Richard Ellis Talks

Guest (Male): Today on Richard Ellis Talks...

Richard Ellis: You looking for Jesus? He's looking for you. And you will find him because he will find you. You say, "Well, I'm not looking for Jesus." Then you won't have any problems not finding him. You say, "Well, what if nobody can reach him?" Angels show up. What if there's no angels available? Jesus can show up. Don't be telling God what he can't do.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Richard Ellis Talks with Richard Ellis. We're taking the entire month of September to focus on something that is very important to Richard, and I'm sure to you as well. And it all centers around the word legacy. How do you want to be remembered? Who has influenced your life in a meaningful way? What would people say about you when you were gone? What's left behind?

Well, we're introducing a brand-new exciting feature that will be a place where you can share your story. I'll share more for you at the end of the program. But for now, let's jump right in with today's talk. Here is Richard Ellis.

Richard Ellis: The title of this message is "Starry Decisis." So what does stare decisis mean? To stand by things decided. Stare decisis is Latin for just that, to stand by things decided. In short, it is the doctrine of precedent. Courts cite to stare decisis when an issue has been previously brought to the court, the Supreme Court, and a ruling already issued.

So if you look at our history, and I'm not going to go too long with this, just hang tight, we'll get to the scriptures. Dred Scott v. Sandford, which the Supreme Court misspelled his name if you go back and look at that, 1857, declared that Black people were inferior to white people. The 13th and 14th amendments overturned the Dred Scott decision, but could only be enacted after several years of bloody Civil War. So there's a case where the Supreme Court of the United States said something was true and then they reversed it.

Loving v. Virginia, 1967, the Supreme Court overruled the Pace v. Alabama 1883 banning marriage between Blacks and whites. So we would have people in our congregation who would be illegally married if you had gone by the original law, which is completely absurd and the Bible says nothing about what color person you marry. If you're still stuck on that one, God help you.

The court dismissed Baker v. Nelson 1972, overturned in 2015. The court ruled five to four in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex marriage is protected under the 14th Amendment. Now, you say, "What do you think about that?" I'm giving you legal stuff, not biblical stuff. Some of it biblical, some of it not. I personally believe that one needs to be reversed.

You say, "Well, it can't be. It's the law." That's the whole point of me reading you this. Things can be reversed. Now, before you get all hot and bothered and say, "I'm leaving and never coming back because you think same-sex marriage should be illegal," that's my right. You've got the right to believe whatever you want to believe. I can believe what I want to believe. And the day I lose my right to believe what I believe and your right and I'm wrong and we can't have conversation, this country's in trouble.

So I'm not judging you, I'm not throwing you under some bus. I'm just saying with the way I read my Bible, there is no such thing as same-sex marriage. Governments can come up with whatever they want and courts can come up with whatever they want to come up with. We said owning a Black person was legal; turned out that wasn't a thing. So we can get it wrong.

Brown v. Board of Education 1954 overturned Plessy v. Ferguson from 1896, which indoctrinated separate but equal accommodations under the law and paved the way for Jim Crow for decades. So separate but equal, in some ways we've still lost our minds, but if you look back on this, we really lost our minds. The things that people can come up with about people is just extraordinary. Like what are you thinking? You're not better than someone else.

So given all that stare decisis, to stand by things decided, so it is possible to say, "No, we're not going to change this." And by the way, there are some things that don't need changing. And I'm going to read you about some of those today. Genesis chapter 1. Genesis chapter 1 verse 3. Very interesting. A lot of stuff happens in Genesis chapter 1. So if you've never read the Bible, at least you read Genesis 1, you got a lot, like the whole universe right there in one chapter pretty much. It doesn't take God long.

Genesis 1:3 says, "Then God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." But if you jump down to verse 14, it looks like God creates the lights in the firmament. I thought he did that up in verse 3 to 5. Turns out that light is not just something the sun generates. Light is a person. God is light. And so when he appears, when he says, "Let there be light," it's about him.

Verse 14 of Genesis 1, "Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years.'" Remember that. So I will reference this now because I may forget it later. There is something called the Star of Bethlehem. There's a site called bethlehemstar.com. And in this actual facility we had the gentleman who does this presentation come in years ago.

