Leon Fontaine - Your Forgotten Influence
Today, I want to talk about the forgotten influence of the believer. There's an influence. There is a mandate upon believers that for some reason people have forgotten. It's too easy to be quiet. It's too easy to not raise your head till you find out it's safe enough which leaves the work for someone else to take a risk, to stand up, to speak truth, to get involved. And one of the things I don't like is religion. So many people are shocked when they hear me say I hate religion. I hate the manmade religious rules that are placed upon people that judge people. I love wisdom. I love, you know, the great principles that come out of some religions. But to organize religion and religion controls people and judges people is something Jesus forbade. He said, "Don't judge one another".
And so when I talk today, I'm not talking about religion. I'm not talking about the organized kind of religion that the world just can't stand anymore, and I am talking about believers. I am talking about the ecclesia. I am talking about those who are sanctified. Now that means set apart because they love Jesus and they want to bring freedom to this planet. Now, when you look at freedom, you have to understand that the Bible talks about freedom more than any other book you can imagine, and it outlines how to have freedom. One of the key verses in the Bible is whom the sun sets free, meaning Jesus, the Son of God is free indeed, is free and a powerful for sure way. You see freedom first comes to the spirit of man, and then it renews the mind as you get into God's Word. Then you begin to have the ability to control the desires and the impulses of your body.
This freedom that everybody is talking about is something that believers should know all about. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. When we talk about bringing the gospel, the good news of Jesus to the world, it brings freedom to people, their spirits first. It brings freedom the families, freedom to marriages, freedom to cities, to countries. It outlines the principles that we can learn to work together with. The Bible, Judeo-Christian principles are at the foundation of all great countries where people are truly free. And I mean, women as well and children as well. I mean, where your land, where your bank accounts are protected. Where there's a freedom to speak, a freedom to think, a freedom to travel. It's all of the countries that are further along in that, are countries that are based in Judeo-Christian principles.
And when you talk with people who are leaving their country and coming to another country. You will find out they are making their way towards a country where the Ten Commandments is the basis of their law. Now, we must understand that all through the Word of God, that freedom has to, it is, it is the message of Jesus. So we've got a lot of believers who will read the Word and they'll find verses, take them out of context that allows them to do nothing, say nothing. They say, "Well, we'll pray". And then that's it. And they'll find verses like just obey the government. And things that are naive in looking at the whole Bible and in looking at history. Especially when you're dealing with the historic leaders of the past that were so evil whether it's Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong. Whether it's, some of these people that killed millions of people. And so we must take a look at the Word of God and have an understanding of what is it saying.
Now, in Hebrews 10:12, it says, "But this Man, meaning Jesus, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God from that time waiting". What's He waiting for? "Till His enemies are made His footstool". We need to know just like there is a kingdom of God and a kingdom of light. There is a kingdom of darkness, where evil is always trying to steal, to kill, and to destroy. It is trying to take away freedoms, trying to take away anything he can do to destroy the family of God. The human race is made in the likeness and the image of God. Now, in Matthew 16:18 and 19, it says, "I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not stop it". Now, what is Jesus building on this planet? Now the word church, I don't mean all the religious things where Jesus doesn't bring freedom to the spirit. I'm talking, He's talking to believers. Now, it says that Jesus is sitting down and He's waiting for His enemies to be made His footstool.
So that's what the church is doing. We're bringing the gospel. We're bringing the good news of Jesus. And as we bring this good news, and people know who they are. The price that was paid for them makes them so valuable. It makes them so expensive. And then this good news that brings freedom from sin, freedom from the mistakes of the past, freedom from the brokenness, the heartache. Freedom from the lies that have made our identity one of failure and loss. This freedom comes from Jesus. And so we as the church are to take this message to the world. We cannot be silent because freedom, and as much freedom as there is in the world today is here, because the church, people believers have shared this gospel. People have believed it. Go back in history and you will find out that from century to century, I mean, people are in bondage to some form of government or ruler or whatever. And it's only been in the last while that we see things like democracy rising up where people can have a say in leadership and continue this wonderful progress of bringing freedom to countries for everyone.
