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Why the gospel is not for all - Duncan Forbes at Keswick - Part 1

My notes from Duncan's first seminar at week two of the Keswick Convention. Wonderful gospel framework. Powerful critique. Lord give me a the grace to receive this and repent.
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  • Justification by faith – we’re all in the wrong, we’re clothed with Jesus’ righteousness, so we can admit we are wrong
  • False gospel: “Becoming a Christian is converting to middle class culture”
  • False discipleship: “Better yourself but stay in your lane”, “Majority culture disciples minority culture (not vice versa)”
1 Cor. 1:26-31 
Not many were wise by human standards
Not many were influential
Not many were of noble birth
But God chose… to nullify… so that no one may boast – gospel is subversive, nullifies pride and idol of class
We need to help each other find our primary identity in Christ rather than to boast in our culture (which is what comes naturally)

Jesus’ mission statement: preach good news to the poor (Isaiah 61, Luke 4, Matt 18 cf. Gal. 2:10)
'Preaching good news' is not social gospel
Also notice OT and Luke concern for non-spiritual poverty - lack of access to money, justice and medical provision
  1. Question of ratios/emphasis - Why does ‘student ministry’ exclude FE colleges? How do we target our apologetics? How do we do leadership training? Who do we put up at the front?
  2. We need people of other cultures to disciple us and show us our blindspots (Psalm 19:12)
  3. Take people out of their context for training and they can lose their missionary power (cf. Mark 5:19)
  4. Spend time as a minority to realise how much you naturally boast in your culture
  5. We have created/reinforced a predominantly white middle class church movement - we need Acts 11:20
  6. We are not very well resourced to reach other classes – in books, in cross-cultural translators (Acts 8:30-40)
  7. God is not so glorified when there is less diversity in the church than in the surrounding geography   
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