Radical With David Platt

The fact that Christ has not returned after 2,000 years makes some people doubt the reality of his second coming, while others simply ignore it altogether. Instead of living with expectancy and seeking to faithfully endure, they become careless and fail to live in light of the judgment that is coming. In this message David Platt exhorts us to heed Christ’s warning in Matthew 25. Though Christ’s return seems to be delayed, he will return suddenly and all hearts will be exposed. Christ’s coming should shape the way we live in the present and the way we look to the future, for nothing short of heaven and hell are at stake. This message is Part 2 of the “Return of the King.”Explore more content from Radical.

When it comes to the topic of Christ’s return, many Christians either get confused or they become engrossed in speculation and date setting. Sadly, Christ’s second coming has little effect on the way they live today as his disciples. In this message from David Platt on Matthew 24, we are urged to live in light of the second coming by trusting in Christ now, by persevering in his power, and by expectantly longing for his return. As  we wait for that glorious day, the return of the king should compel us to proclaim the good news of his kingdom to the ends of the earth. This message is Part 1 of the “Return of the King.”Explore more content from Radical.

It’s sobering to realize that some of Jesus’s most sobering warnings were aimed at those who were considered to be the most religious. To appear to be living a holy life in the eyes of men is not the same thing as living a truly holy life before God. In this message from Matthew 23, David Platt urges us to heed Jesus’s warnings to the religious leaders of his day. Rather than living lives marked by hypocrisy, pride, and self-centeredness, God wants his people to live lives marked by a supreme love for him and a selfless love for others. Explore more content from Radical.

Whether it’s through financial security, health, entertainment, or recognition and acceptance from others, people are looking for contentment and failing to find it. Even as Christians, we can fall into the trap of looking for contentment in all the wrong places. In this message from Philippians 4:10–13, David Platt points us to the place, or rather Person, where true contentment can be found. Here in Part 2 of our search for “The Secret of Contentment,” we will see why Jesus is all we need in any and every circumstance. Explore more content from Radical.

Everyone is looking for contentment, but it seems to elude most people. We may be happy and feel secure temporarily, but when circumstances change, our contentment vanishes. In Philippians 4:10–13, the apostle Paul shares the “secret” of contentment, and he does it from prison. In this message, David Platt points us to the kind of contentment that doesn’t change with circumstances—the contentment that can only be found in Christ. This is Part 1 of in our search for “The Secret of Contentment.”Explore more content from Radical.

If someone followed you around on a consistent basis, what would their takeaway be? What would your conversations, actions, and priorities communicate to them? In this message from Philippians 4:9, David Platt talks about what it means to live a life worthy of imitation. Like the apostle Paul, we want those we influence to be consistently hearing God’s Word and becoming more like Jesus.Explore more content from Radical.

How do you experience the peace that God wants for his children? How can you be joyful in the midst of trials and uncertainty? How can you be gentle when the world seems chaotic? In this message from Philippians 4:8, we learn that experiencing peace and joy and other godly virtues requires us to engage in a battle, a battle for our minds. David Platt points us to the words of the apostle Paul, who tells us to set our minds on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. For our faith to persevere and flourish, particularly in the midst of trials, we must intentionally think on these things.Explore more content from Radical.

At his first coming, Jesus came in humility and was largely rejected by the world and even his own people. However, when he returns, Christ’s authority and splendor will be unmistakable and inescapable. In this message from Matthew 21:1–22, David Platt points to various attributes of this Sovereign King who will return as Savior and Judge. It is now our privilege, by God’s grace, to give our entire lives to follow him.Explore more content from Radical.

The reality that God’s salvation comes solely by his mercy and not by our merit has all kinds of ramifications for followers of Christ. Unlike the world, God does not favor the powerful or the rich. He shows his grace to those who are humble and recognize their need for him. In this message from Matthew 19:16–20:34, David Platt points us to the miraculous mercy of God and the way this mercy should shape the way we live as disciples of Christ. In addition to seeing Christ’s view of worldly wealth and its dangers, we’ll also see his concern for children (including the sensitive and difficult topic of those who die in infancy). Explore more content from Radical.

Sadly, the church often looks like the world when it comes to the things we divide over. Topics like race and politics tend to define us rather than the gospel. Many Christians in our culture  rarely serve alongside those who look different than us and who have different political opinions. In this message from Philippians 4:2–3, David Platt highlights the kind of unity that ought to mark followers of Christ. This unity is based on the gospel, and it should transcend the various divisions that Satan uses to disrupt the church’s fellowship and harm the church’s witness. The church should be a community of other-worldly unity.Explore more content from Radical.

