Reverend Ben Cooper's Podcast
Reverend Ben Coopers podcast, offers an inviting space for listeners to explore Christianity and spiritual growth with wisdom, humor, and a deep commitment to biblical truth. Through Rev. Ben's engaging conversations with guests, the podcast not only explores the timeless wisdom of the Bible but also tackles the pressing issues of life, faith, and hope in a way that is accessible, thought-provoking, and enriching. Whether you’re seeking spiritual nourishment, answers to life’s big questions, or simply a place to reflect on your faith, the Rev Ben podcast is a valuable resource on your journey.
In each episode, Rev. Ben guides listeners through profound theological reflections, personal stories, and practical insights drawn from the Bible and the broader Christian tradition.
Reverend Ben Cooper's Podcast
Wrestling with Solitude: Embracing Faith Amid Trials and Church Culture (#1007 Elim) 12-01-2025
What if even the most faithful souls struggle in solitude, just like Jacob and Jesus did? Join us in this profound episode as we navigate through the emotional landscapes of Genesis 32 and Mark 14, where both Jacob and Jesus wrestled with profound anxiety and uncertainty. Through their stories, we explore the complexities of Christian faith and the resilience required to face life’s trials. Together, we learn how moments of isolation can serve as transformative opportunities for spiritual growth, allowing us to deepen our connection with God.
Have you ever felt spiritually isolated in a church that’s buzzing with vibrant worship? In today’s fast-paced Christian culture, we often find ourselves caught between showmanship and substance. This episode encourages you to reflect on the tension within modern church dynamics, where discernment in faith is key. Just as Jesus sought solitude in the Garden of Gethsemane, we challenge you to embrace a personal, authentic Christian journey of faith. Are we following Jesus for who He truly is, or are we swayed by the external noise of a culture that prioritizes status over genuine belief? In this moment, we call you to seek spiritual intimacy, not just religious activity.
As we journey deeper into Scripture, we reflect on the transformative power of pain and struggle. The Apostle Paul faced immense hardships, David encountered personal betrayals, and Jacob wrestled with God Himself. Their journeys remind us that through pain, God’s promises remain faithful. These biblical stories of struggle demonstrate that faith in God provides strength amid life’s storms, offering hope for those facing adversity. Each of us has a unique calling, and God’s unwavering love enables us to rise above society’s expectations, firmly standing on our convictions.
This episode also speaks directly to the challenges many Christians face in today’s world: spiritual isolation, church culture, and the pressure to conform to societal norms. We invite you to explore how the stories of these biblical figures offer profound lessons on overcoming loneliness and doubt, and how these moments of spiritual battle can lead to powerful breakthroughs in your relationship with Christ. It's a call to dive deep into Christian hope, and to trust that God’s strength in faith will carry you through the darkest moments.
We conclude with a heartfelt invitation to support our global ministry. Your generosity helps ensure the message of grace, perseverance, and hope continues to reach the hearts of listeners around the world. Whether you’re navigating personal struggles or seeking spiritual renewal, we encourage you to partner with us in spreading the Good News. Let’s continue to build a community where faith thrives, and the hope of Christ shines brightly in the face of adversity.
Reverend Ben Cooper's Podcast explores deep spiritual insights, offering profound discussions on Christian faith, personal growth, and overcoming adversity. Dive into biblical stories of struggle, such as Jacob’s wrestling with God and Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Ben reflects on the complexities of modern church culture, challenging listeners to pursue an authentic, personal journey of faith beyond the distractions of society. Each episode inspires spiritual growth, offering wisdom on faith in God, strength in hardship, and the transformative power of prayer. Tune in for a powerful blend of biblical teaching and real-life application.
https://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/
Welcome to Reverend Ben Cooper's podcast. We are a radio and podcast ministry based here within the UK. Your support is vital through prayer and through sowing a seed of faith. The globe downloading and listening to our podcasts, whether you are on spotify, apple podcast, google, alexa, amazon music and so many other platforms. For more information about our ministry, please find us on pastorbencoopercouk. We would love to hear from you as you partner with us as we reach the world for jesus. Please send us an email through our contact form on pastorbencoopercouk. Also, you can find our latest books on Amazon under hashtag one, hashtag two and hashtag three under Christian Straight Talk hard-hitting, real-life conversations taken from our podcasts.
Speaker 1:Your financial gifts play a crucial role in supporting our radio ministry, helping us share the gospel through these podcasts and providing free copies of the Gospel of John and Bibles around the globe. Please pray for this ministry as we stretch out beyond the boundaries, as we walk by faith. If you'd like to support our mission, please consider clicking the support button on Spotify, apple Podcasts or Buzzsprout. You can give a one-time gift or set up a regular contribution of £3, £5, £8 or £10. You can also leave a legacy by clicking in the links within pastorbencoopercouk. Thank you for partnering with us in this ministry as we spread the message of hope far and wide through this radio ministry. So, whether you are on the daily commute or at home listening to our podcast, grab a cup of coffee.
Speaker 2:Wherever you are this morning across the world, we thank you for joining us today. We thank you for everybody in the lord's house. We're going to turn into the old testament. We're going to turn to the book of genesis. The scriptures are changed. This morning as I walked down, uh, from the back of the church at the front, I just felt a prompting in my heart. So we're going to go to gen 32. We're in Genesis 32. And let's get into Genesis 32, verse 22, and down to the end of that verse 32 as well. So we're in Genesis, chapter 32 from verse 22. But also I want to take us up into the New Testament, because you can't separate the old and the new and there is always a place that God takes us to, and in the gospel we're going to go to the gospel of Mark, the gospel of Mark, chapter 14. So if you put your hand in Genesis Genesis 32, and just hold that place a minute, once you've got that and I'll keep referencing this morning and as we just gather our thoughts and as we get everything together, we're going to go.
