Leon Fontaine - Your Mysterious Identity - Part 1
Hey, everybody. It is so good to have you with me today as we dive into God's Word. Today, I want to just talk and take my time. And I hope that if you're watching today that you can just set aside, put down whatever you're focused on, and listen carefully because I want to show you how to have a relationship with God. I mean, to know Him, to begin to sense Him, to develop a relationship with Him that so many people wished they had. As a young man, I was blessed to grow up in a home with two amazing leaders, my mom and dad. My dad was a preacher and loved the Word. My mom was a teacher and she liked to explain.
Preacher's proclaim it and teacher's explain it. I got somewhere in the middle of all that. But what I noticed the most wasn't their acumen or their discipline in doctrine. They had that. But what I noticed was that they actually knew God's will. They sensed situation after situation. I would watch my dad know what to do as he sensed God directing him. When he was going through things and storms would push against our family or the church. I could see him spending time. You know, when you're going through something, it's amazing how we will look for our best friend or one of our best friends just to hang out with. And in that hanging out with them, if you're going through a time that is grating your last nerve, fear pushing at the very threshold of your heart and mind. And you're doing your best to stand strong, to believe God.
There's something about hanging out with a friend and share, talk, agree together. And people who have good friends are very rich in life. I've heard many wise people who are older than me say that in your entire lifetime if you can even have one handful, like five friends that you continually are growing and developing and can trust. You are a rich person because most people just go from friend to friend depending upon the season that they're in. There's nothing wrong with having a great circle of friends that hang out with you. Some like golfing because you do. Some like shopping because you do. Some or other ones to go to movies with because they like movies. They have the same age kids. You should have a lot of friends. That's important. But then there are those that is just hard to explain.
I taught my kids not to tell somebody you are my best friend because it creates kind of a weird sense amongst your friendships. That have a circle of best friends, plural, and Jesus is your best friend, is what I taught them. And so none of them will say, "Well, this is my best friend". Unless we're talking about their spouse because Christ is. And so this is what really touched me, and this is what made me desire the ministry. At that time, like 40 years ago when I had to make decisions about my career. I was going to be a lawyer, a doctor. I was one of those two is what I wanted to do. And then all of a sudden I knew, but deep inside I knew God was calling me to leadership in His family. And I don't know what I am. I'm one of the five-fold and, you know, over the years things seemed to change, you know. But just knowing that I was called to lead in the body of Christ.
And the reason I wanted to was because it wasn't for me the chore. It wasn't dealing with boards, communities, or the bigger you get, the more you deal with persecution and people talking about you, lying about you. I saw all that and didn't want the ministry. But when I saw how that God would instruct them and show them and guide them and the fulfilling life of, of communing. I'm going to use some words we don't use anymore because I think that the emerging generations have got to be careful. They want everything fast and quick and it's all about them. And yet to know Christ is where it's got to stop being about you. And what you can get and what your rights and privileges are.
Yes, it's important to learn those in Christ. But then what are your duties and your responsibilities. The greatest joy that I have in my life is my purpose. And, you know, this purpose of living for Christ. And it doesn't matter if you're a business person. It doesn't matter if you are a professional athlete, an artist, politics. Number one should be, I'm here to be like Jesus to fellowship with Him, to ask Him how I can use my career and gifts and abilities and relationships to advance the cause of the kingdom and you don't hear that a lot of times from people today. It's all focused, "What can I have? What can I get"?
And it's amazing what you can have and what you can get but it can't be number one in your life. You must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteous and His way of doing things the Amplified says. I love the way they interpret that. So how can I help you to begin to dive deeper? How can you literally find the richness, the incredible joy, the peace, the emotional security in knowing God deeper and deeper? And so let's just kind of dive into this. Most people they don't like reading the Epistles. Most pastors don't like preaching from the Epistles because they seemed deeper. They are the new covenant and it is spelt out very clearly and a lot of former doctrine has messed it up.