And so I want you to understand that Jesus is sitting down. Now, why is that important? Because so much of the church especially in North America have all these end time doctrines. And they're on defensive. They've given up. They just believe that "Well, the Bible says Leon that in these last days". And then they quote these verses take them out of context, make it look like we're losing. You know, the Bible says that Jesus is building His church and the gates of hell can't prevail against it. Well, how good of a builder is Jesus? Well, Leon, you know, it's not the... No, He didn't make a weak church. He didn't make a defeated church. He didn't, He isn't building a church that can't stand against darkness, can't stand against things that are trying to take away freedoms. He built a church where it says every enemy He has can be made His footstool. Another words, you've been given authority. You've been given an ability to change this planet.
Now, the next verse in Matthew 16:18-19, listen close to this. Now, it's a stunning portion of scripture. Right after Jesus says I will build My church and the gates of hell, the strategies of hell, anything that is dark that's trying to steal, kill, or destroy you. It says it's not going to work. Then here's what He says, "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven". What does that mean? Glad you asked. Here's what it means. The things and whatever you don't allow, in brackets is says, "You forbid. You bind them on earth will be the things that God does not allow that are forbidden and bound in heaven. And the things whatever you allow, whatever you permit, whatever you loose on this earth will be the things that God allows, permits, and is loosed in heaven".
Now, people read this and they just skim by it because they don't understand that the authority that is in Jesus. Now, He is in you and He's giving you the keys to determine what happens on the planet. That statement so many believers don't agree with. They don't believe. They shake their head. They don't know how to deal with it. Because Jesus said He is building a specific group of people called believers who bring freedom and love, who bring the message of Jesus dying in their place. So that they are forgiven. They are brought into God's family. They live on this planet free and blessed and filled with the power, the joy, the peace of God, filled with the power and the authority that goes with the name of Jesus.
Now, another portion of scripture that shows this is in the Lord's Prayer, where He teaches them to pray. And this one line I'll pull out says, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven". Now when we look at God's Word, it's so powerful yet profoundly simple, that you have to work at it to get mixed up. God's will for your marriage is as it is in heaven. God's will. Another words, we the family of God, followers of Christ. We are to speak up. We are to use the gifts and the abilities that are within us whether you have a gift in the area of communication, government, health care. We all have abilities. And just as ordinary citizens, we should all speak up. To not speak up, to not use our gifts, to not begin to build cities, states, provinces, countries where Jesus is Lord. Meaning, He also brings the freedom, the joy, the love, that is needed. The more people you cram in a certain space, the greater the love and the joy that is needed.
So freedom starts in the spirit. And then it is where it impacts your mind as you renew your mind with the Word and then it gives you power over your body. So we have to understand this, otherwise we developed this other thinking that, "Well, you know, the church is just going down". But Jesus said He is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven with all authority and He's given you the keys. Now, if you do not use keys, you do not unlock things. If you leave your car and you lock the door, and you don't have keys on you when you come back. It's the key that gives you easy access. I mean, just in a twist, in a matter of a second, you are in. But to not have keys can be a bad thing.
I remember locking myself out of the house. Sally was in the hospital having one of our kids and I had three little girls with me locked myself out of the house. I left my keys in the house. I left my car keys in the house, in the middle of winter on a Sunday morning. We're on our way to church, and I'm late and I'm speaking. And so I'm trying to figure out, back then we didn't have cell phones and it's freezing cold. I got three little things. So, you know, probably wasn't an important thing. I thought I'm just going to kick the door in. And when I kick the door in, I'll just replace the doorknob and whatever afterwards.
So I backed up, nag and I hold off and kicked this door on our house. And the door and the frame, all were blown out the door and down the stairs. All because I didn't think and put the key in my pocket. When the Bible says that He's given us the keys of the kingdom of heaven. He is saying here that this authority in Christ. This brand new born again spirit man. This mind renewed with the Word. This presence of God that is with you and I to go into the world. This freedom that we bring. It should set at people free, cities free, and it does. Take a look at the New Testament in the book of Acts. But today people have turned it into this literally, I mean, Jesus talks about religion and He says people who are this form of religion. He says it's like you are whitewashed coffins.
