Leon Fontaine - Murmuring and Complaining
I want to talk today about how to literally in your life see the releasing, the manifestation, the miraculous supernatural presence of God moving into your life in whatever area that you need it. Your finances, your relationships, your health, your mind. And so many people have just kind of a cerebral Christianity. That's just doctrinal. But Paul is very clear to us when he says, "I don't come to you with persuasive words of men's wisdom". You know, this reasoning religious thing that so many Christians get stuck in. He says, "I come to you in the demonstration of the power of God". And I want you to be able to demonstrate the power of God, to see it, to feel it, to know it in your mind, your heart, your body, you relationship, your business, your family, everything that you touched.
These are the promises that we should never back away from them. The words that you speak are mapping out your future health. The words you speak are determining your relationships, your responses to every event in your future is being determined today by the words that you speak. They affect your future. The words you speak affect the spirit world where both angels and demons are trying to influence this world. It affects your relationship. It brutally or wonderfully affects the next generation and the generation under them. We know when you study the Bible that spoken words also affect the subatomic world. That God created every tree, animal, weather. You name it. And that the subatomic particles which He spoke this world into existence. That they listen. They listen to God when He speaks. Faith-filled words.
Jesus came along and did the same thing. He spoke and things listened to Him. Physical parts of a person's body would come alive, eyes, pancreas, stomach, skin. Weather listened to Him. Demonic spirits that were oppressing people listened to Him. Words are not just communication. Words carry anointing. They carry anger, hate. They carry power or, and so we've got to recognize this. So today in our first part, I want to talk about the destructive habit of murmuring, complaining. Do you ever meet anybody who's a murmurer? We don't use that word a lot. But, you know, when you walk into a room if you're a teacher or a pastor or the business leader and you see people they kind of duck their head. They think that no one notices and they're just chatting with somebody and then they look at you and smile. And you know that they're two-faced. You know that they're murmuring about you, your company, your leadership, your teaching, whatever it is. They just like to murmur. And murmuring and complaining has, is one of the big topics in the Bible.
In 1 Corinthians 10:10-11, the teaching there from Holy Spirit, is that Old Testament stories are there as examples to teach us things. And so when you look at an Old Testament story, you must take it through the cross. You can't just use it through the Old Testament or the old covenant. It must come through the new covenant which we are now a part of. So all these Old Testament stories must be looked at because they are for an example for us. One of the things I've noticed when you study the Word is how quickly murmuring and complaining caused destruction in people's lives. When the children of Israel first got out of Egypt. You know, they would murmur and complain, and God would give them manna, give them water, give them quail. He began to look after their needs. But then as this progress for example, and they wouldn't go into the promised land. The murmured and complained against God, against Moses, against Aaron. And God wanted to just take them out and start all over again. And Moses said, "No".
Murmuring and complaining in 1 Corinthians 10:10, it says, "Do not complain and grumble as some of them did, they were killed by the angel that destroys". The other version calls it the destroyer. Verse 11 of 1 Corinthians 10 says. "The things that happened to those people are examples. They were written down to teach, instruct, and warn us who live in the final days of this age". Now, after Jesus died and rose again, we began the age called the last days. And then before the cross, the New Testament talks about the former days. It's just the way they name these two, these two ages. But when you study, and because of 1 Corinthians chapter 10. I want to give you a warning.
Now, the important thing about God's Word is that it doesn't just make you feel good about yourself. Just yeeha, yeeha, yeeha. But the Word of God will instruct you to stop doing things that could hurt you, kill you, destroy you, your generations, your friends, your finances. The Word of God is very positive. And He's never going to attack your identity and how much God loves you. But He will guide you in your behaviours. He will guide you in your actions. To murmur and to complain is not reality. It's not, "I'm just real". No, it's, murmuring and complaining is not being, it's not finding issues and fixing them. Murmur and complaining is not critiquing. There are people on our staff and in our family as we minister that they have amazing gifts at critiquing. They just go through stuff. They'll find their problem, and then they'll find an answer and they'll fix it.
See, murmuring and complaining is not critiquing and it's not criticizing. Criticizing is more murmuring and complaining. It's a person who's not going to bring any change, not going to help bring any change. But they will murmur and complain about something that is going on. That is such a negative habit to develop because it is complete unbelief, complete doubt. It's complete fear. It literally is sabotaging, trying to sabotage the things that are, or they are a part of. They might not be aware of it but the one thing that it is sabotaging is it's sabotaging their own life. Because the words that you speak are powerful. Now, in the Old Testament, the Bible says that the destroyer would come in. In the New Testament, because you are born again and Christ is within you, your words are prophesy. They are prophetic and they are affecting your future and everything on this planet.