He basically got, and I've referred to this before, I know it's not the first time, he got the software from NASA of the universe. And like a clock, it is precision. And he loaded in, rolled it back, and went to the birth of Jesus, before he was born, the crucifixion, all these things. And like clockwork, within days, minutes, everything exactly paralleling scripture. Literally the universe screams, "I'm coming."

And there are things that are coming in the future that are already wound into the mechanism because God had a plan before he created anything and literally set it up so that only a fool, and I'll read you that verse in a minute, only some fool would come up with, "Well, statistically maybe but I don't see it." Now, I used to be calmer and not so outspoken about the fool thing. If you say there is no God, I am agreeing with scripture: you are just a fool.

It takes more nuts to come up with no God than it ever does to come up with God. I mean, I just can't even go there sometimes. Okay, we're going to have a big explosion and 3,500 species of birds are just going to appear? Broccoli! Right, broccoli. You just have a big explosion and you've got broccoli? Are you nuts? All this stuff was created by somebody. You say, "Well, why would you be so mean?" If you think this is mean, wait till you drop dead and encounter a living God who goes, "Look, the guy tried. Broccoli. He tried."

So literally built in here, for signs and seasons, for days and years. "And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. Just that little phrase. So far I think it's two. They estimate two trillion galaxies with a hundred million stars in each one. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth and to rule over the day and over the night and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Four days in: universe.

There's no man yet. Go to Genesis 1:24. "Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind'; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good." So you have all these variety of species and different animals. It's just further proof that this is not by chance. It's God's creativity. I'm not saying he was showing off, but my gosh, how can you come up with anything but a God who designs and he creates?

Every once in a while in these nature shows I watch these bugs, and you hate bugs, but, "Oh yeah, that just a big explosion and that little bug appeared." You've got to be an idiot. "Oh, just give it a few billion years and that thing will show up." That's crazy stuff. "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'" Those are the bugs and other stuff.

"And God said, 'See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food'; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day."

The seventh day he rests. If you go into Genesis chapter 2 it describes in more detail how he makes man and woman. Everything else God speaks into an existence, it appears, but man, he takes dirt, forms him, takes Eve out of man. It's just extraordinary. It's just design. I have seen three children come out of my wife's body. And if you have ever experienced that and you tell me there's no God... A seed gets planted and here comes a person. What in the world? But that just happened, part of the big explosion.

Psalm 14:1, Psalm 53:1, just so I can give you the reference for this. And I'm talking again, you don't have to be mean to people, but when you sit down with someone and they say they're an atheist, I mean maybe I'm not this blunt in those conversations but I would at some point go, "Dude, let me say it really quietly. You're a fool." Like, what are you talking about? How can you come up with anything but creation?

Now, you may not want to give me Jesus and the cross and all that quite yet, but you make a distinction between explosion slash creation, it's a big jump. And Psalm 14:1, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good." Just clueless.

Matthew 2 verse 1. Matthew 2 verse 1 and 2 says this: "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?'" So this is after he was born, not before. We've gone over this before. "For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."

So you say, "They were just making stuff up." No, if you go to that Bethlehem star deal and look at that, planets do crazy things. And these wise men had been studying the stars and something extraordinary happened in the stars that literally leads them at least to Israel, to Jerusalem, and then they say, "Okay, a king's been born." And they go, "Okay, well the only king we know about would be Messiah, that would be Bethlehem." So the star leads them to Bethlehem, they go to Bethlehem, and there is this kid. The universe declares his birth. And you say, "Oh, it's just coincidence." Fool.

Matthew 24, and this is referring to things that are going to come to pass. And God, you know, I guess it's depending on your view of the end. I don't want to be here for this. I'd just as soon Jesus come by, I'll take an early train out. Matthew 24:29, you can read about this in Joel as well. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

When Jesus comes, you will not wonder if it's Jesus. So what is this all this preaching about? What do we do church? Why do we get it out on the radio and video now? All this stuff, what's the point of this? It's trying to catch you, get your attention, ask God to open your eyes before it's too late.

We have a friend in our family, I helped do his funeral just a couple days ago. And he was fine running ten miles a day and within weeks he was gone. Sixty-six years old, gone. And you say, "Oh, that's not going to happen to me." Let me just give you a little bit of secret information I've just discovered. You're going to die. Unless Jesus comes back while you're alive and you're a believer, you're going to die.

