Paul Before Agrippa - Part 7

And the blood of your martyr, when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I was standing by, consenting to his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. And he said to me, Mother Cowherd, depart, for I will send you four hands unto the Gentiles. All right, these men know that our Messiah is coming.

But they don't want to accept your message. When you tell them that Jesus is the promised Messiah, all right, I will send you to those who have never heard of any Messiah or any Redeemer or any redemption from sin. I will send you four hands.

Now, you know your feeling. Oh, you like your own town, your own comforts. I have been a stranger and a pilgrim.

Ah, but I have lived in very strange beds. And I have slept in airports, on the floor. Oh, all those things are not very relevant and not very wonderful.

But, you know, why is it that the Gospel does not reach every remote area? If Paul had only said, Lord, I like to be amongst familiar people. Nice, civilized people. Not people who are likely to kill me or stone me.

No, he did not come out with some condition. I will send you four hands. I heard of a girl, and she dares to tell her husband, I don't like that big city.

Oh, any other place, I will join you. What a shame. And I must confess, I too was at that wedding.

I am sorry, lack of discernment, I suppose. But the father of that girl was a man of such turning character. A man who would do anything for Jesus Christ.

Are we going to produce such sons and daughters? Or are we going to fit into the book of Acts? My dear people, don't let anybody be satisfied with the work we are doing. I am justly dissatisfied. I say, I am not like Jesus Christ.

When I present the living Savior, the judges of this world must tremble. The powers of this world should be shaken. Unrighteousness must flee before the preaching of God's word.

Such is the gospel. And what are we doing? A debilitated and unweighted work. A feeble faith.

People who specify comforts at these requirements. No unconditional discipleship. At the cross of Jesus.

You will only have unconditional discipleship. Under modern preaching. We produce lily potions.

Spiritual lightweights. That young man, Kartar Singh, I don't know what moved him to go to Tibet. When he was sentenced to die for the act of preaching in Tibet, he was condemned.

And he was sewn into the skin of a wet yoke. A wet yoke skin. And the quality of that torture was intended to squeeze a man dead.

So, when he was put out in the sun, and the yoke skin was shrinking,