It’s a shame really. They’re model believers – Luke 1:6 tells us that they’re ‘upright in God’s sight’ and ‘observe all God’s laws blamelessly’. On top of that they’ve been waiting and praying patiently, praying for a child and for the child who will come to save (Luke 1:13), in the end their prayers are answered, and both come, one after the other.

In Luke 1 we see three characters who are silent. First we see God. Silent for 400 years, no words, no prophets, no miracles, and no messiah! Second Zechariah, who despite word from an angel, declaring his prayers to be answered, is silenced for his unbelief. Thirdly Elizabeth, who secludes herself for 5 months waiting to see if the news has come true. But when she does speak, her words are gold.

Luke 1:25 - “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

We know that this baby John is a forerunner for Jesus, he comes as the Elijah figure (Malachi 4:5-6) who proceeds the coming of the Lord. But Elizabeth’s words too are prophetic of what is to come…

• A Miraculous Birth
• God showing his Grace
• God ridding us of our Disgrace

It’s interesting to see some parallels between Ed Miliband and Jesus… bear with me! I was watching Ed Miliband’s first speech as Labour party leader the other week, one of the key ideas that comes across is the idea of challenging old ways of thinking, challenging the conventional wisdom of our day…

That’s what Jesus does in Luke 6… he comes down off the mountainside, a radical, revolutionary preacher who turns upside-down our view of the world, our view of religion and our view of God… I’d love it if Miliband was truly radical… like Jesus…

We’ve started up a new meeting… meeting at Costa Coffee in George Street, right in the heart of Hove… each Tuesday evening, from 7.30pm, we’re taking over Costa Coffee.

So if you’re down in Hove, come along, grab a coffee, meet some new people… we’re also going to be opening up the Bible together, looking at the “Vintage Jesus” as we journey through the Gospel of Luke.

We met for the first time last week and thought about how Costa Tuesdays, and even more so, Luke’s Gospel is great for everyone, whether you’re a Christian or a sceptic, there’s something here for you…

Check out the website link for more info or just come and pop in on a Tuesday night…

Cheers Dan

“I’ve got no problem with thematic preaching, as long as it’s done exegetically!”

I’m always intrigued by what makes people like Matt Chandler tick, below I copy Matt’s FAQ page from the Village Church…

Also, check out his blog…

What books have been most influential in your life and thoughts?

1. The Bible
2. Desiring God and Pleasures of God by John Piper
3. Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul
4. Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
5. Anything by C.S. Lewis but especially The Weight of Glory
6. Anything by Jonathan Edwards but specifically Religious Affections
7. Anything by John Owen but especially The Mortification of Sin

What ideas have strongly influenced you?

1. Christian Hedonism - The idea that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him has absolutely ruined me. It shook me out of trying to be good and created in me the questions: “Does this stir up my affections for Christ?” and “Does this rob me of my affection for Christ?”
2. Missional living - The idea of intentional living and contextualizing the Gospel for this generation and culture as well as engaging the world instead of isolating ourselves from it have shaped my preaching and living.

What books do you recommend for Pastors?

1. The Bible - I understand the need for books on leadership, theology and history. My hope is that you would feast on the scriptures, feel the angst and awe and be overwhelmed by the Gospel of our great God and King. This book is life changing and sufficient.

What books are you currently reading?

1. The Divine Commodity by Skye Jethani
2. God, Marriage, and Family by Andreas Kostenberger
3. Total Church by Tim Chester
4. The Study of Evangelism by Paul Wesley Chilcote
5. The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever
6. Hearts and Minds by Kenneth Boa and John Alan Turner

What books have you read recently?

1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels By Craig Blomberg
2. In My Place Condemned He Stood by J.I. Packer
3. Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity by Mark Noll
4. Culture-Making: Recovering our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch
5. Till We Have Built Jerusalem by Philip Bess
6. Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
7. The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like Minded America is Tearing us Apart By Bill Bishop
8. Who’s Your City? by Richard Florida
9. Approaching the Heart of Prophecy by Graham Cooke

So Don Carson has arrived having got a taxi from Manchester! He’s gonna speak about Lazarus and the rich man. How should we understand this parable? A simple reversal of status’ – rich to poor, poor to rich? How does this parable fit into Luke, into the flow of the gospels?

