Leon Fontaine - Lost Souls
A number of years ago as a young man, I was working at the hospital. We were based out of there, paramedic, as a paramedic. And I remember them bringing in a man that was dying, I was on the resus team, and as we worked on him to try to get this heart to convert, and to a life rhythm. I remember stepping back and the doctors and the nurses and the paramedics that were in the room and they had just rushed him in. And, he was a person, he was a gentleman who had served the occult. He was fascinated with the devil. Against the Word of God.
And I remember watching him because, he passed away right there in front of my eyes. And, it was so bad, that we talked about it as a team afterwards. He stared up into space, and his face was twisted into this horrible look, fearful. And he was sweating as he was dying, so bad, that it was not dripping off his chin, it was like when your tap is cranked and there's that little stream that comes off. He was just, looked like he was burning up. And, then his heart, we couldn't do a thing for him, we tried, we tried, and he died that way.
I don't know how they got the look off of his face. But I'll never forget, people were talking, unsaved doctors and nurses, what do you think he was looking at? Because it wasn't just a, glazed-over in a coma look. It was like he was tracking something right in front of him. And he was seeing into something, and it was awful. It was, just horrible. And, it made me realize and remember that, there's a reason for the church of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that you and I, are to leave the 99. And we are to go look for the one.
Now you say well Leon, that's pastors. You've got to make sure you understand God's Word. He, it is to all of us, to leave what is comfortable. To stop just trying to conserve who you are, what you've got, and your life is good, why rock the boat? Why let anybody know I'm a believer? Why share my faith? People don't like it. And this, teaching of Jesus. Of, leaving the 99 there on the hill and going into the rocks, the ravines, to look for that one. I want you to understand that, you can't serve Jesus and not win souls for Him. You can't serve Jesus, and not share your testimony.
When Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, and the presence of God ignited that upper room. They, the Bible says, that He did this so that you could become His witnesses. Someone who would speak up for the disenfranchised. Somebody who would speak up, even to the cocky person who doesn't need God. They need someone to share the truth with them. We get so used to being comfortable and going after our dream and going after our, our marriage, our kids, our holidays. More money, new car, new house, and all of those things have already been given to us. God's fine with things. But it's not our first. Our first, seek first the kingdom of God. And His righteousness. And all these things will be added to you. You don't chase the things, you chase your purpose. And your and my purpose is to win people to Jesus, and as a church it's to mature them to become disciples, disciplined followers of Christ.
We are all about lost souls. We are all about sharing our faith. Not being a secret service Christian. Not being, you know, a whiny or a person who just doesn't want to say anything in case people disagree with us. And I believe in being Spirit Contemporary. Being alive with the spirit of God. And, saying and sharing and talking in a contemporary way, a relevant way. A way that actually reaches people, but yet people still won't share their story. They won't be, the Bible says He made you witnesses. You are a witness, your faith is in this Jesus Christ who gave Himself for you. And so, we need to speak up. If we don't, who will? The Bible very clearly teaches us, that people will not be able to have faith.
You see, to give your life to Jesus Christ, isn't just to recite a prayer. Because, the Bible says that just praying a prayer doesn't get you anywhere. It's the faith. And so, how will someone believe, and put their trust in Jesus, and what He did on the cross? Well, the Bible says, they need to hear somebody tell them the story of Jesus. They need to hear somebody tell them what Jesus has done for them. And that when you speak up, and you say this, that something miraculous happens. Holy Spirit takes your words, and as they listen to them, it begins to create. That's why the Bible says faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
As you share God's Word through your testimony of how you gave your life to Christ, as limited or as deep as you want to share it. The presence of God gets on your words, and you do not have to convince the person's mind. Don't worry about it. Just share your story, an don't be dramatic and attack. You just share with love the goodness of God, and the Bible says that the words that you speak, Holy Spirit takes them and ignites them within them, and they begin to ponder and look at that message, at Jesus. He may bring a TV show across their path, another person sharing with them, but we all, we all need to be witnesses of the goodness of God in our lives.
In Ecclesiastes 3:11, it says here that God has placed eternity in man's hearts. The difference between you and an animal, is animals don't sit around thinking about eternity. But you and I are made in the likeness and the image of God. And He has set eternity in our hearts. We have a spirit that will never die, even when this body does. And there is an awareness within everybody. That they need something more than what they've got. And when you share your story with someone, you may be able to say hey can I lead you in a prayer? I know it, you know, I see my pastor do it every Sunday. And just put your trust in it, and lead them. You may not be able to. They might just say well thank you for sharing with me, or you might have had a great conversation with a friend. And those words were shared.