In a culture with a decidedly unbiblical view of marriage and divorce, Jesus’s words in Matthew 19:1–12 may sound extreme. However, since God designed marriage for His glory and for our good, we would be wise to listen to Him. Gratefully, God’s grace in the gospel is sufficient for those who have fallen short when it comes to His design for marriage. In this message, David Platt looks at Jesus’s teaching on marriage and divorce, as well as Christ’s related comments on discipleship and singleness. As followers of Christ, the entirety of our lives––including our approach to marriage and divorce––is to be lived under His lordship. Explore more content from Radical.

Amidst the many challenges that we face as believers—temptations to sin, opposition from the world, physical sickness, relational difficulties, etc.—we need to be regularly reminded to stand firm. However, as David Platt points out in this message from Philippians 4:1, our standing firm must be “in the Lord.” We cannot stand in our own strength or rely on our own wisdom. For the sake of our unity, our sanctification, and our faithfulness to Christ’s mission, we must look to God’s Word and rely on His Spirit.Explore more content from Radical.

Even with the best of intentions, it’s all too easy for the church to put its trust in earthly leaders—political leaders, business leaders, or even church leaders. However, the church doesn’t belong to any man but to God. He alone is worthy of all our trust and obedience, and it is His design for the church that we must embrace if we are to be faithful to the purposes and to the mission Christ has given to His disciples. In this message from Psalm 146, David Platt casts a vision for “A New Chapter” in the life of McLean Bible Church. Along with acknowledging the Lord alone as its leader, the church is also encouraged to reflect God’s love—love for His people within the church and love for all people out in the world. Explore more content from Radical.

Today’s graduates will not be the first to be tempted to settle for some version of the American Dream—get a good job and a nice house, make sure life is comfortable for you and your family, and set yourself up for a relaxing retirement. But living for these earthly treasures is not what followers of Christ have been called to. To be a follower of Christ means that we have died to ourselves so that we can live for Him and His purposes in the world. In this message from 1 Kings 19:19–21, David Platt uses the story of Elisha’s call to urge graduates to risk everything to  pursue Christ’s call on their lives. These are young men and women who are so infatuated with following their King that they will gladly go wherever He leads and do whatever He calls them to do. Explore more content from Radical.

It seems as if everyone is talking about the value of community, including non-Christians. However, the world’s idea of community is very different from the kind of community produced by the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this message from Matthew 18, David Platt identifies some important aspects of the kind of community that characterizes the kingdom of God. Entering God’s kingdom is not about being strong or proud but dependent and child-like. And the community of God’s people, the church, is to be a context in which we love, protect, restore, and forgive one another. For brothers and sisters in Christ who fall into sin, God has given us a process of church discipline that aims at their restoration and the good of their soul. Even when members must be removed due to unrepentant sin, God promises to be with us as we act for His glory and for the purity of His church. Explore more content from Radical.

If you’re looking to promote unity in the church, you might be tempted to avoid topics like race and justice. Even mentioning them stirs up a range of emotions among God’s people. However, if the church is to pursue the kind of unity that Christ calls us to––a unity that includes diverse ethnicities, perspectives, political views, etc.––then it is essential that God’s people find their ultimate unity in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this message from Psalm 133, a message that was prompted by the conversation surrounding the tragic death of Ahmaud Arbery, David Platt and Mike Kelsey urge the church to look to the gospel to find unity in diversity. Several pastors and their wives also share their perspectives on recent events in this unique message concerning race, justice, and the gospel.Explore more content from Radical.

The current pandemic presents a unique challenge for pastors. In addition to determining how best to serve their members in unusual circumstances, they must also decide how the pandemic and its economic fallout will affect the church’s mission. Unfortunately, global missions is one of the first budget items to be cut for many churches. In this interview, Jeff Lewis asks David Platt a number of questions aimed at helping pastors think through how they can keep the church’s mission––making disciples among all nations––a priority during these difficult days. Though we don’t always get to see God’s work among the nations with our eyes, we must trust that He is still fulfilling His redemptive purposes, even among the hardest to reach places on earth. Pastors have an important role to play in terms of keeping these urgent realities before their people.Explore more content from Radical.

Our culture feeds women all kinds of lies about who they are, what makes them valuable, and how they can find fulfillment. That’s why it’s so critical that women––and men––understand Scripture’s teaching concerning what God says about them. In this message on Mother’s Day, David Platt uses Psalm 113, as well as various other texts, to urge women in various life circumstances––singles, wives, mothers, grandmothers, widows, etc.––to look to God’s Word so that they might embrace God’s good design for them as well as His grace to them in Christ.Explore more content from Radical.

When we think of becoming more like Christ, we often think of what we need to do. However, we should not forget the transforming effect of beholding. Scripture teaches us that we become like whatever we set our gaze upon. In this message from Matthew 17, David Platt urges us to behold Christ in His glorious perfections so that, by the power of the Spirit, we might be changed more and more into His likeness. The One whom the Law and Prophets looked forward to––Christ, the Son––is the One who radiates the splendor of God. Explore more content from Radical.

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