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
Faith Under Fire: Peter's Denial at the Courtyard (#1038 - Elim)
https://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/When the crowd gathers around the fire, whose voice will you listen to? In this deeply moving episode, Pastor Ben Cooper delves into the profound story of Peter's denial of Jesus in the courtyard, offering a powerful reflection on the importance of the company we keep on our spiritual journeys. Drawing from Luke 22:54-62, Pastor Ben highlights how external influences can distort our perception of Christ, urging us to carefully examine the voices we allow to shape our faith.
Key Insights from the Episode:
- Peter's Denial and the Influence of External Voices: In Luke 22:54-62, we read about Peter, a devoted disciple who vowed to die for Jesus, denying Christ three times in the courtyard. Pastor Ben uses this moment to illustrate how, even with strong convictions, we may falter in moments of fear and doubt. The "fire bin" becomes a metaphor for those places in our lives where negative external voices weaken our resolve and obscure our focus on Jesus. This powerful moment challenges us to evaluate the people and environments that influence our spiritual lives. Are we allowing them to strengthen our faith or pull us away from Christ?
- The Power of Fear Over Faith: Fear is one of the greatest challenges to maintaining a strong Christian walk. In the courtyard, Peter allowed fear of rejection and persecution to overpower his faith. Pastor Ben compares this to how external forces can cloud our faith today. Whether it's the pressure of society, relationships, or even workplace culture, fear can drive us to compromise our beliefs. Jesus warned us of such pressures, yet He showed us the way through His own example. When we place our trust in God and His word, we gain the courage to stand firm in the face of opposition.
- Jesus' Humanity and Compassion for Our Weakness: One of the most moving parts of this message is the comparison between Peter's failure and Jesus' own moment of intense emotional and spiritual struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-39). Pastor Ben highlights how Jesus, in His humanity, faced deep anguish, sweating drops of blood, yet He submitted to God's will. This portrayal of Jesus' empathy is deeply comforting for anyone dealing with fear, doubt, or spiritual struggles. Knowing that Jesus understands our weaknesses gives us the strength to persevere in our own faith journey.
- The Dangers of “Plastic People” in Religious Communities: Pastor Ben challenges us to distinguish between religious systems that seek to control and an authentic relationship with Christ. He warns against surrounding ourselves with “plastic people” who may appear supportive but lack the depth and conviction to stand firm when the heat is on. This insight calls for a deeper evaluation of who we invite into our lives and spiritual circles. Are they helping us grow in Christ or simply leading us to conform to societal pressures?
Conclusion:
Have you ever found yourself compromising your faith to fit in? Do the voices in your life strengthen or weaken your commitment to Christ? This episode offers a profound opportunity to reflect on the influences that shape our decisions and relationships. Pastor Ben’s teaching reminds us that true discipleship requires not just strong convictions but also the courage to stand firm, even when the fire of life threatens to sway us. Tune in for more life-changing teachings that bring scripture into the everyday struggles of faith.
Call to Action:
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Speaker 2:Good evening wherever you are across the world tonight. We thank you for joining us on rb christian radio and everyone that is joining us on the social networks. Wherever you are, we thank god for your lives. We're going to jump straight into the scriptures this evening. We thank you for so many people that have been listening to rb christian radio now 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as we are pushing out. You know music and podcasts, christian radio station and it's really, really encouraging to see so many listeners across the world. And for those that are with us on podcasts tonight, those that are with us on live stream at this moment in time you'll have to forgive the blurriness of the picture at this moment in time. It's the good old internet, but never mind. If you have any issues, you want to listen to us, you can grab us very, very quickly and very clear on RB Christian Radio. It's nice and crisp and it is all okay. So, wherever you are this evening, let's just jump straight into the Word of God. You know, whatever your days look like, whoever you are, wherever you are, will you join us as we jump into the Gospel of Lukeke? We're going to go to the gospel of luke, chapter 22, chapter 22, verse 54. We're going to read from verse 54 and we're going to go downtown to around about verse 62, somewhere around about there it's. You know it's about peter, uh, disowns jesus. It's a really interesting part of the story of the crucifixion and it's it's when christ is in the courtyard and, uh, for those that are with us, wherever you are at this moment in time and the title of this evening's message is very, very simple be careful who you sit with. It's really critical that we are very careful who we sit down with and who we walk with and who we have in our lives. So we're going to start reading and we're in the gospel of Luke, chapter 22, verse 54. So, wherever you are, we thank God for your lives and we pray right now that you will feel the love of God in your life. If you're worried about finances, if you're worried about mental health, if you're worried about life itself, if you're unwell tonight, we pray that you will find rest and you will find hope in christ jesus. You know, as we always do here, we say don't get to church, get to jesus. It's not about getting to church, it's not about getting to religion, it's about finding the king of kings and the lord of lords. So, wherever you are scattered at this moment in time, may the hand of god always be over you. May you rest in his presence and his love and his mercy.
