Status
Publication
Description
Christian Nonfiction. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. HTML:New York Times bestseller What is Jesus worth to you? It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily... But who do you know who lives like that? Do you? In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple�then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a "successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus. Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment �...… (more)
User reviews
Platt unpacks the invitation by Jesus for this radical discipleship by examining his own life and the process he and his wife have followed to throw off the encumbrance of non-biblical, anti-obedience cultural practices common to Americans, both the churched and the unchurched. No sugar-coating for Platt, but rather a blazingly clear torch to illumine the paths of those who would also walk in obedience to Jesus even as Americans. Do you want to simplify your life? Platt and his wife discovered that in order to be obedient to Jesus, they HAD to simplify their lives. Do you want to experience unspeakable joy in your day-to-day walk? There really is no alternative from radical discipleship and obedience to the source of joy.
If you are an atheist, you should read this book and compare your life to David Platt's life. If you are an agnostic, discover in this book the personal value to you of getting off the bench and embracing the truth. If you are a follower of Jesus, go quickly to your nearest bookstore and buy this book. THen get ready to change your life.
Platt takes his much-needed and
Ultimately, without any room for a Christian brotherhood containing any who are broken in ways he is not, Platt fills his book with speculative exegesis that based on assumptions he brings to the table.
The book works well for Christians who prioritize Matt 7:16-23 over Eph 2:8-9, giving the Arminian reader many more imperatives for their arsenal, and therefore, an even higher standard to 1) be convicted of, and 2) judge others by. No one in the book hears the plight of the poor and believes they’re truly free to ignore them. Instead, every example contains someone who wrestles with whether to be faithful or disobedient, ultimately motivated not by love but by obligation, obedience, and guilt. Sadly, the book does a disservice to the poor since Platt never calls people to help the poor for the sake of the poor. Rather, Platt's logic usually goes
1. There are many poor with desparate needs.
2. Christians are called to help the poor.
3. Are you helping the poor?
4. Maybe your lack of helping the poor is a sign of your spiritual emptiness.
Although I agree with Platt's conclusions, since he always presents service thusly, the reader motivated by his writing is often not motivated out of love but rather out of a sense of duty and a desire for evidence of the Spirit in their life. He always brings in the issue of personal piety to confuse people's motives, undercutting the even more central command to love.
Finally, and ironically, his critique of the American Dream is lightweight. Sanitized for the American Christian, Platt never prods deep enough to ask questions that get to the real heart of consumerism, which is sad.
It is clear what has shaped his views has been the tremendous opportunities to travel and to study at such a young age, combined with an ability to retain knowledge and apply it in creative ways. The challenge he offers though, is hardly creative. It is one year of 1. praying for the world 2. reading the Bible, 3. giving your money, 4. spending time in another context, and 5. commit yourself to a multiplying community.
Nothing in the list he shares is any different than what most Baptist churches teach. Okay, maybe not so much 4 and 5. But the framework is quite familiar to any life long Christian. You have to ask though, is this such a bad thing? Is it okay to have a reaffirmation of the “basics” of discipleship?
The stories, the short format, the easy chapter divisions make this a quick read, and a nice book to share with people you might be discipling. If you are a minister, there isn’t much new here for you – except maybe a challenge to speak more openly on these points, and to push for more contextual experiences and numerical/spiritual growth (depends how you interpret “multiply” in your community.)
Overall I have to say it's a solid book.
David Platt believes that there are many professing Christians who "have in many areas blindly and unknowingly embraced values and ideas that are common in our culture but are antithetical to the gospel (Jesus) taught." He goes on to say: "Here we stand amid an American dream dominated by self-advancement, self-esteem, and self-sufficiency, by individualism, materialism, and universalism. Yet I want to show you our desperate need to revisit the words of Jesus, to listen to them, to believe them, and to obey them. We need to return with urgency to a biblical gospel, because the cost of not doing so is great for our lives, our families, our churches, and the world around us."
In Chapter Two, the author does a great job of describing the gospel, then he goes on to explain what he sees as the problem in our churches today:
"The dangerous assumption we unkowingly accept in the American dream is that our greatest asset is our own ability. The American dream prizes what people can accomplish when they believe in themselves and trust in themselves, and we are drawn toward such thinking. But the gospel has different priorities. The gospel beckons us to die to ourselves and to believe in God and to trust in his power."
"While the goal of the American dream is to make much of us, the goal of the gospel is to make much of God."
One illustration that I will not soon forget is about the time the author was reading a "Christian news publication" and noticed two headlines next to each other. One pronounced the celebration of a new $23 million building for a church. The article beneath described the church's new sanctuary which consisted of marble, stained glass, etc. The other headline was atop a much smaller article. It proclaimed that "Baptist Relief Helps Sudanese Refugees." Nothing wrong with that, except the article stated that 350,000 Sudanese refugees were dying of malnutrition, and "Baptists have raised $5,000 to send to refugees in western Sudan." I almost cried when I read that.