Let's take a look at one of the stories that it's referring to. In Numbers 16:41-50, it says, "But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured". Did you know that in your family, in your business, in whatever you lead, in your classroom, as a pastor, as a leader. That if murmuring begins to start, and it isn't dealt with. It will become the culture of the entire organization or your entire team. Great leaders must learn how to nip murmuring and complaining in the bud. You might even have to fire people because they're not trainable. You can't make change. You can't make them change their heart. But here it says that the entire congregation of them. This is two million people. Murmuring swept through the crowd to such a degree that they were all murmuring. And it says here as you go on in Numbers 16 that all of a sudden it says that a plague broke out and people began to die. Literally from the edge of the crowd just people began to fall. They began to fall by the thousands.
And Moses in verse 46 says to Aaron, "Take a censer, put fire in it, put incense in it, and run". And so Aaron did that, and he run into the congregation of these millions of people with this incense in this burner. And it says that he made it and he stood between where people were dying and where people were still alive. It says in verse 48, he put on incense. He made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed. They that died in the plague that day were fourteen thousand and seven hundred people. And so, let's just stop right there. As you look at this, why is this story in the Bible. This story is for you and I as an example.
Now, today in the new covenant, all of the wrath and curse of the law was poured on Jesus. So we don't have this situation where judgment comes. What we have instead is that you have been entrusted with all of your future with your beliefs, the word of your mouth, and are you going to control your mouth? Are you going to begin to develop faith and speak life and blessing? We know even through the self-help gurus that are out there. You know, and they tell business guys all the time. Make sure that you are declaring and speaking who it is you want to be, where you want to go, and what you want to do. Stop speaking your failure, your fear. And they've learned that to a certain degree they have seen success from that. Well, amplify that times a million when you are a born again believer because your words and what you say, what you believe, are what are determining your future.
I remember I worked as a young man, I was just 17-18 in a steel mill. And all, it was mostly men in there and I'm telling you, they would start to murmur and complain and the union that was in there. They'd start to whine about their bosses. It was brutal just going for coffee and for lunch. And so I would just try to go some place outside because they would just start to murmur and complain. Well, they had the highest paying jobs in the town at that time. But there's something about murmuring and complaining that just spreads and it's got this horrible, destructive ability to destroy a marriage, a family, a career, a business. And I want to challenge you today. When, you know, when Aaron had that incense and, you know, it was probably some kind of a little pot with a chain on it and they would put incense on coals. And this fragrant smell would come off which one of the types of that is worshipping and praising God.
And so it's literally saying here that when things aren't going well, begin to praise Him, begin to worship Him. In Jude 1:16-19, it talks as well and it says, "These are grumblers. They are complainers, walking according to their own lusts, and their mouth has great swelling words". And it goes on explaining these people who won't stop mumbling, complaining. You see, faith and confession. Confession is the first thing because faith without works is dead. Well, the first thing that you need to do physically is speak God's Word. So faith without works is dead. But faith with works are faith with action which is start speaking and then God will guide you what action to take. It causes faith to explode. Well, the opposite is true as well fear and complaining. They bring the continuum of death. Now death is the downward spiral, life is the upward spiral. And so you begin to find things going wrong, things going down.
Now as you are learning to use faith, storms will still blow. You're still going go through stuff. But you'll notice that you will win. You will overcome. You will endure. You will make it through, and you will continue to rise because there's this attitude, this spirit of faith. But if you allow in this spirit of murmuring and complaining, it will literally shuts you down. Now this is so crucial and we talked about this a few months ago. That when John the Baptist who was the greatest prophet of all, Jesus said, and he was to proclaim and declare the way of Jesus. When they told his dad, Zechariah, because they couldn't have children. When an angel appeared to him and he was doing about and going about his temple duties, and said, "Your wife is going to have a son". He had to literally strike him mute. The man could not talk for nine months and the reason is, is that because it was his child. Because John the Baptist was not an immaculate conception like Jesus. Him and his wife had relations and they had a son.
Now because of the authority that is invested in human beings, their homes, their families, what they put their hands to, your word is powerful. The angel struck him mute and he couldn't speak, and he had to write on a tablet when he walked out of the temple. Because God could not afford to have him destroy the miracle that would need nine months for this baby to grow and to be healthy in the womb and to be born. And so when the baby was born and John the Baptist, they asked, what is his name? And his mouth was released, and Zechariah said, "His name shall be John". Which was not keeping with typical trends or with how they would name babies, and then he got his ability to speak back.
You know, there are times everybody remembers whether you're at the concerts. Maybe it was during a special thing and worship and praise in our church, or but where somebody was singing, and it was your favorite song or was an amazing song. And maybe that solo was hit a note and it was stunning. The skill and the incredible ability. And then it hit even a higher note, and everyone is shocked. Their mouth hanging open and then it finished off with this stunning and people were on their feet just clapping because of this amazing vocalist. Or maybe you're at a hockey game, a football game, and your team is losing a vital and important game. And in the last few seconds it looks like it's an impossibility to score. But two of the best players work out this incredible play. And everybody going, "Now! Yeah"! And then screaming. They're on their feet just screeching and cheering. We will do that for a rubber puck hitting a net or a piece of pigskin full of air going through a goal post. But we seemed to have forgotten the King of kings and the Lord of lords and the stunning, amazing, phenomenal incredible things that go on in heaven and this amazing salvation. And that around you are innumerable angels encamp just waiting for the Word of God to be spoken.
