Leon Fontaine - Yielding To Holy Spirit
A lot of people struggle with Holy Spirit. They don't know who He is, okay, you know. So a lot of even churches and pastors kind of attribute Holy Spirit as a fog, a cloud, a sense, a presence. But the Bible says that He is a person. And when it explained, I was talking to a Muslim friend the other day and he was saying how that, you know, you Christians are all mixed up. He says, "You guys has got three Gods". I said, "No". I said, "We only have one but in three persons. And it is a mystery and it is something that we have to just kind of just trust God, because God the Father, then we've got the Son, Jesus and we've got Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of Christ. Three different persons, the same attributes, the same characteristics, yet three persons".
And today, I wanna talk about Holy Spirit. Because as you go into the new year, if you wanna bring change, lasting change is hard. And it doesn't only change much if you have physical changes. You can make relationship changes. I mean, things that you do you can bring. You can bring change to other areas of your life. But the most incredible change you could ever bring to your world would be to let Holy Spirit, the Helper, get involved in your life. When you read 1 Corinthians chapter 2, did you know that the New Testament divides the human race into three groups. Let me share them with you, three groups.
The first group is called the natural man. These are people who have not yet made a decision to accept Christ as Saviour and it's their right. God has designed the world so that every individual human being has the freewill to make their own choices, to believe what they want, to do what they want. And of course, all the consequences that go with them are yours, but you have freewill. So the natural man is a person who is yet not heard of Jesus and so his spirit man is not alive with the presence of God. Oh, he's alive. He can have lots of personality. He can have lots of skills. He can do great in business and lots of areas. But a third of his being body, soul, and spirit has not yet been ignited. And so the Bible calls that natural people.
Then the Bible has a group of people that talks about called carnal man. Now, when we use the word "carnal", we think of something really bad. It simply means somebody who has given their life to Christ and Jesus lives within them. His presence is alive. And when they die, they're going to heaven. But they have not yet learned the deeper things of the Word or to listen to Holy Spirit to get what the Bible calls revelation. Did you know that in the Bible none of the biblical truths can be learned through natural processes? That's why natural people can read the Bible and say things like, "Ah, that's a bunch of problems and mistakes. Let's disagree with that". Because they're reading the Bible in their natural mind. And the Bible says that only Holy Spirit can reveal the truths that are in it.
So we've got the natural man, those who do not yet have Christ within them. Then we have the carnal man which is those who have given their lives to Christ and they're either brand-new in God or you can be 40-year old Christian, but you've never learned to yield to Holy Spirit and let His strength, His peace, His joy, His love, flow through you. You're still living like a natural man even though you have the potential to live as a son of God. And then we have what the Bible calls the spiritual man. These are people who have given their lives to Christ. That means their spirit man is alive with the presence of God and they have learned to have a relationship with Jesus. Holy Spirit's job is to reveal Jesus to you and all of the truths that go with the Word of God. It's a journey and it's exciting.
There's a really cool verse in the Bible I wanna read to you. Jesus is talking here in Matthew 13:44, Jesus is speaking, and He says, "Again, the kingdom of heaven". Now, we don't mean the place of heaven. We're talking about the kingdom which means, see, heaven is a place. But the kingdom of heaven includes all of the people who are saved on the planet. Example, Canada is not just here in this area of Canada. Anywhere where we have an ambassador and we have in a country where the Canadian Embassy is there, that building, that property is called Canadian soil. And if they ever violate that Canadian property that's been given to Canada in whichever country it has an embassy, it is an act of war because you have come in against Canada. So the kingdom of heaven is in the place called heaven. But it also is in the hearts and the lives of every person who gives their life to Jesus.
So, it says, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found, and he hid it and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field". End. That's the whole story. That's the whole parable. It's not deep. It's four lines in the Bible. But Jesus is saying something here. He's showing us that there is no greater treasure on this planet than the kingdom of heaven, than Jesus and all that He has for you and I. You know, I hate religion. I hate religion. Religion, you see, when Jesus came, He came to end all religion. He didn't come to start another one. He came to end it. What is religion? It's these man-made ways of judging one another, looking at one another, talking about one another. Expecting you to adhere to the principles that I have and I'm gonna study you and talk about you and gossip.
