Radical With David Platt

The reality that God’s salvation comes solely by his mercy and not by our merit has all kinds of ramifications for followers of Christ. Unlike the world, God does not favor the powerful or the rich. He shows his grace to those who are humble and recognize their need for him. In this message from Matthew 19:16–20:34, David Platt points us to the miraculous mercy of God and the way this mercy should shape the way we live as disciples of Christ. In addition to seeing Christ’s view of worldly wealth and its dangers, we’ll also see his concern for children (including the sensitive and difficult topic of those who die in infancy). 

Sadly, the church often looks like the world when it comes to the things we divide over. Topics like race and politics tend to define us rather than the gospel. Many Christians in our culture  rarely serve alongside those who look different than us and who have different political opinions. In this message from Philippians 4:2–3, David Platt highlights the kind of unity that ought to mark followers of Christ. This unity is based on the gospel, and it should transcend the various divisions that Satan uses to disrupt the church’s fellowship and harm the church’s witness. The church should be a community of other-worldly unity.

In a culture with a decidedly unbiblical view of marriage and divorce, Jesus’s words in Matthew 19:1–12 may sound extreme. However, since God designed marriage for His glory and for our good, we would be wise to listen to Him. Gratefully, God’s grace in the gospel is sufficient for those who have fallen short when it comes to His design for marriage. In this message, David Platt looks at Jesus’s teaching on marriage and divorce, as well as Christ’s related comments on discipleship and singleness. As followers of Christ, the entirety of our lives––including our approach to marriage and divorce––is to be lived under His lordship. 

Amidst the many challenges that we face as believers—temptations to sin, opposition from the world, physical sickness, relational difficulties, etc.—we need to be regularly reminded to stand firm. However, as David Platt points out in this message from Philippians 4:1, our standing firm must be “in the Lord.” We cannot stand in our own strength or rely on our own wisdom. For the sake of our unity, our sanctification, and our faithfulness to Christ’s mission, we must look to God’s Word and rely on His Spirit.

Even with the best of intentions, it’s all too easy for the church to put its trust in earthly leaders—political leaders, business leaders, or even church leaders. However, the church doesn’t belong to any man but to God. He alone is worthy of all our trust and obedience, and it is His design for the church that we must embrace if we are to be faithful to the purposes and to the mission Christ has given to His disciples. In this message from Psalm 146, David Platt casts a vision for “A New Chapter” in the life of McLean Bible Church. Along with acknowledging the Lord alone as its leader, the church is also encouraged to reflect God’s love—love for His people within the church and love for all people out in the world. 

Today’s graduates will not be the first to be tempted to settle for some version of the American Dream—get a good job and a nice house, make sure life is comfortable for you and your family, and set yourself up for a relaxing retirement. But living for these earthly treasures is not what followers of Christ have been called to. To be a follower of Christ means that we have died to ourselves so that we can live for Him and His purposes in the world. In this message from 1 Kings 19:19–21, David Platt uses the story of Elisha’s call to urge graduates to risk everything to  pursue Christ’s call on their lives. These are young men and women who are so infatuated with following their King that they will gladly go wherever He leads and do whatever He calls them to do. 

It seems as if everyone is talking about the value of community, including non-Christians. However, the world’s idea of community is very different from the kind of community produced by the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this message from Matthew 18, David Platt identifies some important aspects of the kind of community that characterizes the kingdom of God. Entering God’s kingdom is not about being strong or proud but dependent and child-like. And the community of God’s people, the church, is to be a context in which we love, protect, restore, and forgive one another. For brothers and sisters in Christ who fall into sin, God has given us a process of church discipline that aims at their restoration and the good of their soul. Even when members must be removed due to unrepentant sin, God promises to be with us as we act for His glory and for the purity of His church. 

If you’re looking to promote unity in the church, you might be tempted to avoid topics like race and justice. Even mentioning them stirs up a range of emotions among God’s people. However, if the church is to pursue the kind of unity that Christ calls us to––a unity that includes diverse ethnicities, perspectives, political views, etc.––then it is essential that God’s people find their ultimate unity in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this message from Psalm 133, a message that was prompted by the conversation surrounding the tragic death of Ahmaud Arbery, David Platt and Mike Kelsey urge the church to look to the gospel to find unity in diversity. Several pastors and their wives also share their perspectives on recent events in this unique message concerning race, justice, and the gospel.

The current pandemic presents a unique challenge for pastors. In addition to determining how best to serve their members in unusual circumstances, they must also decide how the pandemic and its economic fallout will affect the church’s mission. Unfortunately, global missions is one of the first budget items to be cut for many churches. In this interview, Jeff Lewis asks David Platt a number of questions aimed at helping pastors think through how they can keep the church’s mission––making disciples among all nations––a priority during these difficult days. Though we don’t always get to see God’s work among the nations with our eyes, we must trust that He is still fulfilling His redemptive purposes, even among the hardest to reach places on earth. Pastors have an important role to play in terms of keeping these urgent realities before their people.

