Richard Ellis Talks

Richard Ellis: Today, on Richard Ellis Talks. This is doing things where God not just lives in you, but through you in such a way that every day of your your life, you are letting him live and work in you and through you and change the world. And every day, you're making deposits on the other side because people's lives are changed. And because your life is changed, and because you're doing things that matter on this side.

Richard Ellis: Welcome to Richard Ellis Talks with Richard Ellis. So many of you have shared how important this program is to you and how Richard's messages have impacted your life. We also know that there are many others who have positively influenced your life and how to be a better Christ follower. We are devoting this entire month to celebrate and give honor to those in our life who have made a great impact and how we want to do the same in the lives of others. So, we're introducing a new feature on our website to help you share that story.

Richard Ellis: More on that later. But for now, with today's talk, here's Richard Ellis.

Richard Ellis: The title of today's message is Prepare for Departure and Cross Check.

Richard Ellis: Not to assume that everybody's flown on an airplane. I've been on planes before with people who have never flown on an airplane. It's pretty terrifying to watch them because they are terrified. One of the things you'll hear before a flight takes off is the pilot usually comes on and says, "Flight attendants, prepare for departure and cross-check."

Richard Ellis: On an airplane, you prepare for departure by making sure the doors are closed. That's usually a very important piece of the deal. Part of it is cross-checking, double-checking the doors, and what they're doing on the doors is arming the slides. So if the plane goes down, you open the door, the slides are armed, so that when the door opens, boom, the slides deploy. But you don't want that happening at the gate.

Richard Ellis: What happens at the gate is when the plane is on the ground, they disarm those slides. When the plane takes off though, they arm those slides and they cross-check. So they have to double-check. One on one side goes to the other side, that one goes to the other side to make sure that that plane is ready to be in the air and in case of some emergency, do what it's supposed to do. And then also prepare to be on the ground and not do what it's not supposed to do at the gate or any other time.

Richard Ellis: So, prepare for departure and cross-check.

Richard Ellis: I've had some very interesting conversations recently with people concerned about, unusually so, older people, and specifically some very wealthy older people, some people in their 80s. I don't know that these people are telling many people what they're thinking, but some of these are old men, in some cases worth huge amounts of money, who have lived their lives their way. And they've done what they wanted to do, spent what they wanted to spend, did it their way.

Richard Ellis: All of a sudden, quietly, almost secretly, they are beginning to whisper things to very close friends, and somehow those friends relate that to me, and I relate back to them. I'd be happy to go sit and talk with them, because at some point, you get to the end of the journey and you're not prepared for the journey to the other side.

Richard Ellis: If you have any pride whatsoever, the catastrophic nature of that realization is, I've wasted my whole life, and I have nothing to present or to say to God any day now, because I could die any day. And what am I going to say to him? What am I going to do?

Richard Ellis: So, there is this almost panic that sets in unless pride overwhelms the panic. They're too proud to say, "I got it wrong. I need a savior. Help me."

Richard Ellis: You say, "Well, I'm preparing for my life." Okay, I get that. If you're saving money, we got people do financial peace here. We have all kinds of financial things we say to a kid, you know, you're 16, 17, 18, put 100 bucks away a month over a period of time, that compounding interest, when you get to a certain age, have a million bucks, whatever. So, maybe you're taking measures to prepare for your life. But are you preparing for departure?

Richard Ellis: In that life that you're preparing to live here, have you somehow factored in that you're going to leave one day and what that even means? I was with a buddy of mine, I've known a long time, been very successful in business, and he kind of semi-jokingly said, "Man, if you were in business, you'd be worth whatever, whatever," threw all these things out.

Richard Ellis: I said to him, "You know, that's not what God called me to do, and I am already that rich on the other side."

Richard Ellis: If you had to pick to be rich on this side or that side, what would you pick? I hope you'd pick that side, because this side is gone just like that. Just like that. No matter what you accumulate, you can't take any of it with you unless you check it.

Richard Ellis: Let's start with Matthew chapter 6 today. Maybe once you see where I'm going on this verse, you say, "Oh, I already know what that says." You may not, so listen close again.

Richard Ellis: Matthew chapter 6, he says a bunch of things here, but verse 19. Everybody got that one? Now this is very simple what he says, and if you say, "Well, I don't like what this says because I'm doing what it says not to do." I'm not trying to throw you under the bus. I'm just saying, "What are you doing?" Just read what it says and ask yourself are you doing or not doing what it says.

