Richard Ellis Talks

Guest (Male): Today on Richard Ellis Talks.

Richard Ellis: Nobody raises the dead but God. You cannot raise yourself. So if you got this thing all neat and tidy and, "Oh, here's my plan." My plan is when I die, this is what's going to happen. You have lost your mind.

You have no control when you're dead. You better figure out what's going to happen to you when you die before you die so that that plan kicks in unless there is no plan.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Richard Ellis Talks with Richard Ellis. Thanks for allowing us to share this time with you. You may be stuck in traffic or stuck in life. Either way, today's message is going to help you get on the right track as you learn how much God loves you right where you are.

Richard's unique style checks all the boxes with a lot of hope, insight, truth, and of course, humor. Today's talk with Richard will get our conversation started, but we want to keep it going with you. So let's stay in touch through our website, RichardEllis.com. But right now, let's go ahead and get right into today's talk. Here is Richard Ellis.

Richard Ellis: The title of today's message is Pronounced Dead and Alive.

It's an interesting thing when someone dies. I was there when my mama died in the room, watched her go from here to there. At some point after that, someone came in and said basically she's dead. Now we knew that, but someone official pronounced dead as the formal official declaration of death by a qualified medical professional, such as a doctor, coroner, or nurse.

Based on the irreversible cessation of circulatory, respiratory functions or brain activity. It records the official time of death and is distinct from clinical death.

So this is one of those things nobody wants to talk about because everybody knows it's coming. And we don't want to go to hospitals, we don't want to go to nursing homes, we don't want to go to funerals, we don't want to think about it. La la la la la, I'm not going to die.

Now if you're here when Jesus returns, that is true. You will not die. But if he does not return in your lifetime, you will die, and a lot of people I talk to have questions about what happens to you when you die.

So we're going to go through this and this may be for your sake, it may be for the sake of someone you know, just to try to allay their fears or crank them up either way. So go to Matthew 17.

This is a very interesting passage, Matthew 17:1. Now after six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became transfigured, his clothes became as white as the light. So that by itself's enough. Boom, he just phosphorus, whatever, just goes, he's lit.

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. So this is very specific. You can get into all this Moses and Elijah represent the law and the prophets. Moses, when he died, God himself buried him. Elijah never died. He was taken up in a whirlwind into heaven. So the reason I bring these two people into this message today is they had been dead or in heaven a very long time, and now there they were in human form talking to Jesus. Peter, James, and John are there witnessing all this.

So clearly you can die or be taken into heaven and then God can allow for you to appear somewhere like this and you go, "What in the world?" All I'm telling you is, I can't explain all this. So Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, let us make here three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah."

Like let's stay, this is unbelievable. And Peter, James, and John knew Jesus, that was enough. Then Moses and Elijah, you say, "Well, how did they know who they were? They had never seen him." I'm sure when they started talking and Jesus, you know, started talking, they knew who it was.

So there's one. Go to Matthew 27. Matthew 27 verse 51. So Jesus has died on the cross and when he dies, some things happen in Jerusalem, specifically in Jerusalem. Then behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. And the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the graves after the resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

So the sequencing here is the veil of the temple, that was the holy place and the Holy of Holies where the presence of God was. It doesn't rip from bottom to top, it's top to bottom. God rips that curtain, blows it wide open. So now because Jesus has shed his blood, has entered into the Holy of Holies of heaven and has made it possible for us to have access to God, the curtain's blown open.

Earthquakes, rock split, graves are opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. So you got dead people, known dead people, who when all this happens, they are raised from the dead after his resurrection. So earthquakes, all that's going on, but after Jesus is raised from the dead, then these bodies start coming out of these graves, and they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

You say, "Well, I bet that freaks some people out." Of course it freaks some people out, because you know somebody's been dead for however long and now here they're walking around. What is that? Let me tell you what that is. Nobody raises the dead but God. You cannot raise yourself. So if you got this thing all neat and tidy, oh, here's my plan. My plan is when I die, this is what's going to happen. You have lost your mind.

You have no control when you're dead. You better figure out what's going to happen to you when you die before you die, so that that plan kicks in unless there is no plan. John 5. This is the simplicity of the scripture. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word. This is Jesus speaking. He who hears my word and believes in him who sent me, that's the Father, has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

Now, if that is what's true in your life, then when you die, you are pronounced dead and simultaneously alive, bam, just like that. John 11:25. Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life." Okay? So what do I need? When I die, I need an answer for death and I need life. And Jesus said, "I got both of those covered." I am the resurrection and I'm the life. You got me, you got everything you need. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die, do you believe this? And that is the question for you in the room and everybody beyond here.

