Radical (dare to be different)

RADICAL: A Book REVIEW

Because “Christian Books Change Lives!”

     How often do you see the word, “radical” used in the context of Christianity?  Not very often in modern day America.  Most people who have read the book of Acts would recognize this word, but at least in the churches that I have grown up in and visited, “business as usual” is a better description.  It seems that once we have been saved by a belief in the life changing blood of Jesus Christ, an event that is radical in every sense of the word, we are somehow lulled or maybe I should say content, to just sit back and observe.

     Now to be fair, there are those churches and people out there who are making things happen.  One such person is an evangelist in my church named  G.M.  He and his wife and a group from our church have just returned from a missions trip to Africa and report observing hundreds give  their lives to Jesus during a several weeks campaign.  Yes, they are experiencing “radical”.  But most of us, myself included are living a rather mundane existence.  Jesus is a part of our lives, but only a small part and life pretty much just goes on as usual.

     How many of you reading  this review ever wonder, is this how the Christian life is supposed to be?  I didn’t much, at least lately, until I read Radical by David Platt.  This book is available at www.InHisHonor.org.   David is the senior minister of a church in Birmingham, Alabama.  Reading this book is like reading a modern day book of Acts. 

     David begins his book by making a rather bold statement.  He says, and I am paraphrasing here:  I realized one day that I was trying to build a mega-church that had thousands of followers and my role model was a man who spent his entire earthly ministry driving people away.  Now this is the very first time that I have heard a minister question the possibility that maybe numbers are not that important!  Like you do probably, I watch preachers on TV and at least  some of them pan the camera around their facility and you see lots and lots of people.  In Christianity these days, it seems pretty accepted that bigger is better.  I see no reason to point fingers at this point and name names.  We all know what I am talking about and no one ministry is any better than any other.  And we just assume that each ministry is trying to glorify God.  But what are we getting for our money?

     David says, “Nothing!”  And he is too close to right to be comfortable.  Where are the miracles that we see in the book of Acts?  Where is the hunger for God, for His Holy Spirit, for His Word that we see in the book of Acts?  Where is the burning desire in the hearts and actions of ordinary Christians like you and life me to make a difference in our world?  Where is the sacrifice?  We aren’t called to make a spectacle of ourselves and call attention to our sufferings or our giving, but where, oh where, is the difference that we are called to be?  Are we the salt and light that Jesus mentioned in the Gospels?  The salt that has lost its savor is fit only to be trampled underfoot, Jesus said.  That only too well describes my saltiness.

     Radical will do one of two things in your life.  When you read this book, you will experience a hunger that you have not felt in a while.  You will feel your heart stirred as you read the words that David penned.  And then one of two things will happen.  You will either get off your butt and begin to seek God and seek opportunities to see His movings or you will fall back into your complacency.  And it will be very hard to find a middle ground between the two.  Radical will challenge you, probably like you have never been challenged before, but then you have to decide:  do I want to continue to be “radical” or am I willing to settle for ordinary?

     Radical is a message for you, Christian of today and it is a message that you need to take heed to.  But how will you take action unless you receive.  And how will you receive unless you hear it first.  And how will you hear it first unless you have access to it.  You will find Radical by David Platt at www.InHisHonor.org.  Find it today and let your heart be stirred as you read that Jesus, the mighty earth-shattering Jesus of the Gospels is alive and well.  He is just waiting for you to take Him at His Word.