And so it's easier to preach from a story from the Bible. 4 points on killing your Goliath or 6 points on walking on the water. So they like to preach from the stories of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John or even the book of Acts in the Old Testament. But it takes much more study, wisdom to teach out of the Epistles accurately. And so I really decided at a point in my life that there was so many mysteries that were hidden in the Epistles about me knowing God. And that's where I began to dive into them. And certain things I learned that I want to share with you. Everybody I think who really does want to know God and love God and given their lives to Him. They want this deeper, richer, incredible relationship, and fellowship with God.
So here's a couple things that will help you. I found out in reading that a relationship is kind of the legal side. I was to ask you. What's your relationship with that person? You could say it's my business partner. It is my brother. It is my spouse. Those are all legal relationships. And the law here has a lot to say about those relationships when it comes to wills, when it comes to finances, ownership, all these things. And so what is your relationship with that person is one question. But then after you have a relationship, like you have a legal relationship with your spouse. The next question that we do when we counsel with people is, "Do you have fellowship? Do you have a closeness? Do you have a communion? An intimacy with that person"?
Which is a rich giving and receiving one to the other. Getting to know each other. Intimacy. We always say in-to-me-see. This desire to know the other person, to bless the other person. This is where marriages go to places few marriages get and the same is true with you and God. As we go into some of the Scriptures, you need to know that I found... Okay, I would just kind of look at my dad and him sensing and enjoying his time with God.
You know, the highest level of prayer isn't the level that commands. It isn't the level that causes mountains to move, sick bodies to heal, demons to run, and oppression to stop. The highest level of prayer that I can see in the Bible and in the people around me is when you see someone relating to God, fellowshipping with God, communing with God, which I don't see in awful lot of in people's lives. And I, I would just hunger for that. And so in my kind of stumbling and clanking around over the years, I learned some principles that I want to share. You know, you can't really have steps where it's a mechanical thing to know God because everyone's relationship is uniquely, uniquely yours and things you'll have to learn.
But there are some principles I can tell you that really help me. The first is, when I begin to explore and dive into understanding my relationship with God legally. You say, "What do you mean legally"? I mean, in the courts of heaven. The throne room of God. Who am I now that I'm born again? I gave my life to Jesus. Is there a legal relationship between me and God? And most people don't even think about this. So they have all these weird crazy doctrines. And I begin to recognize there is. That there is a legal position that I have.
Now, whether I know it or not. It is mine. The Bible uses terms like, I've been adopted and that I've been adopted into a family. And now that I'm adopted into this family. I have an inheritance and I am an heir. And an heir doesn't get the inheritance till there's a death. Jesus died. And things that I began to teach you about in the last few weeks. I began to recognize the legal side of this. And the more I dove into the legal side and I found out that legally in God's courts that all of my sin and all of my shortcomings, because, you know, sin isn't something that stops you from going to heaven.
Okay, you've got to be careful with the word sin. The only sin that stops you from going to heaven that I can find is to not believe on Jesus as your Saviour and Lord and choose Him, invite Him in. That is the sin that you lose out on eternity and it's major. But then all the other sins, the Bible teaches us, it will be hard to enter the kingdom of God. Another words, as you learn to love, as you learn to forgive, as you learn to live in a way that is Biblically all the principles show you. You will find it easier to walk in what is called the kingdom of God which you are in now. And you can learn the principles of the kingdom even now on the planet. And so it's crucial that we learn and grow in all these beautiful teachings that Jesus gives us.
So legally, who am I? I am in God's family. It's a legal issue. And I am an heir and I've already received the inheritance. It's been given to me, Peter says. And so I don't have to beg the Father. But I, once your father dies and gives you your inheritance. You no longer have to ask him. You simply go about receiving this inheritance and the apostle Paul brings this out. And as you recognize the legal relationship that Jesus had established. That every accusation that will come against you in your life time, okay. And God knows what they are past and future. That it was nailed to the cross. Someone said to me, "Well, Leon, how do you, you know, your past is forgiven but not your future". Well, when Jesus died for you 2000 years ago, all of your mistakes and sins and shortcomings were in the future. And you were forgiven for them all then.