And how many languages this is being heard all around the planet. Do you believe this? And if you do believe this, you will make heaven. You will die and be raised from the dead and you will live forever with him. And if he returns in your lifetime, you will be taken up in a sequence with him and you will never die because you have Jesus, you believe. And if you don't believe, it won't work out.

John 19 verse 31. Now this is kind of a, the closest thing to a pronouncement of death you'll have. Jesus has been hanging on the cross and it's so funny. The same religious, not funny, it's just so ironic, that the same religious people who screamed, "Crucify, crucify," got him crucified. Now they're all worried about the preparation day meeting the religious timetable and getting this guy off the cross. Therefore, because it was the preparation day that the body should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for that Sabbath was a high day, the Jews asked pilot that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.

And why would you break their legs? Because they're crucified, they're nailed to crosses, their feet are nailed to the cross. And the only way you could breathe was to push off your nail feet. You'd push off your feet to take a breath and then you'd fall back down hanging from those nails. And so you did that, that's the only way you could keep breathing. So if you broke their legs, they couldn't push up to breathe and they die. So the soldiers like, "Okay, here we go." The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and the other who was crucified with him, but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead. They did not break his legs, but one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and immediately blood and water came out.

They don't care, they don't know who he is, they don't care. Shove a spear up in his side. And blood and water come out. All kinds of speculation about, you know, blood mixed with water if you hit somebody there. Did he die of a broken heart? I don't know, but he was already dead. They did that just to make sure. So you say, "Well, Jesus just fell asleep." Let me tell you something, he was dead. You can't be raised from the dead unless you're dead.

First Corinthians 15. And this is for skeptics who say, "Well, I'm not sure I believe all this mess." Now you say, "Well, this is in the Bible." And you say, "Well, I don't believe the Bible." How far back are we going to go here? The Bible says, if you think there's no God, you're a fool. I do think so. I agree with the Bible because it's just ridiculous. You say there's no God, you're a fool. You say, "Well, I do believe there's a God." Then you believe there's a God that created the heavens and the earth, two trillion galaxies in counting, made everything you see, made you. You managed to stay alive, be born, stay alive, you're living, he is sustaining your life.

And he comes to you and says, "Look, here's the deal. You believe I exist. I love you. I sent my son down there to die on a cross, be buried, raised from the dead for you, to get you into heaven with me forever. And all I'm asking is for you to repent, change your mind about you can save yourself and say that only I can save you." And this is what it gets down to for a lot of people. They're holding onto their little blanky sin. "Well, I got this lifestyle issue, or I want to do things my way. And if I release my will to your will, I won't get to do what I want to do," and you'll end up in hell forever and you've traded eternity with a God that created all of this, for what?

Think about what sin you're holding onto that you're trading in on heaven. Is your sin taking better care of you than God can? Is it bringing you joy? You say, "Well, but it brings me satisfaction." It's always temporary and your little sin always takes more to reach that level. And God comes along and says, "Look, I got everything you need." Life, more abundant life. I am everything you need. Lay it down, pick me, pick me, pick me.

But he will not force that. But I beg you in Jesus' name, I beg you to think about what you're doing. And you will stand before him one day and you will not be able to say, "Well, nobody explained it to me." I'm explaining it to you. And you will stand before him and you'll have to say, "I traded my sin for your mercy, for your grace, for your forgiveness, for your love, for your everything." "I held on to me and my sin, I get what I deserved."

It will not be his fault. You end up in hell, it will be because you picked it. And I think I get wound up about it and I'm probably not wound up enough. Your life's at stake. That's all. Your eternal life is at stake. First Corinthians 15. Moreover, brethren, 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 the word which I preached to you unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. So if you say, "Well, I don't know how to share the gospel." Read First Corinthians 15 to them.

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, and by the 12, and after that he was seen by over 500 brethren at once. 500 people at one time saw Jesus alive, raised from the dead. You're going to have a hard time saying this didn't happen. Of whom the greater part remained to the present when this was written, most of them were still alive, but some have fallen asleep or dead. After that he was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

Then last of all, he was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church. But by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Go down to verse 50, and it gets in here about resurrection. If there's no resurrection, then our faith is in vain. We're all of all people to be pitied. Verse 50. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In other words, we will not all die. This is talking about Jesus coming back, and if you're here, then you won't die, but you will be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Incorruptible means you can't corrupt anymore. You can't die anymore. You won't get old anymore. You'll have a new body that will last forever.

For the corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality, so when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory." It's like, for some reason I have a giant fish in mind that just eats, just eats the thing. It's gone. So death is going around doing its thing and victory comes along and says, "You're done with," and swallows it whole and it's over.

