Richard Ellis Talks

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Richard Ellis Talks with Richard Ellis. Richard's
style is very unique where he shares the message of
the Gospel unlike anyone else. It's real refreshing, focused and fun.
Whether you find yourself in a good place, maybe in
a difficult place, or possibly even in a very lonely place,
let me encourage you that you've come to the right

(00:22):
place now. If you're not able to stick around with
us for all of today's talk, you can almost listen
to download and even share this entire message with a
friend right from our website Richard Ellis Talks dot com.
So with today's talk, here's Richard Ellis.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
The title today's message is Mine, Mine, Mine, Like a
bunch of seagulls on finding Nemo. Does anybody have any
idea what I just said? Yes, all right, turn to
First John chapter two. Okay, so I'm gonna read you
some verses, some quotes. Then we're gonna look at break

(00:58):
this down this little section and some verses to back
it up. And I'd really like you to pay attention
to these verses I'm about to read you. And you say, oh,
I know what this says. It's not always about knowing
what it says. It's understanding what it says and applying
what it says to your life as though you actually
do understand what it says. So first John, chapter two,

(01:21):
verse fifteen, and just the first few words, do not
love the world? He said, well, what does that mean?
Is it a bad place? It's not that it's a
bad place. Aren't we supposed to. God's given us all
things to enjoy. Absolutely, But when you think about the
world and the terms that it's about to describe it,
it's like this is home, like this is all there is,

(01:42):
Like you're stuck here, like whatever you do, it's all
about what you get done here, and there's nothing after it.
There's no eternity. Dumbest song ever written, imagine, there's no heaven.
Imagine just if you ever hear that song, you know,
I say, well, it's got a great tune. It is
total garbage, garbage, go read the lyrics to imagine, imagine

(02:04):
there's no heaven, no hell below. You know, there's nothing
that we believe in. Do not love the world or
the things in the world. If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him. So
this is how stark contrast this is, if you look
like somebody who loves the world, and that's kind of
who you are, then it says, the love of the

(02:25):
Father is not in you, because how could we be
so attached to this and love him at the same time,
and all the ramifications of loving him. Having the love
of the Father in us, then we'd have an understanding
that there's way more than this. For all that is
in the world, and then he gives it three categories.
So this is the thing, these three things, all that

(02:46):
is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is
not of the Father, but is of the world. So
those three categories that he gives us will break it
down in just a second. This is what gets us
in trouble. All that is in the world, the lust
of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the

(03:07):
pride of life is not of the Father, but is
of the world. And the world is passing away, and
the lust of it. But he who does the will
of God abides forever. So the contrast of the world
passing away and the lust in it, all that's gonna
go away. But what will last forever. He who does
the will of God abides forever. So you've got to

(03:29):
figure out what the will of God is and chase that.
A few quotes, Matthew Henry said, the three things that
are of the world, the lust of the flesh, the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, are
so many snares of the soul. The first is the
corruption of the body, the second of the senses, and
the third of the mind. Aw Tozer said, the lust

(03:52):
of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life are the three chief temptations that Satan
uses against the believer, and they are the tools by
which he leads men into spiritual captivity, luring them with
the superficial attractions of the world. And Dietrich Bonhoeffer said,
the world tempts us to seek fulfillment in pleasures, status,

(04:13):
and materialism, But the Christian life is about dying to
those desires, following Christ's example of humility and self sacrifice
Genesis chapter three. So go all the way to the
other end, and here we go. These things, these three
categories that I've described, actually traced back to the original
sin in Genesis Genesis chapter three, Verse six, and Satan

(04:36):
has come in the form of a serpent and talking
to her and gives her all these reasons deceives her.
So verse six. So when the woman saw that the
tree was good for food, so her eyes she goes, Wow,
it looks good. It'd be good for food, and it
was pleasant to the eyes. It would be a good feeling.