Speaker 2:Firstly, we're going to go to the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Mark, chapter 14, verse 32. I don't know how that worked out, in the name of Jesus, I'll never know. So we're in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 14, verse 32. It's about Gethsemane and we might be very, very familiar where God and Christ, christ and God, holy Spirit. However way you want to look at this, it's about wrestling with life, wrestling with life itself. Life is a wrestle, but when you look at these two individuals, you look at Christ in the Gospels and you look at Jacob back in the Old Testament. In a moment, they was alone. The hardest battle you'll ever fight is when you're on your own and you're wrestling with what lies in front of you, what lies behind you and what lies around you. At this moment in time, and as you study Christ, christology and as you look at this scripture, we're going to read this first.
Speaker 2:We're in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 14, verse 32. And it says there they went to a place called Gethsemane and Jesus said to his disciples sit here while I pray. He took Peter, james and John along with him and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. Just hold your hand on that verse a moment. Christ, the great I am, suddenly finds himself as the man, Christ Jesus, because the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. Suddenly, we find the man Christ. Because this is the man Christ. He's going into the arena and he's looking to swerve a situation in his life and as you look at this text that we're in verse 33, he took Peter James and John along with him and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled Anxiety, worries, fears, the uncertainty, even though that he is the living word, even though he said around the table back a few chapters.
Speaker 2:He said around the table, back a few chapters. He said around the Passover table, I have eagerly awaited to take the bread and the cup with you. Then suddenly we find that he's in the garden of Gethsemane alone. Let me tell you, you'll take a few people with you in your life, but they will leave you at the door. When you've got to go in the arena, you might have a few people around you and pat you on your back. When you've got a few quid coming out of your pocket and everything is great. But when you feel distressed and you feel worried and you feel fearful and you feel uncertain, people will start to swerve away from you because they don't know how to deal with anxieties, worries, bereavement, death loss, life itself, all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2:So when you look at this scripture, it clearly tells us that he took three with him and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. Then he goes on a little bit further my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death. He said to them stay here and keep watch. Going on a little further, he fell to the ground and he, and it says and he said that's a fascinating line, that is such a fascinating text. What's he saying? He's saying I don't want to go to the cross. This is the savior of the world, if it's possible.
Speaker 2:Why does the cup that he's talking about represent the cross? It represents the cross because it's redemption, the cup of redemption and the only way that redemption could come in. If Christ went to the cross, he gave his life and he would be the redeeming king. So Jesus is all knowledge, all understanding, all beginning, all start, all middle, all end. He knew every situation that he was going to go through and he experienced anxiety and overwhelming human feelings.
Speaker 2:Experience anxiety and overwhelming human feelings. And he said my sorrow, my sorrow is at the point of death. I cannot cope with this. So, as you read that text, it brings me comfort to know that Christ was in agony. That sounds odd, and what I mean by that is that. Thank you, jesus, that you experience life itself, because religion cannot understand these emotions, these feelings. Religion is hard, it is brutal, it doesn't understand. But this is why Christ, the word, became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
Speaker 2:And it says he said to them stay here and keep watch verse 35 going on a little further, he fell to the ground and prayed if it is possible, may this hour pass from him. Abba, father. He said everything is possible with you. Take this cup from me. Yet not I will, but you, what you? That is the most hardest prayer to pray. Whatever you want from me, god, whatever your will is, I'll have it. Whatever you've got in my life, whatever you're calling me to, whatever lies ahead of me, okay. So when you look at this, christ is trying to hand this over. If it is possible, take it, remove it.
Speaker 2:That great evangelist, the greatest writer the world has ever seen, the apostle Paul three times I pleaded with the Lord. Isn't it interesting? Three comes up in the text in the Word of God a lot. Not that we're lifting up numerology, we're not that wacky. We don't lift up numbers and we're not getting all that sort of stuff, but numbers are critical through the Word of God, because it takes us to a place. We're not looking at numerology as a religion. We're looking how significant now God uses it Seven, three and 40, and all these significant numbers to show us how he gets his work done.
Speaker 2:God uses time and he speaks about time and it says there he returned to his disciples and he found them asleep. Let me tell you, there'll be people on your watch at a critical hour of your life and they'll be snoring. Or let's bring it up to today's language You'll be going through a crisis. You'll be going through pain. You'll be going through loss. You'll be screaming within yourself and they'll be sitting next to you on TikTok. You'll be going through agony. You'll be going through hell and high water. You'll be asking God and heaven will go quiet on you because heaven went quiet on Jesus.
Speaker 2:Where do we look at the text? Where? Where do we see God responding through the vocal the? Where do we see this God that we serve it? It seems like heaven concretes itself over at certain times of our lives when we need God. Where are you? I'm in the garden and I want you to take this cup from me. It's interesting he didn't mention the cross. He mentioned the cup because the cup is to do with the Passover. The cross is where he went to. The Passover is what he had to pick up. He is the lamb.
Speaker 2:When you look at this scripture, this is about wrestling with God. Is there anybody in the Lord's house, is there anybody online across the world bold enough to be like a Jacob that we're going to go back to in just a few moments, because Jacob had to wrestle on his own. God was in a form of wrestling with himself, but with God. When you look at these scriptures and it says Abba, father, he said everything is possible with you. There's nothing coming back from the God of Israel.
Speaker 2:Have you ever felt that you've been put in a situation? You've been put in a place and you're worshiping and you're praising God and everyone else around you is bouncing around and everyone else looks like a meerkat. They got their heads poked up and they're worshiping and you're praising God and everyone else around you is bouncing around and everyone else looks like a meerkat. They got their heads poked up and they're all doing good and everything's wonderful, but you're sitting in the church year in, year out, time and time again, and heaven has zipped up the sleeping bag on you. The heavens have gone quiet. What the Bible says in the last days the heavens will be like brass. It'll be like brass. It'll be like brass. It'll be like trying to get through this impossible. But God hears our prayers. We can never and we should never give up a years. But what we are in.
Speaker 2:We are in a very dangerous culture called church and that culture of church. There are many, many people in church itself that are hearing from God every second, every moment, every day. He's actually having these cornflakes with them every morning and they're talking about you're going to have skim milk or you're going to have full fat milk today, ben. There are many people that are having and hearing God's voice. But the Bible says in so many places the just shall live by faith. So he's already spoken. God has already given his word to you and I'm not saying God doesn't speak, because God does speak, but we got to be careful.
