Radical With David Platt

Becoming a Christian is so much more than simply adding Jesus to the mix of your life or becoming a better person. To become a Christian is to become a new creation in Christ and to receive a new calling in life. And, as David Platt points out in this sermon from 2 Corinthians 5:17–6:2, this is all based on God’s gracious and powerful work in and through us. As ambassadors for Christ, each of us is challenged to ask the question, “How does God want me to use my life for the spread of His gospel in the world?”

There is a temptation for Christians to monotonously drift through the pages of Scripture without meditating on the glorious truth of God’s Word and the great reality that He is with us. In this sermon from Joshua 1:1–9, David Platt exhorts us to see that like Joshua, even in the face of uncertainty and despair, we have great reason to be confident and filled with hope, living each day trusting in God’s presence and clinging to His Word. // Watch the full sermon, download the free discussion questions, and more by clicking here.// Learn more about the Something Needs to Change Bible Study here. 

Some people talk about being a Christian as if it is merely a decision made in the past, a decision that has little effect on the way you live your life on a daily basis. But this is a far cry from Scripture’s teaching about what it means to belong to Jesus. In this sermon from 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24, David Platt explains how Jesus transforms everything about us when He comes to live in us, transforming us from the inside out. And this transformation prepares us to come face-to-face with Jesus on the last day (either at death or when Jesus returns). Because God’s judgment will be final and irreversible, we should make certain now that Jesus is, in fact, our life, so that we might escape eternal judgment and instead enjoy eternal satisfaction with Him.// Watch the full sermon, download the free discussion questions, and more by clicking here.

Some Christians spend a lot of time and energy searching for new and better ways to please God. Others simply have no idea how to live the Christian life, so they make little or no progress. Sadly, they don’t realize what God has already provided for them in Jesus Christ. In this sermon from Galatians 2:20, David Platt points to the amazing reality that Christ “exchanges” His life for ours. We receive the righteousness we need as well as the desire and the power to please God. Rather than being frustrated and defeated, we can live restful and secure.// Watch the full sermon, download the free discussion questions, and more by clicking here.// Find out more about David's latest book, "Something Needs to Change," here. 

God’s Word constantly exhorts the church to see that, here, we have no lasting city, and Christians must seek the city that is to come. We know the clock is ticking on this life, and one day we will all stand before God. In this sermon from Revelation, David Platt turns our attention to one critical question that we all must answer on that day: Did you trust in Jesus as your life?

Many people think of the church simply as a building or a place while failing to see God’s purpose for His people. God is changing the world by using ordinary people to share the greatest news in all the world––the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this sermon from Acts 1–2, David Platt urges us to commit ourselves–by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit–to fulfilling Christ’s commission until He returns.// Watch the full sermon, download the free discussion questions, and more by clicking here.

God has given His people a continual reminder of their identification with Christ and with His church, and this reminder has come in the form of a meal––the Lord’s Supper. In this message from 1 Corinthians 11:23–32, David Platt answers some important questions about the Lord’s Supper: Who should participate? Where should we have this meal? When should we have it? How should we understand it? And, at the most foundational level, why should we celebrate the Lord’s Supper? As we’ll see, this meal is an essential component of new covenant worship and a celebratory expression of new covenant community.// Watch the full sermon, download the free discussion questions, and more by clicking here.// Sign up to stream the Something Needs to Change Simulcast by clicking here.// Sign up to attend the Something Needs to Change Simulcast live at McLean Bible Church by clicking here.

Although Jesus commands believers to be baptized and Scripture assumes that all believers will have been baptized, many churches place little importance on baptism. It’s no surprise, then, that many Christians are left with questions: Why should I be baptized? What is the meaning of baptism? Who should be baptized? When should I be baptized? These are the kinds of questions David Platt answers in this message from Acts 2:36–41. Every follower of Christ should see not only the necessity of baptism but also the beauty and the privilege of identifying with Christ and his church.

In a culture that is constantly telling us that we need and deserve more earthly comforts, Jesus’ view of money and possessions can come as a shock. He demands radical surrender of all that we are and all that we own. However, as David Platt points out in this message from Mark 10:17–31, Jesus is concerned with our eternal good. Riches and the passing pleasures of this world can be deceiving and dangerous.  Based not on guilt but on grace, Jesus invites His followers to store up an eternal, heavenly reward as they leverage their resources for the sake of the gospel.

In a culture of self-expression and self-gratification, Scripture’s teaching about marriage and divorce can sound strange. Even many Christians have, without realizing it, failed to see marriage as a lifelong, covenant union between one man and woman, a union that bears witness to the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church. In this message from Matthew 19:1–2, David Platt takes a look at Christ’s teaching on marriage and divorce and the importance of this God-ordained institution. Gratefully, whether you’re single, married, or divorced, God’s grace in Christ is able to restore you, sustain you, and empower you to live for His glory.

