Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
A while back a friend of mine mentioned he was reading a book entitled Radical by David Platt. Intrigued by the simple, yet unmistakable title, I proceeded to investigate and then purchase the book. To give you a sneak preview, the subtitle of the book is “Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream.” Within moments of beginning to read, I knew this was going to be one of those rare, life-transforming books. It soon proved to be a clear guide for discipleship, church life, and missions all rolled into one. Allow me to spark your interest as I give you a brief review of the book.
David Platt became one of the youngest pastors of a large, successful mega-church in the United States. By all outward standards, his ministry was highly effective and fruitful. But as he opens this book, he describes the uneasiness he began to feel as he reexamined his understanding of the gospel message and how it was being lived out in the context of the American church. He began to wrestle with questions that most believers in the West choose to ignore or avoid, such as:
· Why, in His ministry, did Jesus frequently turn away thousands of potential followers?
· Why was Jesus not interested in marketing himself or His message?
· Why did Jesus seem to be okay with this strategy and the results?
As the author continued to explore these penetrating questions, his uneasiness gradually turned into conviction, and then a deeper hunger for God in his personal life. Further study of the Bible and several trips to impoverished nations opened his eyes and heart to the realities of our world. He noticed the glaring differences between Christians in these countries compared to the average believer or church in the Western world. There was great need, suffering, and persecution in most of these places, yet there was a much deeper faith and commitment, the church was flourishing, and the kingdom of God was rapidly expanding.
One of the central questions for Mr. Platt involved the contrast between Jesus’ example and teachings concerning discipleship, versus the modern “American dream.” He describes in detail the usual rationalizations and excuses given to justify and maintain our lifestyles, even when they stand in direct conflict with the teachings of Jesus and His apostles in the New Testament. He contends that this “American Dream,” while producing a multitude of benefits to its people and the world at large, has instilled within us a sense of purpose that is contrary to the gospel of Christ. As a result, we are more interested in the outward appearances of growth or success, and we are more than willing to skirt around the clear teachings of Scripture. We are more focused on church buildings, extensive programs, and entertainment in our churches; and success is measured by the number of bodies that fill the seats every week. This led him to a crossroads:
“Soon I realized I was on a collision course with an American church culture where success is defined by bigger crowds, bigger budgets, and bigger buildings. I was now confronted with a startling reality: Jesus actually spurned the things that my church culture said were most important. So what was I to do?”
Today’s Christian world is filled with the latest technology and entertainment value. The most “successful” preachers have the best oratory skills and administrative talents. In our churches, we develop programs for every conceivable need or group – the more the better. As such, Platt contends that we have adopted more of a secular or business model for our churches when the Bible teaches a much different approach!
David Platt became convinced that most American believers “have embraced values and ideas that are not only unbiblical but that actually contradict the gospel we claim to believe.” He later wrote:
“With the pictures still fresh in my mind of brothers and sisters on the other side of the world, I could not help but think that somewhere along the way we had missed what is radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable.”
Throughout the rest of the book, Mr. Platt goes on to dissect this line of thinking and to lay out a clear challenge to Christians who truly want to follow Jesus and obey His teachings. He learned along the way that this type of radical abandonment to Christ was the only path to gaining an abundant life, not with external prosperity or status, but a life with a far more fulfilling and eternal purpose.
The powerful message of “Radical” is that discipleship, God’s kingdom, and the spreading of the gospel are all opposite of what the world believes or practices. Not by itself a novel idea. In theory, most of us will agree, yet our cultural adaptation of Christianity often blinds us to our own spiritual condition. The author provides story after story of personal experiences with Christians in other countries, and how this changed his life. He also gives the testimonies of many American believers who have changed their spiritual mindset in pursuit of following Jesus wholeheartedly and serving the purpose of God in our generation.
I would highly recommend “Radical” to any Christian who yearns for a closer walk with God; anyone who sincerely desires to be a disciple and obey Jesus; and all who understand the times in which we are living and the need for the church to arise, align our lives with the purposes of God, and become a channel for God’s love and salvation to the world. This book will help you tremendously in this pursuit.