Radical With David Platt

We usually attach a lot of weight to someone’s first and last words. In Matthew’s Gospel, the first and last words of Jesus have to do with fishing for men and making disciples of all nations. The question for followers of Jesus is, Do we see these words as weighty? How does it affect our lives to know that Jesus has given his people a mission, a mission that starts right where we live but doesn’t stop there—it extends to the ends of the earth. In this message from Matthew 28:18–20, David Platt reminds us why we need biblical mission. We were made to glorify God and to make him known among all nations. This message is in a series covering biblical traits that should be a part of every church.

Most people feel uneasy when they think about discipline and accountability. They want to be independent and call their own shots. But for those who belong to Christ, discipline and accountability should be seen as spiritual safeguards. And God has provided these things through the local church. In this message from Hebrews 12:3–11, David Platt helps us see why accountability and church discipline are evidence of God’s love and concern for his people. The various steps for church discipline laid out by Jesus in Matthew 18 are intended to preserve the church’s holiness and restore those who are walking in sin. This message is the next in a series identifying twelve traits of a biblical church.

In one way or another, all of us are tempted to try and earn God’s favor. The idea that God would save us freely out of his own grace, prior to any good works on our part, just doesn’t seem right. As a result, we fall into the trap of legalism. Even as Christians, we can make the mistake of relating to God as if we can please him by working in our own power and according to our own rules. In this message from Galatians 1, David Platt reminds us that our efforts inevitably fall short of God’s righteousness. This is precisely why the gospel is such good news: those who are in Christ have been forgiven and made righteous solely by the grace of God. Christ’s death on the cross is a sufficient sacrifice for sinners.

It may shock many people in our culture to find out that the love of money is dangerous. Even among Christians, it’s easy to fall for the lie that our finances can provide true satisfaction and security. However, Jesus invites us to something more satisfying than money—Himself. In this message from 1 Timothy 6:6–19, David Platt points us to the apostle Paul’s instructions to those who have wealth. Though we may not always feel it, compared to most of the world, and to most people in history, many in the US and in the West are wealthy. Therefore we need to hear the Scripture’s warnings to the wealthy. We also need to hear of the eternal riches that belong to those who treasure Jesus Christ. This sermon on giving is in a series that identifies 12 traits of a biblical church.

In this message from Matthew 4:18–22, David Platt unpacks the significance of what Jesus means when he says to people, “Follow me.”

The book of Acts tells the story of how God turned the world upside down through the earliest Christians and churches as they proclaimed God’s Word in the power of the Spirit. These followers of Jesus not only served one another—they served the world. In this message from the book of Acts, David Platt reminds us that, with the gospel as our foundation and motivation, followers of Christ today should live to make disciples and multiply churches to the glory of God. Just as it was for the early disciples, the cost will be great. But the reward is more than worth it.

As followers of Christ, we know we’re supposed to pray when the church gathers, but it’s all too easy for prayer to become a thoughtless routine in which we don’t even stop to think about Who we’re praying to. We rarely have a sense of desperation for God’s help; we lack zeal for his beauty; our confession, if there is any, often misses the seriousness of our sin; our prayer and praise tend to be lukewarm. In this message, David Platt uses Psalm 27:4 and other passages to point us to the kind of prayer that ought to characterize God’s people. The church should come to God humbly, expectantly, and zealously, calling out for his grace and strength as we seek to enjoy and proclaim his glory.

We were not intended to live the Christian life alone. While our culture urges us to express ourselves as individuals, Scripture teaches us that belonging and gathering with other believers is for our good and God’s glory. In this episode of Radical with David Platt from 1 Corinthians 1:1–2 and 12:12–31, David Platt highlights the need for all followers of Christ to embrace biblical membership in a local church. Belonging to Jesus means being a part of his body.

What’s the most important thing about a church? Its website? Its facilities and programs? How about the general “vibe” on a Sunday morning? In this message from 2 Timothy 4:1–4, David Platt points to preaching and teaching as the fundamental mark of a healthy church. If we don’t believe God’s Word, or if we value the wisdom of man over the wisdom of God, then we are putting ourselves in a dangerous position. We desperately need to hear God speak to us through the preaching and teaching of Scripture. This is the beginning of a series in which we will identify twelve biblical traits that should characterize a church.

You may not be the pastor of a church, but the teaching God’s Word is a responsibility—and a privilege!—that belongs to every follower of Christ. In this message from Acts, David Platt helps us see that every disciple is to be involved in making disciples, and the Word of God is critical in this task. The Word saves, satisfies, and sanctifies people. Whether formally from the pulpit or relationally in everyday life, disciples of Christ are to teach the Word.

Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations extends to every church and every individual follower of Christ. No disciple was meant to be a spectator—disciples make disciples, and that starts with sharing the Word of God. In this message from the book of Acts, David Platt exhorts every member of the church is to make the gospel known. For the glory of Christ and by the power of his Spirit, we proclaim the good news of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection to the glory of God.

As we read about the spread of the gospel in the book of Acts, we’re left with some questions. Should we expect the same experiences as the earliest Christian communities? Is there a baptism of the Holy Spirit that occurs after conversion? What does spiritual warfare look like? In this message from Acts 18:23–20:16, David Platt helps us think through what God’s work through the church in Acts means for us today. We must interpret Acts in light of where it falls in God’s plan of redemption, fully submitting to God’s Word while at the same time applying it in light of its wider context. God desires for the church to be a people mighty in the Word.

When you think of things that have changed the course of history, what comes to mind? Great leaders? Revolutionary new inventions? It’s safe to say that, for most people, what comes to mind is not prayer and fasting. However, in this message from Acts 12:25–14:28, David Platt points us to the way God advanced the spread of the gospel in the early days of the church through his people’s dependence on him in prayer and fasting. So also today, the church should rely fully on God’s power and wisdom as we seek to carry out his will. God is still able to use fasting and prayer to change the world.

When you think of things that have changed the course of history, what comes to mind? Great leaders? Revolutionary new inventions? It’s safe to say that, for most people, what comes to mind is not prayer and fasting. However, in this message from Acts 12:25–14:28, David Platt points us to the way God advanced the spread of the gospel in the early days of the church through his people’s dependence on him in prayer and fasting. So also today, the church should rely fully on God’s power and wisdom as we seek to carry out his will. God is still able to use fasting and prayer to change the world.

If God left it up to us to carry out the church’s mission, relying on our own strength and counting on our own wisdom, we would be in serious trouble. Quite simply, we cannot address sin, sickness, suffering, favoritism, and persecution on our own. Gratefully, though, the God we serve is sovereign over all things, and he ensures the advancement of his kingdom through his people, the church. In this message from Acts 9:32–12:25, David Platt exhorts us to see how the God who is sovereign over all things has worked for the spread of the gospel and the multiplication of the church. The church today has no reason to fear or shrink back, because we serve the God who holds the world in his hands.

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.