Speaker 2:You know, and, uh, this season that we're in, at this moment, you know, religion is doing really, really well in the area of lent, you know, and everything that goes along with lent and all that sort of stuff. But it's not about religion, it's not about lent, it's not about, uh, everything that we hear through the wheels of religion. It's about being a jesus follower, it's about following christ, it's about being a radical, bible, believing, believer. When everything looks obscured, when everything looks like it's going against the grain of life. It's about following jesus christ and trusting him. You know faith. Faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of god. There's nothing finer than actually surrendering our lives, surrendering ourselves. It's the most difficult thing to do is to give yourself to Jesus, because first he comes into our lives. And wherever you are at this moment, may God bless you and strengthen you in the mighty name of the Savior. But God is with you wherever you are right now.
Speaker 2:Before we get into the text. I want to tell you, I want to encourage you, wherever you are listening to this through podcasts, whether you're on social networks or whether you're listening through RB Christian Radio, as we push this across the world. I want to encourage you tonight Never give up in your dream, never give up. God is with you. Don't trust anyone but Jesus Christ. Trust in God. He's the King of Kings and he is the Lord of Lords. This is a really powerful text we're in and it is an amazing piece of scripture how Peter disowned the Lord, jesus Christ. And this is religion all over. This is the religious wills doing what it knows best, but it's when Peter is in the courtyard.
Speaker 2:And tonight's title of this sermon, this study, however you want to take that, it's be careful who you sit with. It's really, really important. The people that we sit with can influence our lives in a very strong and a very powerful way, even if we don't agree with what is happening. The crowd can always lead you to the wrong side of the cross. We've got to be careful that we are not led by the crowd that takes us to the wrong side of the cross. We've got to be careful that we are not led by the crowd that takes us to the wrong side of the cross, but we've got to be led by jesus that takes us to the center of the cross. You know, this is really a very powerful time in peter's life and we're going to pick up in verse 54.
Speaker 2:So if you're with me, turn over to the scriptures. If you've got chance to open up the word of god, please open up the word of god. And again we apologize for the poor picture quality. But it's not about the picture quality, uh, it is about the audio and we believe that we are giving clear, clear, sorry, crisp audio this evening. Verse 54 it says then uh, they seized him and they led him away and they took him to the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. Be careful what that scripture says there.
Speaker 2:Peter followed at a distance, but when they uh, had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and they had sat down together, peter sat down with them and a servant girl seated there with him at the firelight. She looked closely at him and said this man was with him, but he denied it. Woman, I don't know, I don't know him. He said a little later someone else comes along and saw him and said you are one of them as well, aren't you man? I am not. Peter replied about half an hour later to an hour. Peter was sitting there around the crowd and a certain one came up to him and said Aren't you a Galilean? Peter replied man, I don't know what you are talking about. Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at him straight away. Then Peter remembered what the Lord said when he had spoken as soon as the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times. He left and he went outside and he wept bitterly.
Speaker 2:It's a really powerful scripture, you know. It's deep in theological understanding. When you look at Peter, you know be careful of the fire bin. What does that fire bin? When you look at this scripture, the fire bin represents the courtyard of life. We've got to be careful of the fire bin. What does that fire bin? When you look at this scripture, the fire bin represents the courtyard of life. We've got to be careful that the people that surround us don't influence us and try to derail us and take us away from what Christ has for us the courtyard of life. What does the courtyard of life look like in your eyes? What does the courtyard of life look like through your lens? Life look like in your eyes. What does the courtyard of life look like through your lens when, when peter was taken into this place, you know peter was in the presence of jesus, because wherever jesus is, jesus is omnipresent, omnipotent.
Speaker 2:We're in a time when religion through through lent, through this season. You know there's two types of lent. You know the one that started on the 5th of march and the one that started on the on the 3rd of march. Which one are you following? The one that started on the 5th of March and the one that started on the 3rd of March? Which one are you following? The one that started on the 3rd of March is the Orthodox one, and the one that started on the 5th is the one that belongs to religion known as the Church of England and Catholicism. You know, brothers and sisters, don't follow Lent, follow Jesus Christ, but we've got to be careful of the courtyard.
Speaker 2:The courtyard, it had doubters. In that courtyard, it had soldiers, and what else did it have? It had the religious authorities. When you look at this scripture here, it says and they took Jesus, they seized him and they arrested him. And it says that when they took him away, they led him into the house of the high priest. Jesus was in the presence of religion. Religion is extremely dangerous. Religion will take you to the cross. Religion will try to tell you that Jesus doesn't exist.
Speaker 2:And in this courtyard experience we have Peter, one of the disciples, a follower of Jesus Christ, a follower of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Just because we are followers of Jesus, there may come a point in our lives when the crowd of life sitting around the fire bin Now what's interesting about this fire bin? They were sitting around the fire. You've got to be careful who you sit around in the fire pit. You've got to be careful who you sit around in the fire pit. You got to be careful who is surrounding you. You got to be careful because the crowd can overpower you or me as a disciple.