The enemy is defeated. The power of God has been given to you. The promises you have been qualified for. God is in love with you. There's nothing that He's going to withhold from you that is good and ahead of you. And yet we tend to think about God as ho-hum, because religion. I hate religion because it is this negative manmade judgmental, small, little puny murmuring complaining in most cases. But a true relationship with Jesus Christ gives you this get up and go, that is filling you with life and passion. We've got to understand that praising and worshipping God, it causes miracles in your world.
Now the Bible teaches us very clearly in Luke 19:35-40, it says there that Jesus, He came into the city on a young colt. And people were throwing their clothes on the road. And as they were doing that, they were joyfully shouting and praising God for the miracles they'd seen Jesus do. And their blessing, here, you know, blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, hosanna. And so they're saying this and some of the Pharisees, the religious people in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell Your disciples and followers to not say these things. Rebuke your disciples". Jesus answered and said, "I tell you, if my followers don't say these things and they just remained silent. He says, Then the very stones around you".
If you've been to Israel, there's a lot of stones there. "The very stones around you will start to shout and praise God". There's something missing in boring religious Christians' lives when they stopped thanking Him out loud. Praising Him out loud. Giving Him thanksgiving out loud. Declaring His power, His amazing strength. That His love for you, what He's done for you. In the Old Testament they were taught to continually praise God. They were taught to give Him thanks. David is an example of someone who would continually daily sing praises to God, declare how great God was, and he had a stunning ability to conquer every country around him. And regardless of how many times he fell into sin, made huge mistakes. This praising God and turning to God cause stunning results.
So that is why when you learn to get up in the morning, the very first thing you're going to want to do because that flesh body could be tired. You could be thinking with all your problems today. You want to get up and say negative things like, "Well, I didn't sleep very good. I just woke up all the time. Well, better get going on my day. You know, I guess". Listen, stop! Get up and begin to declare God reigns. This is the day the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Even if I don't feel like it. And I begin to declare. My days going to be blessed. The presence of God is upon me. Everything I put my hand to is going to work. No weapon formed against me is going to prosper. My God is great. He is awesome. He is in love with me. His Son died for me. I'm going to get up and do business like I've never done business before. All these deals are going through. God is on my side. He is my helper. He is my strength.
You begin to declare and praise Him out loud. Something changes in your heart and your heart just get established in God's grace. Your mind gets renewed to the Word you've been reading. And you get up and this presence and this power of God. And it's not God sending His power because He finally, He's happy with you. No. He's already given you everything that pertains to life and Godliness. It is your heart connecting and releasing all of the presence and the power of God. The Bible says, "Guard your heart with all diligence because out of it flows the forces of life".
When you begin to see what God has done. I'm challenging you, try it. Find some of the verses in the Bible that praise and worship God. Read them out loud or just do what I do. Just start telling God, You're amazing. You're wonderful. I'm placing You in control of my life. And favour and blessing are upon me because I worship, and I praise You. You're in love with me. And begin to speak out loud. And you know what, I've been doing that for 40 years and it works. The power, the blessing, the favour of God stays on your life. And nobody can take it away except you and your murmuring. Shut it down and let's get this incredible discipline praising Him and worshipping Him. So that we can walk out this demonstration of the power of God.
This manifestation of joy and peace and blessing and prosperity and healing and all of the promises that Jesus qualified you for. Father, I pray in Jesus' name. That you touch everyone of us. That something on the inside of us is going to just break into song. We're going to burst into praise. We're going to daily declare Your goodness. We're going to stop murmuring and around and just being negative. We're going to begin to praise You. Father, we're going to be realist but we're going to really take your Word in our prayer closets. Speak out loud and prophesy to the wind and declare what our lives are going to be like. And Father, upon all those that are joining us, I pray that this world is going to see the favour of God, the blessing of God. The joy of the Lord that is our strength. The peace of God that passes anything they can understand. Father, I pray, that those who praise and worship You are going to walk into a place of freedom they've never known before. If you're watching today, and you don't know this Jesus Christ that I'm talking about. Just tell Him right now:
Jesus, I choose You. Come into my heart. I give You my life. Today and on I'm following You. Until you choose Him. He won't force Himself into your world. Just tell Him right now, Jesus I choose You. I want to follow You. Come into my life.
Peace, something miraculous will take place on the inside of you. As you become born again. And you start a whole new journey, with a brand new fresh start that is so exciting.