Speaker 2:In the culture of church, in celebrity church and in the mainstream and the larger churches, there's always a prophetic word coming out somewhere under here, out there, everywhere. There's always a word coming, but is it really from God? If you leave the church and you know that that word has come to you and it has changed your life, yes, it's from God, but the percentages we leave church feeling the same, because there are too many trappy people in the world of church and in religion that said they've got a word for you. Be careful if someone says I've got a word for you, be careful, I've got a word for you. And what is the word? The word is telling me that you're going to prosper us, you're going to be okay. Well, hang on a minute. It doesn't seem right in a minute because my overdraft looks a little bit rusty. Hang on a minute. I've just got the sack last week. That don't line up with the word of God. God's going to bless you. We've got to be extremely careful of the language within church itself, within religion itself.
Speaker 2:The bishops, all the long names out there apostolic pastor, apostolic, abcd in this on all you know. Watch out for the ones that sit at the front of the church on a gold throne. Watch out for the ones that sit at the front of the church on a gold throne. Watch out for the ones that have got a car parking space with their name in lights underneath that. Watch out for the ones that keep delivering these messages and keep asking you for money. Watch out for the ones that keep saying I've got a word for you, but it's going to cost you 50 quid. Today there's a wave offering. There's a gift offering. There's a pastor offering 's a gift offering. There's a pastor offering. There's a monday, tuesday, wednesday, saturday, saturday every day offering in certain religious houses. The bible says give to god what belongs to god. Give to caesar what belongs to caesar. There is times and places, but it's time to wrestle with god. It's time to wrestle with God. It's time to wrestle with the king and the ones that you are walking with. They love you, they're with you, everything, but it's time to leave them for a while. It's time to go into the garden of Gethsemane and wrestle, because they cannot carry what God has given you to carry. They will fall asleep on your watch, they will be on Instagram, they'll be posting, they'll be doing a selfie, they'll be getting a bit of chicken. They'll be doing something. They won't be able to engage in what you are going through, because what you are going through is unique for you, but God knows what you're going through. There are three that know what you are going through Father, son, holy Spirit. And there are three in the garden that haven't got a Scooby-Doo what you're going through and they won't be able to go through and you have to leave them. At certain checkpoints in your life, certain people, at certain times, at certain seasons in life, have to be left around the edge of the garden because they don't have the skill set, they don't have the capability, they don't have the calling, they don't have the area where God is working in your life to understand what's going on in your life. The garden of Gethsemane is the most painfulest place to be alone with God. Not only alone with God, but the stillness of God and the no voice of God. Jesus was in the garden. But you can go to celebrity churches, you can go to large churches today and they'll be bouncing around on their pogo sticks down the front. They're doing prophetic art. They'll be bouncing around on their pogo sticks down the front. They're doing prophetic art. They'll be doing this. They'll be calling all everything. It'll be going crazy. The smoke machines will be at full stretch, darkness in the auditorium, lights will be on pastor, all that sort of razzmatazz. It's an occult If you lift up a man more than Jesus. It's an occult If you put more weight on a human being than Jesus. Get out the church Filled with smoke. I don't see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane with a smoke machine. I don't see Jesus with his phone switched on looking for the answer in TikTok. I don't see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane with a pastor or a leader. I don't see Jesus with a bishop that's asking for a wave offering. I don't see religion in the garden. All I see and what I hear is quietness and one man in a garden of despair. There are many people that are in the garden of despair, even in church this morning, trying to wrestle with God, but the loudness of life is crowding out everything. The chaotic way of living is crowding out everything. The safest place we will ever be is in the garden of Gethsemane or on the potter's wheel, if you understand and you look at that great prophet when he went, I'm going down to the potter's house and I'm going to watch the master work the clay See. We have not been brought into this world to be herded by religion and TikTok, church and social media church. We have not been brought in to be herded by the media church. We have not been brought in to be herded by the worldly church. We have been brought in for God to work with us and us alone as human beings. And you might be on the potter's wheel. You might be in a position of your life that is extremely painful and you feel like clay in the hands of the master and you are being shaped and you are being changed. There's nothing more powerful than being changed, because we all want to resist change. Change can be extremely difficult for people. Change can be painful, change can be discomforting. But when the master was sitting at the potter's wheel, that clay didn't look anything at the start. It was marred, it had all the imperfections in it, there was everything going on within the clay and it took time. The journey of the clay. We're like the clay, we're in the master's hands. But, lord, I don't want you to shape me. I don't want to be in the garden. Lord, down the road, in all the other churches, they're telling me I'm going to be rich by the end of the week, by the end of January, lord, I'm going to be fit, I'm going to be completely well, lord, I'm going to have a brand new car outside the house. Lord, I'm going to be mortgage free. Lord, the church, lord, out there in the world of all that stuff, is telling me something different to the word. And then you'll go to certain churches in certain areas. And then you'll go to certain churches in certain areas and I won't name them because I don't want to get in trouble, but there's a few down that way, and I'm not referring so much to the ones in Swanley, I'm referring out the bigger churches. When you go out, when you go out and you start to go to the larger areas, and they'll tell you don't worry, you're gonna have a new leg in the morning, in the name of Jesus, and you'll wake up, lim, you'll wake up with the same pressure. It's like the crossover of New Year's Eve. It's just a calendar date change 24 to 25. And as soon as Big Ben struck, the hour and everyone stopped singing, old Lang's Iron and the Stella Rattori's wore off and everything wore out. Many people woke up feeling worse in 2025 than they did in the eve of 24, because the hype, the euphoria, the build-up and that's what religion and cultural church does it builds it up. It builds it up on social media, it builds it up, it builds it up and then suddenly they light the touch paper of sunday morning and everything goes off. There's fireworks, everything's happening, it's noisy, and then we walk out of church and go. I'm still the same. It's like the crossover. The only place I'm going to change is in, is in the lord's hands, is in the pot, on the potter's will as the clay. And as you look