David Platt, Radical

The Great Way of God (Ch 4)

Psalm 96

     1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! 4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 

     7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! 8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! 9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!

     10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.” 

     11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 12 let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy 13 before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Theme: God’s Great Global Purpose from the Beginning till Today

1. Which story in chapter 3 grabbed your attention the most? Share.

2. Pratt writes: “Jesus commands us to go. He has created each of us to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, and I propose anything less radical devotion to this purpose is unbiblical Christianity.” (p. 64) Agree or disagree? Discuss. 

3. What does Psalm 96 teach us about God? How do these truths encourage, challenge, or impact you?

4. How does Psalm 96 connect worship, proclamation, and our relationship to the nations?

5. How does Psalm 96 highlight Pratt’s following observation: “God blesses his people with extravagant grace so they might extent extravagant glory to all the peoples of the earth?” (p. 69) 

6. According to Pratt, “God creates, blesses, and saves each of us for a radically global purpose. But if we are not careful, we will be tempted to make exceptions.” (pp. 71-72) Do you think God could be calling you to play some kind of role in global missions? Share.

7. Some people have not participated in global missions because they believe that they are “not called” or should meet “the needs here” (USA). How does Pratt challenge these views? (pp. 72-78)  

8. Pratt ends this chapter with a story about Jamie: “God has blessed me to show his mercy and grace to children in Guatemala. That is why God has given me income and education and resources. God saves me so that the nations will know him. He blesses me so that all the earth we see his glory!” (p. 84). To what extent do you agree with Jamie’s observation? Less than 50%? More than 50%? More than 75%? Discuss. In light of this chapter, what are the next steps that you need to pursue?