Chapter 3 of Radical: Beginning At the End of Ourselves
On Thursday, I continued reading through Radical by David Platt. Several are reading this book and good friends in Colorado are leading an adult Sunday School class through the material. Chapter 3 was a great reminder and encouragement to me. I encourage you to read this book, but thought I would share several quotes to pique your interest.
"But this story (you will have to get the book to know which story) was a clear reminder to me that two thousand years ago when believers proclaimed the name of Jesus, it caused the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the dead to rise. The name of Jesus had the power to cause evil spirits to flee and to bring the most hardened hearts to God. And the reality is, two thousand years later the power of Jesus' name is still great. . . So the challenge for us it to live in such a way that we are radically dependent on and desperate for the power that only God can provide."
"In the gospel, God confronts us with our utter inability to accomplish anything of value apart from him."
"While the goal of the American dream is to make much of us, the goal of the gospel is to make much of God."
"I am part of a system that has created a whole host of means and methods, plans and strategies for doing church that require little if any power from God. . .I am concerned that all of us--pastors and church members in our culture--have blindly embraced an American dream mentality that emphasizes our abilities and exalts our names in the ways we do church."
"They are pleading for the power of God, and they are confident that they are not going to accomplish anything without his provision." (speaking of Christians in the book of Acts)
"God delights in using ordinary Christians who come to the end of themselves and choose to trust in his extraordinary provision. He stands ready to allocate his power to all who are radically dependent on him and radically devoted to making much of him."
"This is great promise of God in prayer. We ask God for gifts in prayer, and he gives us the Giver."
"It is the way of Christ. Instead of asserting ourselves, we crucify ourselves. Instead of imagining all the things we can accomplish, we ask God to do what only he can accomplish. Yes, we work, we plan, we organize, and we create, but we do it all while we fast, while we pray, and while we constantly confess our need for the provision of God. Instead of dependence on ourselves, we express radical desperation for the power of his Spirit, and we trust that Jesus stands ready to give us everything we ask for so that he might make much of our Father in the world."
"Why would we ever want to settle for Christianity according to our ability or settle for church according to our resources? The power of the one who raised Jesus from the dead in living in us, and as a result we have no need to muster up our own might. Our great need is to fall before an almighty Father day and night and to plead for him to show his radical power in and through us, enabling us to accomplish for his glory what we could never imagine in our own strength. And when we do this, we will discover that we were created for a purpose much greater than ourselves, the kind of purpose that can only be accomplished in the power of his Spirit."
"But this story (you will have to get the book to know which story) was a clear reminder to me that two thousand years ago when believers proclaimed the name of Jesus, it caused the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the dead to rise. The name of Jesus had the power to cause evil spirits to flee and to bring the most hardened hearts to God. And the reality is, two thousand years later the power of Jesus' name is still great. . . So the challenge for us it to live in such a way that we are radically dependent on and desperate for the power that only God can provide."
"In the gospel, God confronts us with our utter inability to accomplish anything of value apart from him."
"While the goal of the American dream is to make much of us, the goal of the gospel is to make much of God."
"I am part of a system that has created a whole host of means and methods, plans and strategies for doing church that require little if any power from God. . .I am concerned that all of us--pastors and church members in our culture--have blindly embraced an American dream mentality that emphasizes our abilities and exalts our names in the ways we do church."
"They are pleading for the power of God, and they are confident that they are not going to accomplish anything without his provision." (speaking of Christians in the book of Acts)
"God delights in using ordinary Christians who come to the end of themselves and choose to trust in his extraordinary provision. He stands ready to allocate his power to all who are radically dependent on him and radically devoted to making much of him."
"This is great promise of God in prayer. We ask God for gifts in prayer, and he gives us the Giver."
"It is the way of Christ. Instead of asserting ourselves, we crucify ourselves. Instead of imagining all the things we can accomplish, we ask God to do what only he can accomplish. Yes, we work, we plan, we organize, and we create, but we do it all while we fast, while we pray, and while we constantly confess our need for the provision of God. Instead of dependence on ourselves, we express radical desperation for the power of his Spirit, and we trust that Jesus stands ready to give us everything we ask for so that he might make much of our Father in the world."
"Why would we ever want to settle for Christianity according to our ability or settle for church according to our resources? The power of the one who raised Jesus from the dead in living in us, and as a result we have no need to muster up our own might. Our great need is to fall before an almighty Father day and night and to plead for him to show his radical power in and through us, enabling us to accomplish for his glory what we could never imagine in our own strength. And when we do this, we will discover that we were created for a purpose much greater than ourselves, the kind of purpose that can only be accomplished in the power of his Spirit."
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