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
5. - Called But Scared. - (PBC@05).
https://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/The journey of faith is rarely straightforward, and the tension between divine calling and human fear stands as one of its most profound paradoxes. In this deeply encouraging podcast, Pastor Ben Cooper explores the liberating truth found in Luke 1:30-33, where fear doesn't disqualify us from our purpose; it affirms that we're human. When the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, announcing that she would bear the Savior of the world, her immediate reaction was fear. But God's response was clear: "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God."
This pivotal moment in Scripture reveals an essential truth about the Christian journey: fear and calling often coexist. Fear does not signify spiritual failure or a misunderstanding of God’s purpose for our lives. On the contrary, it often highlights our humanity and our dependence on God. When we look at biblical characters such as Moses, Gideon, and even Jesus Himself, we see that they, too, wrestled with fear when faced with divine assignments. It was not their fearlessness that set them apart, but their willingness to remain faithful despite their fears.
Many believers today experience the same fear when answering God's call, whether it's stepping into church leadership, sharing the gospel in a secular world, or simply following Christ more closely. For some, the fear of the unknown or of being judged by society can be overwhelming. However, the presence of fear does not invalidate our calling. Just as faith and fear can coexist in the same spiritual soil, obedience to God's Word in the face of fear can lead to powerful transformation.
The Paradox of Fear and Faith
In Matthew 14:29-30, the story of Peter walking on water provides a profound lesson for believers. Peter successfully walked on water when he focused on Jesus, but as soon as he became distracted by the storm, he began to sink. This powerful metaphor teaches us that while faith in God is essential, fear will often try to distract us from the path ahead. The question is not whether we will face fear, but whether we will keep our eyes on Christ through the storm.
The ability to overcome fear is closely tied to where we place our focus. Fear only has power when we allow it to overshadow our trust in God. Divine intervention occurs when we recognize that God’s plans for us are far greater than our human limitations. As Romans 8:28 reminds us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Stepping into Your Purpose
The more daunting the calling, the greater the faith required. If you could accomplish your divine mission through your own strength, it wouldn’t require God’s supernatural intervention. Whether you're called to ministry, a mission field, or to serve your community, the first step in embracing your calling is acknowledging that God equips the called, even when fear tries to paralyze us.
Are you afraid but called? You are not alone. Every believer who has answered God’s call—whether it’s to serve, speak, or act—has experienced moments of doubt and fear. Yet, as Mary found, and as the Bible shows us through countless examples, God’s response to our fear is one of reassurance and favor.
Take heart: God does not call the equipped, but equips the called. Faith overcomes fear when we trust in God’s ability to do the impossible. Remember, fear does not disqualify you; it is often the v
https://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/
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Speaker 2:Thank you again for joining us wherever you are across this world, whatever material you've got in your hands at this moment in time. We are so blessed that you're with us on this podcast. But not only is it a podcast. We are in chapter five of this book, series of fear. You know we've had the four before. This have been really, really interesting, and we're just looking at fear and how powerful fear is. We've looked at Jesus, we've looked at the different types of fear and everything that goes along with fear itself.
Speaker 2:The Bible is very, very clear how it talks about fear and how it teaches about coming against fear. You know we're in chapter five of this book and if you're reading this right now, you might be having a bit of an issue with fear in your life and I pray that you will find rest and peace. You might be listening to this podcast across the world or on radio, wherever you are. We're in chapter five and this is podcast five in the series of fear, you know, and the title of this chapter is called but scared. Called but scared. It's a very interesting, uh, terminology. Called, isn't it? You know we're all called, each and't it? You know we're all called, each and every one of us is called. We're called to be Bible-believing believers. John 3, 3,. You must be born again. We're called to the kingdom of God. We're not talking about church, we're talking about being a follower of Jesus. Each and every one of us is called, but when we're called we're still human beings. So through the way that life is now, let's just unravel this a little bit. So we're human beings. We go to work, we live our lives, bringing families up. You know living, working, eating, drinking, sleeping, all that sort of stuff, you know. But fear is such a powerful emotion, going through bereavement, through loss, through business, through this, through that. You know, fear is a very interesting emotion and and it hits every color, every tribe and every tongue. So you might be at school. You might have issues with fear. You might be in a relationship that you're fearful of that relationship. You might be in a church that you're fearful to pray out. You might be going on your first sermon this weekend and you've got to preach. You might be a little bit fearful of that Fear sermon this weekend and you've got to preach. You might be a little bit fearful of that. Fear is everywhere Business, school, academics, life itself, worried about money.
