What Did Jesus Really Mean When He Said Follow Me? by David Platt

What Did Jesus Really Mean When He Said Follow Me? Reviews

• 
  Hector Saldana

  Excellent
  
  I liked it, is a simple way to understand the main idea about to fallow Jesus. Has a Truly and biblical concept. Excellent tool to share with a new believer or youth.
• 
  Zach Scheller

  There’s a big issue with this book... it’s only 65 pages.
• 
  Scott

  A brief and theologically robust summary of discipleship in the tradition of Radical and John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life. easily read in one sitting and brings up key issues of what it means to be a Christian.
• 
  Sarah

  The author speaks in passing about baptism but then avoids it in his final words on how to follow Jesus. Too bad.
• 
  Reginald Detabali

  A challenging call to follow Jesus that would cost, His followers, so much in this world. Yet ironically, this following is the most satisfactory for the soul. Jesus is the better person to whom man's affection could rest. And because of the love for him, Christians are completely compelled to share the gospel and love the church.
  
  "Our deepest craving is not something but for someone. our ultimate satisfaction is found not in the gifts we enjoy but in the Giver who provides them..."
• 
  Daniel

  "Churches are filled with people who seem content to have casual association with Christ and give nominal adherence to Christianity. Scores of men, women, and children have been told that becoming a follower of Jesus simply involves acknowledging certain facts or saying certain words. But this is not true. Disciples like Peter, Andrew, James, and John show us that the call to follow Jesus is not simply an invitation to pray a prayer; it is a summons to lose our lives" (p. 23)
  
  It is possible to have a prayed a prayer to receive Christ with as much sincerity as you could muster and still not be a Christian. Following Jesus entails far more than repeating a short prayer. As David Platt makes clear in his booklet What Did Jesus Really Mean When He Said Follow Me?, there is a cost in following Jesus that is born out in one's life. When we come to Jesus in saving repentance and faith, our thoughts, feelings, and actions are decisively changed by Him.
  
  "As we trust in Christ, he transforms our tastes in such a way that we begin to love the things of God that we once hated, and we begin to hate the things of this world that we once loved" (p. 30).
  
  Platt is concerned by the stories of so many folks who have prayed a prayer and then went on to live as if nothing had changed. The reality is, maybe nothing did change! The evidence that one has truly come to Christ is found in how one lives, thinks, and feels.
  
  Platt is careful not to say that salvation is based on the changes in our lives. We are saved by faith alone in Christ's finished work alone--in fact, no amount of works on our behalf can earn salvation in any sense. Faith trusts in what Christ has accomplished for us. We cannot save ourselves, and Christians know this.
  
  Salvation happens apart from our works, but it always leads to works. Being a disciple of Jesus means that we will bear fruit. Not perfectly, but really bearing fruit. And ultimately, we want to bear fruit! In coming to Jesus, we taste and see that He is good and we begin to desire Him above all else! Our affections are decisively changed.
  
  "We discover that Jesus is the supreme source of satisfaction, and we want nothing apart from him. We realize that he is better than all the pleasures, pursuits, plaudits, and possessions of this world combined" (p. 29).
  
  All who profess to be Christians need to know these truths. Some may learn them, realize they were never saved, and truly turn to Christ for the first time. To God be the glory!
  
  Platt's booklet is a great reminder and summary of all of these truths. Therefore, I recommend this resource as very helpful for evangelism and discipleship to aid folks in understanding that following Jesus involves one's whole being. In fact, this is one of the best, shorter resources I know of for such a purpose!
• 
  Sarah

  This is a short theological read about what Jesus really meant when He said to follow Him. Most of us try to get the Bible and Jesus to fit what we think they should - Jesus didn't really mean there was a Hell, God is loving so even those who are still sinning and don't repent can make it to Heaven and on and on. What most fail to realize is that God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Bible can't be constructed to fit the human, fallen way of doing things. I appreciated what David Platt had to say in regards to the whole love the sinner, hate the sin that is so prevalent in today's Church. Platt uses several references to show that sin keeps us separated from God and He does in fact hate those who sin - take John 3:36 that says "Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
  
  I would like to have more clarification as Platt says, "when you follow Jesus, you die to everything you were before -including the sin that was keeping you from God - and Jesus becomes your life." Does he mean that after we are saved, repent and are baptized that we will never sin again? It's true once Saved, we are to die to ourselves and our fleshly desires, but there are times we are going to fail but as long as we repent and continue to keep our eyes on Jesus we'll be assured our Salvation. I agree with Platt when he says the way to conquer our sin is not to change ourselves but to keep our focus on Christ who will change us.
  
  Since this is such a short book, referred to as a booklet in some descriptions, Platt really doesn't have a lot of space to devote to hashing out his thoughts. According to him it's biblically, spiritually and practically impossible to be a disciple apart from a church family. There are some things I fully agree with Platt on but I also know there are seasons in life where not everyone can get plugged into a church and saying that it's biblically impossible is, to me, like saying well you must not really be a Christian if you aren't plugged in fully to a church. Overall, Platt has some great ideas and expounds on what Jesus meant when he called His disciples and called us to follow Him but I would have liked more clarification on some of his thoughts.
• 
  Keith Wagar

  Overall this book is a good resource. It's short, concise and to the point, but with all that being said it's not without it's issues. Platt, as describing the salvation process simply cuts off a verse where it is convenient for him to do so in order to fit his theological ideology and thus not speak at all about the fact that the second half of the verse is also a command that the individual is also to obey.
  
