Review of Chapter Seven in the book “Radical”

Key Teaching in this Chapter: Platt asserts that most Christians are either intellectual or practical Universalists (Sidenote: A universalist believes everyone will go to heaven). This chapter is designed to show the reader that Universalism is not a biblical position to live by.

Strong Points in this Chapter: Taking the reader on a whirlwind tour through the Book of Romans, Platt stops at significant places to point out why we need a Savior and why many people will not achieve heaven. He notes that all people have a knowledge of God, that all have rejected God, that all are guilty before God and will be punished. He also shows how the death of Jesus pays the penalty for sin and gives us a chance of heaven. This is a good Gospel presentation, though it is primarily intended to show the believer one last point: That people can really only trust in God if someone preaches. And we cannot preach unless we go to every nation with the Good news about God. If we really believe people are lost, we will be “radical” in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This chapter lays out the case for missions, evangelism and the proclamation of the Gospel very clearly.

Weaker Points of the Chapter: Though this is a very straight-forward teaching on missions and the worldwide proclamation of the Gospel, it still has some weak spots. I do like his description of practical Universalism. I am not sure you can apply it as widely as he does. Just because a person does not personally preach the Gospel to a tribe in Irian Jaya does that make them a Practical Universalist? As every preaching missionary reminds us, the support and sending of the church, giving of financial support  and praying for success and protection for the missionaries are just as important as the preaching is. Like an extravert, Platt continues to emphasize radical living in terms of major steps of action – like preaching.

Also, I do not agree with his assessment that we are doomed because we reject Christ. People are doomed because of rebellion and sin. If people are doomed because they reject Christ, then people are not doomed if they haven’t heard of Christ. In addition, Platt does not seem to wrestle with the harder issues of hell and heaven. (Or at least if he does, he doesn’t mention the wrestling match). As the old Evangelist, George Whitefield says “No one should teach on heaven and hell without tears.” This chapter seems to have all the zeal with few of the tears. I guarantee you that Platt feels deeply about the lost condition of man (his actions show that). He needs to communicate that with more emotional investment than just a bible study through Romans.

My Personal Takeaway from this Chapter: Every time I read anything about missions and the needs of the lost, I am purified in my resolve. This chapter had a personal impact on me to force me into seeing the lost condition of man all over again.

Review of Chapter Six in the Book “Radical” by David Platt

This chapter is better written than the rest and gives us a real sense that the author himself is still working through some of the issues he writes about. Recently, I read the life story of Jacey Duggard, the girl who was kidnapped from her home and held captive for over 10 years. A year after escaping, she wrote her autobiography. At the time, I thought the book was premature. It would be much more helpful if it had been written at least five years later. But I now believe she wrote it to help herself work through the pain of what she went through. I feel the same way about this book. It might have been a more helpful book had it been written ten years from now. But, I believe Platt wrote this because he is working through a lot of these issues himself. This chapter reveals that quite clearly.

Key Theme of the Chapter: This chapter focuses on how we use our money. Specifically, it focuses on the greater needs of poverty, sickness and disease around the world and how believers often have a blind spot when it comes to addressing those needs. Our wastefulness and decided neglect of the poor will come back to bite us some day.

Best Parts of this Chapter: I like how he brings out the decisions that John Wesley made about money. Wesley is often quoted as saying: “As followers of Christ, we must work hard to make money. We must live simply and give as much as we can away”. It is a simple formula, but profound. Platt’s best point revolves around that one. We can and should live more simply and deliberately than we do. We can and should consider our money and what can be done regularly to give away as much as possible to the needs of the poverty-stricken. He also shows the hardest part of this equation: We are often blind to our own selfishness and will not see what we are not seeing until it gets critical in our backyards.

Weaker Points of the Chapter: His use of two Scripture passages is less skilled than it should be. First, the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, as heard by his Jewish listeners, is not primarily about being judged for how we use our finances. The chapter has more to do with where we put our trust than on how we use our money. The rich man trusted in his riches and Lazarus trusted in the Lord. The Rich man was not in torment because he was rich and ignored the poor, but because he never gave God a second thought. This also ties into the second passage Platt does a poor job with. The story of the Rich Young Ruler is all about a man who could not see his overwhelming greed and love of possessions and money. When Jesus tells him that he should sell it all and give the money to the poor, the key to it all is the last part: “Then come follow me”. It is the relationship with Jesus that compels us to care for those in need, not the command to sell everything. He went away sad because he loved his wealth. Anyone who loves wealth more than God needs to give it away so he can start from scratch again. Platt hints at that, and this could have been a better chapter if he spoke about listening to the Holy Spirit when he leads us to care for another in need.