So you are forgiven. So between you and God. You are accepted. You are qualified. You are legally positioned to receive all of His blessings, all of His promises, all His miraculous help, to be in His family, to stay in His family. You are there because of Jesus. And this exchange, He is your substitute. Now, as you begin to see the legal side, you begin to just desire to know this person. You know, there's different times my friends have told me about someone that's in our church or that they know. As they talked about this person and what he has done and who he is. And it makes me desirous as I'm listening to them to meet this person and get to know this person, and the same is true here. As you dive into the Word and you see what He's done for you. He sent His only Son for you, who died in your place.
And that what Jesus did for us, I mean, you begin to just go, "Oh, my! Did you ever want to get to know Him". And so then this desire, and I just found that as I looked at the legal relationship that I had because of Jesus. That I begin to just desire Him as never before as the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after Him. To study the legal side of your relationship. It begins, you want Him. And then you begin to talk with Him, sense Him, and you begin to have a fellowship side. This vital side. I mean, redemption is the legal side. But your born again experience, that's the vital side. The fellowship side. The communing side. The sensing and feeling side of this relationship. And then you are praying which means, prayer means communicating with God. Okay? You're communicating with God at an amazingly high level and it just gets better and better.
And as you do this, this fellowship it just begins to rise up and few people walk out and make their legal relationship with God a reality to them. Once you do, you will begin to sense and know God in a powerful way. Now, it's interesting a lot of, because a lot of pastors or leaders or people who do their own Bible study will go out of the stories of the Old Testament. They don't realize that that encourages a congregation. But the best way to encourage a congregation is to literally teach them new skills, new abilities. I have a story. I use all the time. Where, you know, if my neighbor is building a garage, and as I drive by to work. I roll down my window and say, "Joe, you're doing us some good job. Good job". He goes, "Hey, thanks, Leon". He feels encourage. But in even greater way is to bring an airnailer over there to him because he's hammering away with his hammer, and teach him how to use an airnailer.
Well, that just speeds up his work times ten. And then rather than the saw that he's using to cut through those planks. I introduce him to a Skilsaw, just nom, right through. That cuts his time down another. And so he begin to have new skills, new tools. He gets lit up. And this is why this teaching today. This first session I'm just creating for you. I believe a desire. I can know God. Many people have tried to know God through worship. That's a part. But until you know your legal rights, you won't be able to move in to the fellowshipping of God. You can worship and have times of intimacy. You could, you know, through miracles or have these moments where something happens, and you just weep in the presence of God and thank Him. But to walk daily knowing Him as your best friend, as the King of kings. Here is where many people struggle. And so I want to equip you with some tools.
Now, one of the great verses in the Bible is Ephesians 2:4-10 and it talks about God who is rich in mercy. Forgiving you and giving you what you need. And it says, "For His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in sins". Then it says, "And He has made us alive together with Christ". Now, when I found things like this, about my legal relationship. That now that I'm born again. I was made alive and I was made alive together with Christ. Now, you need to begin to confess this. There's something about the Word of God on your lips. And so you, I'm going to teach you that confessing the Word, speaking the Word of God all the time. When you read the Bible, never read it to yourself. Read it out loud unless you're in a crowded plane or something. But read it out loud. It has a much greater.
I found a much greater and tremendous impact on me because reading to myself allowed my mind to go in different directions. But when you speak the Word of God out loud, it literally is hard for your brain to think of anything else when you're reading out loud. And the focus is more intense and it's deeper. And so I would just read out loud and then I would personalize the Scripture. Here, it's speaking to everybody. He's made us alive together with Christ. And when I would read Ephesians 2, I would say, "I was made alive with Jesus. I was made alive together with Christ. Like Jesus, the life of Jesus made me alive". And this, as I begin to speak out loud, this begin to be a reality to me. So what is this new life that I have? Well, then I'm like Jesus. I am made alive like Jesus was alive when He walked this earth.
