Richard Ellis Talks

Announcer: Today on Richard Ellis Talks. All those things that are promised of protection, the safety, come out of a relationship with God. Do not assume all this applies unless you're going to take the time to start with verse one. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, you're going to have to connect with God and not just foxhole Christianity. It is a day-by-day, moment-by-moment walking with him.

Welcome to Richard Ellis Talks with Richard Ellis. Richard's going to take the next few minutes to share some great words of hope and insight for you. And in today's broken world, that is something everyone is desperate to hear. Richard shares unapologetically the truth of the Bible in a way that's clear, relational, and uplifting. So thank you for taking this time to listen. We know it will bless you. And when you have a moment, you might want to check out our website so we can stay connected with you. Richardellist.com. But right now, let's go ahead and get things off and running with today's talk. Here's Richard Ellis.

Richard Ellis: The title of today's message is Shock and Awe. I want to start today by just pointing out some maybe simplistic things that maybe you are or you're not aware of. The one thing that occurred to me watching some of the coverage on TV of the war, there's a thing called supreme command usually in a war, and it's in a place called Gutter on the Persian Gulf.

You know, we think that's the supreme command, but what I want to remind all of us today that there is a supreme command and there is a supreme commander and it is the God of the universe. And he has not lost control, and whether you agree or disagree with the war, God is still sovereign. And I think sometimes what happens to people in times like these is we get terrified, and I'll read you some verses about that in just a little bit.

Turn to Matthew chapter 24. Let's start there today. Sometimes the uncertainty, sometimes the just the devastation that war can wreak havoc on people. We think it can affect us, but the thing that we should never lose sight of, and I don't think ever escapes God's heart and mind is that every time I, you know, turn on the news, and when shots are fired on a little village and just a comment, you know, the soldiers will come back or the reporter out there in the field will say, yeah, we took 400 prisoners, but I think 200 died.

The thing that overwhelms me, and I think that we should never forget is these are not just enemy soldiers. These are individual people. And as much as I hate war, and I think that God must hate war as well, sometimes it's inevitable in the whole Old Testament, for example, a lot of it is filled with wars.

And a lot of them that God called for, and it's hard to explain to people sometimes why there is a time and a place for war whether we like it or not. I just am stunned by the value and sometimes the lack of value of life. Some people have this attitude of killed the, you know, whatever word they put in there and let's just wipe them out. You know, that should never be the attitude. And I appreciate so much the sensitivity with which I see the generals and the commanders and the people overseeing this trying to be so, so careful not to hit anybody or take out any more people than are absolutely necessary.

Now, let me start with Matthew chapter 24 and let's begin with verse three. This is Jesus being questioned here a little bit. And it says, Now as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. So it's Jesus and the 12 at least. saying, Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?

And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no one deceives you. He knew that people would come to deceive just these 12, for many will come in my name saying, I am the Christ and will deceive many. Look at verse six, And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Now what I want to underscore here in verse six is this. See that you are not troubled. One of the distinguishing factors that should set us completely apart from the people in the world who are not, I'm not talking about religious people. I'm talking about people who have a personal relationship with the God of the universe. At some point that has to make a difference.

And your relationship with him sets you apart in such a way that people look at you and say, you know what, all this stuff's going on and in the midst of all the chaos and the problems and the challenges, you somehow have peace in the middle of it. How do you have peace in the middle of war? You don't have to be in Iraq somewhere to be afraid. There are people on our own soil, in our own cities, who fear the unknown.

But he says in verse six again, See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Verse seven, For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you. And you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come.

And I love verse 14, and it's one of the things that drives me personally. The reason we as a church are so committed not just to missions here locally and to reaching the people in our own city, but literally to the corners of the planet, is that until verse 14 is fulfilled, we're not out of here. One of the things that is very exciting to me, and one of the ways I hope that God is going to use and has allowed this whole war situation, if somehow the prayers of God's people have been answered for a way to enter the Muslim world, we are in there.

I don't know how many of these troops are Christians, but there's a great possibility that there is a huge number of our troops who have some kind of relationship with God. And we could not have that many Christians in a Muslim country, period. And there we are, that presence somehow being with those people, offering food and shelter and humanitarian aid and medicine. Somehow, I pray to God that this will be used to let them see that we are not who they think we are.

Because what they believe is ethically and morally correct and what even Christianity claims is the right way to live. What they see on the movies that they're receive from us is an abomination, is an anathema to what we should be living. So if they lump all of us in that group together and think we're all Christians, then you'd want to wipe us out too, maybe.