Next, Mr. Platt explains in detail what he sees as the solution to the problem: obey God in reaching the world for Christ with the gospel. He suggests we consider the words of Jesus to the rich young ruler to go and sell everything he had and follow Christ. What "things" do we need to give up in order to follow Jesus? "What luxuries does God intend for my family and me to savor, and what luxuries does God invite us to sacrifice?" Then, there is the challenge to go to those who need to hear the gospel.
In the last chapter of the book, the author sums up all he says by suggesting the following:
"I dare you over the next year to:
1. pray for the entire world;
2. read through the entire Word;
3. sacrifice your money for a specific purpose;
4. spend you time in another context;
5. commit your life to a multiplying community."
I gained a lot by reading this book. I will be going through it again and praying to see what the Lord will have me do in these areas. Here is one more quote (my favorite from the book):
"Radical obedience to Christ is not easy; it is dangerous. It is not smooth sailing aboard a luxury liner; it is sacrificial duty aboard a troop carrier. It's not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all thes things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. And he is more than enough for us."
If you profess Jesus as your savior, you should read this book. But remember, it is RADICAL, and it may change your thinking and how you live your life!
I was personally challenged again by the call to choose self-sacrifice and heavenly living over the siren call of this world's selfish mindset. Platt reminded me of the subtle way that materialism creeps into my life and the constant threat it poses to a selfless, others-focused life.
I am grateful that Platt continually submitted his plea for renouncing the American Dream to God's plan for redeeming a people for himself. By doing so, Platt evaded the temptation to fall into humanistic socialism and provided us with a call to live like Christians in a world that desperately needs Christ.
This book does something many books do not. It challenges the person who says they are a Christian on every level. We are challenged to examine what we call Christianity today in the brilliant light of Scripture. We are challenged to separate Christianity, and ourselves, from culture unto Christ. We are challenged to live out the simple precepts of the Bible without making excuses and justifying lives that run completely counter to the teachings of Christ.
This is a book has the potential to rescue Christianity from America and restore it to the world. This book has the potential to bringing seeping change to the landscape of American Christendom as people move from being "culturally Christians" to Conversion through Christ and commitment to the cause of Christ.
Remarkable book. David Platt leaves any Christian concerned for pleasing God and shepherding other Believers asking, "What have I done with the Gospel?" and "What do I really know about being a Christian?" As the answer, "Not Enough" keeps resounding in our ears I trust that we will be driven to God and the word of God and the glory of God to all nations to change that answer.
A MUST READ FOR THE AMERICAN CHRISTIAN!
"Radical" is not a book for all audiences. Non-Christians and those Christians who don't believe the Bible is the actual revelation from God should not even attempt to understand the premise upon which Platt bases his arguments, for everything from the purposes for which humanity was created to what authentic Christianity looks like are wholly grounded in biblical teaching. Additionally, Christians who say they believe the Bible but hate the message Platt brings need to assess their faith's purpose, because Platt reveals the extent to which true Christians should sacrifice in order to reveal the glory of God among those who are less fortunate where we live or who have never had the opportunity (due to geography) to hear the gospel.
I thoroughly enjoyed this work, for the thesis that the goal of life according to the American dream is antithetical to the goal live according to the Bible is proven convincingly. As Platt points out, the American dream leads to comfort, safety, entertainment, and retirement based upon the accumulation of things in this life, whereas the Bible calls for the embracing of uncomfortable situations and conversations, fearlessness in the face of potentially dangerous situations, the shunning of temporary entertainment for satisfaction in the rewards from God in the next life, and a life invested in the future of other people, not our own future interests.
If you want a pleasant read, this probably isn't the book. The writing is great but you will be seriously challenged. Every spiritual muscle will be flexed by the time you finish. It was a brutal workout. As one person quoted near the end said of Platt's teaching in his church, it had "destroyed his worldly life." May God use this book's message to set all of us out on a more intentional journey that will destroy our worldly lives so we can live the life He created us to live.
This is an absolute must-read for every Christian in America.
Platt writes with humility and conviction, presenting a message that is both challenging and encouraging. Highly recommended.
There are some very thought provoking statements in this book. A lot regarding hoarding of your money and wher it should really be going. Love the last couple pages that talk about how someday you'll have to give an account of what you
If you like being comfortable, don't read this book.
But if you're really trying to follow Jesus no matter what the cost, then by all means you must consider this book.
The author convincingly
Many a sacred cow of American Christianity are eloquently slaughtered, and it is for the best, even if it is uncomfortable. The only reason why I cannot make a wholesale endorsement of the book is the Evangelical predisposition of the author and his insistence on faith only and eternal security.
Nevertheless, the book is most worthy of consideration.