O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

I can't even believe I get to do what I get to do. And you get to do what you get to do if you're doing it. To live your life. You say, "Well, what do you mean, what am I get to do?" I get to be a husband, a father, a mother, a brother, a sister, whatever you are. Like, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about finding out that you have a new life in Christ and now you have a new life to live in Christ. And now you have hope, you have joy, you have the fruit of the spirit manifesting in your life if you're walking with him. And now you walk around and now you see someone and the Holy Spirit says, "Talk to them," and you talk to them and they go, "I have no idea," and you share the gospel and they get saved and you go, "This is why I'm here."

You say, "Well, that's not why I'm here. I'm here to take care of my family, make a living, buy new things, go on trips." Like, has it ever occurred to you that's probably not the primary reason you're here? Still. For me to live is Christ. To die is gain. That's the answer. You say, "Well, I'm a Christian, you're saying I'm not a Christian." I'm not saying you're not a Christian. What are you doing with the Christianity that you have?

And this is where the devil lies to you and tricks you. "Oh, if you yield to Jesus, if you submit completely to Jesus, you'll never go anywhere, you'll never have anything, you'll never, you'll never see anybody. You're just going to be a slug for Jesus." God has been kinder to me. I couldn't even have made up the stuff he's done for me. You say, "Yeah, but if you didn't follow him and do all this and went and got a job somewhere else, you'd make more money." And then do what? Well, you can buy more crap then. Exactly, more crap. I'm not wearing the shoes I have. I'm not wearing the pants I have. I'm not wearing the shirts I have.

And he said, "Well, what if God allowed you to go somewhere?" Now listen to me. If he works it out for me to go somewhere, then what I know is he's being kind to me and yes, I may get some rest and may enjoy part of the world he created, but I'm not there just for that. I don't turn the radar off just because I'm on vacation, because you're never on vacation. Your radar's running. And now because he was kind and he let you go to some place and sit on a beach, now someone waits on you to a restaurant and you go, "You know, we came down here to rest." But as it turns out, it's probably all about you. It's not about me, it's not about you, it's about other people.

Last is sitting back here with his sweet wife, told us about an amazing trip he got to go on a while back, and he came back with so many stories, you couldn't possibly listen to all of them. About conversations with people about Christ. And he was in a situation where I will not be with people I will not be with, but he is ready, his radar running and the two of him are engaged. You said, "Well, my life sucks and I got sickness and problems and people dying and all that." Have you ever occurred to you that maybe God wants you to share all that with some joy and that you're thanking him anyway and you trust him anyway with other people whose lives suck just like yours, but they got no joy, no answers?

And they go, "Wait a minute, so you got trouble too?" Yeah, I got trouble too. But I know where I'm going when I die and I know who's going to sustain me until I get there. I know whom I believed and I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. And even when I am trying to hold on but can't, he never lets go. You grab him, he grabs you and you say, "Lord, I'm slipping." He says, "Guess what? I'm not slipping." I don't let go. I don't leave you. I don't forsake you. You can dangle down there like a thread, but I will not let go.

First Thessalonians 4:13. Okay, so it's kind of all been read to build to this point, so this will hopefully will help you. And I'm going to tell you something I don't understand and maybe nobody will completely understand. First Thessalonians 4:13, but I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep. So people who have died, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. The Bible does not say, don't grieve, don't sorrow, just don't sorrow like people have no hope. It's horrible, it's gut-wrenching, it's crushing. Your heart is broken.

I had a man show up here a year or two ago. His wife had died. He was almost at the point of killing himself. We walked through it, walked through it, walked through it. He got his legs under him. He was comforted. God comforted him. Now, he is remarried and he's going to be okay. You say, "Whoa, what in the world?" Don't kill yourself. Don't let the grief kill you. It's real. And you say, "But I don't want it to pass because then it looks like I don't care." No one's saying you don't care. It's just it's not sustainable. You can't grieve yourself to death. You can't, it's just not his plan. But don't grieve as someone who has no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words. So what does that mean?

If I drop dead right here today, pray that doesn't happen, that would be crazy. I drop dead. There's a funeral, they bury me in a cemetery, probably over by North Park Mall where my mom and dad are buried. And I used to not care about these things and now I think I do. You say, "But you're telling us that to be absent from the body, if you die, you leave your body, you're present with the Lord." And what I'm about to tell you, I do not understand. That is true. My soul will be with God, but my body, my resurrected body will not be joined to that soul until this happens.