Of all the events that have affected the course of history––wars, famines, technological breakthroughs, etc.––none compares to the coming of Jesus Christ. By His life, death, and resurrection, Christ, the Son of God, fulfills God’s plan of redemption and reveals to us the purpose for which we were created. In this message from Matthew 1–2, David Platt helps us see how Jesus changes everything.// Watch the full sermon, download the free discussion questions, and more by clicking here.// Find thousands of other Gospel-centered resources at Radical.net.

God’s people should treasure Him above anyone or anything else since He is supremely glorious and satisfying. However, it’s all too easy for us to say that we treasure God and then deny Him with the way we live and the things we value. In this message from Ethiopia based on Malachi 2:17–3:12, David Platt encourages us to consider what we’re saying about God with the way we use our money. We should use our money, and everything we have, so that His name is glorified in our lives and His gospel is made known around the world. 

When it comes to Jesus, no one can remain neutral. We will eventually submit to Him gladly in faith, or else we will become increasingly cold and even hostile to Him. In this sermon on Matthew 12, David Platt points us to the identity of Christ and to the different responses that people had to Him, including the unpardonable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. We are not only warned against rejecting the Spirit’s testimony to Christ, but also we are invited to take Him as our Savior and King.// Watch the full sermon, download the free discussion questions, and more by clicking here.// Find thousands of other Gospel-centered resources at Radical.net.

It seems as if everybody has a “key” to the Christian life––some list of things to do, some technique, or some spiritual practice that will improve your life. But what if your identity as a follower of Christ is not ultimately dependent on what you can do? And what if living the Christian life isn’t about merely improving your life? In this message from Colossians 1:24–29, David Platt explains the good news that Christ Himself dwells in His people. If you’re a Christian, your transformation into Christ’s likeness, your eternal hope, and everything in between is secured through this glorious reality––Christ in you.// Watch the full sermon, download the free discussion questions, and more by clicking here.// Find thousands of other Gospel-centered resources at Radical.net.Your gift to Radical today will allow us to continue calling Christians to leverage every part of their life for the sake of making Christ known around the world. Together, we can be a part of reaching people in places where Christ is not yet

Christianity is different from every other religion in the world. Instead of trying to earn God’s favor, which is what all religions seek to do (in one form or another), Scripture teaches that God has graciously provided for our salvation in Jesus Christ. In this message from Matthew 11:28–30, David Platt encourages believers to find their identity in the One who has died for their sins and provided for their peace with God. This same Jesus now empowers His people to walk in obedience to God.

Many people think of God’s salvation as a nice add-on to their lives, perhaps something that will give them comfort or success in their current pursuits. However, this is a far cry from how Scripture speaks of God’s saving work. In this message from Ezekiel 36–37, David Platt highlights God’s transforming work in the lives of His people. By His grace and by the life-giving power of His Spirit, God saves us and gives us a radically different purpose for our lives, all for His glory.// Watch the full sermon, download the free discussion questions, and more by clicking here.// Find thousands of other Gospel-centered resources at Radical.net.

God promises to give His people “a future and a hope” in Jeremiah 29:11, and many Christians assume that this rules out the possibility of suffering in their lives. However, we need to consider this promise in its wider, biblical context. In this message from Jeremiah 29:11–13, David Platt helps us think through God’s promise to Jeremiah in the context of God’s overarching plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. Even in the midst of pain and suffering, God’s people can be confident that He will sustain them and that His saving promises will be fulfilled. Those who are in Christ truly have a future and an eternal hope.

So what is it that compels a person to give up his or her comforts for the sake of getting the gospel to unreached people groups around the world? Based on the book of Revelation, David Platt urges us to consider the glory of Christ as our motivation for reaching the unreached. This message from the CROSS conference in 2019 identifies forty-eight characteristics of Jesus that should elicit our praise, our awe, and our sacrifice for the sake of His name. Pursuing Christ’s glory, particularly in light of the urgency of eternity, should be the all-consuming passion of our lives.

One of the reasons Jesus died was for the unity of His church. However, from the church’s earliest days, there have been disagreements among God’s people. These disagreements can become especially difficult when both sides feel as if they are obeying what the Bible teaches on a particular issue. How, then, can Christians remain united in the midst of a multitude of opinions, preferences, and deeply-held convictions? In this message, David Platt points us to Christ’s prayer for unity in John 17:20–23 as well as Paul’s exhortations in Romans 14:1–15:7 concerning how God’s people should relate to one another in light of their disagreements. Our unity in Jesus, or lack thereof, profoundly affects our witness to the world. 

It’s easy for churches to be involved in a lot of good things while giving too little attention to God’s design for the church. Other priorities and activities tend to crowd out caring for fellow members, growing in Christlikeness, and obeying Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations. Drawing from Proverbs 16:1–9 and 1 Kings 18, David Platt addresses the future of McLean Bible Church in light of Scripture’s priorities for the church. For the sake of Christ’s glory and the spread of His gospel, every church should ask itself, “How can we most faithfully and effectively accomplish our mission?”