Speaker 2:It doesn't matter how much faith we've got. It's what happens when fear comes in, because sometimes fear accelerates over faith. And what happens? Fear distorts our vision of Jesus. So when you look at Peter, he was sitting around the fire bin, the fire bin of life. The fire bin represents so much. It represents culture, family, work, university, just the trials of life. And what I find absolutely fascinating here, that Jesus already told him. I tell you that when the rooster crows on the third time, you will disown me. And he says Lord, I will die for you, I will go to prison for you. It is mentioned in the text before. It is very clear that Peter says I will die for you, I will go to prison for you. But Jesus says, jesus says when you deny me, because religion and the courtyard of life will try to take our vision of Christ away. Now, the reason Peter was in this situation, in this moment of fear, was because he was being pressed to say are you a Jesus follower? We are living in times when we've got to tell the world that we are Jesus followers. And it's not about getting to church, it's not about watching the mechanisms of religion, it's about following Jesus.
Speaker 2:The greatest, most radical thing, the most dangerous thing a Christian will ever do in their lives is to put their head above the parapet of life and tell the world that I love Jesus. I want to tell the world tonight. I want to tell the world tonight that I love Jesus. I want to tell the world tonight. I want to tell the world tonight that I love Jesus. I want to tell the world that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I want to tell the world that all is well in the mighty name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. I want to tell everybody on the social networks, I want to tell everybody across RB Christian Radio. I want to tell everybody in the world of podcasts tonight I love Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life.
Speaker 2:And I pray tonight that you, my brothers and sisters scattered across the world, when you're sitting around the fire bin of life, that none of us will allow the crowd, the crowd, because the crowd operates and the crowd pushes and the crowd manipulates and the crowd tries to get us to think different, to look different. You know, peter looked at Jesus. Imagine what that was like. Imagine how that felt. Just Jesus and Peter locking eyes across the fire bin of life, locking eyes in the courtyard, and Jesus was looking at Peter and as soon as the rooster crowed on the third time, their eyes were already engaged and Jesus knew by the stare. Jesus knew that he was going to be denied.
Speaker 2:The worst thing that we can ever do in our lives is deny Jesus. See, religion denies Jesus. Religion struggles with Jesus because, when we look at this, it was the chief priests, it was them and the officers that took Jesus to the cross. It wasn't the Roman soldiers, it wasn't the disciples, it wasn't Herod, it wasn't Pilate, it was religion. And what we have across this nation. We have a very dangerous, a very dangerous religion and it operates and it sounds like the church and it looks like the church, but it is controlled by control freaks. It is controlled by narcissistic leaders that want control over humanity. Religion has to control religion. Try to control jesus. Religion thought that it had taken jesus out, but what they didn't realize was on the third day.
Speaker 2:Isn't it interesting that there are three nows? There was three days that Christ was in the tomb and on the third day he rose. Isn't it interesting that there are three eyewitnesses, accounts of Peter disowning Christ around the fire bin. Three is very powerful. Three, you know the, the three gardens throughout the, the complete entirety of the Bible. You've got the first garden, you've got the second garden, the garden of Gethsemane, and then you've got the third garden where they lay Christ. Three is very significant in the scripture.
Speaker 2:Do you believe in the Trinity? Do you believe in the triune Godhead? How many is that? There is three Father, son, holy Spirit. How many gardens was there in the scripture? We got the first garden. We got the garden of Eden. Then we got the second garden, the garden of Gethsemane, that I call the 50-50 garden, where Jesus was.
Speaker 2:In the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus Christ had a bit of a I'm going to use this terminology he had a moment of doubt. He had a moment where his mind and his brain and everything through his cognitive processing kicked in and he said Father, if it is possible, is there another way? Is there another way out of this? It's very, very important to understand, for myself to know, that Jesus Christ suffered a time in his life where his mental health overtook what he believed. Yes, I said that, I actually said that.
Speaker 2:When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he said and the Bible tells us very clear that Christ suffered extreme sorrow. He suffered extremities of fear and doubt and worry and everything that went along with that. He is the king of kings and he is the lord of lords, but jesus christ being fully god, fully man, fully king, fully savior, the savior of the world was in the 50 50 garden, the garden of gethsemane, the garden of doubt, the garden of fear, the garden of uncertainty, the garden of unp, the garden of fear, the garden of uncertainty, the garden of unpending death. Jesus was facing death, christ was waiting. Christ knew that this was coming down the line of his life. Jesus knew that he had to go through the garden.
Speaker 2:And for every one of us we have many garden experiences where we've got to go in the garden when it's just me and Christ and the Father and the Holy Spirit. Are you having one of those garden experiences at this moment in time where you're unsure? It's the 50-50 feeling. It's a time of Lord. What is going to happen next?
Speaker 2:And Jesus experienced what we call escapism. Jesus wanted to escape the 50-50 garden, the garden of Gethsemane. So three is critical. We talk about three crosses. We talk about three days that Christ is in the tomb.
