“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me” (Matthew 25:35-36).
“This is how God works. He puts people in positions where they are desperate for His power, and then he shows his provision in ways that display his greatness”… “The dangerous assumption we unknowingly accept in the American Dream is that our greatest asset is our own ability”… “So the challenge for us is to live in such a way that we are radically dependent on and desperate for the power that only God can provide” (Platt, 2010).
Question’s to reflect on for Chapter 3:
Why does God place His people in difficult situations?
How do you feel about God’s delight in using ordinary Christians to accomplish His extraordinary will?
Is your church marked by desperation for the Spirit of God? If NO, why not, and does this bother you?
Platt, David. (2010). Radical. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books
Platt, David. (2010). Radical. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books
Coming soon!!! Brief comments from Diddy Daddy who types as slow as a turtle. Thanks for everyone's understanding and patience. I'm very proud of all of your comments and Tedo managing the blog.
ReplyDeleteThis isn’t my post for the third chapter..BUT oddly enough Jeff and I got a church ‘gimmick’ ad in the mail yesterday (which is about what we have been talking about). So I wrote a note (to post on my facebook) and I decided to post it here too. *Dad…glad to finally have you post something! <3 you guys!
ReplyDeleteYesterday I got a card in the mail inviting me to a local church. On one side it said ‘text + mugs + rock & roll’ and on the other side telling me to visit their church. I got so angry! This is an example of what is wrong with American churches today. They’re using lame gimmicks …such as taking ‘sex, drugs, and rock & roll’ and turning it into ‘text, mugs, and rock & roll’ to lure “lost” people in. They’re using attention-grabbers to get people in the doors, so they can teach them about a watered-down ‘Americanized’ god. A god, which created man so he could serve their every want and need, does not exist (I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves). These people who are lured in will eventually pick up their Bible, read it, and realize that the God of the Bible is unlike the god (or themselves) they’ve been worshiping. They probably won’t like what they read, and then either decides to just not read their Bible and focus on their ‘Americanized’ god …or decide they’ve been tricked into believing something that is not real and leave. Do I want to go to a church every Sunday who’s mistaking large numbers and loud music for the existence of the Holy Spirit? No thank you, I would rather stay home!
I’ve been reading a book recently which addresses this subject. The author writes that He is “convinced that we as Christ followers in American churches have embraced values and ideas that are not only unbiblical but that actually contradict the gospel we claim to believe” …”enjoying success based on the standards defined by the culture around us” (Platt, 2010).
The one thing that is so attractive to me about Christianity is about ‘abandoning ourselves’. I get tired of being selfish and focusing on my wants/needs/problems ect… It’s freeing to know that we can’t save ourselves. We can only be dependent on God’s power. I think God places people in difficult situations to refine us (refiner’s fire). “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10). “Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for ti will still come at the appointed time” (Daniel 11:35).
ReplyDeleteI feel like my church is marked by desperation for the Spirit of God as much as a church in the 21st century in America can. I would love to see the American church move away from the selfish culture. The culture of ‘with enough work, you can better yourself’. It makes the emphasis more about ourselves and than about what God can do through us. The culture teaches us to lean on our own power and we will reap the consequences (whether good or bad). I happen to think that an authentic Jesus is more attractive than a fake one (that does not even exsist).
Chapter 3 talks much about the weakness of man and the power of God’s Holy Spirit. This fact that God can use the most unlikely folks to do the greatest things is huge. However, one thing stood out to me in this chapter more than anything. The story of George Muller hit me like a ton of bricks. His primary motivation for starting the orphanage was NOT to care for orphans. He wanted to do something that would magnify God. We sometimes use the phrase “we hope God gets the glory for this.” But do we really believe as Muller did?
ReplyDeleteIt is a really good thing to take care of needy children. Most have a soft spot in their heart for little ones, and believe this type of philanthropy is noble. Muller, however, made the children his SECONDARY motivation. This seems backwards and almost wrong, but I think he had his priorities in order. Because of Muller’s love and fear of God, he made the reputation of the Lord his number one priority. How often do we do good things just because we think that it’s the right thing to do? How often do we sully the name of God by living in wickedness?
We need not be flippant when considering God’s greatness. Sarah just read Job 38-41 in which God answers Job out of the whirlwind. This passage gives us a perspective of how magnificent God is and how small we are.
ReplyDelete“Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare if thou hast understanding.” – Job 38:4
I agree with both above - he allows us to go through trials and tribulations so that we can be refined... as painful as it is... to be more like His image. I think it's an important test of character too. When you see someone going through a difficult time and still keeping a smile on their face it's such a testament of God's power. Only God can give us the grace and strength to persevere. The world is used to, and even encourages, complaints and negativity. So, I think not only does it benefit us by helping us to be more like Jesus, but it brings glory to God's name.
ReplyDeleteI think time and time again in the Gospel, Jesus and the apostles remind us of the glory waiting for us in heaven. I think as Jeff pointed out too, this should be our primary desire... to live in a way that glorifies God. He will lead us into unlikely situations and raise up the humble and inadequate to glorify His name.
Sadly, in all honesty I must admit that our church is not desperate for God. Most members are financially stable (or so it appears) and live in towns where the average home value is $600K and the average income is $100K. They are not threatened by lack of food or shelter and are not truly desperate for anything. They may be "desperate" for a vacation or to buy a new set of top-of-the-line couches. Unfortunately, I am not much different. I am desperate for change, but I don't know what to do. All I can do is pray for change. Don't get me wrong... our church isn't spiritually dead. It's like many of the churches David Platt refers to - ones full of Christians caught up in the American dream and with pastors afraid to preach too sternly.
ReplyDeleteKatherine, you make a good point about the refiner's fire. I think there's a possibility that God may remove our freedom, security, and stability here in America on large scale. I think prayer is a great start.
ReplyDeleteI love the way God uses ordinary people to bring Him glory. Consider the 12 men Jesus chose to be His disciples: impulsive Peter who often acted and spoke without thinking; James and John—ambitious brothers whom Jesus nicknamed “Sons of Thunder”; Matthew, probably guilty of white collar crime in his former job as tax collector; doubting Thomas, always expecting the worst. They weren’t just ordinary—they were positively flawed! No wonder the crowds were so amazed at Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit came, these uneducated, cowardly men were suddenly transformed into bold preachers for Christ, performing many wonders and miraculous signs. I think my church acknowledges that we need to power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s will, but there is still that tendency to want to “help God out” but using the world’s methods to do God’s work and by using human effort and strategies instead of relying on God. We hire consultants and take surveys and develop programs. We rely on our resources rather than relying on God. When we come to the end of our self-sufficiency, then we turn to God. Better to turn to God in prayer, in the first place, as Jeff said, rather than having to have our freedom removed in order to make us acknowledge Him. Better to begin by admitting our dependence on Him than having to be brought low. As it says in II Corinthians 12, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ..for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
ReplyDeleteI think we tend to play down God's glory in church. If we truly understood His glory, which is in my opinion unfathomable, we would be in complete awe and fear. The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. This is something I think we replace with 'respect', but I think fear and trembling are more appropriate words.
ReplyDeleteAs far as going to the ends of the earth...Here something that touched my heart a while back. In Luke the disciples asked who would be the greatest among them. Jesus answered by saying "...Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me..." All the mothers out there that are staying home and caring for children may be considered the least among the world's standards. However, it is just the opposite according to God's standards. I think this type of ministry is just as worthy as smuggling Bibles into China. Mom this means you!