I've heard a lot about this book by David Platt over the past year or so. Courtney let me borrow her copy and I devoured it last week. It is a very fast read. Sometimes I feel like the faster I read a book, the sooner it leaves me (my head, my heart). I surely hope that isn't the case with this book. Platt is honest and very blunt about the American church. If I'm honest and very blunt, I would say Platt is talking to me. It is too easy for me to say I'm not rich. But the truth is, by the world's standard's I am. More than that, I know that God cares greatly for the poor and suffering of the world; do I?
It has been really good for me to think about where my treasure is. And where I want it to be. The Lord has already shown me a few things I should change. I'm praying that He continues to do so...
As I see their faces (poor), I realize that I have a choice. You and I both have a choice. We can stand with the starving or with the overfed. We can identify with poor Lazarus on his way to heaven or with the rich man on his way to hell. We can embrace Jesus while we give away our wealth, or we can walk away from Jesus while we hoard our wealth. Only time will tell what you and I choose to do with this blind spot of American Christianity in our day (140).
The will of God is for you and me to give our lives urgently and recklessly to making the gospel and the glory of God known among all peoples, particularly those who have never heard of Jesus. 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 safety, our security, our very lives -- to make the gospel know among unreached peoples (160)?
Do you believe the reward found in Jesus is worth the risk of following Him (162)?
1. Ryan has been begging me to read this book....he finished it a while back.
ReplyDelete2. cute new blog background
3. happy LATE birthday!