Speaker 2:We talk about the three gardens. The first garden, the garden of Eden, where humanity lost it at the very beginning of Genesis. You know that garden where God created that beautiful garden. It was lost in the garden. And Jesus is in the 50-50 garden, that place of uncertainty but sure, certain hope, because, he says the scriptures have got to be fulfilled. But even though it is a garden of escapism, a garden of uncertainty, a garden of fear, jesus Christ, it says that he sweated droplets of blood. The Bible is telling us something here that Jesus, in the most darkest and the most awfulest time of his life, the Bible says that he was sweating droplets of blood. It's really important to understand that science and chemistry and the pharmaceutical world, so to speak, and the clinical world recognizes that when a human being reaches extremities of fear, you know you can sweat droplets of blood. So this second garden, this garden in the word of God, where Christ was, it was a place of fear, it was a place of doubt, and Jesus Christ hit times of sorrow and pain and doubt and uncertainty, hit times of sorrow and pain and doubt and uncertainty. But then we talk about on, the scripture reverts to the third garden, where joseph of arimathea and we, we talk and the scripture tells us about uh, nicodemus. Nicodemus and joseph are the ones that that carried jesus's christ body to the, to the lay that the place of, of laying rest, to the third garden.
Speaker 2:So when we look at all these scriptures that we're in at this moment in time, it wasn't the Roman soldiers that wanted to crucify Jesus, it wasn't the disciples, it wasn't the culture in the surrounding area. What it actually was, it was religion, because religion cannot surrender. Religion cannot surrender and religion was surrounding Peter in the garden at this particular point because they come out of the garden of Gethsemane and Peter was led with Christ was a very interesting place in scripture. It was a place of authority. It was a place where religion sat. It was a place where religion dwelt. It was a place where religion took control, but what it didn't realize is that it really wasn't taking control of Jesus.
Speaker 2:But what we are looking at is we are looking at the mechanisms of religion, trying and thinking that religion can control Jesus. Let me tell everyone at this moment in time, no one can control Jesus. If you are looking at the area and I don't like to frame it and to word it like this Jesus is never controlled. But what Jesus is? He is submissive to the power of the word of God, so he is not controlled. He comes to a place of being placed into an area of his life where he is coming under, the area of submission. Submission is very, very interesting when you look at the word submission, he is allowing the word of God, which is the word of Christ.
Speaker 2:Because if you are with me tonight and if you were to turn the Bible open to the gospel of God, which is the word of Christ, because if you are with me tonight and if you were to turn the Bible open to the gospel of John, john chapter one, verse one in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning. So when we talk about this triune Godhead, when we talk about this savior, we are not looking at religion, but religion took him to the cross. Now, what is religion doing at this very hour? What is religion doing in the UK at this moment in time? Religion is trying to control Christianity. Religion cannot control Christianity.
Speaker 2:Christianity is a very simple terminology. What does it actually mean? It means Christ in me, wherever you are. If you're feeling unwell tonight, I believe God is healing you Wherever you are. If you're a doubt tonight, I believe God is removing your doubts. If you are worried about money, I believe God is making a way where there is no way. Whatever is going on in your life, I pray that the power of the Holy Spirit, as you are seated around the fire bin, will not look at the crowd and allow the crowd to dictate the walk that you have with Jesus, because the crowd that was around Peter and the crowd that was around Jesus, as their eyes locked, peter said in the earlier text. He says I will not deny you, I will go to prison, I will die for you. But when his back was against the wall, when he was in this certain situation and he looked at the crowd and he looked at religion and he looked atians to control the way that he was thinking, the way that he was thinking was actually, if I tell these people in my life at this moment in time, if this is what they're doing to Jesus, what will they do to me? It's really, really interesting.
Speaker 2:In a place of extreme fear, the human being reacts very different to what the heart is in control of. So when we find ourselves in a very fearful position, we put ourselves in the fight or the flight, and then suddenly we become this person because fear and adrenaline and the chemical makeup of the human being is trying to get us out of a situation. Has fear ever frozen? You is trying to get us out of a situation. Has fear ever frozen you? Has fear ever taken your eyes away from Jesus? Has fear ever taken you to a place of uncertain territory? See, this is what happened to Peter, what we find with Peter. Peter was a disciple, and just because I'm a disciple, does that actually mean that I will die, I will deny Christ? It depends on the situations, because we do not know what is in front of us. So when you look at these scriptures, it's extremely clear to understand that Peter hit these points of fear, and fear will do whatever it's going to do to the human being.
Speaker 2:Brothers and sisters, wherever you are across the world, I want to encourage you to keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep your eyes on Jesus Now. Peter kept his eyes on jesus and if you have a bible, if you turn to hebrews uh, chapter 11 if you turn to hebrews, chapter 11, verse 1, it says now faith, now faith. But hebrews also, in chapter 13, says keep your eyes on jesus, the author and the perfecter of your faith. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of your faith. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Hebrews 11, verse 1 says now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. See, faith is the evidence of calling the things that are not as though they are.
Speaker 2:But what Peter done and what he allowed was the outside environment. And what was the outside environment? The outside environment was intimidation. We got to be careful of intimidation. Intimidation can come from family. Intimidation can come from friends. Intimidation can come from the culture. Intimidation can come from school. Intimidation can come from social networking. We got to be careful of social network, because social network can control our lives, and what we cannot allow is social network to control us. Because what does social network do? It controls our feelings and our emotions. It doesn't control our faith.
