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Radical Together by David Platt

by Ryan Rotman

May 20, 2011

Back in December I had the privilege to read and review David Platt's first book Radical, so when I heard he had come out with his second book Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God, I couldn't wait to read and review it also. If you've read Radical, you will be very familiar with the topic of this book. David Platt challenges believers to return to a gospel-centered vision; a vision that is radical compared to the Christian life we've been accustomed to lately. In Radical, Platt makes the challenge to the individual believer, but Radical Together takes in one step forward; a challenge to the fellowship of believers, the church, to carry out the purpose of God in the world. Platt says this in the opening chapter, "In Radical Together, I want to consider what happens, or can happen, when we apply the revolutionary claims and commands of Christ to our communities of faith. I want to contemplate the force of a people who come together to enjoy God's grace in the church while they extend God's glory in the world. And I want to propose that a movement of such people in such churches has the potential to permeate nations with the praise of God." The way that we as believers will begin to live radically personally and corporately is if we return to the Word and the Gospel that saved us. God and His Word is the power behind this whole idea and the only way that it will happen. What I love about Platt's insight is that he's making a call for the church because he's in the midst of this himself with his church. The motivation behind this book is for sure the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but it's also from his own personal experience. This book is going to cause you to re-evaluate your life and your life together with the community of believers in your church. He's not asking us to do something that hasn't affected him. This isn't going to be easy and he shares that it's not. You may have to possibly change something that is good because it's not allowing for the best to happen through the church. Be prepared to do a lot of thinking. This isn't the easy post to write because there's so much that I'm working through personally to re-evaluate how I'm living my life according to God's purpose. Then that being put into practice, spilling out into the life of the church, and then the church being unleashed for the purpose of God.

Special thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah and Blogging for Books for providing this complimentary book to read and review.