大象传媒

Web Script for Keswick Convention 大象传媒 Sunday Worship 2024

Presenters: Martin Salter & Jodi Whitehouse

Preacher: Glen Scrivener

Music: Phil Moore band/Cornerstone Church

Producer: James Mountford

Jodi: Good morning and welcome to the town of Keswick in the Lake District.听 Each summer, 12 thousand Christians of all ages, from across the UK and beyond, gather here at the Keswick Convention for teaching, music, and encouragement.听 I鈥檓 Jodi Whitehouse 鈥揑鈥檓 from Liverpool. So near, to the tragic events that have overtaken Southport earlier this week and we want to lift all those affected in our prayers this morning.听

Martin: And I鈥檓 Martin Salter, I lead a community church in Bedford.听 Jodi and I are trustees of Keswick Ministries and for the past three weeks, a congregation of two thousand gather in the main tent each morning and evening to hear from the Bible and come before the Lord in prayer for our world.听 Lets do that now

MUSIC: In Christ Alone

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Jodi: If you鈥檝e never been to Keswick, it鈥檚 a beautiful town nestled in the heart of the Lake District in North West England. It鈥檚 surrounded by mountains and sits on the edge of Derwent Water. We can鈥檛 guarantee the weather, but we can guarantee the views!

Martin: The Keswick Convention started nearly 150 years ago听听 Its hope is to see the people of God equipped, inspired and refreshed, all while enjoying the beauty of His creation in a stunning setting.听 The theme at the Convention this year is 鈥楻esurrection鈥� - what it means to live now in the light of the fact that Christ is risen and Christ will come again.

Lets open in prayer, from one of our young people, Keziah鈥�.

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PRAYER: Loving God and Father, give us ears to hear afresh what you have to say to us this morning. We thank you that your word is pure, trustworthy, and true. We praise you for this world that you have made, that you sustain moment by moment, this world that one day you will renew. Might we as resurrection people live in your world in ways which honor and please you - to the glory of your name. Amen

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JODI: So why do people give a week of their summer holiday to come to Keswick?听 We鈥檝e been around the site to find out why people come back year after year鈥�.

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PACKAGE

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MUSIC: Before the throne of God above

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MARTIN: Our first Bible reading this morning is from Isaiah 25鈥�.

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Lord, you are my God;
听听听听I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
听听听听you have done wonderful things,
听听听听things planned听long ago.
2听You have made the city a heap of rubble,
听听听听the fortified听town a ruin,
the foreigners鈥� stronghold听a city no more;
听听听听it will never be rebuilt.
3听Therefore strong peoples will honor you;
听听听听cities of ruthless听nations will revere you.
4听You have been a refuge听for the poor,
听听听听a refuge for the needy听in their distress,
a shelter from the storm
听听听听and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless
听听听听is like a storm driving against a wall
5听听听听听and like the heat of the desert.
You silence听the uproar of foreigners;
听听听听as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
听听听听so the song of the ruthless听is stilled.

6听On this mountain听the听Lord听Almighty will prepare
听听听听a feast听of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine鈥�
听听听听the best of meats and the finest of wines.
7听On this mountain he will destroy
听听听听the shroud听that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8听听听听听he will swallow up death听forever.
The Sovereign听Lord听will wipe away the tears
听听听听from all faces;
he will remove his people鈥檚 disgrace
听听听听from all the earth.
The听Lord听has spoken.

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YOUTH FOCUS

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MUSIC: Come people of the risen King

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JODI:听 Our second Bible reading is from Luke chapter 24, and read by some of the young people at the Keswick Convention鈥�

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LUKE 24:13-35

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鈥淚t鈥檚 the hope that kills you鈥�.听 A saying which has become familiar to many sports fans over the year鈥攅specially those of us who follow a frustrating team. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the hope that kills you鈥澨�

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An unfamiliar feeling dawns on you: optimism. But just when you begin to trust, it鈥檚 all snatched away. And you feel foolish for ever having believed: 鈥淚t鈥檚 the hope that kills you.鈥�

This happens in all of life. We all have deep longings for more, but so often we fear to acknowledge them.

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Hope: we can鈥檛 live without it, but we struggle to live with it too. Because 鈥� what if our hopes are dashed? Proverbs 13 verse 12 in the Old Testament speaks of longings fulfilled as a tree of life. But it also speaks the brutal reality: 鈥渉ope deferred makes the heart sick.鈥� And many of us are heart-sick cynics. We鈥檝e become wary of being suckered by hope.

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In our reading there鈥檚 a couple who have exactly that experience. On the Road to Emmaus, they are returning from the worst weekend of their lives. They had followed Jesus of Nazareth. They really thought he was the answer to their prayers 鈥� to the prayers of a nation, the prayers of the centuries. They had come to believe: this Jesus was the long-promised Messiah. As they say in Luke 24 verse 21: 鈥渨e had hoped that he was the one.鈥� Hope and despair are contained in this one verse.

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On one hand there is the hope of believing: He is The One. They had come to believe: a Saviour has arrived! Finally, the Messiah had dawned like sunrise in a dark valley.

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To believe 鈥�He is the One鈥� is the most hope-filled affirmation. But to say 鈥淲E HAD HOPED鈥� is perhaps the most bitter. We express terrible disappointment when we put hope in the past tense.

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But that is the situation for this couple on the road to Emmaus. They had followed Jesus right up until the time he was arrested and tried, condemned and flogged, ridiculed and executed. They had seen their friend and teacher die on that Friday. In a deeper sense, they had watched Hope die.

