Leon Fontaine - A Christian's Purpose
When you give your life to Jesus, the Bible says that the Spirit of Christ comes within you, Holy Spirit. Now, there are two things that Holy Spirit does in you, and this is very important. Christians who tried to live the Christian life without understanding these two things about Holy Spirit. Usually make a mess of it, get discouraged, fall away, because they don't understand these two areas. Here's what they are, Holy Spirit when you give your life to Christ is within you and this indwelling presence you must learn to relate to Him, have fellowship with Him. Because this indwelling presence according to Galatians 5:22 is where His joy, His peace, His self-control, His ability is on the inside of you. And it will minister to you.
Christians who have never learned to rely on Holy Spirit. That as you spend time in God's Word, as you worship like you did today. But everyday of your life you're doing this. This indwelling presence is where your peace, your joy, your patience. You know, there are nine fruits of the Spirit written in Galatians 5:22, like joy, love, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, self-control. Did you know that when a person doesn't have this? They are horrid to leave with, awful to be around. Who wants to be with someone who has no joy? Who wants to be with someone who has no peace? Who wants to be with someone who's got no self-control. They're gonna do what they want, when they want, how they want, regardless of what you think or say.
These beautiful fruits of the Spirit are called fruits because they grow. You can't just have them instantly. The Bible says work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. As you get into God's Word, as you begin to get out to church and get involved and get to know Jesus because it's not sitting in church that makes you a Christian. But this incredible relationship it does something. And you will find that deep inside of you a flowing of peace. Someone asked me one time, "How in the world you stay at peace with all these things going on"? I said because my peace doesn't come from peaceful situations. My peace comes from the Prince of Peace who is within me.
You know, if that was the case, then see, churches are all about helping people in crisis. I'm never gonna have a peaceful time. That's like telling an emergency doctor. You know, when there's no emergencies, you go ahead and grab lunch. Well, he's never gonna eat. No one schedules their emergencies. And so peace doesn't come from the absence of problems. It comes from internal. Joy doesn't come because we're doing something fun today like kid's day. What are we doing today mom? Well, we're gonna be -, as though joy comes from what you're doing. It can. Happiness can come from happenings. But there's a joy that is a source of joy within you. And that joy can just radiate and flow on a regular basis regardless of what you're doing. This self-control, this patience, this goodness, this kindness. These beautiful fruits of the Spirit they grow in your life as you follow Jesus and you follow the teachings of the Bible. Have a relationship with Him.
Now, there's another part that Holy Spirit has in our lives and that is His outflowing power. For example, when you give your life to Jesus, something changes on the inside that is so profound and you can learn to live in this indwelling presence. But then there is this outpouring power. In 1 Corinthians 12, and starting to read at verse 7. 1 Corinthians 12, it says, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal". It says, "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another divers kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But all of these are working that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will".
What does this mean? This literally means that as a Christian, you have been given a purpose for your life. People often ask me. What's my purpose? I gotta find my purpose. If you're looking for a career, then figure that out. But actually, once you give your life to Christ, Jesus said that we are to go into the world and share the good news of Jesus. And that wherever you are, and the Bible says in Acts 1, look at this verse in Acts 1:8, and it's talking here about power to be a Christian so that you can help others. It says, and you. Who? You shall receive power, power, after the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses. I want you to notice the word "witnesses". If I was subpoena to court because of the big accident that took place in front of my house. And the judge says, "Leon, did you witness the accident"? And I go, "No, your honor". Oh, why are you here. Get out of my courtroom. We don't need you. If you're not a witness, you're of no help.
Did you know that when it comes to spreading this beautiful message of Jesus, He doesn't say to do it theologically. He doesn't say to go out there and just debate people until you win. He says be a witness. Well, what is a witness? It is somebody who has witnessed it, seen it, worked for them. Something has happened in their life. They had seen the good news of God. And when you go to tell others, you share with them His goodness in your life. The Christian life can be one of the most boring things going if you don't recognize your purpose. Your purpose is to share Christ everywhere you go. And not to do it in a religious stupid crazy way. But just to be aware that God is bringing people pass in your world, and He'll show you which one it is that you need to speak to.
And the Bible says that when you give your life to Christ, that the next thing you should do is pray for this baptism of Holy Spirit. His power to come on your life because then it talks about healings. It talks about be able to discern spirits. It talks about having words of knowledge, words of wisdom, working of miracles. Something gets on your life that's hard to explain. You're not smarter. You're not more intelligent. You're not an amazing, you know, person in the Bible. It's just you care for people and because Holy Spirit is within you and He's upon you that when you begin to talk to people beautiful things happen. Did you know that God can show you things to help people?
