Don't Pray For Me

It was busy at the park on Tuesday afternoon. People from all over the city had gathered for the annual basketball competition hosted by my church youth group. One team would rise above the rest to claim the winners' cash prize of $500. But I wasn't there to play basketball.

This was a fantastic opportunity to share the gospel and I wasn't going to pass it up. There was one problem. I was extremely nervous and uncomfortable. I wondered, "Would it be best to talk about the weather and sports? How do I transition into the gospel? Maybe I should cut straight to the point. Would that be weird? All I knew was that people were on their way to Hell. Fear couldn't excuse me. This was too important.

I decided to join a group of people from church who were walking around downtown inviting additional people to the basketball event. While we were approaching a gas station nearby, we met a guy named Brandon who was traveling on foot. We introduced ourselves, informing him that we were preaching the gospel and that he was invited to join our basketball event. Brandon said he would stop by at the event and would like to talk with us about God. "Perfect." I thought, "He made a clear indication of his interest in the gospel. I definitely needed to follow up on that."

When our group made it back to the park, I found Brandon and struck up a conversation. "Ok, Brandon, you said you wanted to talk about God. Let's do that. Tell me, do you have faith? What do you believe in?" After pondering for a moment, Brandon responded, "Hm... I'd like to hear about what you believe first." "Sure." I said, "I believe that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth and that everything God made was good. Man chose to rebel against God which put the world into a cursed state. All men have sinned and are deserving of God's eternal punishment in Hell. Jesus Christ is God, who came to the Earth to suffer and die to pay the price for our sins. He was also raised from the dead and reigns as our Savior and Lord. Christ will return to the Earth to rule and to judge men according to their deeds.

Let me ask you, Brandon, do you think you are a good person?" With darting eyes and a sly grin, Brandon drew closer and looked me straight in the eyes, "Oh, I know that I'm not a good person. I've murdered people." Staring calmly back at him, I inquired further. "Does that concern you? Have you changed your ways and put your trust in Christ?" Brandon proceeded to lift up his shirt, revealing deep scars across his back. "You see these scars?" he asked. "I've been chained to a floor and tortured for hours. I've been sexually abused. I've been to Hell already. Nothing could be worse than what I've already been through."

I responded, "I'm sorry to hear what you have been through. However, just because you've suffered in this life does not mean your sins are any less serious. You are still responsible for the things you have done. The wages of sin is death. There is only hope for you in Christ. Would you like me to pray about anything with you?" Gesturing towards the crowds of people at the park, Brandon said, "Don't pray for me. Pray for them. I've already paid my price. I have faith in people to do good. That's what I believe in." I countered, "Brandon, you can't save yourself. I hope you repent and put your faith in Christ. I love you. Thanks for talking with me." Tears in his eyes, Brandon said, "You've given me a lot to think about." He then proceeded to quickly make an exit.

Brandon was unwilling to recognize the seriousness of his sin. He constantly sought to redirect focus on others and neglect his own responsibilities. He believed himself to be the victim. He thought that he had suffered adequately to cover his own sins. The truth is that Christ was the real victim. Jesus was innocent, yet died because of our sins. Each and every one of us is responsible for the cross. To continue in sin after you know the truth is to despise the sacrifice made for your redemption. Christ died so that we would be transformed. Not so that we would remain as we are.

Repent and Believe in Jesus Christ.