But I talk with a lot of people, and years later, Holy Spirit will bring the words that you spoke. I was meeting somebody in the Stony Mountain Penitentiary, and as we got together and began to talk, I found out that this guy had destroyed his life so bad, you just name a crime, he had done it. Nobody loved him, wanted him, family I mean kids, parents. And he said, he had a nervous breakdown pretty much in his cell. He said, I curled into a ball and I was sucking on my thumb, it was so bad. And I thought I was going to die, that my brain was just going to explode, and I was going to have this massive nervous breakdown. And he said all of a sudden, he said a tune. A tune to a melody begin to rise up from inside of me. Deep down inside, and he said, and it was this. And he sang it for me. This hardened criminal. It was Jesus loves me. This I know. For the Bible tells me so. And in order to keep his mind from just losing it for good, this song, he began to sing it there in his cell, over and over. Nobody else loves me, but he was singing Jesus loves me.
And he told me how that one neighbour had simply asked his mom for permission, to bring him as a little boy, with her to church. And he simply was down in the Sunday school, and he was taught about Jesus. But it was this song that came up to him as a hardened criminal. Laying in the bottom of his cell, having a massive nervous breakdown. And he said to Jesus there, he says, if You're real, I just give You my life. I just, whatever You, I choose You. And he was born again, right there. It's not the consonants, the nouns, the verbs. It is this belief, on Jesus. And, when you share with somebody, the goodness of God in your life, and what Jesus means to you. The Bible says, Holy Spirit can bring it to their remembrance any time He wants. That's His job. Your job is not causing a human heart to believe on Jesus. That's Holy Spirit's job.
I walked into a home by invite one day. And a wonderful couple, had a teenaged girl who was literally just defying them, getting involved in drugs, running off, disobeying them. They feared for her life. They said would you come talk to her? I was the youth pastor, and I said I'll try. I said, all I can do is come and I'll try. I remember walking into their home and this defiant, you know, 16-year-old girl or so is looking at me. And I tried to share with her, I tried to talk with her. But she was raised in church so she knew anything I told her, she knew. And her parents had preached at her, screamed at her, loved at her. I'm sure they'd done everything they knew how, they were great people. Not putting them down.
And I said to her, I said well, if you don't mind. Before I go, so I didn't waste a trip out here, do you have a problem with me praying for you? She goes, no. Go ahead. And so, I prayed with her. And I prayed what I've taught many of you to do when someone that you love or know have gone astray. I prayed, and I commanded the season of pleasure, which is only for a season, and Satan tries to lure us to our, I commanded the pleasure to stop. I couldn't command her to stop her sin, because she's her own being. And she's a sovereign, autonomous being. But I said, I commanded the pleasure to stop. And I left. Months later, she comes to church. And she wants to talk to me. She takes me aside, and she starts to cry and bawl, as she said ever since you prayed for me, I can't have any fun. Everything's going bad. And she goes, and I need to get right with God right now.
And so, I led her in the prayer. And she gave her life to Jesus Christ. And it was stunning to me to hear her share her life, the story of weeks and months of trying hard to go be rebellious. She's allowed to do whatever she wants. But I had forbade the enemy from lead, from giving her pleasure. Because there's pleasure, but it's only for a season. And the enemy tries to destroy you before the pleasure ends. Because when the pleasure ends, people will come running back to God as they realize the trap that it is. That simple prayer, and, those simple few words that I shared with her, brought her back to, renewing her life for Christ. And, at that point, she just gladly asked God to forgive her and move on in the things of God.
I want you to know, that to share the message of Jesus, the Good News, is simple. And Holy Spirit is going to anoint the words that you speak. The life that you live. This adventure of living our lives for Him. Blessed and happy, and all of our needs met. The goodness of God on our lives, is what people look at. And what they see. And they love that. But, then they're attracted to God. It's not this preaching at people. God's going to send you to hell, no He's not. Satan just takes whatever he owns. And, but we do need to realize that, a lot of the humanistic modern teaching today don't talk about hell, don't talk about eternity. No sense scaring people.
You know, Judah actually says that there are some that you'll need to share. And you'll need to share the fear and the awe of eternity. And how God has created a plan for you to have heaven. For you to find heaven. For you not to have to spend eternity lost in a lake of fire. Make sure that you share. Make sure that you live your life with this purpose in mind. That if I'm following Jesus, each step of the way, if I serve Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, He will always be leading you to live a life that people look at and they want the Jesus you know. He will always want you to step out of your comfort zone, and what you have, and own, and your little reputation you're trying so hard to hang on to and not become some kind of a religious. He's expecting you to share. He's expecting you to talk.
And I'm going to tell you. Of all the times I have shared my faith, in literally the past 40 or more years. I have rarely had a person lose it on me. I think, maybe one or two people in my entire life. And the rest of them, as I just shared in a contemporary, relevant way. With a heart for their good. They all thanked me, and in many cases great things took place. Other things I don't know. I hope one day when I get to heaven, all of the seed that I've planted in sharing my story, in sharing what Jesus means to me. Only heaven will tell. But we've got to understand, that when Jesus left the 99 that He had in His flock, to go look for the one that was lost. He was telling you, and He was telling me.
Don't get so caught up on hanging on to whatever life you've got, that you forget the very purpose for you on this planet. Is to reach people who don't know Christ. As you go through God's Word, you'll notice over and over, that Jesus is sharing these principles. And, He'll even share stories like, a prodigal son who turns his back on the father. Takes his inheritance, and goes, partying with prostitutes and alcohol, blows all his money. Then he's eating with the pigs. Decides to come home, and his father is watching for him with open arms. Puts the robe on him, the ring on his finger, kills the fatted calf for the biggest party.