Our culture feeds women all kinds of lies about who they are, what makes them valuable, and how they can find fulfillment. That’s why it’s so critical that women––and men––understand Scripture’s teaching concerning what God says about them. In this message on Mother’s Day, David Platt uses Psalm 113, as well as various other texts, to urge women in various life circumstances––singles, wives, mothers, grandmothers, widows, etc.––to look to God’s Word so that they might embrace God’s good design for them as well as His grace to them in Christ.

When we think of becoming more like Christ, we often think of what we need to do. However, we should not forget the transforming effect of beholding. Scripture teaches us that we become like whatever we set our gaze upon. In this message from Matthew 17, David Platt urges us to behold Christ in His glorious perfections so that, by the power of the Spirit, we might be changed more and more into His likeness. The One whom the Law and Prophets looked forward to––Christ, the Son––is the One who radiates the splendor of God. 

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During the recent pandemic, it has been good to be reminded of God’s great promises for us. However, even as we find comfort in God’s promises, we should not neglect to look to the needs of those in other nations for whom this pandemic has made an already difficult situation even more deadly. We need a global perspective of COVID-19. In this message from Psalm 117, David Platt highlights God’s desire for all the peoples of the world to praise Him. Since this is God’s desire, it ought to be our desire too. We should want all peoples––particularly those who have no access to the gospel––to hear of God’s salvation in Christ. 

Every Christian has to be on guard against the subtle deceptions of sin, and pastors are no exception. Whether it’s selfish motives or a desire to conform to the world’s pattern of leadership, pastors need to be reminded of the stewardship God has given them and how He has instructed them to carry it out. In this message from 1 Peter 5:1–4 given at Together for the Gospel 2020, David Platt urges pastors to ask eight questions of themselves as they seek to faithfully shepherd the flock of God. Gratefully, Christ, the Great Shepherd, has grace and power enough to sustain His unworthy but dearly-loved under-shepherds. 

Whether it’s a deadly virus, a car accident, or simply our bodies giving out at an old age, the reality is that, unless Jesus returns soon, each of us will have to face the reality of our own death. And that means facing the reality of eternity––either eternal life with God in heaven or facing God’s judgment in hell. So the question each of us must ask is, “Do I know for certain that if I died right now I would go to heaven?” In this message from Mark 5:21–43, David Platt points us to Jesus Christ as our only security in life and in death. This account of Christ raising a young girl to life should cause our fear to give way to faith as we place our trust in the One who died for sinners and then rose again to conquer sin and death on their behalf. 

Sometimes it’s easier to affirm God’s goodness at a general level than it is to genuinely trust that He cares for us as individuals. Fear and anxiety often make it harder to believe. In this message from Mark 5:25–34, David Platt points us to Jesus’s very personal concern for a woman who would have been viewed by the world as unworthy of His attention. We’re reminded of Christ’s compassion and mercy toward sinners like us. It’s His saving grace––not our own wisdom or power––that gives us hope and peace in every circumstance.

There are many voices today urging us to reimagine the church’s purpose and mission, and this makes sense if the church is merely man’s invention. But if the church belongs to Jesus, then He gets to set the agenda and we should want to know what He says. In this message, David Platt considers the institution and confession of the church based on the words of Christ in Matthew 16. The One who bought the church with His own blood has given us the privilege of knowing Him and proclaiming His gospel. And we can be confident, because Christ has told us that not even death would stop Him from building His church.

Despite our many material comforts, our culture continues to be characterized by anxiety and depression. We worry about every aspect of life: Is my job secure? Am I healthy? Will I get married? Will I have kids? What’s going to happen to the economy? While we do not float above the problems of this life, as followers of Christ, we have no reason to give in to worry and fear. In this message from Matthew 6:25–33, a message given in light of the Coronavirus Pandemic, David Platt points us to Christ’s counsel for anxious souls. We can trust in the care of our heavenly Father, who provides not only for our earthly needs but more importantly for our eternal good.

Is it prideful for the church to call out unrepentant sin? In a culture where individualism and freedom of expression are celebrated, it is certainly unpopular to speak of sin. God’s Word explains that it is dangerous to neglect unrepentant sin in His church. In this sermon from 1 Corinthians 5, David Platt shows us that though the world may not understand, dealing with unrepentant sin in the church is not prideful, but humble. Dealing rightly with unrepentant sin shows humble submission to God.

Worldly leadership is often characterized by power, prominence, and privilege, but this kind of self-centered perspective is vastly different from the kind of leadership that should characterize the church. In this message from 1 Corinthians 4, we’ll see how God’s grace in the gospel should shape not only our view of church leadership but also ourselves. Because everything we have is a gift of God’s grace, we can flee pride and the temptation to live for the approval of others. Our commendation comes from God alone.