Richard Ellis: He says, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth." He did not say, "Don't lay up treasures." He just said, "Don't lay up treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

Richard Ellis: He says, "Do lay up treasures." So what are you doing about that? How are you laying up treasures on the other side? How can you lay up treasures on the other side? You say, "Well, this is all about money." It's not about money on the other side because there is no money on the other side.

Richard Ellis: You can do the right thing with your finances on this side and that can contribute to it, but this is way more than cutting a check. This is giving your life. This is doing things where God not just lives in you, but through you in such a way that every day of your life, you are letting him live and work in you and through you and change the world. And every day, you're making deposits on the other side because people's lives are changed. And because your life is changed and because you're doing things that matter on this side.

Richard Ellis: So he says, "Lay it up there. Why? For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." What does that mean?

Richard Ellis: You can say, "Well, if you're whatever you own, whatever your money, if your treasure is being put to work in terms of things that change the kingdom, then that's where your heart's going to be," right? But if your treasure, everything you own is in some house or in houses or whatever it is, and that's what you're about, there's no way for your heart not to be there.

Richard Ellis: So if you're about your stuff, your heart's going to say, "Oh, I miss my stuff. I need to go be with my stuff," right? Instead of saying, "No, God, where is my stuff? My stuff is your stuff. I'm trying to change the world," then that's where your heart is.

Richard Ellis: Go to Philippians chapter 1. Philippians chapter 1. Let's just start, let's go down to verse 3. This is Paul writing to this church in Philippi. "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine, always, every prayer, making request for you all with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Just as it is right for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart in as much as both in my chains and in the defense of the confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ."

Richard Ellis: "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God." Some people read through that and go, "Whatever." Why do you think that's in there? That's preparing for departure.

Richard Ellis: That's how you live your life. Look at it again, "that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God." That's a different life. You live that way, you'll be prepared to leave. You'll be prepared to meet him any second.

Richard Ellis: Are you ready to go? I use this analogy. If Jesus pulled up in a big old bus outside right now, walked in the back door and said, "Hey, I'm taking a load right now. Anybody want to go?" Are you ready to go?

Richard Ellis: Or do you have the hesitation to go, "Oh, wow, good to see you. You know, I'll take the next one. Are you coming back, right? I'll come on the next one. I got some stuff to do, dude, but good to see you and we're going to be together forever and thanks for stopping by and you take all these people because they seem to be ready to go. I'm not ready to go."

Richard Ellis: So if you're not ready to go, why are you not ready to go? If you're living for him, your treasures on the other side, that's where your heart is. You're like, "Absolutely." You're running for the door. Because if he's saying it's okay to go and it's time to go, let's go.

Richard Ellis: I'll read you some verses in a minute. You say, "Well, shouldn't there be some tension about wanting to go, wanting to stay?" Yes, but for godly reasons, not ungodly reasons.

Richard Ellis: Go to that same passage, let's go down Philippians 1 verse 19. Look at the phraseology here. He says, "For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death."

Richard Ellis: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh." In other words, I live here in this body. "This will mean fruit from my labor." Now, can you say that? Okay, well if I stay in this body, will that be fruit from my labor? Are you just existing?

Richard Ellis: He says, "It'll be fruit from my labor." "Yet what I shall choose, I cannot tell, for I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you, and being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ and by my coming to you again."

Richard Ellis: So he's got this tension, but what does he say? "I'm going to stay." Why am I going to stay? "Because that'll be profitable for you." So is your reason to stay to disciple more people, to lead people to Christ, to pray, to serve, or is it just exist?

Richard Ellis: I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart, be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. Now, I'm going to ask a hard question. Would we all just be better off if you went on to heaven?

Richard Ellis: You say, "What do you mean?" Okay, you're going to stay. What are you going to do? "Oh, well, I'm going to." What are you going to do? What's your plan? "I don't have a plan." Then you know what you're going to do? Nothing.

Richard Ellis: "Well, I'm going to go work." Okay, you're going to work for some job, they're going to give you a check. You're going to go home, and then you're going to go through the motions, and then you're just postponing your inevitable death someday, and what's all that going to be about? "Well, I never thought about that." I'm trying to get you to think about that.

Richard Ellis: You're saying we shouldn't go to work? Didn't say you shouldn't go to work. I'm just saying you should go to work at some other stuff too. "Preach." You say, "Well, I don't like what you're saying to me." I don't care. My job is not to make you feel better unless you hear the truth and do something with it, and then you feel better. Because some of you are just blowing through, just blowing through life. And you could change the world if you just engage.

Richard Ellis: Keep reading, verse 27. "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs." What does he want to see and hear in their lives? Now, these things are in here for a reason. This is what it's supposed to look like. "That you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel."

