A review of "Radical" by David Platt

This is my blog report on the book “Radical” by David Platt – Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream.

Don’t read this book if you want to stay in your comfort zone and feel good about your accomplishments to fulfill the American dream for you and your family only. This may consist of a house, a car or two, an upwardly mobile job, two children and a gym membership, a retirement fund and perhaps church for an hour a week on Sunday morning if you have time etc.. BUT if you want your mind and spirit to be put in a brown paper bag like fresh fried dough and shook up in the sugar so that what makes it taste good is applied, then you need to read this book. It will shake up your life’s goals and dreams and cause you to rethink and reset some of your life values.

The question is made very vividly apparent as you read: How much do you love Jesus? This is a fair question that must be answered by all of us.

The following scripture comes to mind as a part of the question.
Philippians 2:5-8(KJV) 5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Is this same mind in us or not? Will we obey what He says by taking up our cross daily and denying ourselves or not?
This book could be hazardous to the complacency of the American dream life and it could cause you to be stirred to action enough to get up and “GO YE”. The imperative command of Jesus is speaking into the life of the believer.
Matthew 28:18-20(KJV) 18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The opening chapters deal with several scriptures with one being found in the Gospel of Mark chapter 10:17-22. It is the account of the rich young man who missed it with Jesus for his riches sake. It begs the question: Where are you in this matter of what it takes to follow Jesus and your riches?

Then the account of some folks that are truly grateful for their relationship with Jesus and the extent that they are willing to go to take the Gospel message to others. The hunger in the hearts of those who have nothing compared to the American dream and what we have in our country is amazing to me. Those that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled, the Bible says. The accounts of the people meeting even when their lives and families and everything else could be in jeopardy and tears soaking the floor when they pray may make you hungry for what they have. They are shown to want the WORD of God to be taught to them and are willing to spend all day to get the teaching. This should cause the reader to really consider what it is that God is saying to them.

The last chapter which is chapter nine lays out a challenge to all who read the book with some guidelines to walk you through each of the five steps of the challenge issued. The following are the five steps of the one year challenge:

1. Pray for the entire world.
2. Read through the entire Bible
3. Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose
4. Spend your time in another context
5. Commit your life to a multiplying community

The author says “I believe – no I know that if you stick to those challenges for a whole year, you will find yourself coming alive like never before. You will know the incomparable thrill of being a part of what God is up to where you live and around the world. You will be ready to shed forever the unworthy parts of the American dream and hold on to the beautiful and lasting dream that God has designed for you. ”

I recommend this book to the church at large as a challenge in the time we live in to live for the Lord and not for self only.

I asked the congregation where I am pastor this question: What is it in this life that you work so hard for that you will take with you when you leave this world? Your money, your car, your house, your 401K etc. will all stay here and perish. What treasure are you laying for yourself?

I received this copy of Radical for free from WaterBrook Multnoma Publishing Group for this review.

Download Chapter one here

Several other websites associated with the book are as follows.

http://www.operationworld.org
http://www.lifebiblestudy.com/radical

http://www.radicalexperiment.org/