Speaker 2:It's very interesting. What does culture do? Culture controls our feelings. It doesn't control our faith, culture and life and every area of life. It controls our emotions. See, faith is completely different to emotions. Faith is not connected to emotions, because faith is not of this natural realm. But when you look at the word of god, it is very, very clear, and it is very, very on point at this moment in time to actually mention that faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of god. So faith is the opposite to to knowledge, and what I'm referring to? Knowledge and education. What I've got to actually get to the point to understand, as a believer in Christ Jesus, that I need to understand that my faith needs to be higher than the outside environment. I've got to make sure that the people around me do not intimidate me to change my vision and my focus on the circumstances that I am in around them.
Speaker 2:So when I look at Peter at this particular time in his life, peter was surrounded by the crowd and the crowd was taking Jesus to the cross. It's very interesting. This fire pit, this fire bin. We got to be careful who we sit around with at the fire bin of life and Peter was allowing the conversation of the non-believers and the different culture that was around the bin to control his destiny. Are we allowing people that we sit around the fire pit of life in the courtyard of life? Are we allowing the outside wording? Are we allowing the outside religious areas of life to control us? We allowing the outside religious areas of life to control us? Are we allowing the outside world because Peter was in the presence of the king, but just because we're in the presence of the king. So often the outside environment allows us to be controlled. It controls us. The outside environment can be a very dangerous place to be. I've got to be careful that I don't allow the outside environment.
Speaker 2:Now, that can be religion, that can be work, that can be family, that can be husband, that can be wife, that can be children, that can be culture. And a big controller to many of us is money, the lack of, because we think that God needs money to get his work and to get you to where he needs to be. You know, what we require is faith. There is nothing more powerful than faith. There is nothing more powerful than the word of God. When we realize that money is not required to see the power of God, when I realize that education is not required to see the power of God, when I realize that education is not required to see the power of God, when I understand that notoriety has nothing to do with the power of God, when I understand culture will hold me down. Every one of us is birthed into a culture. Every one of us has a geographical place that we are birthed.
Speaker 2:What I cannot allow is the postcode of life to hold me down in a certain environment, where I live, where I go to school, where I work, where I do this and where I do that. I cannot allow that, because what that does it makes me kin to. I cannot be kin to. What do you mean? I cannot be joint and I cannot partner in the outside environment. Because this is what Peter done in his life. He allowed the outside environment, he allowed the outside world, he allowed religion, he allowed the authoritarians, he allowed the soldiers to dictate to what his lips were about to say.
Speaker 2:Earlier on in the text, when it was just him and Jesus, it was really, really interesting what the scripture was saying. Peter said I will die with you. I will go to the cross with you. I will do everything, I will fight for you. I will go to prison with you. I will do everything I need to do. I will protect you. Jesus, I will not deny you.
Speaker 2:But when the outside environment suddenly starts to get heavy, when the outside environment starts to get strong, when suddenly we feel that we are outnumbered, have you ever reached a time in your life where you felt outnumbered? This is what's happening to Peter. Be careful who you sit with Now. This is the title of the sermon tonight, the podcast, the study, wherever you want to look at that, that is the title of what we are looking at. Be careful who you sit with, because Peter chose to sit with unbelievers, with people that did not believe. Peter sat with the religious authoritarians. Peter sat down with the soldiers. We've got to be extremely careful who we sit with in life. We've got to be careful who we walk with, because the outside language will determine what we think and how we react to a situation.
Speaker 2:Peter reacted to the situation not in faith. He reacted to the situation in fear because what he allowed himself to do was to be controlled by the outside environment. The outside controlled what he see in front of him. He had Christ right in front of him on the other side of the courtyard. Jesus Christ was in vision and in eyeshot of Peter. But Peter denied Christ. Why was that? What was the key? What was the reason? We understand, you know, we got a good understanding why he denied Jesus because fear overtook him. And when fear overtakes us, what does fear do? Fear makes us react in a completely different way to faith.
Speaker 2:When the disciple jumped out of the boat and he said Lord, if that is, you call me and I will walk on the water. You know, each and every one of us is called to walk by faith and that disciple that jumped out of the boat, he was called to walk by faith. I want to encourage you, wherever you are. If you are sailing on the vessel of life and the wind and the waves are against you and you feel like the storm of life is beating down on every door, in every area of your life, don't look at the storm, look at the King, look at Christ. But when you look at Christ, do not allow ourselves to look at Jesus in the way of fear, because fear will give us an obscured vision of Jesus Christ, because that's what happened to the disciples on the boat. He said Lord, if that that's, you tell me and I will walk. If that is you, jesus, because what he was allowing to happen was the outside again, the outside storm, the outside environment. The waves were controlling the vessel in which that they were sailing in.
