Leon Fontaine - Kingdom Responsibilities
We've taught a lot in our church about your individual heart. And that your individual heart is determining your future. Most people, and you don't hear much teaching about the heart because most people just think it's the spirit. But as you study the Word of God, you'll discover that the key to the supernatural realm is the heart. If you need a miracle in your body. If you need a miracle in your finances. If you need a miracle in your marriage. Wherever you need a miracle. Miracles are what Christianity is all about. But when you allow reasoning to take over and creep into our churches and we lose the miraculous belief, the miraculous flow of Holy Spirit in our midst. We just become another religion.
And religion is awful. Religion has no power. Religion only has the ability to change behavior not the heart. And so you'll struggle the rest of your life trying to change behaviors that come out of the heart because the heart is something we need to look after. I'm going to talk about that. There's also the heart of a nation. And our heart is our autopilot for our future as an individual. And a nation has a heart and it is the autopilot of its future. Some people starts screaming about God's judging and that's not biblical for a new covenant. But it is very biblical that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. And that just like a man can bring forth from the abundance of his heart, so will a nation bring forth the leaders and these things are going on out of the abundance of its heart.
So the church of Jesus Christ needs to wise up. And churches need to begin just declare that we need to take Jesus to the masses. We need to take the presence of God. We need to share with our neighbors who this Jesus is. The supernatural realm is the realm of the believer because you are a three-part being. Body, soul, and spirit. And the enemy so badly wants you to give up on miracles, not understand miracles, become too smart for miracles. And if we do that, there is no attraction for the younger generations rising up other than some discipline of religion that every nation's got one. What makes Christianity absolutely unique and different is the personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The using of His name and the miraculous. The supernatural that follows His church.
When the church stops teaching the supernatural, when it stops moving in the supernatural, believing God for miracles, seeing miracles in our personal lives, in our everyday lives. There's no power. There's nothing. You'll lose the next generation. We'll have no ability to see the heart of a nation. And when you look at the Old Testament, God would change a nation, or as people prayed and believed. And so to everybody that's listening out there. The church of Jesus Christ needs to stop playing church and let's go reach beautiful, wonderful people from the villages to countries, to cities. From the streets and the sidewalks wisdom is crying out loud. We need to be the place that loves people the way they are. The ones who disagree with your political process. The ones who disagree with your healthcare stance.
And right here in our own church, we have a variety of beliefs on all of these things even in different marriages and in family. So what we do as a church? We walk in love. We believe God. We rise up and say, "We are the church of Jesus Christ". And if we are the salt and the light of the world, and salt is what preserves and light is what reveals. What is a country going to do without revelation revealing truths and without the longevity of salt that adds this lastingness to a nation. Nations are ending all around the world. They just come to a close, or they become so bankrupt that no one ever wants to move to them. Everyone's moving out of them. So we need to recognize. We need to pray. We need to raise up great churches. We need to literally say, "Okay, our prayers and our outspoken and our confession are going to begin to declare, 'God, this is our nation and this is what we speak about our nation. This is what we prophesy to our nation'". And we need to be persistent.
I got news for you. Persistence is way more powerful than a genius. Everybody is looking for a genius. We need a new political leader. We need a new healthcare leader. We need a new this. We need a new that. Looking for a genius. You're not going to find a genius out there to do this. And if they do, their lifespan will be 4 years or 10 years in power whether they're in and they're gone and someone else... What we need is persistence. All through the Word of God the church of Jesus Christ is persistent. It rises up and it never stops. It keeps declaring. It keeps praying. It keeps reaching out with love and opening its arms to the neighbors and the people around them. It's the most attractive thing to people who are hurting and not knowing where to go is Jesus who loves us all. And until we see a heart change in them, you're not going to be able to touch nations. Jesus is not a stupid man. And so when He says, "My church is what I'm building. And the gates of hell can't stop it".
Now we need to be building good government. We need to be building good healthcare. We need to be building good business systems. We need to be building good provinces and cities. We need to be building good arts and entertainment and music. Why? Because it's all a part of the culture of a society. All found in Genesis as we find the first city being raised up. So as a church, if we think we're going to just go attack one of those areas and we're going to find a genius and you're going to change everything. You're fooling yourself. Only the church of Jesus Christ rising up with a mission. Only the church of Jesus Christ rising up energetic and alive. That begins to share the Christ that is going to... eternity is forever.
There are three classes of people that I've noticed today. The first is the group that their physical body dominates them and the voice of their body dominates them. These are people who, it's all about their passions. It's all about their appetites. It's all about their physical desires. It's all they think about. It's all they look after. Those people bankrupt real quick. Second class of people I've noticed is instead of being led by their body their passions and appetites and physical desires, their mind dominated. In this class, we've got, you know, great financial leaders, educational leaders, social-political leaders, a purely intellectual approach. And but it makes this person, this leader dangerous because the development of the mind develops ego. It develops self-centeredness. It develops selfishness. Which is why we can't ever seem to have a leader in any of the areas of society that doesn't eventually all become about power and themselves. Because the development of the mind, where you're led by your mind raises up ego and selfishness, pride.