And the eldest son, comes in and hears the noise of the party and is ticked off. Says to his father, what are you doing? He took your money and he squandered it. He comes back, you're going to just accept him? And I'm here working my fingers to the bone, you've never killed a fatted calf for me. And he was just upset. And the father said to him, son, everything I have is yours. But it's good that we celebrated for your brother. He was saying to him, that you could have had a fatted calf every day, and had your friends over for a party.
Make sure that your attitude is not the elder brother. That people who have left and come back, that you can kind of look down your nose at them. Get rid of that attitude. And just believe that everywhere you go, there are people who've never heard of Jesus, and there are people who have something has gone on, and they have walked away from God. And as we reach out and love them as well, there's going to be a great ingathering ahead of us, is the greatest ingathering of people into the kingdom of God that we have ever seen before. Get your eyes off of yourself, what you don't have, what you want, make sure that your number one priority in life isn't, something that's going on around here. But that it's Jesus and the purpose that you're here. And trust His safety, His protection, His blessing. Trust that He'll never leave you, never forsake you. And in the midst of all that you are doing in regular life, there's lots of other things to look after. Keep this one thing there. Never be afraid to walk away from your regular routine.
I found, often, I remember coming home one day as a young man and Sally would, you know, we had all these kids and supper was very precious to us. So we made sure to being together as a family. And as I was driving into our yard, the spirit of the Lord just spoke to me and I sensed this. Go back, go back, go back. And, I thought, wait, I'm home, it's supper time. No. And then this feeling wouldn't go away. And I remember turning my car around, and driving back towards work. And I thought oh well, I'll just have to apologize. But as I was driving back to work, I stopped at a red light and I noticed a hubcap, just kind of going around and around and around in the middle of the freeway, it looked odd. And when I looked over to my left, there was a car accident that had taken them off into a little parking lot. So, I quickly pulled over there and this one young lady in a sports car was fine. And I quickly went over to a larger older car, and a gentleman was there with his head back. Quickly checked the carotid pulse, no pulse. He's dead.
I remember, that I just grabbed his chin. And I gave him one breath. Just woo! And I said live in Jesus' name. And as I did that, I got tapped on the back. And it was a couple of paramedics, in an ambulance that were driving by and they were there that fast. And so, they scooped him, took him back to the hospital. I remember going back, because I wanted to see what was happening. And they, brought him into the resus room. I didn't see anything. But they took him up to a room on the ward. And so, the next day I asked about this guy to the two paramedics who had picked him up. And they said, no, he, what do you mean CPR? I said well, why weren't you guys doing CPR to him? They said, when we scooped him out of the seat, he was fine. He was, he was alive. I said what? I said, I took a carotid pulse, he was dead. He was gone. His eyes were open, his mouth was open. He was dead. They said sorry, not when we got him. And well where is he? He's on the ward.
I remember walking into the ward, to talk to this guy. And he was laying in bed, and I was chatting with him and told him who I was, he didn't respond, didn't talk. I said if you can hear me, blink your eyes twice. And right in front of me, he blinked his eyes twice. And I said, I want to tell you about why God sent me back. And I told him the story of being home for supper, and getting this feeling I've got to go back to work, seeing his car, giving one breath in his mouth, and how that he was dead, he was gone. I told him the story. And shared Jesus with him. He said yes, he would like to accept Christ as his Saviour. And for just a couple of days, I would go back in and talk with him. One day I came in, and the bed was jacked up all the way up, the sheets were all gone. And they said he had passed away during the night. And I thought of the goodness of God that this man went into eternity, and he barely made heaven. I mean, barely. He had literally died, and I had a chance to see him believe and give his life to Christ.
There are things that we can do in the midst of a crisis, and God will honour it. Most of my sharing, was done in ordinary coffee shops. Talking with people while pumping gas. Meeting around, you know, outside as parents are playing football with their kids, and just, as in a normal conversation share the hope that had changed my life. And I want to challenge you today. Share your faith. Tell your story. You might not have all the answers, say yeah I don't know, I don't know. But what I do know, is that I gave my life to Him, and my life has changed. And I'm growing, and I'm learning. I want you to know, leave the safety. Step out of the boat. Step out of your circle of comfort. Step out of what you may have never done before, and know that all of us have been anointed, Holy Spirit is upon us to be witnesses for Him.
Father today I pray. That You'd touch each person. That You'd cause every one of us to speak about the most important thing on this planet, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ which determines people's eternity. Help us to speak up, to never be afraid, and to know that the words that we share, Holy Spirit will use for that person's lifetime.
If you're watching today, and you don't know this Jesus I'm talking about. But as you've heard me talk, something's happening inside of you. That is faith rising up, because God's Word is what you're listening to. And just say:
Jesus, I give You my life. I choose You. I want to follow You the rest of my days. I want to be born again. In Jesus' name, amen.