Let me read 14 for you and then we're going to turn to Psalm 91. This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. So once the word's out, then it's over. Turn over to Psalm 91. You know, let me make a couple of comments before I read this. The first comment is this. The United States is not Israel.

And some people read the Bible and read into the Bible that God is going to protect us because we are God's chosen people. Israel is God's chosen people. We are just some country that came and it'll probably be gone before it's all over. We are not the people of God in the scriptures. Now, there may be God's people in this country, but don't go twisting the scripture and make it like God bless America, and that's what the Bible's talking about. So I'm not going to stretch this passage, but the principles that apply here are astounding.

Let's read Psalm 91 verse 1. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in him I will trust. Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with his feathers and under his wings you shall take refuge. His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side and 10,000 at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent, you shall trample under foot. Because he has set his love upon me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high because he has known my name. He shall call upon me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.

Now, I'm not going to go back and read over it and point all this out. But all those things that are promised of protection, the safety, come out of a relationship with God. Do not assume all this applies unless you're going to take the time to start with verse one. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, you are going to have to connect with God and stick with God and not just foxhole Christianity. It is a day-by-day, moment-by-moment walking with him.

Now, let me share a little bit of personal shock and awe. I was not feeling well enough that somebody persuaded me to go to the emergency room. And a doctor that I knew attended me there and knew something was wrong, gave me a couple of bags of IV fluid and took good care of me and checked me out and was on the verge of keeping me, I think, but decided to let me go home and couldn't figure out exactly what was wrong and told me to come back and see an infectious disease guy the next day.

So I went back the next day feeling worse and saw this doctor and I got in his office, and he said, You're going in the hospital. I've never been in the hospital in my life. And I was not happy necessarily about that statement. I remember laying in that little room, the bright lights, you know, they turned them off and I was laying there, and I started to cry a little bit.

And what hit me at that moment was, I got three little girls, and it did hit them this way, who if they see me in the hospital, this is not going to be a fun week. Now, I will confess, I told him this from time to time, I said, This better be good. I don't feel good, and I'm going to be in the hospital. And I say these things to you guys, and it's one thing to talk about this. It's another thing to do it and try to live it.

And then they got me in the hospital up in a room, and so I laid on that bed and cried a little bit more, not a long time, just like, you know, Lord, what am I doing here? This, you know, this is not supposed to happen to me. But I said, Thank you, Lord. If this is where you want me, let's do it. No matter how dire the situation, no matter how bad you feel, no matter where you are, I'm telling you guys, it is all about people.

And no matter how shocking it is, if there is someone that can only be reached if God takes you a certain path, and if that path involves suffering, if that path involves pain, if that path involves loss, there is really no other reason for me to be left on this planet but to do the will of God. As great as it is being a husband, as great as it is being a father, as much blessing and responsibility there is being a pastor and all these things, if I'm not accomplishing something for his kingdom and for his glory, I'm just existing. I'm just filling space.

Now, I'm not telling you this is easy and then it's not always fun, but when you get to the place and you say, okay, Lord, thank you for this pain, thank you for the uncertainty even of what's going on. And somehow use me here, then I think God can kick in. Now, I'm going to abbreviate some of this because the awe to me of the whole thing, the shock is, all this is happening. But the awe of it is that God literally sustains you. And I do want you to turn to Second Corinthians chapter 12.

But I must tell you, part of the reason I'm standing here today, well, or maybe all the reason I'm standing here today are these verses I'm going to read you. There is no way to describe what these early Christians and what our Lord himself went through for our sake and for the sake of the gospel. I mean, just horrible things, people stoned. I mean, there's nobody in here that I know of that's gotten even close to this.

Let me read you a passage that talks a little bit about this. Second Corinthians chapter 12 verse 7. And he's talking about here the number of revelations he's had, the things that have gone on, great things, spiritual things in his life. He said, lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And this is God's answer.

Guys, you think God doesn't answer prayer? I'm telling you, he answers prayer, but sometimes the answer is not what you're looking for. And this is what God said to him, and he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. And there are times when you think, God, I can't. God, there's no way. I'm too weak. I don't have it. I can't speak, you know, all these excuses, all these things we come up with and God will say the same thing to you. My grace is sufficient for you, but what is the context of this comment? For my strength is made perfect in weakness.

Now, one of our greatest challenges humanly, and the younger you are, the worse this is, I mean, I can do it. I can handle it. I got it. I'm strong, I'm able, I'm smart. I'm all these things. Nothing can stop me. And God says, Well, you really don't need me then, do you? And all of a sudden he allows us to get in a place where we're not strong, where we're weak, and all of a sudden he kicks in and where you couldn't do it by yourself and you know you can't. He literally carries you through it.

