prayer that these daily talks from Richard aren’t something you only hear and enjoy, but that they inspire you to share with others. Together we can do this.

The message of the gospel is something everyone needs to hear. And that’s why it’s a huge priority to us. And you can join us in this important mission. Call us at 855-6-RICHARD to say you’re in. Or you can get on board with us through our website, RichardEllis.com. Finally, we’re grateful when you help us with the cost to bring you this program. Call us at 855-6-RICHARD or you can contribute through the website, RichardEllis.com. That’s 855-6-RICHARD or RichardEllis.com. Well, here's Richard with some closing thoughts for us.

Richard Ellis: Another story that if you go back to, I think, the Beijing Olympics, both 4x400 teams, the women’s and the men’s, disqualified. Dropped batons. In the final leg of the race, bad handoff, dropped. At least the women, the girl that didn’t get it that it dropped, went back, picked it up and finished the race anyway. Disqualified but said, "I finished the race." You say, "Well, I dropped the baton." Pick it up!

Maybe I’m just getting older, but the older you get, the closer you get to standing before a living Jesus. And all of my crapola excuses are going to go out the window. "Well, I didn’t have time because..." and "I didn’t want to get involved," and "I got hurt by somebody." You know what? I get you got real reasons. You need to sit down with somebody, get yourself discipled or hit some counseling, and get on with your life. Enough excuses already.

Your attorney is Jesus. You can’t get an attorney, he is your attorney, and so you have to face him too, the judgment seat of Christ. So, you say you’re pushing really hard. Because you only get one life, and then you’re going to have a chance to stand before him and say, "I ran. My leg was even broken, I ran. You empowered me and you made a difference through my life. I’ve already got enough to answer for, I don’t want more."

You say, "Well, I’m really busy. I’m going to pass on the baton." It’s very expensive. Not just because of the impact it has on your life, it’s the lack of impact you have on someone else’s. You say, "Well, I just don’t know what I would do." Then learn. You take a new job, you figure out how to do the job or you lose the job. And the instruction manual is right here.

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