Some places church has become worse than anything happening on the streets. Church is to be a place where people love each other, support each other, and recognize that you're on a journey. You, maybe you're discovering Jesus, haven't yet given your life or maybe you have and you're finding your way. And maybe you're failing miserably but you're still on path. Great! But we don't judge one another. And so I hate religion. And Jesus is saying here that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure. And this treasure is so special that when this guy finds it, he hides it, and he goes and buys the whole field. Sells everything.
Are you all in when it comes to Jesus? Are you all in when it comes to this life? Because if you're not, you will live like a carnal Christian. And the frustration, remember the natural man is someone without Christ. The carnal man is someone with Christ but doesn't take advantage of all the incredible benefits. I mean, when you have Jesus within you, it's His peace, His joy. You get to love your spouse through His love. You get to raise your kids through His ability. You get to, literally look at problems and have His strength, His peace. And until you learn to yield to Holy Spirit, you will simply live like a natural man.
So many Christians they get discouraged and they just quit because they think that serving Jesus is like everything else. The harder you try, the better it goes. But in this relationship with Jesus, the harder you try in your strength, the more frustrated and failure you're gonna experience. Until you learn to yield to Holy Spirit and let His strength flow through you. So when we talk about the Helper, most Christians live their entire lives trying to clean up. So they're trying to get better and better and better for God. And they miss the whole relationship. You know, when you're in your 70's and 80's and you're still trying to, you know, stop this bad thought and get rid of my temper over here. It is like you think all of life is a big clean up procedure. That's all there is being a Christian and it's exhausting. It's tiring.
Most Christians, this is like getting married to somebody and then going to the gym everyday for hours to look better for them. Then going to the library for hours to be smarter for them. And then going and getting a second job so you've got more money for them. And then going on long walks to find, you know, yourself emotionally so that you can be better emotionally for them and you forgot to hang out with them. Okay? Hello? This is about a relationship and that is most Christians. I travel the world training pastors and conferences and doing things and you kind of go, "This is exhausting". All you're doing is trying to do discipleship improvement. What about a relationship with Him? Herein lies the secret to a life that is beautiful, wonderful. And we've got to make sure that we understand this.
Let me read to you from 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and it's gonna be on the big screen if you'd like to follow along. I'm reading from a version of the Bible called the Expanded version. I love, it's one of the versions I love to read. Here's what it says, "But as it is written in the Scriptures, 'No one has ever seen this, no one has ever heard about it. No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him'". Okay, stop right there. Most Christians think this is talking about heaven. It's not talking about heaven. What do you want to get revealed about heaven? How nice the houses are? Where the bricks are made? What kind of food we're gonna eat?
This revelation is about Jesus in you and I and what He will do for us relationally, financially. What He'll do for us in our mind, our emotions. You know, the world can duplicate a lot of the things a Christian can do. A Christian can succeed in finance, so can somebody in the world. A Christians can go out and make money. A Christian go out and be artistic. They can develop skills. You know, there's one thing the world cannot do that a true Christian submitted to Holy Spirit can, and that is build remarkable relationships. You know, even the enemy. You know, people often, I've sat down and talked with all sorts of people warlocks, witches, transcendental meditation, all kinds of new religions. And they'll talk, they love to argue, you know, data, stuff, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
I always bring them back to this, "How peaceful are you? How great are your relationships? Do you have an ability to love someone else"? We live in the most narcissistic generation that we have ever lived in ever. The Bible says in the last days men will be lovers of themselves. And we see it everywhere, you know. Oh, enough of me talking about me. What do you think about me? I mean, it's basically the way people are. And so people are so selfish, self-centered that they don't get it that to have a relationship means to die to self and to enjoy, to give to others, to love. But we're continually measuring how much we get love back. And for men and women that's impossible job because women and men don't even count the same. I did this, this, and this. Oh, I did this and this. Oh, don't think about that.