(04:57):
And a tree desirable to make one why, I will
be wiser if I eat this tree, of this fruit.
Of this tree. She took of the fruit and ate.
She also gave to her a husband with her, and
he ate. So these same three things from the very beginning.
The devil has no new tricks. We are just so stupid.
Generation after generation falls for the same old game. The

(05:20):
devil is not creative in terms of what he uses.
He's been taking us out lust, the flesh, lust, the eyes,
pride of life for millennia from jump in Genesis chapter three.
So the first mind, it's my body, okay. And I
think of the things that come out of that phrase,
the death, the destruction that comes out of just someone

(05:42):
saying it's mine. It is my body. It's about me,
It's about what feels good to me. Lust of the flesh,
physical cravings, and human nature. It includes temptations related to pleasure, gluttony,
sexual immorality, and any pursuit that prioritize this bodily satisfaction

(06:02):
over God's will. So, if you get duped into this
the lust of the flesh, the devil presents you with
some of these things, just straight up pleasure. What is
he doing to stay with me? It's the world stuff?
Why does he come so strong? Because if he's gonna
keep you trapped in this first category alone, lust of
the flesh just me, my body, what I want when

(06:26):
I want it. Maybe it's shoes, maybe it's porn, maybe
it's weed, maybe it's coke. Something that your body wants.
And I need this and I feel so much better.
Yeah for a little while. So the lust of the
flesh just basic stuff. Okay, is anybody any questions? So far?
I understand what the lust of the flesh might be

(06:46):
the next one or you know what, I'm gonna jump
around more than I normally do. Go to Matthew chapter four.
So this thing started in Genesis. You got this described
in First John. The devil came for Jesus. Look at
Matthew chapter four, verse five. This is Jesus led into
the wilderness by the spirit to be tempted to the devil.
Forty days, forty nights. He's fasting, preparing for an attack.

(07:08):
Now think about this, Jesus, God in the flesh, is
let in the wilderness, and he prepares for forty days
and forty nights fasting, because when the devil comes for
his humanity, he's gonna hit him hard trying to take
him out. Matthew four or five. Then the devil took
him up into the holy city and set him on
the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, if
you are the son of God big, if throw yourself down,

(07:32):
for it is written, he shall give his angels charge
over you, and in their hands they shall bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone. So in
each of these categories, if you just go read, may
not read all this. But in Matthew chapter four, these
things are all covered. Lust the flesh, lust of the eyes,
pride of life. The second one, lust of the eyes. Mine.

(07:54):
It's my stuff. Stuff can become a curse. And I
try to explain it to you. All this way. You
think you own your stuff, But sooner or later If
you're not careful, your stuff takes possession of you. You
don't possess it, it possesses you. And now you think
you're a no one Without your possessions, they begin to

(08:15):
identify you. You've got to wear certain kind of shoes,
You've got to carry a certain kind of purse. Now
listen to me. You say, well, I just like nice purses.
You don't have enough stuff to put in all those purses.
Lust of the eyes, temptation to covet and desire what
we see. It includes materialism, greed, envy, and dissatisfaction with

(08:38):
what God has given us. God is taking care of us.
The Bible says, if you have food and clothing to
be content, and you say, well, I am not content
with food and clothing. I want more. You got to
give me more or I'm ditching on you. I want
what that guy has. I want what she has. And
this can go as far as I want her husband.

(08:59):
I want his wife. What God has provided is not
enough for me. And now you're just scanning all the time.
If I just had that, I'm gonna get that. I
don't care what it costs me. I will have that.
And so then where are your eyes, lust of the eyes.
Your eyes are not focused on Him and what he's about.

(09:19):
They're focused on stuff the world. I gotta have this,
and we take the bait, and it's never enough. I
promise you, Lust that fire is never enough. What you're
looking around stuff, There's never going to be enough Proverbs
twenty seven twenty Just what I just said, Hell and
destruction are never full, so the eyes of man are

(09:43):
never satisfied. The third mind is just basically my way.
The pride of life, temptation to seek status, recognition and
self glorification instead of humbling ourselves before God includes arrogance,
self reliance, and boasting. Man. You meet somebody and all

(10:04):
they can talk about is them. They are in trouble.
Me me, me, me, me, min my my my, Mi mine, mine, mine,
mine mine. It's all about me glorifying me. Look what
I've done, Look who I am. The Bible talks about
let someone else praise you and our ultimate goal. The
ultimate goal of the Christian life is to glorify God.

(10:25):
So is my life glorifying him? Or is it drawing
attention to me? If you're playing your funeral, you better
have more planned than what you are asking someone to say,
you better be giving them something to say with your
life so they don't have to make something up. So
people who attend go I might be at the wrong funeral.