You know, people who are really insecure. People who have really low self-image, they love being star of the show and look at me and God spoke to me and I need to do. And it's just, that is just your insecurity. Spirit Contemporary is why I often talk about. The ability to be spiritually alive and filled with God's Word, His presence. But when you talk to people, you're relevant. You're contemporary. As you will, do you mind if I grab lunch with you? He goes, no. Take him out for lunch and spoke for two hours with him about the things of God. Another time, I was just walking into and I've shared this story a lot, too. I was just walking into a Starbucks. I got my coffee and I looked around for a place to sit and I saw a guy sitting at a table by himself and I just knew inside. You guys ever have those knowing? Everybody gets them. It's like gut feelings. It's like kind of a sense of don't do this or do that or don't hire that guy, hire that guy.
How do you know? I don't know. I just, just a gut feeling. That's, as you give your life to Christ, He begins to guide you more and more through those things. And then as you get involved with people, there is a power of God that begins to flow off of you and it helps other people. So, I looked at this guy and I'm like yeah. So I just walked up. I said, "Excuse me". I said there, "Do you mind if I'd join you for coffee"? And he kind of surprised I asked. He goes, "No, not at all. Have a sit". We just chatted hockey and different stuff. And then he told me why he was there by himself. His wife was dying in the hospital nearby and this is just his break. He just kind of by her bedside as a vigil. She's gonna go and, she's gonna die. And so he just shared this and I did not share to dive into a big witnessing thing.
So I just said, man. I said, I go to a cool church. I said, where we have, we pray for people. Would you mind if I put your wife's name on our prayer list. And he goes, "No, not at all". But tears were coming to his eyes. Because when people are going through stuff, and someone does any kind of kindness. Have you noticed how much it touches you? So I got his wife's name. We kind of laughed and talked and left. He had no idea I was a pastor. He didn't know I was on tel. He didn't know nothing other than we're just two guys chatting. So we put her name and our teams prayed. And about three months later, I don't remember how long. I was back in that Starbucks and I run into this guy and he sees me. He goes, "You! I got to talk to you". He said, "Do you know that later weeks after that I run into you and you said the church was gonna pray". He said, "One morning, the doctors came in to say she's not dying". He says, "And we didn't think she had the strength for this intervention. Now, we think we could do this".
So they did the intervention. Whether it was a surgery or whatever and it worked. And they did something else and this, her whole life began to just turn, and she began to get better. And eventually, so by the time he talked to me, she was home with him. And he looked at me and he goes, he was just surprised, shocked. And now I had the chance to share. Listen to me. When you simply reach out to people and tell them about Jesus but not in a preachy condemning way. Just be a witness of what He did to your life, what He means to you. The second you engage somebody. Did you know Holy Spirit marks that person and He begins to go to work on that person. Was that a bad thing? No, it's a good thing because it's the goodness of God that leads a man to repentance.
All these screaming preachers, screaming and pointing their fingers and condemning and you're going to hell you dirty rotten sinner. Like very few people will be one like that to Christ. It's the good news of God that leads a man to repentance. And the second God brings someone to cross your path. You'll know this person starts talking. You're going, "How you're doing"? Yeah. Man, they just open up. People would just open up and starts talking to me. On a plane or every time strangers will open up to stranger but to nobody in their world. When that happen, it's a sign. Or when you're just somewhere and someone just stands out to you. You start talking with them. Holy Spirit knows they are ready for someone to just to share in their own way. What you've noticed since you gave your life to Christ?
Now, when you begin to be a witness. You begin to share your experience with that person. Holy Spirit begins to go to work. And so it's important for you to pray for that person. Sometimes you can just pray for them right there. And if, go ahead. Don't be ashamed. Don't be embarrassed. The world's got all sorts of crazy things people believed. But when you begin to care about, you stop looking at yourself, you know. Everybody if you've got your binoculars on, they're always looking at their own life, their own messes, their own stuff, their own issues. They've never got enough and just said I need to look out there and go, "I'm gonna go help some people". In fact, I'll tell you one of my little formulas.
When stuff starts messing with me and it seems like very right turn, I got a problem. I got an issue. I kind of go, "Argh". You know what I do? I just walk away from it and I go share Jesus with somebody. I go to somebody in good term. I go figure somebody I wanna phone call. How you're doing? I just go be kind and start helping people. Because I know if I keep my brain on myself right now, I'm just gonna go, argh. And it's amazing how it helps us. You are called to share your story of what God is doing in your life. Leon, I don't know the Bible. It doesn't say go explain the Bible. You've been given power to be witnesses. You're not given power to be theologians. You're not given power to go and proselytize. You just, you go and everywhere you go there are people who are hurting. They're needy. They don't know Christ. On the inside of them is just this great big empty hole.
Some of you have been going to church and volunteering. You're getting bored and you got your job and your career. And you just, yeah, you know, what more is there? Well, it's your purpose. What's your purpose? People are dying. They're going into eternity without Christ. And somehow, we forget that. And we got our careers and our families and inside, you, you, you, you, you, you, you. Your eyes are always on you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you. No wonder you're upset, depressed, down, bored. I would be too if I was looking at you all the time. Your purpose is all around you. Beautiful people, hurting lives, messed up lives, perfect lives, financially and everything else. But deep inside so empty and searching. And you have a unique calling upon your life. That this Jesus that you know, is not to get a row.
