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Radical Living

Thanks go to Waterbrook Multnomah Press for the copy of this book to review.
David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills has written an eye-opening book about not only how the American Dream is counter to the good news of Jesus Christ, but how following Jesus calls us to radically abandon our former notions of money, success, and church. He begins the book asking two questions that set the tone for the rest of the book: "Was I going to believe Jesus and Was I going to obey Jesus" (3). The second question is the harder one that Platt discusses throughout this book. Throughout the book he uses personal stories of his church family, biographical insights in Christian missionaries (Elliots, David Brainerd, John Paton) to make the point that living the gospel in one's life means dying to the self-congratulation of material overabundance and seeking to impact the world around us.




I would say that this book is more of a challenge to those who have become complacent in their Christian faith. On p.26 he writes that if God's Word is enough for believers in house churches, why is it not enough for us? (26). For in other countries, people meet in crowded apartments and homes to worship the living Christ and soak up the Word of God, literally writing down every word they hear. Yet, many Western Christians not only don't bring their Bibles to worship but cannot remember one point from the sermon. The examples of house churches and Platt's experiences worldwide are a clarion call for our Bible lite faith to wake up from our slumber.



The last chapter was the most significant for the whole message of the work. Platt calls us to engage in five points throughout the next year that will radically impact our faith, our culture, and the world for Christ. First, he calls us to pray for the entire world. Secondly, read through the entire Word. Third, sacrifice your money for a specific purpose. Fourth, spend your time in a different context. Fifth, commit your life to a multiplying community. All of these points call us to live a life of service to Christ not solely for ourselves but to be a blessing to others. Even in the third point, Platt points to the need to connect our giving to the gospel, not just to give, but to give until it hurts.

Overall, this book was a good wakeup call for slumbering Western Christians to realign their thoughts, attitudes, and heart to the radical message of Jesus, who sacrificed all things for his people.

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