  Case in point in this booklet is Acts 2:38, where Platt simply stopped after the word repent and never even acknowledged the fact that Peter commanded all of the people to also "be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." The funny thing (not really) is that later in the booklet he does talk about the fact that we as followers of Jesus, we are to make other disciples and uses Matthew 28:19 as the how to do this " Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" yet earlier he never mentions anything about this as part of the conversion process initially.
• 
  Darrell Jolley

  I am a big fan of David Platt, love his challenge (prophetic as in challenging the body against sin) to the church and believers in the USA to stand not just with brothers and sisters in persecution around the world, but also like them. Great biblical support for his positions. Just long enough of a book to grab our attention and live what we say and spread it.
  
  However, there are multiple times (such as a believer is to be "totally" devoted to a local body, "everything" begins to change, we "create" an American Jesus) that I get a sense that he is bordering back to a Lordship salvation position. We all agree it is faith alone in Christ alone. We also all agree we followers of Jesus fail to fully understand and thus fail to live in His complete joy. In the challenge that we be ready to die, I think we must also be careful not to dismiss a brother who may not fully comprehend that... Yet.
  
  Just my two cents. Still love what DP is doing.
• 
  Travis

  David Platt has done an excellent job of spelling out the gospel in a new booklet entitled What Did Jesus Really Mean When He Said Follow Me. This booklet is short, direct, and clear. Platt opens the reader’s eyes to the content of the gospel as well as its ramifications. He talks about more than forgiveness. He also talks about repentance, discipleship, and evangelism.
  
  This booklet is more than a tract, but less than a book. It can be read quickly. It is inexpensive enough to be given away. It is a helpful resource that any believer who wants to share his or her faith could benefit from having available.
  
  I received a free audio copy of this booklet from ChristianAudio.com as part of their reviewers program. This booklet was well-read and easy-to-listen-to.
  
• 
  Liz

  This is a short booklet by David Platt (3 whole chapters, plus the introduction & conclusion) to challenge Christians to follow Jesus. It examines what it means to follow Jesus today. His book challenges us to live totally for Christ, instead of marginally for Him. We are encouraged to trust Christ to change our affections. Platt discusses the changes that should be present in a Christian’s life, the differences between the old life and the new life. It ends with self-examination to test if we are a follower of Christ. I did wish Scripture references were given so we could study on our own. He defines “Christianese” terms in clear language.
  
• 
  Iain Hamill

  Good little Gospel reminder. “Jesus did not claim to be one dish on the buffet line of spirituality, from which we can pick and choose the elements which best suit our taste. And if His claims are true, then his call demands everything, and we have no other choice- like those fishermen before us- but to drop everything and follow him.”
• 
  Chola Mukanga

  The book is a nice short read and to the point. The question though is who this book is intended for. It is too brief for a Christian. And too theological for a non-Christian. I would say it is probably for non-committed attendees in a church. Those that have always attended church but don't actually follow Christ. In short, not really Christians. That said it has some good things in there.
• 
  Shauna

  What did Jesus really mean when he said follow me? How many of us as believers really answer that question over our lifetime. Not many of us I'd assume. But Jesus wanted us to follow him whole heartedly without reservation. This is a small but powerful book that answers the questions, how much does Jesus really ask of me?, and why should I follow him? Very thought provoking.
• 
  Rachel Lundy

  This is a booklet that explains what it means to follow Jesus. David Platt answers the questions, “What is his call? What does it cost? And what does a life of following Jesus entail?” It is short, to the point, and full of good teaching. This would be a good gift to give to someone who is new to the Christian faith.
• 
  David R. Franklin

  Great Read
  
  Great Read
  
  Concisely and Biblically written. Easy reading and a great reminder of how we should follow Jesus. Would recommend all believers reading this.
• 
  Lacy Lovelace

  I really liked this book. It's brief but it gives a good explanation of what it really means to be a Christian. I've asked that so many times for fear I was doing it all wrong and it helped answer that question.
• 
  Anne Marie

  I enjoyed this book and its a quick read. I think its useful for someone that is new to the bible or a new Christian. For people like myself that has read many non-fiction books over the years and its a great reminder to follow Jesus and put Jesus first.
  
  
• 
  JLynn

  It's a booklet
  
  Great ideas. Short, booklet form. Great for young believers or those who don't yet know what they believe about Jesus. For someone who wants more meat and depth, read Radical.
  
• 
  Thomas

  More of a pamphlet than book, but very theologically sound. Primer for Follow Me book. Good starting point for new believers in my opinion that know Christ but need to find out exactly what that means.
• 
  Helen Griffin

  Very challenging book on discipleship. This excellent book is summed up very well by the author 'The cost of following Christ is great, for it costs you everything you are. But the reward of following Christ is greater, for you experience everything He is - both now and forever'.
• 
  David Dittmer

  Small but powerful
  
  This book was a short read but made some powerful statements. A new or longtime Christian would gain a lot in reading this. While there a few times I was offended by something I read it still made me look at my way walk with God.
• 
  Dawn Traylor

  Insightful
  
  Don’t miss the opportunity to read this book and use it to evaluate your own life. Not just in the aspect of knowing and following Christ but also in the aspect of are you truly following Christ not according to the world’s or man’s definition but according to God’s.
• 
  Manuel Sanchez

  Easy to read.... compelling presentation
  
  I chose 5 stars because I too believe in the Jesus of the Bible and his call to be his followers. If you are curious about what Jesus taught and did....read this. Read the Bible too.