Have you ever had a sudden urge to stop whatever you're doing, find a good book, maybe play some music and just have some quiet time. Alone. Just you and silence? In this world today, it just seems to be a lost cause. Which makes me sad, honestly. Granted, I love to stay busy, have work to do, people to see, go to the gym, visit random stores, and maybe some trail running.... things that make up my daily life. But, I feel we ALL need our alone time... our quiet time to settle down, calm our heart and thoughts and focus on one thing for once. And that's what I did.... I've been hearing, randomly, about this "amazing" book, that just makes you say wow and although you try to say something else, nothing else comes out." That sounds like my kind of book. Well this particular one is called: Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream.
So, with that being said, here's my thoughts.....
David Platt (the author) is a pastor of a huge church but this book is about the complete failure and sometimes open hypocrisy of the mega church of America and how they approach "missions"...a better and more accurate name for Platt's perception of it would be "life".
David Platt challenges our commitment to Christ and His church and what we think that means. He comes straight on and doesn't shy away from criticizing the current state of American churches or explaining basic (but sometimes complicated or unpopular theology). I heard the title of this book off and on, but had never really looked into it. I picked it up knowing no more than the title and that it was being read by a lot of my friends it seemed like. I was suspicious. It was written by this pastor of a four-thousand member church and its focus was on missions. (Not that either of those things are inherently bad at all!) But pretty soon I was just enjoying it and feeling convicted...and writing lots of notes.
Here's the thing.... Are we willing to obey the orders of Christ? Are we willing to be like him? Are we willing to risk our lives to go to great need and to great danger--whether it's in the inner cities around us, the difficult neighbor across the street, the disease-ridden communities in Africa, or the hostile regions in the Middle East? Are we willing to fundamentally alter our understanding of Christianity from a luxury-liner approach that seeks more comforts in the world to a troop-carrier approach that forsakes comforts in the world to accomplish an eternally significant task and achieve an eternally satisfying reward?
We have adopted a Christianity consumed with little devotional thoughts from God for the day, supplemented by teaching in the church filled with entertaining stories and trite opinions on how to be a better person and live a better life in the twenty-first century. Meanwhile, we hold the matchless Word of God in our hands, and it demands a superior position in our lives, our families, our small groups, and our churches. Do we realize the battle that is waging around us? There is a true God over this world who wants all people to bow at the feet of the loving Savior, and there is a false god in this world who wants all people to burn in hell. The battle is intense, and it cannot be fought with little thoughts in daily devotional or petty ideas from a preacher on Sunday. It certainly can't be fought with minds numbed by the constant drivel of entertainment on television, DVDs, video games, and the Internet. If you and I are going to penetrate our culture and the cultures of the world with the gospel, we desperately need minds saturated with God's Word.
"... and this is where we need to pause, because we are starting to redefine Christianity. We are giving into the dangerous temptation to take the Jesus of the bible and twist Him into a version of Jesus that we are more comfortable with; A nice, middle class, American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn't mind materialism and who would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who would not expect us to forsake our closest relationships so that He may receive all our affection. A Jesus who is filled with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts, because, after all, He loves us just the way we are, right? Or how about a Jesus who wants us to be balanced, who wants us to avoid dangerous extremes in His name, and who, for that matter, wants us to avoid danger all together….. A Jesus who brings comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American dream. (The American dream? What is that by the way? Hmmmm….I’m not even going to get started on that topic…. Maybe another time:) But do you realize what we are doing at this point? We are making Jesus into our own image." - David Platt, Radical
I have sooooo much more to write about it seems, but my vision is getting blurry and my alarm clock is going to be screaming at me in 4 hours. Which will then cause me to scream at my client to work train harder... So hopefully someone will benefit from my late night blogging. Good afternoon, good evening and good night....
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