Radical

       I finished reading "Radical" by David Platt last night on my plane ride back to Minnesota. I wanted to point out some really great quotes from the book. If you haven't read it yet, you should. I think this is a must read for every believer!

The message of biblical Christianity is not "God loves me, period," as if we were the object of our own faith. The message of biblical Christianity is "God loves me so that I might make him--his ways, his salvation, his glory, and his greatness--known among all nations.

Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell. We owe Christ to the world--to the least person and to the greatest person, to the richest person and to the poorest person, to the best person and to the worst person. We are in debt to the nations.

The question, therefore, is not "Can we find God's will?" The question is "Will we obey God's will?" Will we risk everything--our comfort, our possessions, our saftey, our security, our very lives--to make the gospel known among unreached peoples?

God sends his servants --> His servants preach --> People hear --> Hearers believe --> Believers call --> Everyone who calls is saved. There is only one potential breakdown in this progression--when servants of God do not preach the gospel to all peoples. We are the plan of God, and there is no plan B.

Life is radical when death is a reward!
Jesus was telling his disciples who would face uncertain persecution and suffering, "Don't be afraid of people. The worst they can do is kill you."
What kind of encouragement is that?
We say, "Well, if I go to this place, I could be killed."
Jesus replies, "That's all?"
We don't need to be afraid to go anywhere in this world, because the worst that could happen is that we might be killed. And this is supposed to comfort us....In the words of Paul, "To live is Christ and to die is gain."

"This, we remember, is the great reward of the gospel: God himself. When we risk our lives to run after Christ, we discover the safety that is found only in his sovereignty, the security that is found only in his love, and the satisfaction that is found only in his presence. This is the eternaly great reward, and we would be foolish to settle for anything less."