Speaker 2:What is controlling our lives at this moment in time? Are we allowing people to control us? Are they controlling us in such a way that they are ramping up a storm and it is changing our vision and our focus. Do not take your eyes off Jesus in the storm. Do not take your eyes off of Jesus in the courtyard. Now, peter did not take his eyes off of Jesus, but what he did in the courtyard, he spoke words of disbelief. I do not know that man. What are you talking about? No, I was not with Jesus, because that's what the devil wants with Jesus. Because that's what the devil wants. He wants us to deny Jesus in the storm. The devil wants us to deny Jesus at the fire bin of life. When everybody around us, everyone gathering around us, when everyone gathers around us, when we are in the darkest time of our life, when fear is coming in, when doubt is on every level, when you've got people around you telling you what they think of you, when people have surrounded you trying to control you by the outside environment. Don't allow the giants of life to control your faith. Don't allow the size of Jericho to distract you from what God has for you. Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Speaker 2:The Bible says in Hebrews, chapter 13,. It is very, very clear. It talks about that chapter 12 and also Hebrews 11. Let's turn to Hebrews 11. I just want to bring a reference to Hebrews 11. Let me just see if I can quickly turn to Hebrews 11. You know, if you've got a Bible, wherever you are, reference to Hebrews 11. Let me just see if I can quickly turn to Hebrews 11. You know, if you've got a Bible, wherever you are, turn to Hebrews 11. Now I'm going to reference a couple of scriptures that's really really important and I'm going to. I might go over to Hebrews 13, but I'm definitely going to reference chapter 12. But I just want to take us to Hebrews 11, verse one.
Speaker 2:Now, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at the command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. That is a powerful scripture. If you're still with me, wherever you are across the world tonight, can you turn to the book of hebrews, chapter 12, and I to take us to verse two? And it says there let's fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith. This is really important that I've got to fix my eyes on Jesus. But as I fix my eyes on Jesus, I've got to be extremely careful that when I fix my eyes on Jesus, that as I look at the word, as I see the word in front of me. Now, peter, he see the word.
Speaker 2:Christ is the living word. Christ is the truth, the way and the life. Jesus is the most high priest, he is the king of kings, he is the Lord of lords, he is the great I am. He is the king of kings, he is El Shaddai, he is the, the redeeming king. He is the coming king. He is the savior of the world. His blood was shed on the cross of calvary. It is jesus.
Speaker 2:I keep my eyes on jesus and we may say to ourselves that we didn't and we don't have the privilege of the disciples to actually have the autonomy and the physicality of christ in front of us. But what we have is we have faith, the seed of faith that has been deposited in your innermost being. So faith is greater than vision. This is exactly what happened to the disciples, because they didn't really have faith. They had vision. But what we have now? We have faith and we don't have vision, because we cannot see the autonomy, the physicality, the body of Christ. So what we have is we have faith and we don't have vision because we cannot see the autonomy, the physicality, the body of christ. So what we have is we have faith. Faith is very, very clear what it says in the new testament faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of god.
Speaker 2:If I allow myself, to be controlled by the outside environment and peter was controlled by the outside environment. Because why and how do you know he was controlled? Because Peter was controlled by the outside environment, because why and how do you know he was controlled? Because he was controlled by what he was controlled by words. Words are extremely powerful. Words are powerful if you listen, if I listen to the words that come around the fire bin of life, if I allow the words of Goliath to dictate to me, if I allow the words of Goliath to dictate to me, if I allow the words of the controllers in my life, if I allow the words from the outside fire pit of life, if I allow those words from the courtyard of life to dictate to me, it will take me away from Jesus. It will make me deny Jesus. How do I deny Jesus? It is very simple to deny Jesus, I don't actually need to say anything, it's by my actions. You know, actions are really really powerful. Actions are critical.
Speaker 2:Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of God. The Bible says it is impossible to please God without what Religion. What does it say? It is impossible to please God without faith. I need faith. Faith is critical.
Speaker 2:So, whatever you are sitting in, whatever you are standing around, whatever is going on in your life, if you are in the fire bin of life, if you are surrounded by a crowd, if you've got someone to the left and to the right, to the front and the back, that is trying to get you and trying to you, to get you to deny jesus, I pray that christ will keep your eyes and my eyes focus on jesus, the king of kings and the lord of lords. It is critical. We're going to come in just a few moments. We're going to come to the breaking of bread. We're going to come, uh, to the redemption cup. We're going to take this cup. We're going to have a few moments just knowing prayer in just a few moments.
Speaker 2:But wherever you are, it's critical to realize that all of us are sitting around a fire bin of life, and there are many of us that are sitting around the fire bin of life, the courtyard of life, with people that are trying to get us to react, not from the word of god, but to react through the voice of fear. We cannot allow the courtyard of despair. We cannot allow the courtyard of religion, the courtyard of education, the courtyard of the lack of the courtyard of culture, the courtyard of church. We cannot allow the outside to change our vision and our focus of Jesus. There will come a time when we will spend many hours sitting around the fire bin. When we sit around the fire bin, what is the conversation around the fire bin? He heard the voice. He heard the voice. They were saying to him you are a Jesus follower, I see you with him. He denied him.