at these scriptures, look at what it says. It says everything is possible with you, but take this cup from me. I don't want to do what you're asking me to do. I don't want to do what I know that I've been brought in the world to do. I know I'm the living word and I don't want to go through any anguish. So if it is possible, take this from me. But then he answers himself because heaven's gone quiet, and he answers himself and he says yet not what I will, but that you will. Then he returns to his disciples. So there's no voice, there's no. There's no trumpet sound, there's no God revealing himself in the darkness of the gardener. It's just Jesus. Do you ever feel like God has been furloughed? God has disappeared. What about that great text in the Testaments when you hear that great, that great, powerful man of truth? And the Bible labels him and we label him, you know, as doubting Thomas. Paul labels him and we label him, you know, as doubting Thomas. And he says I don't want to hear any more about this. Jesus, I watched him die on the cross. I watched him be beaten black and blue. I watched his skin ripped off of his back. I watched him press the crown on his head, the thorns. I watched him bleed to death. I watched this king give up and pack up on the cross. And now you're telling me. You're telling me you've seen Jesus, We've seen him. He's told us one, two, three and four. And Thomas and the Bible says they're in lockdown for the fear of the outside environment. The doors are locked, the windows are locked, no one can get in. And he's in that room and he says listen, don't tell me anymore about this. Jesus. Have you ever reached a crisis point where you just want to tell the world around you don't want to hear any more about Jesus. I'm tired of listening to what he's done to you and them and they. But I'm in the garden and I think God has got tonsillitis on my watch. I think God has gone so quiet. I'm in the garden and I'm answering my own wording. If it's possible, take this cup from me, but I realize you ain't. So, whatever, take this cup from me, but okay. Have you ever prayed a prayer where you're answering the prayer? Have you ever been in a situation and you're wrestling with yourself in prayer? Jesus was in the garden and he was in anguish and his soul was broken and torn to the point of death. And he's taken his church family with him. He took the pastors and the elders and the leaders and they sat on the edge of the garden of Gethsemane on their social media account, couldn't engage what Jesus was going through. Have you ever talked to a pastor? And you probably talked to me a thousand times, and I'm away with the fairies Because we can't, as human beings, can't engage in the strain that's in your soul, your mind, your body. I can get it to a certain degree, but I will fall asleep on your watch. Trust me, I will fall asleep on your problems. I will fall asleep when you watch. Trust me, I will fall asleep on your problems. I will fall asleep when you've got to go into the garden because it's not my garden to go into, it's not my arena to wrestle with the work. We're going to turn in a moment. We're going to drop into the Old Testament in just a few moments, but as we just read our way through this, it says then he returned to the disciples and found them sleeping, simon. He said to Peter are you asleep? No, lord, we're on TikTok. And it said could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray that I will know that you will not fall into temptation. So he's actually putting it back on them. Watch and pray that you do not fall into temptation of what is on the outside environment. See the Garden of Gethsemane, the scripture that we're in at this moment. There will be people in your life that will not be able to journey with you into the garden of Gethsemane. We have to go alone and there might be people with you on the outside of the garden, but it is time to go into the garden of Gethsemane and wrestle with God and Jesus. As you look, you could call it a prayer, because he was in the garden. I'm going to take us back up to the beginning, and this is what it says in the gospel of Mark, chapter 14, verse 32. And it says there they went to a place called Gethsemane and Jesus said to his disciples, his church friends, the pastors, the leaders, the brothers, the sisters, the ones that was worshiping with him in church that Sunday, come with me, I need your help, come with me to this place. And it says he took Peter, james and John along with him and he began to be deep. This is Jesus. Jesus was deeply distressed and troubled and he said my soul is overwhelmed to the point of death. He said to them stay here and keep watch. There will be people in your life that are snoring when you're in trouble. There'll be people in your life when they'll be just on the social networks, not being able to connect with you, because there is an individual garden for every one of us in the name of Jesus, and the individual garden is the place where we do business with God, and God does not speak. In the garden of Gethsemane, god is quiet. It can be nothing more frustrating than you're speaking to this God and you're calling and you're praying and you're worshipping and suddenly heaven has gone on holiday. Suddenly God has picked up his suitcases and he's disappeared and he's nowhere to be seen. But you're in a place of complete being overwhelmed, overtired, overthinking, overexhausted, and you're crying out to God and the outside environment does not change. But then we think of that great evangelist, that great apostle. He says three times I pleaded with the Lord. Three times I pleaded with the Lord. Three times I pleaded with the Lord. But then we hear God answer, a glimmer where God clears his throat. My grace is sufficient for you, because that's when my power is made perfect, in weakness. So when I'm weak and tired and when I'm exhausted of life, that's when the scriptures come into being. The just shall live by faith, lord. Turn to Hebrews 11, verse 1. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. So now faith is. The Bible says faith comes from hearing a message, and the message is heard through the word of god. I gotta hear the word of god for that faith seed to grow. So when I go into the garden of gethsemane, I'm not worried about the three that I take with me on the journey of life, because let me tell you, there are seasons where there are people in your life that cannot cope with what god is calling you to do and the pain that you are going through and the anxiety that you are going through, they will look at you and be completely vacant. And as you look at these scriptures that we're in at this moment in time, back in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 14, it says when he returned verse 37, to his disciples and found them sleeping Simon, he said to Peter you are asleep. Let me tell you, there's people asleep on your life. There are people that are fast asleep, snoring when you are in crisis mode. There are people in your life that are really not interested in your crisis. There are people in your life that are not interested in walking with you. They would rather fall asleep than carry you through the garden of Gethsemane. But this is critical for the individual to understand. There are points in my life that I've got to go into the garden and I'm not even going to hear from God in the garden of Gethsemane. I've got to answer my own prayer. I know that all things are possible for you, God, and if it's possible, take this cup from me, but not my will. Your will be done. He gets up and he moves out and heaven has gone quiet, but there are many churches bouncing across the UK at this moment in