Context: no one can serve two masters. If you can’t be faithful with earthly riches you won’t be entrusted with heavenly riches. What people highly value is detestable in God’s sight – we become what we worship. Comes in a series of 3 parables of people who waste the good things they’ve been given.

Purple, fine linen, first class underwear – a rich man. Then Lazarus (he has a name – ‘the one who God helps’), a certain irony when we see his situation. He’s a beggar, too Ill to move, licked by dogs, and he wants the food of the dogs. The dogs seem to care more than the rich man!

Lazarus is in glory, resting his head on the bosom of Abraham – like John resting his head on Jesus’ breast. The rich man is dead and in hell – he recognizes Lazarus, he knew his name.

Comparison turns to dialogue – there’s 3 cycles. Cycle 1 v.24 – the rich man goes straight to Abraham asking Lazarus to serve him, he plays the race card, ‘Father’. Even in hell the rich man can’t give up his self-importance.
Cycle 2 v.26-28 – there’s a great chasm – Lazarus can’t leave heaven, although he still has the compassion that would help the rich man – ok so Lazarus can’t help him, but maybe they could help his family!
Cycle 3 v.29-31 – the rich man tries to correct Abraham’s theology – the law and the prophets aren’t good enough, they need a sign. But even when the other Lazarus was raised frok death people still refused to believe, and of course Jesus rose but many reject him too.

1. The things in which we take so much pride; wealth, ethnicity, education may blind us to our need of grace. We must reject anything that links the blessing of God to something we desire.

2. The greatest two commandments stand or fall together. The Lord demands a certain way of living, because he is the Lord!

3. We must listen to the witness if scripture or we are dead. So often we can get sidetracked into debates, when there is a dying world out there – this is about heaven and hell. Concern for physical well being must go together with an eternal concern.

4. When we understand hell we will weap for the lost. It is Jesus who speaks so strongly of hell – so I beg you, flee the wrath to come.

I think Adrian has arrived – he’s the guy sitting at the front with the Mac. You should start getting some live blogs from him as well now. Oh and he’s organized a bloggers meet up – 1pm tomorrow at T-Co.

Terry Virgo was interviewed at the start and told us how he came to faith through the conversion of his sister and the preaching of John Stott. He also spoke about the influence of MLJ and others. He also spoke about NWA and his excitement about coming back and Christian unity.

A guy called Lance recited the reading in a dramatic way – nice. Jesus is popular, he spends time with the outcasts – and that upsets the Pharisees. Jesus is bringing God to the people, he’s healing and forgiving. So he tells some stories -something lost, then found, then a celebration!

Terry told a story of losing his daughter on a beach in Spain, his desire to keep looking until he found her, and his joy in finding her safe and bringing her back. Dickens called this parable ‘the greatest story ever told’.

The story is of a father and two sons. The younger son makes an ‘Adam-like’ decision to escape from the father. But he finds the world without his father isn’t great, it’s not realistic and the money, friends and circumstances are here one day and gone the next. So he ends up with the pigs with everything gone, he’s left with the reality of himself, knowing his weakness, his failure, his sin… and he’s given up the hope of being a son – I’ll just be a hired hand.

But Jesus shows us what God is like… The father is looking for him, the fathers love remains for him. Just like the outcasts who Jesus hangs out with – God is compassionate, he has mercy for them. Then he runs, he pulls up his coat, abandons any decorum, hugs him and kisses him. The robe, ring, sandals… the son doesn’t need them or deserve them, it is pure blessing, then they celebrate.

Then we meet the tragic figure of the elder son, the one who doesn’t celebrate, the one who confuses sonship and slavery – the Pharisee. He’s forgotten God’s grace, he exposes his self-righteous, religious heart. The emphasis in on himself, he doesn’t know the fathers heart.