Speaker 2:There are people in our lives that are trying to get us to deny Jesus. There are people in our lives that are trying to get us to react because they want to control. Are there people in your life that are trying to control you? Are there people in your life around the fire bin, around the courtyard? Are there people in your life around the fire bin, around the courtyard? Are there people in your life trying to get you to react to the opposite of what the Bible says. Are there people in your life that are trying to control you? How many people that are around you that are for you? How many people that are in your life that are encouraging you?
Speaker 2:Be careful of the plastic people on social media. Be careful of the plastic people in your life. Be careful of the controllers that are on social media and are in your family and at work and at school and are in church. Be careful of the religious plastic people. What do you mean? Plastic? Because when the fire gets hot, when the fire comes in, when the fire starts to burn, when the temperature starts to rise, plastic cannot withstand the flame. There are many people in my life, there are many people that surround me that are very plastic and they will melt in the intensity of the battle of life.
Speaker 2:You take a metal knife, you take a metal fork, you take a plastic fork and a plastic knife. They both do the same thing, but if one of them gets too hot, one of them will melt. That's the same with people in our lives. People around you will melt when trouble comes in. Brother and sister, wherever you are across the world, we want to encourage you to break bread and to take this cup with us right now. We are coming to the table. We are at the table. You know time is critical tonight and we want to tell you, wherever you are across the world, watch out for the plastic people, watch out for those that are sitting around the fire bin, because plastic will melt around the fire bin.
Speaker 2:You've got to be careful who you surround yourself with. It looks good when the sun's out. They send you the nice text, they send you this, they send you that they sit with you in church, they're with you at work, they're with you in school, but actually are they really for you? You've got to be extremely careful every one of us that the people we allow into the circle of our life, because the people that we allow in will influence us in many ways in life. And when we allow people into the circle and around the fire bin of life, we've got to be careful of those that are really can speak a good bit of speak, because Peter was surrounded by people that was telling him and Peter allowed the people around him to dictate his version of his faith.
Speaker 2:Don't allow people in your life to change your vision of Jesus. Religion will change anyone's vision, because religion distorted the vision that Peter had. His eyes were locked, he was locked to Jesus. Jesus was locked to him. But the fire bin situation the fire bin represented fear, represented the unknown, uncertain days. When you are sitting around the fire bin and there are people around you trying to distort you and trying to get your eyes off of the word of God, keep your eyes on Jesus, even if it looks fearful, even if it looks impossible, even if it doesn't line up. Don't allow the situation to keep your eyes off of the King.
Speaker 2:We're at the table, father, in the name of Jesus. We come to the table right now and we thank you, god, that you are the King of kings and the table father in the name of Jesus, we come to the table right now and we thank you, god, that you are the king of kings and the lord of lords. And lord, I ask you that you remove all the people around me that will melt in times of extreme heat. And, lord, I can see, lord, that you've already done that in many ways and I pray, lord, that you will remove all those fake people from our lives that are trying to keep us trapped, trapped in the courtyard of life. Lord, will you remove those people that are trying to distort our vision of Jesus, spirit of the living God? Will you move in our lives? Father, we thank you for this bread, that it symbolizes the body of Christ. And as we break bread together right now, in the name of Jesus, spirit of the living God, I pray right now, lord, that the power of God and the love of Jesus will be so strong over each and every one of us. I pray, father, that the love of Christ will strengthen us.
Speaker 2:But, lord, as Jesus was in the courtyard for us, jesus was in the courtyard for me. He was in the courtyard for us. Jesus was in the courtyard for me. He was in the courtyard for you. Christ stayed in the courtyard even when the disciple betrayed him. Even when the disciple left him, jesus stayed true to the scripture. He said the scriptures are going to be fulfilled. The scriptures have got to be fulfilled. You might feel, feel like christ, that you're walking this path when you've been deserted by family, by friends, by culture, by life, by everything. You may feel that you've been deserted. And as we break bread together right now, bless this bread, enrich our lives with your word. Enrich our hearts.
Speaker 2:Brother and sister, I want to tell you something that the church won't tell you this it's not about getting to church. Don't go to church. Find Jesus. Find Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Jesus is absent from religion and he's not in the majority of the churches in the UK. Jesus Christ owns a kingdom that is so far removed from religion and the church. Find Jesus. If you're at home tonight and you're worried and you're troubled, don't come to church. Go to Jesus, grab. You're at home tonight and you're worried and you're troubled, don't come to church. Go to Jesus. Grab yourself a Bible.
Speaker 2:If you need a Bible, and wherever you are across the world, we will get you a Bible. Wherever you are across the world, just find us on the social networks. You can find us through RB, christian Radio. You can leave us a message. You can find us on all the social network. If you need a Bible, we will give you a Bible free. We will pay the postage, the packaging. We will pay everything it takes to get you a Bible. We want to give you a Bible. Wherever you are tonight, we will give you a Bible. You don't need to send a pound, you don't need to send anything. We will get you a Bible.
