The first time I ever heard David Platt speak, it was before he’d published his best-selling book Radical. I had no idea who he was and only listened to one of his sermons because a pastor/friend thought I’d like it. Since then, I’ve been consistently impacted by David Platt’s books and sermons.
Something Needs to Change was different than I expected. It brings you along a week-long journey in the Himalayan mountains, where David encounters urgent physical and spiritual need. One of the most encouraging takeaways for me was seeing David—a pastor/author who has his masters in Divinity and Theology and a PhD in Philosophy—wrestle through hard questions despite his deeply rooted love for God and reverence for the Word. It was comforting to remember that sound doctrine doesn’t erase our deepest questions, but it does anchor us when we ask them.
Here are ten of my favorite quotes:
God didn’t design the gospel of Jesus to be confined to our minds and mouths in the church, yet disconnected from our emotions and actions in the world. (3)
Certainly there’s a place for evaluating the wisdom of what we do and how we give. But at some point, don’t we need to do something instead of running away and giving nothing? Surely I can’t live my life always spouting excuses for why this or that doesn’t work or isn’t wise. Don’t I need to spend my life figuring out what does work and doing it? (48)
I want to be a part of a people who are fearlessly holding on to God’s Word while selflessly sacrificing to share and show God’s love amid urgent needs in our world. (106)
Storing up more possessions and more pleasures in the world is a recipe for wasting one’s life. If you really want to be rich, be generous towards God and others. (111)
O God, I want to use whatever gifts you have given me for the spread of your gospel in the world. I want to use all you have entrusted to me to store up treasures that will last forever. So what do you want me to do? (130)
If I’m truly a Christian, I’m expected to die to my life and my plans in order to follow Jesus wherever he leads me. And if I’m following him, then inevitably he’s going to lead me to people who don’t yet know his love. And inevitably he’s going to lead me to those who are in urgent need of his provision. And, inevitably, that is going to be costly for me. (147)
The life of a Christian is always costly—for people who are actually following Christ (148)
In your life, where are you more prone to “talk” rather than “act” in living out the gospel? (189)
God has you where you are for a reason. You are not in your city or community by accident. You are in your job, your school, your neighborhood, or your apartment complex with the gifts, skills, abilities, and resources you possess by divine design. God has sovereignly given you unique opportunities for the spread of gospel hope in the world around you. (196)
Let gospel reality in your head fuel gospel fervency in your heart that leads to gospel urgency in your life. (205)