Now, this begins to explode all courts sort of questions and revelations. Well, the life of Jesus came from Holy Spirit when it descended upon Him in the, when John baptized Him there, and then from that point and on He did miracles. Well, it's the same Holy Spirit that came upon Jesus that is inside of me, upon me. I'm alive. I'm alive to do what? To do things like Jesus. I am made alive together with Christ. And then it says in verse 6, "And He has raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenles in Christ Jesus". So now I'm going, "Woo! What"? So I was made alive like Jesus and it says I was made to sit together in heaven with Jesus.
Now, the throne room, when you walk into a throne room of the kingdom where people are seated is the determination of their power and authority. And on the right hand of God is where Jesus is seated. But what's exciting about that is He is seated in His human body. Nail scars still in His hands, His feet, the hole still in His side. When we all are in heaven, a hundred years from today. The only person with scars will be Jesus. Everybody else's scars, you'll get a new body, the Bible says. And this new body is alive and healthy and healed dynamic. But Jesus has to hang on to the scars because when He seats at the right hand of the Father, He is the lawyer.
And so anytime there's an accusation against you or people would, or something would try to stop you from getting God's mercy, His grace, His miraculous because of your behaviour. Because Jesus died, these nail holes in His hands and the spear hole in His side is up there. And we are seated with Him in complete authority. So here, I mean, He's outlining that we are seated with Him. And then it says in the years and the seasons after, ages to come. Jesus is going to show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness to us.
Well, what is grace? Grace is God's unearned favours. That means that the favour of God is all on you and it's always in kindness and joy. And so in every year of your life. Every season, from single to married, to father to grandfather. Every season, from student to university to, you know, business, to owner, to doctor, to whatever it is season that you're in. Jesus is continually showing you His riches. Whereas so many people are teaching, "Oh, He's going to allow temptations and test and trials and you're going to just be living your whole life unhappy and tested and just hang in there". They paint a picture using Scriptures out of context.
Yes, we're in a real world full of test and trials. But this says it's going to, that Jesus is going to show the exceeding joy. The exceeding grace. The favours of God. The kindness of God. And the next time I preach wherever you are watching it from. I am going to dive through some unknown, unseen promises. We all think the best promises is the one about healing. The one about prosperity, etcetera. And those are wonderful. I'm going to show you promises in the new covenant, promises in the Epistles. That are superior because they are stunningly huge promises that everyone seems to have forgotten. And these are the promises that you need to begin to speak and persuade your heart in.
And so we just touch Ephesians where it says I am alive together with Christ. He has raised me up and I'm seated with Him in that heavenly realm, at the right hand of God. And everyone of the seasons ahead of me, He has continually showing me His riches, His grace. They come as the favour and He's always kind and loving towards me. I mean, I have literally, only just confess three phrases that I found in one chapter of all these books and its mind blowing, amazing to realize this promise is forever. Oh, my. I'm want to challenge you. Tune in again next time because now I'm going to dive in and show you promises much of the church has forgotten or has never even heard about.
And so this is what I want to show you because you are going to fall in love and get to know Jesus in a way you have never before. You'll have an ease of walking in miracles and signs and wonders like you have never seen or sensed before. And it will explode into the people around you, careers. This ability to win the lost, to go ahead with the very kingdom of God. These promises I want to show you for some reason have been omitted by much of those who know how to confess the Word. These are the ones that will establish your identity and take you to place you never dream possible. If you don't know this Jesus that I'm talking about, and you're watching, faith is rising up in you because that's what God's Word does for those who don't even know Him yet. Just say:
Jesus, come into my heart. I give You my life. I choose You. I choose to trust You and I'm following You for the rest of my days. In Jesus' name, amen.