Richard Ellis: "And not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake."

Richard Ellis: "Having the same conflict which you saw in me and now here is in me." So you say, "Well, I just want the believing part. I don't want that other part too. I don't want to suffer." If you engage, you're going to suffer. You say, "Well, how am I going to suffer?" Because eventually, if you engage and you share your faith, something's going to kick back. It's in the book. It's not just about you believing, but what? But also to suffer for his sake.

Richard Ellis: If you're not having these conversations, what is going on? "Oh, I pray a lot." I get that. If you're praying so much and talking to God, he's going to have you talking to other people. I'm not buying this anymore. "Oh, I'm a prayer warrior." Then you're going to be a witness for Jesus. You can't be talking to God about God and about you and your life and not end up talking to somebody. It's not possible.

Richard Ellis: "Oh, I'm just very private, very personal. My faith is very personal." Your grandkids' pictures aren't personal. We all have to look at them. Whether we want to or not. Keep your pictures to yourself. I don't want to see your ugly baby kids. You know, "Oh, isn't she so beautiful?" No, she looks like a, you know, whatever. So, maybe it'll get better.

Richard Ellis: You say, "But this is different. These are my grandkids." Yeah, this is different. This is your savior. That's all. Here's the problem. If you had a picture of Jesus, would you ever show it to anyone? And you are the picture of Jesus. And yet they don't get to see him much.

Richard Ellis: Then if somebody looks at you and goes, "You're a Christian, aren't you?" "Oh, whoa, whoa, we don't talk about that at work, man." You get all defensive like, "Well yeah, I'm a Christian. You're a Christian? Absolutely." "Wow, praise the Lord, man. Glad you're here." This isn't going to get any better for you. I'm just telling you right now.

Richard Ellis: I'm either going to run you all off or wear you out or something's got to change, because we have an opportunity for not only our lives to be changed and our destination changed, but to change the whole planet if we just engage in the process. Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that's within you. That's all. Just always be ready.

Richard Ellis: Second Timothy 4. And no, I'm not running out of verses, so don't be thinking that. Second Timothy chapter 4, you've got to start reading the scripture for one thing, and you've got to start reading the scripture as though it is actually speaking to you personally, possibly, and that he might want your life to change.

Richard Ellis: And that these things apply to you. They're not just something to look at and say, "How interesting. He said that to them." What if he's saying that to us? Second Timothy 4:1, "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables."

Richard Ellis: Why do I take every shot I can at you while you're here and while you're still listening? Because there may come a day when you won't listen anymore. You'll go find someone to tell you what you want to hear. "Oh, what a lovely Sunday. Praise the Lord. I feel so enriched. My life hasn't changed in 20 years, but I feel so blessed. I haven't changed anyone else's life in 30 years. Praise be to God."

Richard Ellis: What are you doing? And you turn your ears away from the truth and turn aside to fables. "But you be watchful in these things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

Richard Ellis: And verse 6, "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my what? Of my departure is at hand." Now this guy, Paul, is writing to Timothy, he's saying, "My flight's about to leave. I know I'm about to be out of here." But why is that okay? "I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith."

Richard Ellis: "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing."

Richard Ellis: Do you realize how cool it is going to be if you got this coming to live your life that way, fought the fight, finished the race, kept the faith? And you know Jesus has got a crown of righteousness for you and your head. And the moment will come when you are before him, you give an account for the deeds done in the flesh, survive the fire, tested by fire. And then he reaches over and picks up a crown and places it on your head.

Richard Ellis: What could possibly be greater than that? And then when all the crowns have been passed out, and the band cranks up, and the crowns come off, and you have something to lay at his feet. Because he gave his life for you. You understood that, and you gave your life back to him because it is his life. And then you let him live in and through you. And then he changes your world and the world. And you die, he returns, whichever comes first.

Richard Ellis: And, "Well done, good and faithful servant." The crowns get passed out. And you're like, "Wow, sure am glad I got that right. Sure am glad I didn't screw around down there and waste my whole life." And maybe somebody had more, somebody had better, somebody had whatever they had. I am already embarrassed by how blessed I am. And he keeps coming. He keeps coming. And he keeps blessing me and he keeps blessing you.

Richard Ellis: Hoping that we'll understand he cares about us. He loves us, and he wants us to reflect who he is to the world around us.

Richard Ellis: Second Peter chapter 3. This will be our last chapter. Second Peter chapter 3. Now you say, "Well, are you talking about just dying, you know, preparing for departure?" I believe this. I believe while we are here in this moment and wherever you are in this moment, Jesus could come back just like that. Just like that.