And then the third type of person is the person who is spirit dominated. This person is led by their spirit, by their conscience, by the presence of God. The purposes for their life, let alone their career. They haven't thought career. They thought life. I'm laying my life down for the things of God, for Christ. And so this is where we find the true supernatural ability. And Christians are to first of all, look after their spiritual life then renew their mental life, take it captive their physical life, but none of that can happen without a strong, energetic, passionate, faith, and going into God's Word. Throughout the ages, the battle is between in the church, the intellectual Christians and those who desire the miraculous flow and fellowship with God.
Your responsibility according to the things of God is to fellowship with Jesus, and where you go be His hands, be His feet, walk into people's crisis, walk into people's hurt. One of our great minds in Canada, Jordan Peterson, who I enjoy him. Don't know where he stands on a lot of things but I enjoy the wisdom God's given him. He said one time, "It's amazing how little it takes to encourage someone". How little it takes. How little it takes to speak an encouraging word, through each other helping hand. Well, he doesn't need help doing his lawn. No, but maybe walking over for half an hour and say, "Hey, I got a half. Let me give you a hand". Maybe it's not the grass that you mowed. It's the help that touch the spirit and his aching heart and his suicidal thoughts.
Well, Leon, it's not going to work one on one. Isn't it interesting that Jesus, Holy Spirit had them authored four books about Him and the vast majority is Jesus ministering to one person over and over again. And if you keep thinking about how are we going to reach the masses? Yes, I think that way. And yes, we do think that way. But I'm trying to everywhere I go, what's the one person I can touch for Christ. Is there a Billy Graham in the ranks that I just touch? Is there a Dwight Eisenhower? Is there whoever a church, Churchill? Like whoever you might respect or whatever. That I just touch one and encourage him to continue to pick up and to move on. The church of Jesus Christ can be so myopic in how we look. We've got a responsibility to bring Jesus first to this world. And then with all of our different gifts and abilities. Yes, we organize and train and equip in every gifting from politics to education to church leaders to, yes, we need to help them find their place and equip them for the work of their ministry. Not just in the church, your ministry is not greeting at the door. That's just you helping at home. This is your house. This is God's house.
When I go home, I help Sally and she helps me with all sorts of stuff. That's not our ministry. It's just our home. Hey, babe, I'll vacuum. You grab that. And it's not a problem. Ministry is out in the world. This gifting in you is to be used for the things of God. In Hebrews 10:38-39, it says this in the American Standard Version, it says, "But my righteous one shall live by faith. And if he shrink back, my soul's got no pleasure in him. But we are not of them that shrink back into destruction, but of them that have faith unto the saving of the soul". When the king, when the children of Israel came out of Egypt, and they're going to the promised land. God's not a psychiatrist or a psychologist so as every parent over 20 shrieked in fear and gave up on God and say, "We're all going to die. Let's kill Moses". People always attacked the leader when they got a problem. He took their kids in and not them.
In Psalm 78:41-42 says that the reason those adults did not enter into the promise of God was because they doubted Him. He fed them every morning with manna, rained a little quail. In the desert had water coming out of rocks to feed millions of people. Took out Egypt as a major military power and never has been a world power since. The miracles that He did for them, they're at the edge of what God has called them and what wants to bless them with. And the Bible said they have an evil heart. What's an evil heart? That must be like a child molester. That must be a murderer. What is an evil heart? Bible calls it a heart that refuses to believe God. A heart that refuses to trust God.
Is your anxiety and depression and freak outs and the reason you're not laughing and enjoying life and getting up and going with this aggressive faith and peace because maybe you're doubting that God's got a plan. And you're doubting that God's not going to see this through to incredible victory. Have you doubted that regardless of how many steps back something's being pushed. You're just being pushed back in the sling shot of God. And when that thing let's go, you're going to rocket forward into the cause, into the things that God requires us to do. Let's not forget. We don't shrink back. Why? Because if you shrink back according to Hebrews 10:39 you will be destroyed. And as you shrink back, he has no pleasure in this. Why? Because without faith, it's impossible to please God.
Faith is this aggressive forward, moving. That when people start going, "What's happening"? Just say, "Watch me or follow me. But get out of the way and let's go do something for God". It's not this, "Well, we, we, we, we, we sure hope and then pray it". Oh, get out of the way. Get out of the way. Follow or get out of the way. The church of Jesus Christ has never had leaders and people like that that have ever made it. It's this phenomenal faith in Jesus Christ. He says, "We're taken a country. We're taken our city. We're taken a nation. We're going to the nations". Jesus didn't say, "Go into the world. Preach the gospel. No, nothing's going to happen but it's a good try". He didn't say, "Make disciple. There won't be very many, be a few little remnants of you and the devil's so powerful. He's going to take out the world. I'll come and rescue you".