My Personal Takeaway: I realize as a leader in God’s church that we spend so much time, money and energy on feeding ourselves and making things better for ourselves than we do at taking care of what God wants. In reflection today, I am asking myself what God really wants me to do with my time and if I am really just giving the “scraps” to God or the “best offering”.

Review of Chapter Four in “Radical”

Summary of the Chapter: Platt focuses on the call of God to all believers to be involved in bringing the Good News to the nations. He contends that this call is not just for some, not just for those who feel “called” to overseas missions. In this chapter, he challenges the idea of a special call to missions. He says that few of us think we have a special call to be blessed, or a special call to be cared for by God. So why should we think we have to have a special call to go to the nations.

Best Points of the Chapter: It is ludicrous to take the command of Jesus to “make disciples of the nations” and naturally assume that is referring to someone else. In this chapter, he presents a compelling case that in some way every follower of Christ is expected in some way to be uniquely involved in the Great Commandment. He ends the chapter with several examples of people who have begun to use their skills and resources to reach out to the world. He mentions a young engineer who is ministering in Guatemala. He talks about a successful businessman who uses his time and resources to help a pregnant woman living on a garbage dump. He introduces us to a retired couple who help feed the refugees in Sri Lanka. All of these people are prototypical of Americans, except they have not shirked their call to the world.

Weaker Points in the Chapter: At some point, Platt needs to stop opening his chapter with straw men and ideal examples. In this chapter, he opens with a pastor who threatens his congregation if they don’t give to missions he will pray their children get sent overseas. The pastor and deacon mentioned at the beginning of this chapter are cartoon christians. I assume they’re real, but so few are really like that. What Platt needs to learn to do is present more realistic and down to earth examples –  both good and bad.

It got me thinking: I thought through a very long list of believers I know who have sold almost all they had and begun serving the nations. They represent the full gamut of ages, professions and abilities. Yet they have all had this in common: They believed Jesus was speaking to them when he called them to bless the nations. I believe this is hugely important.

Up Next-Chapter by Chapter Review of the book “Radical”

Starting Sunday night, I will be going through David Platt’s book “Radical” chapter by chapter. I am doing this because there are parts of the book I really appreciate and parts of the book that are just plain wrong. Just so you don’t waste your time reading my reviews, here are the groups that usually find my reviews hard to take:

1. Kneejerk, Reactionary Christians: If you are one of those who thought Kirk Cameron was a dorky actor UNTIL he started to do poorly produced Christian movies, and now you think he should be nominated for Best Actor any time he does anything, you won’t like my reviews. I don’t accept the concept of “if it’s got a Christian message it must be worth seeing, hearing or reading”.

2. If You Despise Detailed Analysis: If you like to enjoy a book as a whole and not worry about the parts, you won’t like my review. I am going to look at everything: content, approach, style and skill. If you liked the book and hate to have someone criticize anything you like, then don’t read my reviews.

3. If You Believe the Church Must Change Immediately: For 2000 years, the church has struggled with moral purity, church government, heresies, godless culture, lukewarm followers of Christ and ignorance of the Bible’s key messages. If you believe that it all has to change today, that’s fine. If you think that any one book is going to accomplish that (and think “Radical” is that book) you won’t like my review.

4. The Friend Factor: If ten friends recommended this book to you and told you how this changed their life and you equate criticism of this book with criticizing those ten friends, then you won’t like my review. And finally…

5. The “David Platt is one of Our Prophets” Crowd: If you believe that any author is a modern-day prophet in the Old Testament sense – meaning that we cannot “touch the Lord’s Anointed” – then paste the pages of his book into the back of your Bible and stop reading book reviews.

All others stay tuned as we review this book. It’s a book I like, but it’s also a book that goes too far in some ways and not far enough in others.