"Radical Together" by David Plat

David Platt is an author, speaker, and preacher who continually challenges my church paradigm. He did it in his first book, “Radical” and did not disappoint in his follow-up book “Radical Together.” I never know for sure if I enjoy reading Platt’s books but I know I must read them. I am always convicted, challenged, confirmed, and compelled by Platt’s writing. “Radical Together” was no different. What is the vision of the church? Are we more concerned with the comforts of our call or the cost of reaching people? As you read Platt, you realize there are very few people who have a greater passion for reaching all people groups in the world. He gives some amazing numbers of the unreached people groups across the world. Believing it is the task of the church to reach all people groups, he challenges the church to be radical in completing this task to usher in the return of Jesus Christ. To accomplish this, the church must begin to remember she has been “entrusted by God with stewards of God’s Word to equip God’s people to be servants with God’s Word” (pg 71). The church must regain her focus on equipping people and not just planning events. Platt will argue throughout the book of the importance of a selfless people serving a self-centered God. We must our eyes off of our comfort and put them squarely on the greatness of an all-mighty and all-sufficient God. If I were to sum up Platt’s ideas I would with two quotes of the many I underlined while reading “Radical Together:” “We want to see God glorified by people everywhere because God wants to see himself glorified by people everywhere” (pg 106). “Radical Together” takes the ideas of “Radical” and asks the question “How can we in the church best unleash the people of God in the Spirit of God with the Word of God for the glory of God in the world?” (3, 125). I am always convicted and challenged by Platt. I would highly recommend the reading of “Radical Together.” Be ready to be challenged. Be ready to ask yourself in you are more concerned with the comforts of following Christ or are you willing to submit to His Lordship and accept the cost of fowling. As a Christian, are you ready to get busy in getting the Gospel to every people group in the world to help usher in the coming of our Lord? If that is a challenge you are ready to undertake, take a moment to read “Radical Together.” It is an easy read yet a challenging read.