Looks good on the outside but inside it's just death. Jesus came to bring life. And I want to tell you today, you can't be silence. You must share the freedom of Jesus. And wherever you see people who are being hurt and broken and contained, you and I are to speak up for them. They asked Jesus, and Jesus said, "You know, when I was hungry, you didn't feed Me. When I was locked up, you didn't visit Me. When I was cold, you didn't give Me anything". And you go, "What? Jesus, when, when, when were You like this"? And He said, "As you've done it to the least of these, you've done it for Me". To be a believer is to stand up for freedom for others, to stand up for the freedom that God has brought, and the development that we see in our countries, our provinces, states, etcetera.
And I want to challenge you today. The church of Jesus Christ, yes, we bring the gospel to the world and we talk about Jesus. But you need to understand, this brings freedom and brilliance and wisdom. The favour, the blessing of God for you and I to be all that we can be for God. So be praying. In Psalms chapter 1, it talks about believers and how blessed you are. Whatever you put your hand to is blessed. And everywhere you go, the favour and the blessing of God flows on you. Then in Psalms chapter 2, it starts talking about when nations rise against you, when darkness rises up, when the kings and the leaders of this earth rise up. And then in verse, and so Psalms 2 is talking about kind of the way things are on this planet before we go to be with Jesus. And it says, then it says, "Ask Me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession".
We need to recognize that the church of Jesus Christ is tasked with the authority that is in Christ, to share the good news to every person everywhere we go. You are someone that Jesus died for to bring freedom from first of all, your sin. Freedom from the curse of the law. Freedom from the fear and the guilt and the condemnation that is destroying so many people. This freedom of the spirit. It brings freedom to the soul, the mind. It brings freedom as you set up your family, the tribes, the cities, you know, the nations. The Bible's the most amazing book. And so believers must bring this freedom to the nations and to the world.
And so I'm challenging you today speak up. Rise up. Recognize that we should be praying for our leaders, our nation. Be praying for what's going on around us. But now praying in faith isn't enough because the Bible says faith without works is dead. So one of the works is praying out loud and speaking the promises of God over this nation. And then it is going into the highways and the byways and sharing the truth of Jesus. And Jesus, He died to bring salvation to the individual. But He also died to bring salvation and freedom to families. And He talks about you and your household, and He brings blessings to our cities. When you look at the New Testament and Phillip goes into a city and great joy hits an entire city that begins to be set free. We know that God's will is for you and I to go into this world and see people receive Him. And the freedom and the joy that they can have that causes cities, nations, to rise up, and it is unstoppable.
Jesus said, "I will build my church. My called out ones and the gates of hell will not prevail". So how do we? When it says whatever you are not allowing, should be what's not allowed in heaven. Whatever you are allowing and loosing into this world, should be what is loosed in heaven. Well, there's no sickness or disease in heaven. There is not a manipulation and domination and the brokenness or people being tyrannical with each other. There is freedom and blessing and joy in heaven. And this needs to be loosed into this planet through the teaching of Jesus. The sharing of the gospel of Jesus. And you and I are called to bring that to people. There's so many verses I could get into. I simply want to say stop thinking the church should be quiet and just submit to whatever leadership edicts and laws are in place.
We have a nation. We have a nation that has been designed to give its citizens a voice. We have a nation whose laws are designed for us to speak up and bring truth into the market place, into the government. And to not use that, doesn't even make sense. Nowhere in history when Christians are silent has anything good ever come out of it. So speak up. Let your voice be heard. And let's bring this beautiful freedom, this love, this joy, that Jesus brings to every person on the planet. First to their spirit when they accept Him. And then, wow, to the mind as it's renewed in the Word. And you need to know even those who don't accept Jesus, are going to enjoy the freedom that comes because of the revelation of God's Word for families, cities, countries. For difficult situations the Bible is loaded with great wisdom.