What in the world are you reading? Get your heart anchored in the Word of God, and the worry and the anxiety and the stress will go away. Why? Because my hope is not in a world system. My hope is in Christ. And I believe and I can prove it to you in the Word. That we are to advance and take ground. We are to take nations. We are to take cities. In the book of Acts they took city after city. In the book of Acts they impacted entire countries. It's too bad that we didn't have placed into some kind of a second book of the Bible, what took place in the then known world after the book of Revelation, after the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple. And the new covenant beginning to rise up and it begins to take out Rome. And it begins to take out country after country and churches. That some are still standing. That were built like a 1.000, 1500 years ago in nations you haven't even been to who stood strong for God. We think Canada and America is it. Good Lord. We've only been going for a few, a couple hundred years. Joshua chapter one.
Now here's a story about a great leader dying, Moses. Recognize that when a great leader dies, an era ends and you're going into another era. It's scary as hell. Because over and over in the Old Testament when a righteous leader died and another leader took over. I'll bet you more than half the time, they were unrighteous. They went worshipping idols. They went in wrong directions and the whole country suffered. So when there's changes of leaders, people are worried. They pray. Moses is dead. So God speaks to young man named Joshua and He says, "Moses, my servant, is dead. So now arise. Take his place. Go over this Jordan. You and all this people into the land which I'm giving to them". So He's speaking to Joshua. And He's telling him get up. The Bible says in multiple places, "Wake up the mighty man. Wake up the mighty woman". It's not talking about going and getting angry and doing stupid things. No. The Bible says wisdom cries aloud in the street and that wisdom is better than military strength. I'll think them. I'll play them. Have a short game. Have a long game. Get involved. Get plugged in. You know, sneak in from the side, come from the front.
God is amazing. He has multiple ways that He can cause us to rise up and do great things. So He says to Joshua, "Get up". Then He says, "Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread. That I have given to you as I promised Moses". Many people have thought that, you know, let's go march around that piece of property and claim it as ours. Okay, if that's important to you, good. Symbolism is not a problem with me. But that's not what it's talking about. That's just means that whatever you can go, you know, fight for. You can have. Actually, what it's saying here is that Moses had already heard from God as to what, from the Euphrates river to the... He'd already been given the territory. God had already declared. In fact, in the next verse He says here that what, what are you going to tread from the wilderness and this Lebanon to the great river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, which is Canaan, and to the great Mediterranean Sea on the west, shall be your territory. No. They've already been given the territory. They're not told to go out and get more territory. They have been given a territory. But then He says, "You want it. I've given it to you. You want it. Tread it".
Now, the word tread is a military term. You go fight the fight. In our new covenant. You go fight the fight of faith. You get up and go believe God and you take back that area. In the Old Testament, they physically went and fought as you know. God took out armies. God always causes confusion in the ranks when someone's coming against His church or His will. Which is happening everywhere. So if there's something you're believing God for, and it's something God has already promised you. Which is within the boundaries of His promised to you. You'll still need to get it with a fight. That fight will be the fight of faith. We don't wrestle with flesh and blood people but with the principalities that are behind them. Anytime something is being stolen, killed, or destroyed. The kingdom of darkness is behind it. And everything that brings life and joy and peace. Jesus is behind it.
John 10:10 is so absolutely clear on this. And so I hope you see some clear doctrinal clarity here. But I'm not shrinking back and we're not shrinking back. And we've got children and we've got grandchildren. We want freedom and we want justice. And we want what God has called us to. And so let's first of all, fellowship with Jesus. Why? Jesus said, "My peace I leave with you, not as the world has peace. But My peace". That nothing can take away. It'll anchor you so strong emotionally, your relationships will thrive. It'll transfer to your kids and your grandkids. That peace will make everyone around want you to talk to them and share where that peace comes from. This joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. While they're sitting there and saying, "Everything's okay". But you, you're still laughing and rejoicing.
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. A merry what? Heart. Which means you take His Word. You plant it in your heart. You fellowship. And this merry heart, merry that's actually means partying. Our teenagers aren't wrong when they love to party. I still love to party. I don't want to party the dumb devil way and wake up hugging the toilet every morning. I want to party with joy and laughter. It's so easy to be building with a trowel in one hand and the sword of the Spirit in the other saying, "Let's get up and build. Let's get up and go". The enemy would like to prevail with fear through our news, through leaders who don't have a hot clue how to lead. Use fear and then you're going to pay for it because the fear is going to cause all sorts of wrong decisions. I pray that spirit of fear that's maybe been harassing you just breaks today. Get up and live.