Richard Ellis: Are you ready if he does? Are you packed? Are you prepared for departure? Everything copacetic with him, slate clean. If I told you in five minutes, he was going to return, what would you do? Well, you'd probably do some praying. "Lord, I confess this. Call grandma, tell your dad you love him." You know, try to straighten things out. Just go do all that anyway.

Richard Ellis: Why are you waiting for some death or the return? You know, be ready all the time. Second Peter 3. "Beloved, I now write to you the second epistle, in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lust and saying, 'Where is the promise of his coming?'"

Richard Ellis: "Now, Jesus said he's coming back. We're 2,000 years in, babe. This ain't happening. He ain't coming back. You people are crazy. For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. For this they willfully forget that by the word of God, the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But beloved, do not forget this one thing."

Richard Ellis: "That with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as one day." So how long has it been since Jesus left? A couple of days. You say, "Wow, a thousand years. How could that be a couple of days?" Because in eternity, there is no time. They're not sitting around waiting. There is no waiting in heaven because there's no time.

Richard Ellis: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." So why didn't he come back? Because he's giving us the opportunity, if you are not a Christian, and this is where the cross-check comes in.

Richard Ellis: You need to do not only a prepare for departure, you need to do a cross-check. When he died on the cross, did he die for you or was it for somebody else? And have you accepted what he did on that cross for you personally? Not that he died for the world and all their sins, but that you have included yourself in that. And if you have not included yourself in that, you are not prepared for departure.

Richard Ellis: You're going to leave one way or another, but you're not ready unless you go to him and say, "Look, I understand that when Jesus died on the cross, he died on that cross for me, for my sins as well. Was buried and raised from the dead, and so I'm getting in on your deal."

Richard Ellis: He died for me, I'm a sinner. I need forgiveness for my sin. I need eternal life. So if that comes in your package, and I understand it does, I accept. I accept the forgiveness of sin. I accept the gift of eternal life. Come live in me, through me, change me. And then use me to change the world. Don't just come live in me. How can you have God living in your physical body and the world not be changed because of that? It's not possible.

Richard Ellis: Should not be possible. Verse 10, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up."

Richard Ellis: This is hard for people to comprehend, but it's in the Bible. This is what's going to happen. There is coming a day when everything you see will burn. Fervent heat, great noise, gone. You say, "But what about all the great cathedrals?" We are the great cathedral. And if you're a part of that great cathedral, that great body of Christ, you will not be burned because you're part of the only church that is a church.

Richard Ellis: "Therefore," verse 11, "Because these things are going to happen, since all these things will be dissolved, then if that's what's coming to the earth, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?" So if that's what's going down, that's what's coming, and that's how you have to live and that we're supposed to infect and affect the world for God, for Christ's sake, then what persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?

Richard Ellis: "Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, we according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, without spot and blameless. And consider that the long-suffering our Lord is salvation. As also our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given to him has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them these things in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to him be glory both forever and now. Amen."

Richard Ellis: This is not in here just to fill the Bible. It's in here to show you and show me, show us how to live. Live this way. Your life will change. The world will change. You'll go, "My gosh, why didn't somebody tell me about this earlier?"

Richard Ellis: Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to listen to Richard Ellis Talks. We know these programs encourage and inspire you because we hear from so many people about them. Richard has such a unique way of speaking right to the heart because it always comes straight from his own heart. And maybe there are others who have greatly impacted your life as well. So, who is it in your life that was a great example as a Christ follower, possibly a parent, a grandparent, a friend, pastor, neighbor, co-worker?

Richard Ellis: Well, we have just the place where you can share this story. There's a brand new feature on our website called a Legacy Wall where you can tell us who made a huge difference in your life in your growth as a Christ follower. And this same inspiration is what you want to make sure gets passed on from you in leaving a legacy too. If it's important to you, it's worth sharing. So, let me encourage you to go to our website, RichardEllis.com, and share that story.

Richard Ellis: We'd love to hear it and it would inspire others as well. That's RichardEllis.com, and share that story. Finally, these are challenging days for us, and we really could use your help in a generous way. Please go to our website, RichardEllis.com, and click on the contribute tab at the top to send us your very valued gift that will be used to continue reaching the hurting and lost. Again, that's RichardEllis.com. You can also send us your gift by calling 855-6-Richard, 855-6-Richard.

Richard Ellis: I can't tell you just how much that will mean to so many people, including Richard. We need to hear from you today. RichardEllis.com. So, until next time, thank you for listening, thank you for your generous gift, thank you for your faithfulness to this ministry, and we'll see you again right here on Richard Ellis Talks.