(10:49):
He wasn't any of this stuff. She wasn't any of
this stuff. Oh, he was a great godly follower of Jesus. No,
but let me tell you how your funeral works. When
it's working, when they cannot talk about you without talking
about Jesus inseparable Matthew six, verse nineteen. Now I'm gonna

(11:12):
read you a bunch of verses that offset lust to
the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life.
So if that's not the plan, if that's not what works,
what does work? Instead of mine mine mind? How about yours? Yours? Yours?
About him, his glory, his will, his life, not my life,

(11:32):
his life, in and through my life Matthew six nineteen.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where
moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
But what it doesn't say don't lay up treasures, It
just changes the location. But lay up for yourselves treasures

(11:54):
in heaven. We're neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves,
do not break in and steal. The safest place for
your treasures is in heaven. Now you say, well, it
sounds like you're talking about we can't own anything here.
I'm not saying that. It's not what you own, it's
what owns you that's the problem. And I've said this

(12:15):
too many times. I'm sure. Don't buy anything he can't
give away. It's that simple. So you go to some
store and the Holy Spirit somehow allows you to buy
five thousand dollars purse. Okay, that's what he told you
to do. But what if he told you to buy
that purse because he planned to give it away to somebody? Oh,

(12:36):
I'm not I didn't sign up for that. It's my money.
And we're back to min Mi my my, my, mine, mine, mine,
my mind. What if God chooses to bless you, lets
you be a steward of something that he chooses to
give away. And it's more blessed to give than to receives.
What I heard. And so now you got you some
nice purse and God goes you see that lady over there,
so he's never had anything, give her your purse, Yes, sir,

(12:56):
thank you, sir? Not Oh crap. This is my purse.
It's part of who I am. What are we doing?
Probably what everybody else is doing, because that's how we
measure it. Figure out how God measures things and do that.
Second Corinthians four. So I'm gonna read you this, and
then you have to ask you a question of yourself.
Is this how I'm doing it? Secon grid Is four eighteen.

(13:19):
While we do not look at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen. For the
things which are seen are temporary, but the things which
are not seen are eternal. So the only stuff that's
really gonna last is the stuff you can't see. But
we focus on the stuff we can see. If you
spend less time looking in the mirror and spend it

(13:41):
with him, because time and gravity is gonna take us
all out. I'll let you figure that one out too.
Everybody's trying to prop things up. Make you know, keep
it going, keep it going, keep going. You're gonna die.
If Jesus didn't come back, you're gonna die. You're gonna
get old. You can take care of yourself, your warrant.
He's gonna run out. You're out of here so far.
Focus on not what I'm not saying don't do the

(14:02):
best you can with what you got. Who really cares
what you look like? Oh, I gotta stay beautiful if
you really are beautiful. Some of the ugliest people I
have ever seen are beautiful on the outside until they
open their mouth or you follow them around and go,
oh my gosh, it's a disaster. They look good. They
just can't put a life together. Galatians five, verse sixteen.

(14:26):
I say, then walk in the spirit. You shall not
fulfill the lust of the flesh. So if you want
to overcome the lust of the eyes, the lust of flesh,
the pride of life, walk in the spirit. Now you say, well,
that sounds simple. How do you do that? Now listen closely.
I'm going to give you the keys. Okay. You cannot
walk in the spirit and walk in sin at the

(14:47):
same time. So if you've got sin in your life,
you say, Father, I will never be what you want
me to be with the sin in my life. So
you're right, I'm wrong. I repent, I confess the sin.
You're faithful and just to forgive me to cleanse me.
I'm back in the spirit. Spirit's in me, fill me.
Let's go. You say, well, I've got to struggle in

(15:08):
this area. You can't fix the flesh with the flesh.
Your will cannot overcome the flesh. You have to have
the will of God. You have to have the power
of God. You have to have the spirit of God,
or you will never say no to the lust of flesh,
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
So what is walking in the spirit. If you put
snowshoes on, and you walked in the snowshoes, that means

(15:31):
when you put the snow shoes on, you would take
a step in the snowshoes and your foot would still
be in the snowshoe. You take another step, you're walking
in the snowshoes. So if you walk in the spirit,
every step you take is his step that he's taking.
And he goes to take a step over here, and
you go, oh, no, no, no, we're going over here.
You're not walking in the spirit. You're walking by yourself.