time. There are many people down the front dressed in funny clothes, doing paintings and doing stuff and fine art and prophetic art. Where do you find that in the word? You have people running around the church, cartwheels, backflips, doing all types of things. It's not scripture. You'll have messages coming out, one after the other. You'll have people running and laying hands on you, running and laying hands on you, and you still walk out the church feeling the same. You'll have many messages. The Lord has given me a word for you, brother. The Lord has given me a word for you, sister. Well, how comes that word is different to the word that someone else gave me sitting at the back of the church. How many gods are there in this church? The only way that you'll find out what God has for you is in the word of God. The only way that you'll find out your God has for you is in the word of God. The only way that you'll find out your destiny, your purpose, is in the word. And that takes us to Jacob. We're going to go to Genesis in just one moment. You can go there before I do, but go there. And if you've had your hand in the text. This morning we're going to the Old Testament, genesis, chapter 32, and we're going to pick it up in 22. But I want to finish this text reading this text off. And it says in verse 37 of mark, chapter 14. Then he returned to his disciples and found them asleep. Don't be frightened if you find people asleep when you're in deep trouble. He said to peter, you're asleep. Could you not watch for one hour with me? Watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. Once more he went away and he prayed the same thing and it says and when he came back he found them sleeping again church all over, because our eyes are heavy, our eyes are heavy, we're tired, we're tired. And it says they did not know what to say to him. Returning a third time, he said to them why are you still asleep and resting? Three times Critical, that number three on that text. How many nows? Three nows. How many days was Christ in the tomb? Three is significant In certain areas. Jonah, how long was he in the belly of the fish? When you look at these three times, I actually believe that the three times every time he went back was for one of those nows, because when you think what he was taking upon himself, you imagine the pain, you imagine the suffering, you imagine everything that went on. Three times that happened. Let's jump up to the Old Testament. Let's run back many, many hundreds of years, from where we've been right the way back, right the way back. We're going to the book of Genesis, 32, verse 22. And it says that night Jacob got up. See, it's at night. That can be the troubling time, because when the sun's out and everything's out and running around, all is well, it's either early morning or it's. It's the watches, it's the, the breakdown in the watches through the night, that call to watches through the night, the certain times. And it says that night Jacob got up and he took his two wives, his maidservants and his 11 sons and he crossed the ford. And this is what it says after sorry, I crossed the ford, jaybrook. And it says after after he sent them across the stream, he sent all he possessed to the other side Verse 24,. Let's hang around there a moment. So Jacob was left alone. Sometimes you've got to leave materialism, Sometimes you've got to leave people, sometimes you've got to leave every area of life and you've got to push everything across the brook. You've got to push everything at arm's length. And it comes a point when you come to a stage in your life and say I've got to wrestle with this. God See, jacob was bold enough to call God down into the arena. Is the church bold enough to call God down into the arena of your life and say God, bold enough to call God down into the arena of your life and say God, I'm putting everything aside. I've pushed family, I've pushed life, I've pushed business, I've pushed money, I've pushed everything that I own to the side of my life. And now I need answers. And you find the answer that he gets he walks away from the eternal god, walking extremely different. I'm not sure about this god that I'm reading about in a minute, because the god that I'm told about he's the lord that he lifted and he will make you walk right. But in this one captured scripture it says that he struck him on the hip and he had a limp. There's a healing service for you. You go into a healing service fit as a butcher's dog. You're looking well, you wrestle with God in prayer. You come out and your hip's been displaced. I don't think we understand or I should say, not anybody else, because I'm speaking to myself. I don't think religion, I don't think the church, as in the mechanics of it, understand what the sacrifice is to wrestle with God, you've got to give something up and you've got to be prepared to walk different. So, as you look at these scriptures, as you follow this through, and it says after he sent them across the stream and he set everything over that he possessed, it says Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. Well, that's a wrestle. Imagine what that would be like to wrestle with this God until you get an answer. Wrestling with God, he said I'm not going to let you go. This is where we're at. We're not at the Joshua generation, we're not crossing any river. We're at a time where we've got to wrestle with God. We wrestle with God through the word. God, what are you calling me to, lord? I know, lord, there's anointing Lord, I know there's power in your word, but, lord, the outside environment is trying to shape me and, lord, I want to be shaped in the arena with you. Isn't it interesting that these two characters, christ and Jacob, were shaped by what they wrestled with, what you wrestle with will shape you. What you pray for will shape you. What you pray for will shape you, because when Christ prayed, if it is possible, take it from me, and he prayed that it would be removed. The redemption cup If it's possible, take this cup from me, take it from me. But sometimes we got to go through the pain barrier beyond human understanding. Sometimes we got to go through the valley of the shadow of death. Sometimes we got to go through the refiner's fire. Sometimes we got to soar on wings as of eagles. Sometimes we got to go through the dark moments. Sometimes we got to be on a ship out in the middle of the Adriatic, just as that great New Testament writer was. 14 days they was at sea and their vessel was being broken down. Sometimes the stuff around me has got to be broken down by the outside environment. And God sent an angel to him, to Paul, and the angel lands on the deck. If that was me, I would have grabbed onto that angel and said you ain't leaving this place without me, son. But the angel strengthened him and he said you will. You will have revival. No, he didn't say that you will have healing. No, he didn't say that. What did he say? You're going to go to court. Hang on a minute. What are you talking about? This man was being taken to be put in front of judges to go on trial. How many prayers do we pray? Lord, get me out of the trial, get me out of the test, get me out of the situation. I don't want to stand in front of them. Lord, I don't want this, I don't want that. But the angel came down when he was in the middle of his storm and the angel said don't worry, son, you're going to get through this. You're going to be a little bit battered. By the end of it, like answered, like that. What I would like answered. Actually, gabriel, what I would like right now is that you've come down from heaven. You're going to take me out of the storm. You're going to put me on that sunny beach over there. The judge has disappeared off the face of the earth. I haven't got to stand on trial. I'm blessed and highly favoured in the name of Jesus. No way, jose. The angel came down and strengthened him when the boat that he was standing on and sailing on was being battered. This nation is like that vessel. This nation is being battered by government, by world religions, by everything. And around us, the vessel of this nation that we are standing on, that we are sailing on, is being broken down. But God is telling you in the UK you will get through the valley. I will strengthen you. Turn to Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. But then, even though I walk through, I think we need to tell ourselves we're on a walk through, we're walking through that the shadow of death cannot touch you. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, that shadow is not going to take me out, because God has orchestrated, god has planned for me a destination, and that destination may be a very difficult destination to get to. It's not like the celebrity church where it's going to come down and you're going to be lifted up on a holy segue. You're going to float all the way to your promised land, lifted up on a holy segue. You're going to float all the way to your promised land To get to the promises of God. To get to the promises of God, you're going to have trials and tribulations To get that calling coming out of you. You're going to go through the valley of the shadow of death To get that anointing that he's promised you. It's not going to come from Peter Popoff for sending him $50, asking for a prayer cloth, and he sends you back a little bottle of chip fat oil all the way from America, like they all do, because they're snakes, let me put it like this Wolves in sheep's clothing. Don't go and buy holy oil, don't buy a prayer cloth. Don't buy anything. Put your life, invest yourself in the scripture. You don't need holy oil from America. You don't need a prayer cloth from Australia. We need Jesus here in our lives. We need the King of Kings. You don't need another word from Kenneth Copeland. Send us $50 and I'll send you my next prayer card. You need the word. You need the word of God. You don't need another word from a bishop. You don't need another word from me. We need the word of God. And Jacob was prepared to get the answer. Jacob went into the arena. David walked through the valley of the shadow of death. He wrestled bear and lion. That's a great text where David gets his anointing. His brothers was fit as butcher's dogs. They had everything swinging for him, everything. His dad just went look at my sons, they can hold it and they can fold it. Look at them. Look how handsome fold it. Look at them. Look how handsome they are. Look at them, they are fine, fellas. And the prophet went no, it ain't them, I'm afraid. And Jess went well, I've got a little old chap. He's out in the fields, bring him, bring him over. Yeah, but he's out in the fields, bring him, bring him over. Yeah, but he's looking after the sheep and he stinks a bit and he's only short and he'd be covered in everything. He wouldn't have had a shower. He don't look like this lot here. His brothers All shining, all glowing up and all beautiful with spray tanned up turkey teeth in. He won't look like this lot. And David March is over, stinking of sheep, dirty hands, probably hungry, weary and tired. What do you want, dad? What have you brought me out here for? I've just been wrestling bear and lion looking after your sheep, and you've called me to look at these. What's going on? And the prophet jumped up. He's the one. So never allow the world to say you can't, never allow the outside environment just because we don't fit in to the turkey teeth and the spray tan people. We're not meant to fit in, we're not meant to be part of the crowd. You were created to be unique and an individual. You're an Esther, you're a David. God is calling you. God is calling you. God has anointed you. And in that tent he anointed David. And David did not go to the throne. This is really, really important. When you understand when God's working in your life, you will be anointed. Smelling of dung. You'll be anointed when you're tired, when you're exhausted, when your hands are just not looking like they should look. You'll go into that place and God will bless you beyond human understanding. It won't look right, it won't feel right. It doesn't feel right. Why me, god, me, lord, I'm getting everything wrong in my life. Nothing seems to be right. And suddenly he chooses to anoint David in the public arena. Are you ready to be anointed in the public arena? Are you ready for God to reveal the next stage of your journey? And he anointed David in the tent. And where did he go? Did he go to the pulpit? Did he get his doctorate or his BA? The Bible says that he went back to the field. He went back to the arena of fighting bear and lion with anointing. He went back to the sheep that weren't bothered if he got anointed All they wanted was grass. They weren't worried. They were trying to find ways to escape. But they didn't realize because there'd be people in your life that don't realize you're carrying anointing your brothers, your sisters, your mom, your dad, your wife, your husband, your friend, your church friends. They won't realize what you're carrying because you look the same in their eyes. Because he came in the tent looking like a shepherd boy and he went out anointed but still looking like a shepherd boy. The Bible says very, very clearly who's that Jesus? Who's that Jesus? He's the carpenter's son. Don't take no notice of him. Get and hang my doors, jesus, and get on with it. Get your car off me, drive, jesus. Pick your tools up and get out of it. Who's that Jesus? See, people don't realize what God has dropped in you. People will look at you and call you all the names under the sun. They'll treat you bad. They will laugh at you and ridicule you for being a Christian and believing in miracles. They'll laugh because you've come to church and you're online. There've been many people secret Christians just on the news feed, just listening to podcasts, listening to this stuff outside of what the family and friends and culture realise, because I can't let the world know that Jesus is calling me. Let me tell you this you tell the world that Jesus is calling you. I want to tell the world that I love Jesus. I love Jesus Christ and I'm not bothered, faith's bothered. No, I love Jesus Christ. He's my saviour, he's my king. He's my king. He's El Shaddai. He's the first, he's the last. I love Christ. I believe from Genesis to Revelation. I believe in the word of God. I believe that Jesus Christ is coming back. I believe in miracles. I believe there is only one God and his name is Yahweh. I believe that the devil is real, but he has no power because he's under my feet. I believe sickness and disease can go up in the name of Jesus. I believe in the birth, the death, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I want the world to know that I am a born again, spirit filled Christian, radical Bible believing, believer for Jesus. I am not worried what the world says. I love Jesus. If you don't like it, get on your bike and disappear. I am a Christian and I believe in the word of God. My life isn't right, but God is getting me right. I'm a sinner saved by grace. When you tell the world around you because the world don't like someone being bold for Jesus, go and get your prayer cloth. Go to number 10 Downing Street your prayer mat, rather go and pray all day long. Go to number 10 Downing Street, your prayer mat, rather Go and pray all day long. The police will allow you to pray. Muslims on the towers on all the areas