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So here they were on the Sunday, trudging home when who should sidle up to them but Jesus himself 鈥� Jesus incognito. And on this road the couple are brought not just from Jerusalem to Emmaus, but from despair to hope 鈥� hope reignited. How? In three moves.

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Firstly Jesus draws alongside. It鈥檚 so unspectacular. Considering his public shame on the Friday, you might expect trumpet blasts on the Sunday 鈥� heralds and press conferences and noisy proclamations. But no, he quietly draws alongside: 鈥淲hat are you discussing?鈥� asks the Lord of all on resurrection morning. They鈥檙e discussing all the things about Jesus of Nazareth. 鈥淲hat things?鈥� Jesus asks innocently. He doesn鈥檛 simply end their sorrows, he enters them.

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By the end of the Sunday, this couple realise who it was who shared the road with them. But not to begin with. This gradual dawning of faith was beautifully portrayed by CS Lewis in The Horse and His Boy. At the end of that novel in the Narnia series, the boy, Shasta, is walking on a road when he becomes aware of a Great Voice accompanying him (it鈥檚 the hero, Aslan, incognito). As they walk, Aslan reveals to Shasta that all the events of his life鈥攖he bitter as well as the sweet鈥攈ad been arranged by one Source: 鈥淚 was the lion鈥� he says. I saved you from this peril and shepherded you on that path. I comforted you on those roads and arranged for that coincidence. We may feel like we鈥檙e alone on a road to nowhere, randomly turning this way or that. In truth, we have a companion: Jesus incognito.

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On Easter Sunday, the risen Jesus draws near to this couple, but they鈥檙e not getting it. No-one really does. So here鈥檚 stage two of the journey: Jesus opens the Scriptures to them. In verse 25 he reminds them of 鈥渁ll that the prophets have spoken.鈥� The couple have been foolish, they鈥檝e been slow to believe. The Scriptures had always said that the Messiah must suffer and then be glorified. Isn鈥檛 this how all the stories go? The darkness before the dawn? The suffering before the glory? The death before the life? That鈥檚 certainly the Bible鈥檚 story 鈥� it鈥檚 certainly the Messiah鈥檚 story. As Hero of Heroes, he must go on the Hero鈥檚 Journey, descending to the great ordeal before rising to a greater hope. And so Jesus reminds this couple of the Scriptures.

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Even when physically present in resurrection glory 鈥� even on Easter Sunday 鈥� Jesus鈥� way of meeting Jesus is through the Scriptures. That鈥檚 vital 鈥� vital for them, vital for us. If we want to know the presence of Jesus with us on the road, we need the Scriptures.

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But notice that a Bible study alone does not fully open the eyes of these travellers. There鈥檚 another crucial stage on their journey: Jesus breaks bread with them. He shares a meal. It鈥檚 a kind of church.

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Once home with the couple in Emmaus, Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, breaks it and gives it to them. Then鈥攁s verse 31 says鈥攖hen 鈥渢heir eyes were opened鈥�. That鈥檚 the eye-opening, hope-reviving moment: on this Sunday, gathered together, sharing the one bread. Faith and hope dawn on them in this church-like environment, enjoying a Lord鈥檚 Supper-like meal.

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This is where faith and hope have dawned for 2000 years. This road to Emmaus is a journey that billions have taken: a journey in which Jesus goes from Stranger to Host and we go from despair to hope.

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Have you lost hope? Jesus rose from the dead to give you his kind of hope 鈥� a hope that can plumb abysmal depths and rise to ecstatic heights. How can you have resurrection hope? In the same three stages:

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First look for Jesus incognito. Look for the ways Love Himself has come to you, dressed as your life. But remember, he will remain a shadowy Stranger until, secondly, your vision is framed by the Bible. In the Scriptures, Jesus is properly centred as the Hero and we are properly de-centred as characters in his story. In his story鈥攖he Scriptures鈥攚e see the true shape of life. It鈥檚 the Hero鈥檚 Journey: suffering then glory, darkness then light, death then resurrection. And then, thirdly, don鈥檛 forget community. It鈥檚 in church that these things will make sense. As we break bread with other believers, eyes open and hearts burn. At last we learn that hope may kill us, but ultimately Hope lives again. And, with Jesus, so shall we.

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MUSIC: King of Kings

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Martin: 听Our prayers this morning are led by some of those who鈥檝e attended the Keswick Convention鈥�

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As we begin our prayers this morning,听 we bring before God the truly shocking events that took place in Southport last Monday, those who鈥檝e been bereaved and all those who鈥檝e been affected.听 We give thanks to God for the emergency services and those who are still working hard to preserve life.

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Loving Lord, we thank you for the Keswick Convention and all who attend and serve.听 May the words we have heard help to change our communities for better.听 We pray out of your church would be those who improve society, living out their faith with graciousness and love.听 Thank you for the Resurrection promise, that one day there will be no more suffering or pain.听 Thank you that your hope can never be extinguished.听 Amen

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Lord Jesus, we pray for our country.听 That you would give wisdom to all those who make decisions for our nation.听 Bring hope to our damaged world.听 We pray for an end to war and violence.听 For the innocent, the broken and all affected, give them your protection and healing.听 We remember those who are grieving, would you meet them in their sorrow.听 We earnestly pray for an end to bloodshed but rather, may peacemakers bring forward solutions acceptable to all.听 Lord Jesus, have mercy.听 Amen.

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Martin: As we prepare for a new week, let鈥檚 turn our eyes back to Jesus, the one who is our 鈥榓ll in all鈥�, our strength, our comfort, our righteousness. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, 鈥楳ay I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.鈥櫶� And May the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be upon us and remain with us always.听(and Jodi) Amen.

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