Then look what Paul says, Therefore, most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Now, let me tell you how this applies. I'd rather be sick the rest of my life and have the power of God than be well and never see it again. And there are people who never since, never experience, never see the power of God in their lives. You may live your whole life on your own strength, doing your own thing, your own way, and you never see God move in a way.

Now, I didn't, you know, I wasn't rude. I wasn't too pushy, and I almost apologized when I said some of these things, but I had three doctors going. And I said, Lord, you know, help me be gentle, but I got these doctors one at a time in my room and I said, you know what, I got to tell you something. I said, I don't know why I'm here, but I said, God's gotten into a lot of trouble to get me here and you may be one of the reasons.

I said, I don't know what your relationship with God is, and I don't want to be too bold in anything that I say to you or too pushy. That I said, I'm here and maybe the only way to get me here, I said, There's a God that cares about you and has a plan for you. There's a church in this town. I pastor it and you're more than welcome and, you know, just gently a simple invitation and start. It turns out one of the doctors is a Christian, help and start a church over in East Dallas. And the other two doctors, I'm not sure about, one of them might show up, one of them is Jewish.

So you don't have to be rude. You don't have to be mean. But guys, you're going to have to get beyond yourself and beyond the pain or whatever it is and say, God, okay, this is where I am. I can't change this right now. I don't know what I've got. But so what? I got breath and I got life, and I got more than just physical life. I got eternal life. I got abundant life. I have God living in me. And as long as there's breath, and I'm going to seize that opportunity, Lord willing. I don't always do it. But, you know, I'll be whatever if I'm going to lay in that hospital for three or four days and not talk to somebody.

So, they didn't come in the room as much after that. All right, let me read it to you. Verse 9 and 10. And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then I'm strong.

So what maybe we ought to be praying is, Father, help me get to the place where I'm weak, because that's the time when I'm going to be the strongest. And I know maybe my deal's physical this week, maybe your deal's financial, maybe it's family crisis. You just think, God, I can't take it anymore. There's too much stress, there's too much fear, there's too much uncertainty. And what he'll come back and say is, when you're weak, that's when I'm strong.

And at some point, you're going to have to turn it on the devil and start taking pleasure, literally. This isn't masochism. It's being able to lay in the bed in the middle of the night and just praise him. You just lay there and you say, Lord, you know what, I thank you and I praise you and I trust you. And I really got nowhere else to go. And whatever you want to do, I'm yours anyway. I'm bought with a price.

So do what you want to do. I know just like that, you can heal me, and I prayed that a few times. But if you want me to learn something through this, if you're trying to teach me something or use me in some way that otherwise you couldn't, I don't belong to me anymore anyway. So do what you will. I belong to you.

Last thing I want us to look at is a couple of passages. One is Ephesians chapter 6, especially in the context of what's going on, but even in our personal lives. The thing I would remind each of us is this. This isn't a game, and anymore than that is not a game, our lives every day are not a game. And in the church in Ephesus, Paul writes to them, Ephesians chapter 6, verse 10, He says, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand.

And he goes through the armor. And if there's one thing, you know what, I haven't seen one soldier yet in all the coverage out there in shorts and tennis shoes. They got helmets, they got armor, they've got literally a breastplate that will absorb bullets. They're covered. These guys are serious, and the focus in these guys is unbelievable. See, we treat this life like it's some kind of game, and you go home at night and you're full of bullets and all beat up and your life's a wreck and you go, what happened today? I don't, you know, you went out there in your shorts and tennis shoes.

It's a war, it's a battle. And Paul warns them, he says to them, finally, be strong in the Lord, the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God. You think it's serious over there, guys, it is just as serious here. And your father, your mother, your brother, your sister, your boss, or whoever it is that you think is the enemy, is not the enemy. It is a spiritual battle. And you have to fight spiritual battles with spiritual weapons and protection, and he describes that there.

Go to Second Timothy chapter 2. It's amazing to me the illustrations, the examples that are used in scriptures just about being a soldier. Let's start with verse 1. You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Paul talking to Timothy, You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. Guys, the only way I know to explain this to you is that you have been enlisted. It is one thing to be an American. It is another thing to be an American soldier.

I repeatedly this week would hear a reporter ask a question to a soldier, and he would answer it this way. That's above my level. That's somebody else's decision. And there's a time in your life when you say, Father, I am yours. I'm more than a soldier. I'm a slave. I belong to you. And I'm going to endure hardship. I'm going to do whatever I have to do to be the soldier and to please you as it says here and to not engage with the affairs of this life.