(15:54):
And Jesus goes, what are we doing? Just shut up
and ride, that's what we're doing. You're never gonna leave
me here, forsake me. But for now you are stuck
in my vehicle because I'm driving, and we walk and
go where I want to go. Shut up, get in
the back seat, or I'll put you in the trunk.
You say, well, nobody's saying that to Jesus. What are
you saying? What am I saying? I'll be right back.

(16:15):
So he said, well, it can't be that simple. It's
not that. It's not it's like getting saved. It's not complicated.
Walking into spirit's not complicated. I just don't want to
do it. That's my problem. Because when I yield and
I walk into spirit, then whatever he says, that's what
we're doing. He says, go here, I go there. He says,
say this. I say this, boom boom, boom boom. Every

(16:36):
step you imagine what your life would be like. Then
you pass someone, you look at him. You didn't see them.
He sees them and says, go back. Then you got
a decision to make. I'm going to do what he
wants to do or I'm gonna do what I want
to do. And you drive off out of the spirit.
You're winging it. You say, yeah, but Jesus still loves
me and he's on board. It's just that your life,
all of that from then on won't count. Oh I

(16:59):
did a nice thing I gave money in the flesh,
it won't count. Now you're using the argument of lost people. Oh,
if you drop dead, where are you're going?

Speaker 1 (17:07):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (17:07):
I think I go to heaven because I'm a good person.
Being a good person as a Christian is not the
same thing as being a godly person as a Christian
in walking in the spirit. So walk in the spirit.
All of a sudden, the flesh just goes away. What
And I'm telling you guys, for me personally, the only
thing I can come up with anymore if I'm not

(17:28):
walking in the spirit is because I want the flesh
stop blaming anybody else. The devil didn't make you do Jack.
You picked it because in the spirit you have the
power over sin, the grave, Satan, death, everything Galatians five
twenty four. And those who are christ have crucified the

(17:49):
flesh with its passions and desires. It's dead. You're dead
to that. I don't want to show a hands on this,
but there's probably some people in the room that you're struggle.
Might be cocaine, and you haven't thought about it the
whole service. Hopefully maybe you have. But if I told
you that somebody in the lobby has got cocaine on them.

(18:10):
Now you're thinking about it, You're like, I wonder who
that is. Oh, I don't need to go out there.
But see, until I told you it was out there,
you're probably dead to it because your mind's not on it.
So the devil says, well, you're not dead to cocaine.
You're not dead to all these things. You got to
still like that stuff. You're like, no, I don't. Well,
I'm gonna tempt you with it anyway. Take your best shot.

(18:31):
Because I got weaponry that I didn't have. I got
armor I can put on, I got shield, sword, I
got all this stuff. And on top of that, I
am walking in the spirit. And when you're filled with
the spirit. By the way, if you fill a glass
with water, there's no space in the glass for anything
else but water. Right, So if you get filled with
the Holy Spirit of God, it's him. It's all him,

(18:54):
you say, but I still have thoughts. Flush him out,
let him keep filling. I'll read you that verse five eighteen.
I find it fascinating that he uses this example. Ifhees ins,
five eighteen says, and do not be drunk with wine.
So you might have any questions about what that means
I love all these people. Oh yes, I just have

(19:14):
a glass of wine with my dinner. Oh okay. And
then the next thing, you know, they had two glasses
of wine, and then they had three glasses of wine,
and now they're not sober anymore. Well, but I'm at home,
I'm not driving anywhere, and now we have to get
another bottle out because we're filling ourselves with something that
will change how we feel and give us joy, and

(19:36):
we're happy and celebrating. Okay, that's one way to do it.
Let me show you God's way. Don't be drunk with wine,
which is dissipation or excess. But if you filled with
the spirit. The Bible nowhere says don't get drunk. It
just tells you what to get drunk on. Grab you
a bottle of Jesus. You want to drink, Drink you
some Jesus. I just can't get enough of him. And

(19:56):
all of a sudden, you're full of that. But you're
not full of you anymore. You're fu and now you're
not full of it. Don't be drunk with wine, be
filled with the spirit. And actually you can't become a
Christian without having the Holy Spirit move in this actually
is about He's in there, but it's this constant filling,
like he keeps filling, and so whatever else is not

(20:17):
him is gonna get flushed out. It's all him. It's
kind of a you be being filled like constantly, constantly, constantly.
It's him. It's him. It's timid to him. If you're
full of the spirit and that overflows, it's gonna overflow
to people around you, and then you're gonna prove what
is that perfect acceptable will of God. You can't hide
Jesus when he's overflowing out of your life Philippians three.