So here's what goes down when it happens. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Now if I'm still alive when all this goes down, and I think I told you all this years ago, I don't know why I did this, just kind of curiosity. I went out to my mom and dad's grave, they're laying there, you know, their body's right there in that grave, and I stood there, took a pictures, video to my brother and sister and said, "Just thought I'd come over here and, you know, in case Jesus comes back while I'm here, I'll catch them, you know, coming out."

Now you're laughing. But according to the scripture, the shout, the trumpet, people that are dead, the cemeteries will empty and believers will be raised from the dead and transformed into glorified bodies. Now you say, "Well, then what is going on in heaven with the people who died before they're already dead? You say they're going to come back and get their bodies." Just read the Bible and then go, "Well, that's what he says. Do I understand it? Nope, I'm okay with that." How can I be with Jesus in heaven when I die and yet my body not with me? Let him worry about that. But I'm going to tell you what, it'll be a day, because if you are at the cemetery when this goes down and all those bodies come out, the Bible says, they're out first.

And then you're caught up behind them. You say, "Well, that's absurd." I'm going with it. What's your plan? You say, "Well, that's nuts." So is someone dying on a cross, shedding their blood, being buried and raised from the dead, and if you believe all that, Jesus did all that and he's God that you'll be saved. That's foolishness too, but you're going to believe that? I believe that and that changed my life. So you say, "Well, I can't explain that to somebody." It's okay. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. You die, you're with Jesus.

When he decides to come back, everybody who's been dead. You say, "What about the people eaten by sharks, burned in houses?" The same God that can put a universe together can reassemble your human body and transform it into a glorified body. You let him worry about the details. Just be ready. A few in Revelation and we're out. Revelation 2:11, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." Second death. Revelation 20 verse 12.

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God and books were opened and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. So death and Hades. So you died without Christ, you ended up in death and Hades. And they were judged, each one according to his works. You say, "Wait a minute. I don't want to be judged according to my works." I won't make it. Exactly, that's the whole point.

Well, how do I get rid of my what I've done, the bad things I've done? You let Jesus take care of it and you go to heaven. I'm not on that deal. You're an idiot. Who wouldn't take that deal? You're on death row, you're about to be executed and some guy walks in and goes, "Hey, I'll die for him." Who's this guy? I don't know, he offered to die for you. You want to die? You want to let him die? "Oh, I think I want to die for myself." Knock yourself out. He was about to die for you. Someone died for you. Let him die for you.

Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. So here's the tragedy. Pronounced dead and alive is not going to be your story. It's going to be pronounced dead and dead. You will die physically and then you will die spiritually for eternity. Who, let's sign up for that. That sounds brilliant. And yet so many people do. "No, nope. I don't need God. I don't want God. I can figure this out by myself. I'm smarter than God." "I'm going to keep my little sin." You're a fool. You're a fool.

Guest (Male): Richard will be back in a moment to wrap up today's talk. But first, I want to share a couple thoughts with you. Let's be honest, real life isn't about living some highlight reel for others to see. Most people have deep hurts, questions, and struggles. We get it and want to help you in any way we can. So let's keep this conversation going. Give us a call at 855-6 Richard or connect with us at our website, RichardEllis.com. You can even put in your prayer request right there on the prayer wall so others can pray for you as well. Call us at 855-6 Richard or online at RichardEllis.com. And now let's get back to Richard with a final word on today's show.

Richard Ellis: Revelation 21:8. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Revelation, go back a few pages to 6:9. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for their testimony which they held. And they cried out with a loud voice saying, "How long, O Lord, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" So, apparently the souls, and I read that for that purpose, they're waiting to be avenged. So, that's all I got.

If you're smarter than God, I can't help you. But if you hear the gospel, Jesus died on the cross, buried, raised from the dead and you go, "Wow, that's crazy. I never thought about that. I think I need that." Then say yes. Don't complicate this. "Well, I don't understand everything." It's okay. You're a sinner, you need forgiveness. Jesus died, he said he'll take your place, he did, let him take your place. Let's go to heaven. Let's have a reason to live while we're here. Let's help some people.

Guest (Male): This has been Richard Ellis Talks with Richard Ellis. The message of the gospel is one we take very seriously in our mission to reach the planet. And you have a vital part of doing that along with us. If you've been encouraged by these talks with Richard, be sure to tell someone about the change they've made in your life. You can even share today's talk with them through the website, RichardEllis.com. And we'd love to hear your story, as well as to how these talks have made a difference to you. Do give us a call, 855-6 Richard. You can also reach us through our website, RichardEllis.com. And while you're there, check out all the pages we put together for you, RichardEllis.com. Also, be sure to click on the contribute tab to send your very generous gift. If the program is making a difference to you, your gift will make a big difference to us. Until next time, thanks so much for listening to Richard Ellis Talks.