across the bridges in London. You can drape your Palestinian flag over the edge, but you drape a flag over the edge that says I love Jesus. Before you know it, you'll be in the clink for a few hours. If you started preaching the gospel across Tower Bridge before you even got your Bible open, you'd be in the back of a meat wagon and taken down the road. But if you are a Muslim, they'll give you a prayer mat, they'll put security around you, they'll set the microphone up, they'll let you pray up the River Thames. But if you are a Christian and you tell the world that you love Jesus, oh Lord, persecution. So when you look at this scripture, we're coming to the table. Give me five minutes. Give me five minutes if you will. And it says that night Jacob pushed everything across the brook. There's another crossover. The last few weeks we've been talking about crossovers. Christ was in the garden of Gethsemane. He was in a crossover stage of his life. We are all in different stages of life, but we're all crossing over from blessing to blessing, from glory to glory. And Jacob pushed everything. He was crossing over and he realized that materialism didn't work. Family didn't work, friends didn't work, church didn't work, pastor Ben didn't work, and he pushed them all on the other side of the brook and he went right and he'd done his trainers up and he'd done his belt tight tie and he went and found God. What a great text. He went and found God. I'm going on my own because I've got to get an answer from this eternal God. Are we bold enough to go? God, you are the God of Isaac, jacob and Abraham. You are the eternal God. You are Yahweh, jehovah, jireh. You create the heavens and the earth and I want you to step in my arena now. I want you to step into my world. I want you to show up God, because I need you more like never before. And it says he wrestled. He wrestled for hours, he sent it all over and Jacob was left alone. And it says he wrestled. He wrestled for hours, he sent it all over and Jacob was left alone. Sometimes being left alone can be really scary. David was left alone in the field, but he wasn't alone because he had anointing. You're not alone. You've got Father, son, holy Spirit with you. God is calling you to great things. Don't let your family don't, let your friends don't, let your culture don't, let pastors don't, let me, don't let anybody stop you moving forward in your calling. Find people that will help you and pray with you, that will not fall asleep on your watch. But there are many that will fall asleep on our watch. There are many that won't want to engage in what God is doing. The brothers of David they got fed up. What are you bringing him in here for Dad? Look, I've gone all the way to Turkey. I've got great teeth. I'm shining. Lord, I've been down the gym. Look, I'm pumped up, I'm ready for the wrestle. David strolls in smelling to high heaven. David strolls in smelling to high heaven, working all night, really fed up, I can imagine. Left alone in the field, the prophet jumps up to his feet. That's him, because the world around you won't recognize what's in you, the world around you won't recognize what God is going to do with you, so that the world around you you're just you. Oh, it's just Ben. Oh, yeah, all right. Yeah, see you later. He's away with the fairies, let him get on with it. That's what the world around does, because it can't engage in your anointing. So be prepared. When you tell someone your vision and your dream, they go oh, phone's ringing. Sorry about that, I'll catch you later. Be prepared when you tell someone that God has just given you a word and the scripture has come alive. Hang on a minute, I'm late for the train, I'll see you later. Be prepared when you're telling someone your vision and your dream and they're yawning oh yeah, I'm tired, fancy something to eat. Be prepared when you get that move, that power of the Holy Spirit, wherever you're in the kitchen, you're at work, you're at home, you're in a van, you're on a scaffold, you're in church, wherever you are, and you want to tell someone. And you tell someone, they go okay, yeah, right, fair enough, that's fine, we're doing tomorrow at work. Thank you very much. Bye-bye, see ya. Don't expect anything from any human being in your life when it comes to the calling over your life, because it's a calling and an individual calling for you. Now there may be many people listening going I'm not called. You are called. You're called to salvation and everything that we are called to. There is an area of Christianity that we're all called to be the same. In this area, let your light shine. Some are this, some are that, some have different callings, but we've all got the calling of salvation. Salvation has been called and salvation is on you. And the Bible says let your light shine, go into all the world. So we all have a responsibility of giving the word of God out. We don't need to go to college, you don't need to go to a great church, you don't need to go anywhere. The Bible says when you look at these scriptures, all these were written before church was birthed. Jesus said go into all the world, preach and teach, heal the sick, raise the dead. When was the last time, oh my goodness, when was the last time we went to a graveyard and we see someone pop out the earth? When was the last time we can actually say that I've seen the dead raised? The scripture says that Go and preach the message, let your light shine, preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and raise the dead. There are many in cultural churches that are fleecing people and making it and faking it in the world of healing. But the Bible says it doesn't say go to Elim's Theological College. It doesn't say go to this college. It says go into all the world, let your light shine, take the gospel of Jesus Christ, because God has anointed you to let your light shine and there are people around you that won't understand that power and authority that you are carrying. You are blessed and highly favoured. I'm going to read this through and then we're going to break the bread together. And it says there After he sent everything across, jacob was left alone. A man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him. Oh, my goodness, gracious me, jacob was not letting this go. When the man realized that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip, so that Jacob his hip, sorry was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Would God ever bring pain to me? Would God ever bring a painful situation to make me walk different? Oh, yes, indeedy, oh, yes, and God heaven, however way you want to theologically unpack that struck him on the hip and his hip was wrenched. God brought him pain, but the pain? Let me tell you something as we come to the table. Pain makes your walk different. Table pain makes your walk different. Revival makes your walk in the wrong way. There are too many fake revivals out there. Pain will make you walk different. Loss, pain, fear, doubt it will make you walk correctly according to the word. And the bible says that god struck him a man that he was wrestling with. We find the answer at the end. But jacob replied I'm not going to let you go until you bless me. Wouldn't it be great to hear the sound of church on sunday mornings? We're not coming out of this building until you bless us. I'm not going out of this building until you bless us. I'm not going to let you go until you bless me. A man asked him what is your name? Jacob? He answered. The man said your name will no longer be Jacob, it will be called Israel Because you have struggled with God. There's nothing like struggling with the eternal father. There's nothing like being in the arena