And you can act like that's not happening, you can move the coconuts fast, be distracted, keep traveling, doing whatever. It's coming for you too. You say, "Well, I'm taking care of myself." He was running 20 miles a week. So back yourself down from that, say if I'm going to die, when is that going to happen? I don't know. Am I prepared to die?

And the Bible talks about people for all their lifetime lived in bondage to the fear of death. I've shared this before, I don't really, I'm not afraid to die. If I knew it was coming pretty quick I'd be like, "Okay, yeah, I'm kind of excited to see Jesus and all that," but there's still things I'd like to do here. But I'm not afraid to die. You're going to die. And you're going to stand before either God on your own without Christ or you're going to stand before Christ himself and then you've got answers because he is your answer. You need to get an answer. You can't put this one off. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart. Listen and do something about it. Because later is sometimes too late.

Romans chapter 1. This is a very intense passage and I recommend that you go read it. Back to the same-sex marriage thing and gay this and that, people say, "Oh, people use Romans 1." Don't stop at same-sex anything. Keep reading because you're in there. Don't be jumping on some little issue and saying well that's the issue. People stop short sometimes of the list, and it's a big old list and you don't have to be that item to make the list.

Romans 1, go down to verse 16. This is Paul writing to this church in Rome. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek," in other words, anybody non-Jew. "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.' For the wrath of God," now you say, "where is God's wrath unleashed?" "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse."

So people ask me, "What about the people who have never heard?" And I say they don't exist. You say, "But what if they've never really heard about Jesus?" Read this and I'll tell you what goes down. "Well, keep going though and then I'll come back. Because, although they knew God," so what I believe this says is that every human being at some point in their life has the option, a moment where they say, "There's a God." And either they go with that or they shut it down.

And if they shut it down, "they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—birds and four-footed animals and creeping things." And then God turns them over and here you go.

How do you end up with all this depravity and sin and evil? It's people who say, "No God, I'm out." And then you flush the toilet and here you go. So you say, "What does this mean if they're without excuse?" There's tribes in the Amazon jungle right now. I have some friends, I grew up in Brazil, mission field, a man who I knew, his son now is involved. They reached a tribe that nobody knew existed and shared the gospel with them. And now that tribe has come across a tribe that they didn't even know existed.

So there are still people on the planet that no one knew were in the jungle down in there. You think, how is that even possible? We've got radar, all kind of satellites, pictures. We should be able to find these people. So here's what I think about those people that nobody's ever found yet. That they, like everybody else, are without excuse. And if one of them looks up and says, "That sun cannot be God. And these bugs didn't just happen," and they cry out and say, "Whoever You are, I believe that You are," I think somebody shows up.

You say, "But what if they can't find them?" My Jesus doesn't have trouble finding anybody. So don't start with our limitations and try to help God out. A God who's willing to send His only begotten Son, God Himself, come to earth, doesn't have trouble finding people. So maybe another tribe goes in there, shares the gospel. You looking for Jesus? He's looking for you. And you will find him because he will find you.

You say, "Well, I'm not looking for Jesus." Then you won't have any problems not finding him. You say, "Well, what if nobody can reach him?" Angels show up. What if there's no angels available? Jesus can show up. Don't be telling God what he can't do. You cry out to the living God for help, he'll help, especially when it comes to your eternity, your soul.

2 Peter 3:10. Just more stare decisis here. And if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm misspelling "starry." 2 Peter 3:10. "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare." You do not want to be on the planet when this goes down unless you're a believer.

You say that can't happen. Don't be telling God what can't happen. I'm reading you out of the book. And everything in the book comes true. And back to our Genesis chapter 1 talking about day four, look at 1 John 1:5. "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." He is literally light.

Now go to Revelation chapter 22. This is the end. 22:1, "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever."

How are you going to beat that? There's all kind of music out there, "Highway to Hell," all these very fascinating songs you hear from time to time. And people who, I've literally had someone say, "I'd rather burn in Hell with my friends than in Heaven with a bunch of you Bible-thumpers." And you know, that can be arranged, because you've already arranged it.

