Radical With David Platt

Ever since the church was founded, Satan has attempted to oppose God’s people. However, the book of Acts teaches us how God worked in and through Christ’s early disciples for the spread of the gospel, even amid persecution and opposition. In this message based on Acts 4–8, David Platt points us to the early church as an example of a people who—though imperfect—relied on the power of God to carry out the church’s mission. We too can have confidence in God’s power as we seek to live faithfully in our day. Christ has given us his Spirit, and he has promised to build his church. Our mission is therefore unstoppable.

Being a disciple of Jesus should make us stand out in a culture that prizes individuality and personal autonomy. When God saves us, he changes not only our personal desires and private actions but also the way in which we relate to others. We no longer live for ourselves. In this message from Colossians 3:1–4:1, David Platt helps us see how belonging to Jesus changes a disciple’s relationships. God’s Spirit empowers his people to live for his glory and for the eternal good of others. 

At one time or another, many Christians have asked the question, “What is God’s will for my life?” To find the answer to that question, we use all sorts of methods. But what if God’s will is not lost, and what if he actually wants his people to know it? In this message from Galatians 2:20, we’ll be introduced to a better, more biblical way of finding God’s will. Faith in God’s promises is more certain than trying to discern temporary feelings or impressions. God desires to accomplish his will through us, and though he might not reveal every detail about every decision we make, his Word makes clear his overarching desires for us and how he wants us to live. 

Many Christians are rightly giving thanks in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn the infamous Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion a constitutional right. We rejoice that in this decision justice was upheld on behalf of the unborn. In addition to giving thanks, we also need to know how to speak about this issue to those in our culture—and in our churches—who have questions. In this sensitive message from Psalm 139:13–16, David Platt urges all believers to not only speak up on behalf of the unborn but also to continue caring for mothers and families. Even as we use our political freedoms to love our neighbors—including the unborn—we need to remember that our ultimate goal is not to win a political battle but to make disciples for the glory of God.

In a culture that says, “No one can tell me what to do with my body,” God’s Word gives us a different reality for disciples of Jesus. Not only our minds and hearts but also our bodies belong to him. In this message from 1 Corinthians 6:12–20, David Platt highlights the way being a disciple of Christ changes the way we think about and use our bodies. As God’s Spirit indwells us, we are to live for his glory in all that we do.

When God saves us, he doesn’t only change the things we believe in our minds. He also changes the very affections of our heart. Our desire for Christ begins to replace the fleeting pleasures of sin. In the message from John 6:25–35, David Platt points us to the change that takes place in our emotions when we come to believe the gospel. We were made to find our deepest and most meaningful cravings fulfilled by Christ.

Jesus promised his disciples that they would be opposed and persecuted for his name’s sake. But this kind of opposition is not something that Jesus stands aloof from—he himself has been rejected, and even crucified. He knows what disciples need most if we are to be faithful in a hostile world. In this message from Mark 9:1–13, David Platt points us to the glorious revelation of Jesus Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. Disciples then and now need to see Jesus for who he is—not merely a good religious teacher but the supreme revelation of God’s glory to weak and sinful people!

Do you know it’s possible to know something about who Jesus is and still not truly be following him? Did you know that you can regularly attend church and desire many of the blessings of God’s salvation and still not be a Christian? In this message from Mark 8:31–38, David Platt points us to the sobering experience of Jesus’ disciples. Even with the recognition that Jesus was the Christ, the Deliverer God had promised, they didn’t yet fully understand the kind of Deliverer they needed. They didn’t realize that following Jesus would mean counting the cost and forsaking temporal comfort and pleasures in this world for the sake of finding greater, eternal pleasures in the life to come. What about you—have you considered what it really means to follow Jesus?

The story in Mark 8 of Jesus healing a blind man includes some key people who, though easy to overlook, are essential to the story. Verse 22 mentions “some people” who brought the man to Jesus and “begged him to touch him.” The Bible is full of stories of people who bring people to Jesus and beg him on their behalf to then watch Jesus heal, restore, deliver, and forgive like only he can do. These stories in the Bible and that we see at work around us should lead us to ask ourselves the critical question, “How can you, how can I, how can we bring people to Jesus?”

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “healing”? How have you seen God heal in the past? What kind of healing do you long for in your life? Whether you’re praying for physical, emotional, or relational healing, the Lord sees you and cares for you, even in the darkest times. In this sermon on Mark 8:22–26, David Platt reminds Christians of the tender compassion, healing power, and sovereign timing of Jesus.