You don't see these soldiers going up and down these roads in Baghdad, making deals and selling stuff to the local people. They are focused, they have a task, they are under orders. And when God enlists you in his army and says, I want you to serve as a soldier, and what is one of the key elements of being a soldier is obedience, is on command, doing what you're supposed to do. There is no army of one. I don't know if this is a pet peeve I have, this whole army of one thing is crap.

There is no such thing as an army of one. It's like having a church of one. The church is one, and when it's one, you have that kind of army. But an army is a group of people who move together. In the same way that a church is a body of people who move together. But the only way an army works and the only way the body of Christ works is when there is a supreme commander, and when orders are given, the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and our lives and we follow those orders and we do it together. That's when things work.

That's when the enemy is overwhelmed and overcome because he can't fight that kind of battle. At some point, you're going to have to yield your will to his will, no matter where you are, what it costs, what it takes, and say, Father, I'm here. I'll do whatever you want me to do. I'll say whatever you want me to say, no matter what the cost. I am not my own anymore. I belong to you. I'm bought with a price. I am your soldier.

The last shock and awe that came to my mind this week has nothing to do with war and the challenges and the fears that come with terrorism and anything that could hit us here or there. Probably the ultimate shock, and it may affect some people sitting here today and some people listening beyond here today, is the day when Jesus comes or you drop dead. And you realize that your plan didn't work.

You talk about some shock. Now, there'll be a little awe there because you'll be standing before the God of the universe. Now, guys, to avoid the shock of realizing your plan didn't work, it is as simple as this. You say, God, I have screwed up. I am a sinner. In my own power, in my own strength, in my own way, in my own life by myself, I'm never going to make it. But I believe you love me. You do have a plan for me.

And that Jesus, your only son, came born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died on the cross, shed his blood to pay for my sin, all my sin, was buried, raised from the dead to offer me the gift of eternal life and abundant life. And God, I don't deserve it. I'll never be able to earn it. I'll never be able to pay you back. I know it's a gift. I accept that gift.

I don't want it to be shock when I see you. I want it to be awe when I see you. And I accept this gift. I want you to come live in and through me. And there ought to be this sense of wanting to be here and fulfill the mission that we have to accomplish, but on the flip side, this longing to go be with him or to have him come back and get us. And the sooner we get the word out, the sooner we're out of here anyway.

And my prayer is that we will be about that task today. No matter what the distress, no matter what the challenges you may have, in the midst of that, to thank God, to praise God, to trust him and ask him to use your life to see his kingdom come. His will be done on this earth the way it is in heaven.

Announcer: 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, richardellist.com. Well, here's Richard with some closing thoughts for us.

Richard Ellis: Let's pray together. Father, thank you so much today for who you are, for your power, for your strength in the midst of our weakness. And Father, only you know what the people listening today face and are under, the different categories, Lord. And the strength that they need, and the perseverance required to continue to do the right thing, Lord, to live the right way.

Father, there are so many people out there who live in fear with no meaning, no purpose, no direction. The uncertainty, not of some illness, Lord, but of just life in its totality. And I pray today, Lord, that people would realize that there is no reason to live in fear, Lord, there's no reason to live in doubt. That there is a sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient God, who knows each of us, Lord, intimately.

He knows who we are, where we've been, what we've done, and just waits for us to come and admit our need for you, Father. And I pray that someone today will come before you in a simple act of humility and confession and just through prayer say, God, I am a sinner. I have screwed up. I can't live anymore without you. And I sure don't want to die without you.

And I'm asking you to change my life, to change my heart, to save me from myself, from a life without you and from an eternity without you. God, give me a new heart, a new life, a new beginning, a clean slate. I accept the forgiveness of my sin and this gift of eternal life that you so incredibly and amazingly offer, Lord. Thank you for loving me, God. I love you so much and I thank you for making yourself known to me, for opening the eyes of my heart and giving me the faith to see and to believe, Lord.

And we pray it all in the name of Jesus who makes it possible. Amen.

Announcer: You've been listening to Richard Ellis Talks. We really appreciate that you spent this time with us. But we want to keep the conversation going with you, so give us a call anytime at 855-6-Richard. That's 855-6-Richard. Or through our website, richardellist.com, by sending an email to us so we can stay connected with you. We love bringing you the program every day, but it means even more to us when you let us know how the program has helped you. Call us at 855-6-Richard, or through the website, richardellist.com. Your story needs to be heard and we're listening, caring, and encouraged. 855-6-Richard or richardellist.com. Finally, if you enjoy the program, let us know by your generous support to join us on our mission to reach the planet. We can't do it alone and need your help on this mission. Richardellist.com. So until next time, have a great day and thank you for listening to Richard Ellis Talks.