You say, "What do you mean?" You picked it. "Well, I thought there was this predestination thing where God either picked you or he didn't." And I said this the other day, and as crazy as this sounds, if I asked you, I said, "Well, have you been picked by God?" "I don't want to be picked by God." What if you change your mind? What if you decided you did want to be picked by God? Could you arrange that? I can arrange that.

You say, "How can you arrange that?" Because even though you didn't pick him, he picked you. "Well, how did he know I was going to change my mind and pick him?" Because he's God. "Well, I don't want him ahead of me like that." You better pray he's ahead of you.

I've got a man right now, I texted him a few hours ago. And he grew up in church, and I met him over ten years ago, and he locked down. He was too smart for God, for church, anybody. Ran into his sister and brother-in-law, and he's got trouble. He's got girl trouble. He's got heart trouble. He's brokenhearted, he's in pain. And I texted him, didn't think he'd answer. He answered.

You say, "What's going to happen?" If he's a Christian, if he truly believed at some point in his life, then God finishes what he starts. Now, it's possible that someone that becomes a believer never comes around in terms of repenting and changing; they still make heaven. But it's a whole lot better to make heaven having repented on this side, even as a Christian.

So you say, "What's going to happen to him?" I don't know. I know he's screwed up and he has screwed up. But I've been extended mercy; I'm going to extend him mercy. And it's possible that his pain has become greater than his pleasure of resisting Jesus. And now he doesn't want to run anymore. And maybe you're tired of running. You say, "No, I'm not tired yet." You're going to get tired. Because sin sucks the very life out of you.

And you can say, "Okay, I'm wrong. He's right. I yield. I don't care how humiliating it is. I don't want to live this way anymore." Or you can just lock down and be proud and say, "Oh, I'm going to make it work my way." And how is that working out for you and everybody else around you that has to put up with that nonsense?

Go back to John chapter 8. Last verse. 8 verse 12. "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'" Sin: walking in darkness. Following him: light. You can see. You know where you're going. Not just in this life, but the life to come. Nothing like that.

So stare decisis: to stand by things already decided. Some things are already decided. And I recommend standing by them. In the beginning, God. Already decided. Doesn't need to be overruled, can't be. I'm a sinner. I'm lost. I need to be rescued, I need to be saved. That's already decided.

But something else is already decided in the universe. The stare decisis reveals this as well: that he knew you'd be a sinner and he knew you'd need him, and he planned for that. And that does not need to be changed. Only thing that needs to be changed is me and my heart, where I'm willing to say, "God, I'm a sinner. I've rejected You. I've tried to make it work my own way. But I see now that You love me, that Jesus died on the cross, was buried and raised from the dead to save me. I believe. I receive. I accept Your gift of eternal life, forgiveness of sin. Come live in me, fill me, the person of the Holy Spirit, and change me." That simple. And as I always say, people say, "Well, it can't be that easy." And I say, "Easy for who?" Easy for me because I say thank you and accept. Not so easy for him because it cost him his life.

Guest (Male): Thank you for listening to Richard Ellis Talks. We so appreciate you taking the time to be encouraged by Richard's unique way of challenging us to become more like Jesus every day. But it doesn't stop there. We want that same inspiration to be passed on from you, too, for others to be encouraged by your life in their own walk with the Lord. And most of us have seen great examples in someone else firsthand that is significantly touched and inspired our life, so much so that we want to pass it on to others as well.

This legacy should be what we all inspire to. Even the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 1, "Follow my example, as I followed the example of Christ." So who is it in your life that was a great example as a Christ follower that has inspired you to do the same? And what is it that you want to make sure others know about what is most important to you as a believer?

Well, I have some really great news to share with you. We have just added a legacy wall on our website for you to tell your story. Who has made a difference in your life? And what is it that you want to share with others in leaving a legacy of your beliefs and values? We want to hear about it. Go to richardellistalks.com and share your story today.

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 at richardellistalks.com. And while you're there, you can help us greatly by giving to this ministry. This program is making a huge difference in people's lives and you can make a big difference to ours, too. We really do need to hear from you on that. Go to richardellistalks.com to support this ministry and share your story. Thank you. And until next time, thank you for listening. We look forward to coming alongside you again for more Richard Ellis Talks.