Some people define faith as positive thinking, as if we can force Jesus to do what we want him to do. However, biblical faith trusts what Jesus will do—in his way and his time—instead of demanding what Jesus must do. In this message from Matthew 8:11–21, David Platt points us to a picture of true, biblical faith. Knowing who Jesus is should cause us to trust him in every circumstance.

People have all kinds of opinions about who Jesus is. He has been called everything from a respected teacher to a mythical religious figure to a fraud. But the all-important question is, “Who do you say that Jesus is?” There is no more important question to answer, and it’s the question Jesus poses to his disciples in Mark 8:31–9:1. In this message, David Platt urges us to consider and respond to this question. And as we do, we must rely on God’s Spirit to open the eyes of our hearts. Only by God’s grace will see Jesus as the Messiah sent by God to redeem sinners through his life, death, and resurrection.

When God saves us, he doesn’t merely change our habits or our outward behavior. He changes our heart and renews our mind, enabling us to know and do his will. In this message from Romans 12:2, David Platt points us to the transforming work of God in the life of a disciple. Those who belong to Christ no longer live for themselves but for the worship of God and the mission for which Christ sent us into the world.

God has given his church the Great Commission as his plan to see disciples made among all the peoples of the earth. However, there are currently around 3.2 billion people today who do not have access to the gospel. Tragically, unless something changes, they will live, die, and go to hell without ever hearing about how they can be reconciled to God. In this message recently given at the Together for the Gospel conference, David Platt looks at a number of Scripture passages to urge us to consider how we might work for the spread of the gospel to the hardest to reach peoples and places. Rather than focusing inward and dividing over less important issues, we need to be united in our mission around the gospel—for the glory of God and for the sake of those who have never heard.

Is Jesus your life? Whether we realize it or not, apart from faith in Jesus Christ, every person is enslaved to sin. This enslavement looks different in each of our lives, but it’s there in one form or another. To make things worse, Scripture says the end result of our enslavement to sin is that we will face death—both physical death and eternal death in hell. And there’s nothing we can do on our own to free ourselves. But gratefully, as Psalm 107:10–16  shows us, God is able to free those who are imprisoned and enslaved. In this message, David Platt urges all of us to make certain that Jesus is our life, for he alone can free us from our sin and its consequences. Christ’s life, death, and resurrection is our only hope in life and death.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, it’s critical that we know what we’ve been sent out into the world to do. We haven’t received grace simply to keep it to ourselves. We have been sent out to extend this grace to others. In this message from Matthew 9:35–10:4, David Platt urges us to consider the mission Christ has given us, a mission that leads us to look to the needs of others and to proclaim Christ’s love to them. Though this mission isn’t always easy, we go in the authority of the King.

It is possible to have all the outward trappings of religion and still lack a genuine love for God and desire to do his will. Others may applaud you, and life may seem to be going well, all the while you may still lack the heart of pure religion. In this message from Mark 7:1–23, David Platt points us to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day as a warning of what it looks like to miss a heart for God. Like them, we’re capable of missing God’s purposes for us when we become focused on justifying ourselves and pleasing ourselves. God’s Word, not preferences and traditions, must be our final authority.

As we think about the mission Christ has given the church—to make disciples of all nations—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. After all, we have our sins and weaknesses, so what do we have to offer? In this message from Mark 6:30–44, David Platt encourages us to let our witness to Christ overflow out of our relationship with Christ. As we rest in Jesus, we will begin to reflect his compassion to the world. Through his Spirit, Jesus not only meets our needs but also uses us to meet the needs of others.

The church has the privilege of proclaiming the greatest news in all of history—that God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world! However, the fact that this gospel message is good news doesn’t mean it will be popular. In fact, those who proclaim Jesus should expect opposition and persecution. In this message from Mark 6:14–29, David Platt points to the example of John the Baptist’s death as a reminder that following Jesus is costly. But, as Scripture also makes clear, the reward of following Jesus is greater than the cost—both for us and for those with whom we have the privilege of sharing the gospel.

It can seem easy to have a missional mindset when we go on a short-term mission trip to some place overseas or outside of our own context. We naturally see others in light of their greatest need—salvation in Christ. But what if we took that same approach with the people we interact with on a daily basis? How might that change the way we look at our neighbors and their need for Christ? In this message from Mark 6:7–13, David Platt challenges the church to consider their lives over the next couple weeks as if they were on a short-term mission trip. Rather than settling for what’s comfortable and easy, we ought to trust God to work as we intentionally share the gospel and meet the needs of those around us.