Okay. It says here no one has seen, no eye. But then it says, "But God has shown revealed these things through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches, examines, scrutinizes all things, even the deep secrets, deep things, the depths of God. Who knows the thoughts that another person has? Only a person's spirit that lives within him knows his thoughts. It is the same with God. No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we did not receive the spirit of the world, but we received the Spirit that is from God so that we can know all that God has freely given us". You know, oh, I like to read. Over the years I've read my way through. You know, I've checked out all the other religions. I've read through all this. You meet somebody who is on an Oprah Show or on the show and he's supposed to be the mystical deep spiritually incredible man and he's gonna write this book or a woman. And you read this book and you kind of go, "Woo, this is deep". How do you know? Because I don't understand it.
You know, the Bible wasn't designed for you to not understand. It's just that you won't do it in your natural man, but Holy Spirit's job is to be the tutor. It's His job to be a revelation bringer. And, you know, anytime you read the Bible, you kind of go, "Wow, this is good". That moment right there, that was Holy Spirit because the natural mind cannot understand the things of the Spirit. That's why, I mean, I've watched, and I've read tons of these books. I start chatting with someone after the first service about, I read the book of Enoch and the book of Thomas. The book of this and the book of that. You know, the last 2.000 years lots of people have written books trying to, you know, fudge or change the Bible. And they don't realize that when you know Christ, you know Him. You know His ways. You know who He is. You know His heart.
That when you read stuff that is just not in line with the wisdom and the knowledge of God's Word. It has no ability to bug you. And usually when I'm watching a talk show and they'll have a new ager on there. They'll have a Hindu, a Muslim, and they find a Christian. They find the dorkiest Christian they can find. Have you noticed that? They put this guy up there and he's like an idiot. Then your kind of go like, "Dude, get him off there. My five-year old would handle this better than you can". But there seems to be this onslaught against Christianity.
I was chatting with one guy one-time and he from a different faith. And we're laughing and we're friends and he said, "You know, why do you think, you know, that Jesus is the way"? I said, "Because he's the only the swear word on the planet". Why don't we use Buddha? Why don't we use Mohammad? Why don't we use someone? Why is it always Jesus? In every language, every place, it's Jesus that the world wants to cuss and use. Why is that? There's a reason. Maybe there's lots and lots of other reason but it's kind of an interesting thing. If Christianity and the Bible isn't truth, then how come every other country that is built on a different religion are all racing for a country that has its rules and its culture based on the ten commandments in the Word of God. Think about it.
So people say, I was talking to the guy the other day he says, "Well, I believe this". And I said, "Cool. Well, if you believe that, why didn't you stay in the country that was founded on those religious principles? Why didn't you stay where that's the governing religion? Well, no, because his wife wasn't protected, his kids weren't protected, his finance wasn't protected, his personal property wasn't protected. The banking system was flawed. I said, "Well, then maybe there's some truth here because they can build countries. They can build families. They can build within you". We need to be all in. We need to buy the field. Okay? We need to go, "Okay"!
I've tried everything else. I kind of half-baked with Jesus. You know, everyone thinks they can have one foot on both sides of the fence but it's a painful way to be. I was out shooting gopher one-time. I was about 14 years old with a friend of mine named Trooper. And we had kind of rest our, you know, 22's. And they wanted all these gophers gone because the horses were breaking legs and they're wrecking roads. So, you know, we're just shooting gophers. If you shot them wrong, they would get down the hole. So you had to, you wanna run and catch them. So Trooper shot this gopher and he didn't get a clean shot. He's dragged himself for a hole. He backs up and he jumps the fence to go catch this thing. But instead of jumping, he gets hang up on the barbwire with one leg on one side and one leg on the other side.
If there are any farmers that are here, do you ever notice on barbwire? That the points always have a little bit of a thorn in them? So when it gets into your clothes it kind of go, and it corkscrews in when he's got it right on the crotch. I mean, he's hanging in there, both feet off the ground and all I can see, "Leon, help me". And it reminds me of people who kind of want Jesus but not much of Him and they kind of want the world. It's like a barbwire fence. Dude, you're hanging in the middle and it's painful and it doesn't work, and you get all frustrated and confused. I'm all in. I'm all in. I'm not perfect. I haven't got it all figured out. But I found out that all in, is where relationships, is where peace is, is where joy is, is where Holy Spirit will teach you.