(20:39):
Just a few mourn we're out of here Philippians three nineteen.
Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, whose
glory is in their shame, who set their mind on
earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which
we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you got any plans that his return and could

(21:00):
screw up? Only reason I can come up with is, Lord,
don't come yet, because I still got people don't know you,
and I'd hate to leave without him. I got a
passport for here. I'm a US citizen, but that one's
going to go away. I'm a citizen of heaven. When
the last time you wave that flag? I love to

(21:22):
hear people chant in the USA, USA. When the last
time you heard people chanting about heaven? Gim me you
and h no, no, don't don't go there. Don't go there.
We'll get out of control. We wouldn't want that, James
four to four. This is intense. This is how God
sees us when we cheat on him adulters James four four.

(21:45):
Adulters and adulteresses. Do you not know that friendship with
the world is enmity with God. Whoever therefore wants to
be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy
of God. When we go to the world instead of him,
we are committing adultery. Base. We are cheating on God
Colossians three to one. If then you were raised with Christ,

(22:06):
as you're a Christian, when he was raised in the dead,
you were raised, Seek those things which are above, where
Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set
your mind on things above, not on things of the earth.
So everybody's got a phone usually, so if you go
into your settings and open it to screen time, right,

(22:28):
does everybody know what I'm talking about now? What if
God could open you up in your heart and get
an actual heaven time reading? How much time you spent
thinking about things above as opposed to things on earth?
What am I going to eat? What am I going
to wear? All the gentiles do see, the more time

(22:51):
you spend on things above, the less you worry about
things down here. You seek first the Kingdom of God
and his righteousness. All this other stuff just happened. He
takes care of you, feeds the birds, He's going to
take care of you. But we get all eyes down here.
What am I going to do? What am I going
to do? What am I going to do? What if
he doesn't no such thing? Well, I don't like the

(23:13):
way things are. I want more pleasure, I want more stuff.
I want more recognition. I want the world to look
at me because of what I have, the good time
that I'm having, how great I am.

Speaker 1 (23:26):
We'll get back to Richard in a moment to close
out today's talk, but first I want to share something
about our 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

(23:47):
something everyone needs to hear, and that's why it's such
a priority to us. So join us in this important mission.
Call us at eight five five six Richard to say
you're in, or you can get on board with us
through our website Richard Ellis talks dot com. Well, here's
Richard with some closing thoughts for us.

Speaker 2 (24:07):
The last one one John two fifteen. Do not love
the world or the things in the world. If anyone
loves the world, the love of the Father is not
in him. And we wonder why so many people wonder
whether we're Christians. When they find out we say we are,
they go, I don't know how that's possible. Because if
you're a Christian, fill the spirit, walking with God, somebody's

(24:28):
gonna go, wow, what happened to you? It'll be obvious
the love of the Father will be in you. And
if it's in you, it's gonna come through you to
other people. So take a stab at going from mine
mind mine to yours, yours, yours, like Jesus prayed in
the garden, not my will, your will be done. The
gravitational pull of the world is very strong, but like

(24:53):
Red Bull, he'll give you wings and you can rise up,
get away from the pull of the earth and serve
him mine you're supposed to.

Speaker 1 (25:03):
Thanks for listening today to Richard Ellis Talks. We're confident
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and let us know. The number is eight five five
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jump on over to our website, Richard Ellis Talks dot
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We'd love to hear from you. And while you're there

(25:24):
at the website, there's a ton of great stuff there
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Speaker 2 (25:31):
Prayer request, and a whole lot more.

Speaker 1 (25:33):
Check it out Richard Ellis Talks dot com. Finally, we
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Speaker 2 (25:40):
With the cost.

Speaker 1 (25:41):
Call us at eight five five six Richard, or you
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Eight five five six Richard or Richard Ellis Talks dot Com.
Until next time, God bless you and thanks for listening
to Richard Ellis Talks.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
Yeah.