The father says remember who the ‘sinner’ is… they’re your brother. These are the people to whom the fathers heart goes out. The younger son came home, but for the elder son the story is left open, because he’s speaking to the religious people. Jesus came to win the lost, and he’s on his way to Jerusalem to die for sinners. He calls us back and sets us free. Abandon any religion and throw yourself on the mercy of God.

Rupert Bentley-Taylor is Pastor at Widcombe Baptist Church in Bath.

Parable of the Banquet. What does the future look like? Blessed is the man who eats the feast v.15 – prophets, Jesus, Revelation all speak of the feast, the man was right, but… What was in the man’s heart? He was complacent, assumed he’d be at the feast. He was claimless, the belief had no impact on the way he lived. What you believe about the future should affect your living now.

Matters of the heart v.15-20
- the generous heart of God v.16 – God has amazing plans for your future, he prepares a great banquet with many guests.
JC Ryle – ‘the gospel has everything that humans need’
God says ‘come’
- the hard heart of men – lots of excuses, but the problem is in the heart, they knew, but couldn’t be bothered, they were in love with other things. The invitation is rejected. Jesus says come, but they crucified him – men reject the grace of God.

* England 1 – 0 Ukraine (Crouch) *

A matter of others v.21-24
There is one day left, the coming of Christ in judgement, one thing restrains that, the patient, gracious heart of God that longs for men to be saved.
- God wants the sinners, the waifs and strays, the outcasts, no one wants them, but God does! Friendship evangelism is great, but God says go and invite the people that no one wants to be friends with.
- God wants those outside the city – the gentile. Go and invite them, go with a passion, out of your comfort zone to bring Christ to all people everywhere. The heart of God longs for others to come.

Do we share the master’s heart – then invite. Jesus looks beneath the words and looks at our hearts – if you share his heart you will eat at his feast. They will cross every barrier to bring that invite to all.

Where do you draw the line? Arts vs Sciences. Whites vs Blacks. Who’s in and who’s out? How do we decide who we care about?
‘Jesus: the end of the line’
Saviour vs Lord, Grace vs Obedience?

Krish tells a joke – Dont worry if you don’t know what eschatology is, it’s not the end of the world.

This parable isn’t about works, so v.25 the people are asking the wrong question – what must I do?

Who is my neighbour? The man tries to justify himself – but the real question is ‘who was a neighbour?’ in the parable. He’s a bit like the rich ruler who tries to justify himself against the law – but the standard is higher, to love God with all our heart. Being justified by doing good works is impossible, this isn’t about being saved by works! The parable draws us to our need for a saviour.

But, once you’ve been saved, what is the fruit that God is looking for in your life? The priest walks by, the Levite walks by, but it’s always the 3rd guy who matters, the Samaritan. Why does the Samaritan help? Not because he’s trying to merit favour with God, but because he’s a compassionate person!

2 Dangers of dividing Jesus as saviour and Lord
- preach half a gospel
- do half a mission

The gospel is personal but never private. Our relationship with God is shown in the way we relate to others. It’s not just about believing – belief should translate into action. You cannot be saved by good works – but if we don’t, is the love of God really in us?

What is God saying to you?
- you can’t earn eternal life
- you can’t pass by on the other side

RC spoke from Luke 8 on the parable of the sower. Jesus drew a crowd and spoke the parable – he divided people, some were hard some received the word. The disciples ask the key question in v.9 – what does this mean? That’s how we should come to God’s word, ask questions of it and listen, not to come with our own thoughts and feelings.

3 Marks of the Kingdom
Sowing, Growing, Harvet
The seed, God’s word is planted in the hearts of men. It grows, to maturity and to new believers – so keep going! The seed is planted, grows and produces fruit for a harvest.

Have ears to listens. Don’t harden yourself – cf. Hebrews.

Like I said the app crashed so I lost my notes!