Radical: taking back your faith from the American Dream by David Platt ~ Book Review

The question, therefore, is not "Can We find God's will?" The question is "Will we obey God's will?"

David Platt

Radical

pg 160

In this book by David Platt he brings a challenge to the American church to ask ourselves "How much of our understanding of the gospel is American and how much is biblical?"

                     pg 28

In trying to get the reader to honestly consider this the author takes us through a look at the foundations of the gospel and the great commission.  He goes from there and examines how it really is that America does church, their means, methods, plans, strategies and goals that really may require little, if any, power from God.  (pg 48-49).  Where has the American church veered off the path?  Can it be we have adopted the goal of the American Dream of gaining more money and possessions, becoming more and more bigger and better, reaping the blessings but forgetting the purpose of those blessings.  And can it be that the American church has unknowingly grabbed ahold of the American Dream ideology that our greatest asset is in our own abilities?   In this book is the challenge to take what God has blessed the church in America with and turn it to the great commission as a church in general and as individuals.  

I found this book to be very challenging and convicting.  It very heavily gears towards global missions and helping those in desperate need around the world.  It is very interesting to note that as the author questions whether the typical mega church in America has got it right, he himself is the pastor of a mega church.  As he has dug into the scriptures it has radically changed the way preaches to his congregants and the goals of his church.  The challenge is made to the reader who calls themselves a Christian to "give liberally, go urgently and live dangerously" for the glory, not of oneself, but of God with not one's own abilities but relying on the power of God.  There is lots of food for thought, conviction and motivation.  The author at the end challenges the reader with a doable one year 5 step radical experiment.  The book is very thought provoking but as is with non-fiction such as this I found it did start to get a bit repetitive is some parts and some parts were generalized in it's applications.  But I believe coupled with prayer and asking God to lead us it with it  is a powerful call toward taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.  It would be an excellent study for a group or book club as it would foster some very deep discussion and other materials are available that go with it. 

I rated it a 9/10

Reading Challenge Goal Met:  Read 3 non-fiction this year.