Speaker 2:So will you join us right now as we break bread, father, we thank you that this bread symbolizes the body of Christ. And as we sit around the fire bin, as we sit around the fire bin, spirit of the living God, break fear in us tonight. Break doubt in us tonight. Break worry tonight, lord. Break the worry tonight, lord. Break the worry of money, the lack of money, the not having Can't get our hands on. Break the fear, spirit of the living God. Bless this bread In Jesus name. Amen.
Speaker 2:Father, we thank you. We thank you for this cup. That is all power, that is all life. We thank you for the blood of Jesus. We thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit. Your word is yes and amen. You are the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Spirit of the Living God, we come to you right now, lord. Lord, will you strengthen us Wherever we are, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. We thank you for your power. We thank you for your word. Now, lord, as we take this cup right now, we thank you, father, that this cup symbolises the blood of Jesus. Wherever you are, wherever you are tonight, don't get yourself to church, get yourself a Bible. Get yourself in the kingdom. Get yourself, tell the world around you that you are a braggadocious, bible-believing believer, that you believe in Scripture. Father, we thank you that this cup symbolizes the blood of Jesus. Strip us back, lord. Bring us to a place of rest. Cleanse me so. Wherever you are now, whether you're on radio, whether you're listening through podcasts, whether you're on the social networks, grab yourself just a bit of grape juice. Grab yourself something, just anything, that symbolizes the blood of Jesus. Dear God and Heavenly Father, will you cleanse me from the crown of my head to the sole of my feet? I love you, jesus. Cleanse us, amen. Do we realize that there is power in the blood? Do we realize that there is power in the blood of Jesus? He is the way, he is the truth, he is the life, he is the great I am. The scriptures that we have been in tonight has been in the gospel of Luke, chapter 22, verses 54 through to 62.
Speaker 2:The title of this evening's message, this podcast, is be careful who you sit with, because those that you sit with can influence your life, even if you're a disciple of Jesus, even if Christ is with you. Be careful who you sit with. Watch out for religion. Watch out for the do-gooders. Watch out for those that are using culture to come against you. Watch out for those at school, at work. Watch out for those in your family. Watch out for those religious leaders. Watch out for those that are in church that have a different vision for your life.
Speaker 2:Do not allow the outside environment. Do not allow the outside environment to dictate to you. You might be like Peter tonight. You might be sitting around the fire bin of life. You might be sitting in that position tonight and it feels intense. You might be sitting around that fire tonight and you can feel the intensity of the fire bin of life. But don't allow the naysayers, don't allow the foxes, according to the word. Don't allow those dogs, those mutilators of the flesh, to detract you from what Jesus has for you. Focus on Jesus.
Speaker 2:We're going to come to the close of the service. We've got about four minutes left. I pray for each and every one of you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Father, we come to you at the close of this service and, father, as we bow down in the presence of the King, father, as we bow down in the presence of the Holy Spirit as we rest our hearts tonight, father, if we are seated around the fire bin, lord, we pray for stillness. We pray for the power of God. We pray that the Holy Spirit will lead us in paths of righteousness For his namesake. Father, we are blessed in Christ and Lord. As we come to the close of this service, we pray that the spirit of the living god, we pray that the spirit of the living god, will lead us in paths of righteousness for his namesake. We're at the end of the service. We've just got a couple of minutes before we have the lord's prayer, before we hear the lord's prayer coming across the airways. May god bless you and strengthen you.
Speaker 3:In Jesus' name, amen, let us pray. Dear God, I come to you with a heavy hearted and realised and realized mind. You are my struggle, even when no one else does. Please bring peace to my thoughts and comes to my heart. Your words say in Luke 4, verse 18, that you'll come to my heel and help me and help me be battled. Lord, I ask you to heal me tonight. Take my anxiety away from me, my fear and my weight. I feel I feel fit for me in peace and strength. Help me to remember that I am out, not out alone. You're with me, by my side, you're my helpful, you're my strength, you're my guidance, you're my heart. Please give me strength and give me guidance for all over the world.
Speaker 2:In Jesus' name, amen, amen. Father, we just pray for everyone that is scattered across the world and wherever we are at this moment in time. Father, we pray for such an outpouring of your spirit over our lives. We pray for mental health, we pray for fear, we pray for doubt. We pray for the love of god. We just pray, father, that you will strengthen us right now, lord, and we're going to come to the Lord's Prayer. And wherever you are across the world, we pray that the Holy Spirit will lead you in paths of righteousness. God bless you can carry on listening to the worship on RB Christian Radio. As we switch over in just a few moments from this live stream service, we're going to be, uh, taking out the service right now with the Lord's Prayer. God bless you, wherever you are, in jesus name, amen do you actually know what's coming up on the schedule?
Speaker 3:no, what's coming up, alex? Um, we have got um the country one coming up next country.
Speaker 2:So stay tuned for a bit of country music, you know, and, uh, stay tuned to rb, christian radio. Wherever you are across the world. May God bless you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Speaker 4:I invite you to say the Lord's Prayer with me, our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us of our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. 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.
