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.

Richard Cunningham told us a little bit about New Word Alive 2010 – one week with Rebecca Manley-Pippet, Wayne Grudem and Jerry Bridges. For 2011, Piper and Driscoll are looking hopeful.

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.

Krish Kandiah is a fellow blogger (see blogroll) and works for the Evangelical Alliance – I think. So he’s gonna speak on the parable of the Good Samaritan…

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

Well I’ve discovered some limitations with the iPhone, I made it crash! Tonight Richard Cunningham, chairman of UCCF preached and was interviewed. He spoke about his vision for the future of NWA as a single-week, all age event that equips Christians for real life and unites Christians of different traditions.

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!

But the thing I loved most was this. In a day when I have heard famous Christians (evangelicals apparently) scoff at the idea that people will meet Jesus in his word as students give it out and study it, when the mood of evangelicalism in Britain has (as we have seen this summer) been so obsessed with the so-called miraculous at the expense of simply testifying about Jesus, when the world and his mother seems to either think there must be some magic technique for winning people to Christ, or that we are due a wave of blessing to make it happen, I loved seeing a world renowned evangelical stand up and say well done to all the students who will be risking much to open the Scriptures with non Christians this year. “It will be better and harder than you ever thought!”

Thank you JP [John Piper] for travelling round the world to affirm that to all the small struggling CUs of 3 and 4, all the CUs who are scoffed at by uber-trendy servant evangelists and sophisticated chaplains, all the CUs where a couple of people and a Gospel of Mark is all that they have. Sometimes, its just good to know that someone you have heard of is with you.

Mo McCracken – reflecting on Forum

Also, Dave Bish… all you need to know about UCCF Forum 2008, John Piper on Ruth, Missions and lots more!