Radical by David Platt

Hello,

I am just finishing "Radical" by David Platt, and I just wanted to recommend it to everybody here. It is a powerful call to live a gospel driven lifestyle, and contrary to the "American dream." It is a passionate appeal, and the book spares no punches as it shows how the pursuit of the American dream is choking Christianity in America, and keeping us from fulfilling God's purpose for the church: to make His name great among the nations.

This book is written with the fire of Ravenhill, the pen of Tozer, and the heart of K.P. Yohannan. I felt like heaven was dripping upon my soul as I read the book. I feel deeply challenged in a way I have not been challenged by any author in years.

Highly recommended: Radical by David Platt.

In addition to this exceptional book you will be theologically educated and missionally exhorted through the sermon series "Radical" which David Platt boldly and ardently preached at his own church. With the amarican-dream exploding passion he has from the Bible, Platt plainly calls the church to missionary sacrifice at home and overseas, as this will display Christ as our unfeigned treasure everywhere. You will not put down this book or pause these sermons with your conscience easily silenced and your mind numbed. Through the book and sermon series Platt's church covered and resolved the foster-care crisis in their own city and are currently going head on with the wartime and missional mindset! You will not be the same... After all, what part of the Gospel is optional?
http://www.brookhills.org/media/series/radical/

In the same respect that we look back 200 hundred years and wonder how Christians could own slaves and still be Christians, maybe some will also look back at us 200 years from now and ponder how we could be Christians and yet have so much stuff and money in light of the lost world's need.
David Platt - paraphrase

A word to us all.

Read it...and pass it on!

The sermons "Radical" are addressing and correcting many of the lies that have invaded Christianity.

They are great sermons to listen to.

When I get some time, I highly look forward to listening to the sermons on this series. The essence of what he wrote about reminds me a bit of Francis Chan's "Crazy Love." Though, I think Platt took things up a notch in this book, and writing a little more clearly, and setting forth a clear and gripping theological context.

He also have an exellent series called "Faith Works" on the Book of James if you have more time on your hands :)

http://www.brookhills.org/media/series/faith-works/

edit-- It is closely related to "Radical"

Just ordered my copy from Amazon to see what all the fuss is about :) I been considering getting a copy for months.

There is a book review comment there from someone named D.Mills which sparked up a lot of discussion there. The comment is titled "Not So Radical". The gentleman challenges Platt's concluding 5 step plan(1.read through the Bible in one year,2.pray for the world,3.give some money away to poor people,4.go on a one week short-term mission trip,5.be involved in a local church congregation). Mills says, "This is hardly radical".

Mills also states that Platt promotes selfishness in the service of God. He says Platt encourages Christians to have their view on what they can get out of serving Christ(joy, peace, satisfaction,etc.)

Many were saying that the 5 step plan is a good "radical" start for most American Christians.

Just thought I'd let you guys know about it in case you want to check out the discussion. Someone else in that same discussion stated they would recommend reading everything except for the conlusion or 5 step plan.

I guess I'll have to wait till I read it to decide for myself.

I think most criticisms of this book overlook at the clear thrust of the book is dedicating the totality of one's life to making God's fame great across the nations, and the central roll missions, the local church, and charity play towards fulfilling that end. His "one year challenge" at the end of the book, I believe, is just a practical pastor suggestion of some steps one might consider doing. And considering that Platt exalts a John Wesley approach to personal finances, with the purpose of making God's name great among the nations, I would hardly call that par for the course. I mean, how many people do you know who literally give all that they can for the furtherance of the gospel? Selfishness? Not in this book in any way, shape, or form.

Hey Jimmy, by no means am I downplaying the exhortation/encouragement you and many others have received from the book. I just thought those review comments were interesting and noteworthy. I have heard Platt's preaching a little and have high regards for him, and I'm sure I too will be challenged in reading the book. For me it might be one of those "chew the meat spit out bones" kind of things.

I was struck by the lack of authority in this book. In the first few pages David Platt tells how he saw his mentor challenge a group to die to themselves, giving up all to follow Christ and how these people, contrary to American culture, responded in droves. Taken by this incident, Platt decided to preach the same sermon himself but only got angry stares. The thing that struck me in this incident is that David Platt is a man without authority. There is no reality behind his words, he does not demonstrate how God brought him from mimicking someone else's sermon to speaking from the life within him.

The book uses the three testimony format where people from different age brackets have found meaning by "stepping out of their comfort zone." My impression of the testimonies is akin to how Art Katz reacted to the prophetic/apostolic phenomena where people had adopted a phraseology without the corresponding reality. It made me feel very angry that the Name of the Lord was being defamed by light and easy treatment of this profound call to absolute consecration.

I pray that the Name of Christ Jesus would be glorified in true sons for His Name sake.

I hear ya Oracio. :-)

The series he preached called "Follow Me" also dovetails perfectly with the Radical series. The book is just a shadow of the teaching in these two series.