Oh, we need more people in our church. We're gonna get another star on the attendance stickers. No. There's an eternity without Christ and heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. And if you don't choose Jesus, that's the only way to get to heaven. Well, doesn't God send. No. God doesn't send anybody to hell, okay? It's just you can't get into heaven without Jesus. And so that's what's left. God takes everything He owns to heaven. Satan takes everything he owns to hell. And so this is a decision. It's crucial. And you'll never know which people walk past you or the people you begin to talk to. A young lady one time told me this story. She was involved in witchcraft, got involved so much. She's involved in Satanism. I mean, I could tell you stories that make you just sick. Just sacrificing animals, sick things with people, drugs, you know, demons, of this whole area that some people get all caught up in.
And she was walking down the street one day, and she ran right into me as I was walking past her. And she said, "You walk past me"? And I got immediately sick to my stomach. I went, "What"? And she goes, "I knew you had more power than anything the dark side could ever offer. So I started following you through the stores". Of course, it's getting creepy. She goes, "I follow you until I found someone who knew who you were, and they said you're a pastor at this church". She says, "I came to the church and I gave my life to Jesus Christ". And she's telling me the story and she did. She started coming to our church. Her world was so messed up, so bad but God began to deal with her. She discovered Christ. She discovered Jesus. You never know who you're gonna run into and why. And everywhere you go are people who, they would open up to Christ if you would share. Because Holy Spirit knows who will get along with you.
Ever notice there's some people you can get along just like that and the other people that just can't stand you just like that. Oh, no. Everyone loves me. That's your problem. They don't. You just don't realize it. They just put up with you. But there's always people that you can relate to. There's people who don't want to talk to me, but they'll talk to you. And if people don't want to talk to you, they'll talk to me, and Holy Spirit understands all of that. He brings people to cross your path. He brings you to cross their path. And a simple prayer will literally release the presence and the power of God to heal, to set captives free, to heal broken hearts, to give somebody hope. But did you know that according to the Bible, if the gospel is not shared from a human being's mouth, it cannot be shared.
Angels do not share the gospel. Angels can point you. Jesus can appear and talk to somebody. But the gospel it says must be shared from a human being. It says who, how will they hear unless someone was sent to share this good news. It's kind of a scary thing when you realize how many people have never heard about Jesus and they're around you right now. And one of the joys I find in my life, is I just look, I'm always looking for opportunities just to be kind to someone, talk with someone. It might just be an encouraging word, or it might be a chance to sit down and chat with somebody about, I got some of the craziest conversations from Martian to the world being seeded, to anything about dinosaurs to all. I just get the conversation with people and I end up being able to share what Jesus has done in my life.
I want to challenge you today that your Christian walk is not about you. It's not about you. Like could you get your faith? Your eyes off of you. And when you get your eyes off of you, it's when you start to get better. When you start reaching out and helping others, it's when you stop magnifying all your little problems. And all of a sudden, great things begin to happen around you as people begin to discover the Jesus that you know. I'll never forget walking through the hospital and walking past this room and this elderly man, "Excuse me". And I said, "Yes"? It's late at night. He says, "I'm cold. Could you bring me a blanket"? So I did.
And I'm telling you the story really quickly because it's a long story. Covered him up and he looks at me and he says, "Could you sit down with me"? I said, "Sure". They tell me I'm gonna die tonight. I said, "Really"? Yeah. So I just, I got no family, no friends. I got no one. Would you mind just staying with me? I said, "Sure". So I'm sitting beside him and I can hear his labored breathing, covered him up right under his chin. I said, "Do you know anything about dying"? What do you mean? I say, "Well, heaven. It's actually a prepared place for people who died. But only you can make that decision. And Jesus died in your place, one apartment for you but only you can accept it". He said, "I live my life a mess". He said, "I'm in my 80s now". He said, "He's not gonna take me now and me just kind of last minute just". I said, "No. He will". Really? I said, "Yeah". He said, "Well, how do I do it"? I said, "I'll lead you in a prayer. Can I pray you right now"? He said, "Sure".
I led him into prayer. He asked Jesus to come into his heart to forgive him. And this big smile came on his face. He said, "Would you hold my hand until I die"? I said, "Yeah". Within 30 to 45 minutes he breathed his last and he went straight to heaven. There are people everywhere that you might be their last hope. You might be the last person that that guy sees before he goes into eternity with an accident or whatever goes on.
And so I want to challenge you if you've given your life to Jesus. You could just keep coming to church and looking at you, bettering you, helping you, you, you, you, you, you, you. Or you could do the most incredible thing the purpose of everyone of us have been called to, is to be a witness of this amazing Jesus, what He's done in your life and share Him with others. And when you do that, it suddenly and powerfully changes your world. But if you continue to own like, what do you need? Oh, I need this. I need healing. I need the finances. I need this. You literally will lead your whole life just kind of empty and just always you. But when you focus on others, the greatest joys you'll ever experience is in being a witness of Jesus Christ to others.