He is the Helper. I have found that I'm too weak doing much change, to tell you the truth. And I've always had to yield to Holy Spirit and say, "I'm weak but You are strong". And when you begin to recognize that this thing of serving Jesus is powerful. It's potent. It's amazing. If you recognize that you need Holy Spirit and it's His peace. You know, the world's peace is only there when all your problems are fixed. You know, anybody that's over 70, has there ever been a year in your 70 years of life where everything was at peace? They're not gonna put their hand up because if they're at peace, then their job was at war.
And if their job and they were doing well, then the economy is bad. And if they're having a great time, their spouse isn't. If the spouses are doing great, then the kids aren't. Then their spouse and their job and the economy is doing good, then their mom isn't. There's always something on this world. His peace comes will guard us of the storm that are blowing. His joy comes when there's nothing in enjoyable. It's like happiness. Happiness comes from happenings. So I'll always try to make something happen. But what if nothing's happening? Could you just be joyful at home?
Feet up, just relax. There's a joy only He brings. There's a peace only He brings. And religion can't bring it, okay? Church can't bring it. But a church that is founded on the principles of Christ can teach you who you are. And rather than living as a carnal Christian, which simply means you got Jesus at arm's length. You got enough of Him for fire insurance, so you get to heaven. But you really don't want Him in the rest of your life. Because religion has taught that what would Jesus know about sex. So I got to leave Him out of my sex life. He created you turkey. He created the opposite sex. Everything about this planet and His desire for you that you might have life in every area of life and more abundantly. But teenagers are still thinking they can find a better way. There is no better way. And by the way, there is no deeper truth than the Word.
When you go to this verse in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, it goes on to say things like this, "A person who does not have the Spirit or natural person does not accept the truths that come from the Spirit of God. That person thinks they're foolish and cannot understand them, because they can only be judged to be true by the Spirit. They can only be discerned, assessed by the Spirit. The spiritual person or person with the Spirit is able to judge, discern, assess all things, but no one can judge, discern, assess him".
You see, as a human being, stop looking at others and try to figure them out. Dude, you know, it doesn't work that way. Your life would be messed up. Just recognize that there's nothing. You can go find all the books you want. You can go find the smartest person you've ever met and think this is gonna go deeper than the Bible. There is nothing as deep. The Bible says that the Word of God is so deep and that it explains the spirit world and all the things affected by it. Make a decision because nothing as beautiful as the Word of God. There's nothing as powerful as God's Word. And then, do you study God's Word? And don't study God's Word to find out what you gotta do. Okay, I should workout longer. Okay, I should. No, so many people read the Bible as all the things I have to do. Oh, God. I gotta do this.
Oh, man, how many more things do I gotta do? No, you don't have to do anything to be loved by God. Jesus qualified you for that relationship and He will guide you and empower you and lead you. He'll even help you with your desires. You know, you develop your desires. Let me give you an example. I hate golf. I hate it. I know how many guys like that. But, I mean, does anyone go golf? Ah, no thanks. Come on! Let's go. They think I'm excited about it. I go, "What's exciting about smacking the snout of a white little ball, and then walking for 4 hours chasing it across acres of property, when I could be sleeping in or doing something else that I enjoy".
But yet, at the same time, I mean, I got son and son-in-law's and friends. They just can't wait to get up at 5:30 in the morning, have breakfast at 6:00. Make the golf by 7:00 and then walk all over the place for 4 hours in the sun getting burnt. They'll go in the rain and just have the most amazing time of their life. But you see you can develop desires. You can begin to pursue certain things and they become enjoyable. They become wow. And God's Word is the same. Did you know, that in life, Holy Spirit, He can be sensed. He can be known. It's not this oooo, crazy stuff that some Christians show you. It's just a knowing. It's a sensing. Of how to handle relationships, how to deal with business. How to handle yourself, and the emptiness you sometimes feel. Or the confusion that you're messing with right now. Or, what do I do with my life in the years that are ahead? All of the hardest questions of life, Holy Spirit has an answer.