shouting and screaming and holding God. What are you doing? I'm going to hold on to you. And then suddenly God goes. Add that Ben, god brought pain to his autonomy. He ripped his hip out, but he walked different, because pain will make you walk according to how God wants you to walk. And look what it says further on. But he replied why do you ask me my name? And he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel and he said it is because I saw God face to face and my life was spared. The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel and he limped because of his hip. Therefore, to this day, to this day, the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon. God brought Jacob pain to his body. Jacob walked out of God's presence, walking differently, walking differently. Pain will make you walk different. Anxiety, pain, fear will make you walk different. There's a reason why this stuff happens. There's a reason for the valley of the shadow of death. There's a reason for the garden of Gethsemane because we walk more godly of Gethsemane, because we walk more godly. Pain makes us walk more godly Revivals. We walk like clowns. Pain makes us walk closer and it makes us reflect on the pain that we have, and the pain takes us closer to God. So, as I leave us and as I bring us to the table, would God bring pain to a human being? Ask Job, ask Jacob, ask Jesus. There is one man that walked this earth. There's only been one real man, and his name was Jesus and he walked the last hours of his life in the most horrific pain you could ever imagine on earth, but he kept walking. Don't give up because you're walking in pain. When you walk in the pain, find strength to walk, because you're through a valley and God sees your pain. Maybe, maybe, god has orchestrated some form of the valley of the shadow of death. Maybe God has struck us in a way that we would walk different and the walk is painful. Maybe we're in the garden of Gethsemane, and that's the calling. Have you ever wanted to reject the calling? Jesus said I don't want it, but I can't escape it. Let's break bread. See, salvation is impossible to escape because it's given. We might wrestle, we might laugh at those that go to church. We might ridicule, we might make a joke. We might oh yeah, you've been to church. We might ridicule, we might make a joke. We might oh yeah, you've been to church. You went to church, did you? You're listening to the word of God. The strongest men and the strongest women on earth will read the word of God. Because we read the word of God when we get into a painful situation. Not always do we read the word of God when we get into a painful situation. Not always do we read the word of God. When the sun's out and it's happy days and the music is on the radio and the diesel needle is reading full and we've got McDonald's in our bellies and we feel quite well, we might not feel worth it to many of them. It's often that we call on God when we've been left alone, when we're in pain. It's often that we call on God when we can't walk right. It's often that we call on God when there's trouble and situations are bursting out. But when the sun's out it's interesting. God don't get many prayers for the summer, too much to do. The sun's out, it's shining, let's do this, let's do that. But when winter drops in the darkness of winter, winter brings loneliness. Winter brings pain. Winter brings loneliness. Winter brings pain. Winter brings isolation. Sisters and brothers, if you're in a winter, keep reading and keep walking. Don't judge life by the summertime, spring, autumn and winter and winter. You grow more in winter. You grow more in the dark days. You grow more in the gardens of Gethsemane. So, father, I pray that you will bless this bread that symbolizes the body of Christ and as we break this bread right now, we thank you that this bread symbolically represents the body of Jesus. Amen. The Bible says that he took the cup and he took the bread and he dipped it and taken it together and it became soap. He said this cup see, this is the cup that we wanted to reject in the garden. This isn't an ordinary cup, it wasn't a cost of coffee cup that we got and we keep our coffee in it. This was a cup that was called the redemption cup. So when he was in the garden, when his soul was at sorrow, this is the cup that he's referring to. Because he didn't leave the garden with a cup in his hand. He didn't pick up the cup till he sat around the Passover table and he said this cup is the new testament. This cup is symbolic to the blood. So when he was in the garden he realized and he knew, obviously, because he's God through Christ, through Colossians, chapter 1, christ is the image of invisible God. Jesus knew that he would have to pick up the cup, physically and spiritually, that he would have to go to the cross. So when he's at the Passover table, just a bit further on in the text that we've been reading, he said I've eagerly awaited, sees, his drum beat changed. But in the garden he said take it. When he was around the table he said I've eagerly awaited this. Why did he change? Coming out of the garden? Because he was shaped and he was ministered to by heavenly hosts. So you can face anything when God ministers to you. So you might be in the garden in all anguish, in all pain, but when you walk out of the garden, you're going to walk out of the garden stronger than what you went in. And Jesus said I have eagerly awaited. But not long ago he said take it from me if possible. See, even Jesus was shaped. Even Jesus was shaped in the garden. And he took the cup and he said whenever you gather in my name, take this. Cleanse us from the crown of our head to the sole of our feet, in Jesus' name, amen. There is change in the garden of Gethsemane. There is change wrestling with God on the right side of the brook. There is change through the valley of the shadow of death. There is change when we go through the refiner's fire, because when we go through the refiner's fire, when we come out the other side, we're as pure gold, because everything else has been burnt off. I pray that you will soar on wings as of eagles. I pray that you will feel the love of God in your life like never before. I pray that you will hold on to that word, the word. I pray that you will hold on and see yourself. See yourself doing the impossible. See yourself doing the impossible things of this world. See yourself in the promised land. Change your vision, change your focus. Stand up and be strong for Jesus. We're going to close on this scripture Hebrews 11, verse 1. Now, faith is being sure of what we hope for and the evidence of what we do not see. See it. See it in your spirit, see it in your life. See you're healed. See you're blessed. See everything. See the promises. See that God has anointed you. See that God is calling you. See that God is taking you to new beginnings. See it in the name of Jesus. God bless, amen.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to us today on Reverend Ben Cooper's podcast. We hope you found inspiration and guidance in today's audio. Remember the journey of faith is a continuous one and your questions and thoughts are important. You can send us a text or an email and we will get back to you. So, wherever you are around the world, thank you for listening to our podcasts and radio ministry. For more information about our ministry, please find us on pastorbencoopercouk. Please support us with prayer. Also, you can sow a financial seed into this ministry. You can also leave us a legacy to support and continue the work of this radio ministry. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with others who might benefit. Until next time, stay blessed, thank you.
