#SomethingNeedstoChange. An Overview of David Platt’s Recent Simulcast at McLean Bible

The Wondering Eagle attended the simulcast for David Platt’s new book called “Something Needs to Change.” This post is a write up of the simulcast and analysis of what was said. This blog will read and do a book review of David Platt’s new book in the course of time. 

May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face shine on us—^[b]
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
    your salvation among all nations.

³ May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you.
⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you rule the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations of the earth.
⁵ May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you.

⁶ The land yields its harvest;
    God, our God, blesses us.
⁷ May God bless us still,
    so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Psalm 67

David Platt with a missionary couple in Nepal during #SomethingNeedstoChange

The Wondering Eagle attended the simulcast of David Platt’s #SomethingNeedstoChange at McLean Bible on Wednesday September 18, 2019. David Platt’s new book called “Something Needs to Change: A Call to Make Your Life Count in a World of Urgent Need” was released the previous day. When I showed up books related to David Platt were for sale in the lobby. In the auditorium people were paced and moved toward the front for the simulcast. The sanctuary of McLean Bible which is huge was on;y about 30 to 40% full in the estimation of this blogger. One other thing that also happened is that McLean Bible had the air conditioning on full blast and I was cold even while wearing a professional collar shirt. I took a picture of David Platt during the simulcast which you can see above. The simulcast was pushed by The Gospel Coalition. 

 

What was Communicated by David Platt

The simulcast started with Christine coming out on the stage. We were challenged to look at the world in a new way and to be the change for the world. There was a film that was shown that is 15 minutes long called, “Beautiful Hope.” Its about David Platt’s journey to the Himalayas. Platt explained that he wished he could bring people to the Himalayas but instead he will bring them to those who can read and watch the film. In the film David Platt discussed themes that trouble him deeply. Those are the following:

1. A landslide of a village that destroyed it.
2. The belief of reincarnation and the funeral pyres on rivers that exist.
3. Walking down a street and seeing children trafficked for sex. 

And yet even in those dark situations the hope of God still shines through. In the film they showed art therapy that victims of trafficking were doing. Hope can be brought it and is the beauty of the results. 

After the film David Platt said that he walked away from the experience with the conviction that something needs to change. The Christian life is about change and its impossible to be a Christian if you don’t change. But everyone can change as everyone is a sinner. Change is necessary and change is possible. Some people will push back and say that many people don’t need change or believe in it. Fatalism, as David Platt said is wicked and evil. To point how change is possible David Platt pointed to James 4:13-17. Here is what that verse says in the NIV translation. 

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Change comes down to three words according to McLean’s senior pastor. Those words are urgent, humble and action. Urgent means that there is a sense of urgency. Action means that you are doing something. Unrighteousness is evidence of action that needs to take place. The greatest hindrance to change is thinking you have plenty of time. David Platt calls us to be people of action. He used three examples to show how change can be done and how people can act. 

1. John and Aksha Molineux work for Love Justice and combat sex trafficking in Nepal. 10, 000 girls are trafficked in Nepal with most going to India if my notes are correct. His goal is to bring the traffickers to justice. To look for signs of trafficking and do transit monitoring. They intercept girls and young boys in their job. John told the story of a 16 year old who was taken by an older man to the Indian border. Many people that are trafficked into India end up at brothels. They were able to contact the mother who asked them to keep their daughter from being trafficked. This conversation was by Skype.
2. The next conversation was of a former Muslim in the Middle East who spoke an altered voice. The named used was Yazud which means “God will increase.” Yazed is busy sharing the gospel with Muslims and planting churches. They need money to help disciple people and plant churches inside this un-named restricted country. 
3. The last person who spoke by Skype is Andy and Melisse Yoon. They run a dentist office down in Florida. They work heavily with ministries abroad and help with water access. They help identify areas of need and work with ministries to get water there. Some of the countries that they helped get water to is Nepal, Uganda and Cambodia. 

David Platt after the presentation encouraged people to pick up his book to learn more. They could buy it online and if you were present at McLean you can buy it in the lobby. David;s ministry of Radical is working for maximum impact of vetting, and developing indigenous laborers around the world. They need to mobilize resources and David emphasized that proceeds from the sale of his book will go into the Radical Fund. Radical wants to hear from you and hear your story as well. People will submit stories so this blog may just submit a story to Radical. The presentation ended with the 67th Psalm. If you want to read more about this event you can do so here and here. 

 

Analysis and Planned Book Review of Platt’s New Book 

I want to be careful in what I say in this section. I grabbed a copy of David Platt’s new book which cost me $14.95. In time I would like to read and review it here at The Wondering Eagle. So I don’t want to tear it down without giving it a chance, as that would not be fair or right. But what did bother me was the emotional playing that seemed to go on. I hope when David Platt teared up it was legitimate and not something more. I very much welcome social justice and don’t have any issues with it. Others will and I acknowledge that fact. But there was something that also bothered me as well that was on my mind as I sat in the chair at McLean Bible. 

David Platt talks about sex trafficking and sex crimes abroad. He shared about the value of a child and the evilness of trafficking. While I agree with him here is what troubles me. McLean Bible had an incident in the Rock Ministries were a volunteer groomed a minor for abuse. The situation was handled very poorly according to what this blog has learned. If David Platt is going to speak about the value of children and the evilness of trafficking, I honestly wish Platt would focus on the challenges right under his nose in his own church. While it is all well and good to want to help people escape from sex crimes in Nepal, what about a 15 – 17 year old in The Rock Ministries? Do they count? I think I will leave it with that and wind this down. I am working on a review of a book from an Evangelical Free pastor, The book by David Platt will be read after I finish that work.