Speaker 2:You know we've covered this on many, many podcasts before and as we're in this series chapter five and podcast five it's really beautiful to know that Jesus went through a stage in his life where he feared and we covered that in four. And these quick-fired podcasts, these quick chapters, are literally just laying a blanket out. We are not going into full depth, we're just laying a fleece out, so to speak. We're just pushing it out there. But each and every one of us is called. We're called to salvation. The Bible says work out your salvation with fear and trembling. So there are a couple of different areas of fear the fear of God and the fear of life itself. You know the Bible is extremely clear Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. So this one that we're in at this moment in time, chapter five of the fear series and whether you're listening through podcast, through radio, we welcome you here and as you have this read, we want to let you know that every one of us, every one of us in this studio, every one of us in ministry, everyone around us, we all suffer with fear because it's part of the makeup of being a human being and Christ experienced that. But now we're going to quickly. We're going to look at someone that was called, but she was scared.
Speaker 2:Let's turn to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, verses 26 through to 38. Who is it speaking about? It's speaking about Mary Jesus' mum. Podcast 4, chapter 4, we looked at and that was about Jesus being fearful. Was Jesus scared? Did he hit points in his life? We understand that, but now we're going to look from, uh, mary's understanding. Now there's no way on this earth that we can get anywhere near this. But she was called, but yet she was fearful. She had a calling and the angel came down and he had a, a chat with her, so to speak, according to the word of god. So if you've got a bible in front of you or if you're reading this literature at this moment in time, I just want to read it out and we're going to pick it up in Luke 1, verse 29.
Speaker 2:It says Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting might this be? But the angel said to her Do not be afraid, mary, because you have found favor with God. There was clear instruction to Mary. Now, have found favor with god. There was clear instruction to mary. Now, let's back up a moment. Verse 26, same chapter.
Speaker 2:Luke chapter 1 in a six month, god sent an angel gabriel, to nazareth, to a town in galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named joseph, a descendant of david. The virgin's name was mary verse. The angel went up to her and he said greetings, you are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Now, just because you've got a calling over your life, we must try and unravel this very, very quickly, because time does not permit Calling Now.
Speaker 2:We're not talking about calling to pulpits, we're not talking about calling to ministries, we're just talking about generally being calledits. We're not talking about calling to ministries, we're just talking about generally being called. Each and every one of us has been called by the father, the son, the holy spirit. Each and every one of us has salvation on our lives. And even just recognizing that we are children of the most higher and we are bible believing believers, it brings a fear to that itself. Because the Bible says very, very clearly work out your salvation with fear and trembling. So that is a given in there. So if you're at work, if you're in school, if you're at home, you'll be in a large family. A small family, you're in certain cultures, certain colors, this, that and everything that goes along with that.
Speaker 2:Sometimes it can be quite fearful talking about. I went to church yesterday, sunday morning. I went to church. Now the calling that mary had was the greatest calling I would ever say that a human being could have. Now we're not looking at christ, we're looking at mary. So when you look at mary, mary was called to carry the living word. What a calling that was. So when that angel came down and he greeted her and he said don't be troubled, don't be fearful.
Speaker 2:Now we understand that Mary Jesus's mom, at the first point of her calling she experienced fear because he told her don't be afraid. So have you been called lately? Now I'm just going to jump on the fence a little bit, a bit further up the line here now. I am referring to ministry. At this moment time, is god calling you, uh, to a call in to plant a church somewhere? God calling you to a mission? Is god calling you to some form of chaplaincy, a pastor or whatever that may be? If God is calling you now, that can make you feel very, very unsettled. Why will it make me feel unsettled? It will bring fear, because it brought fear very clearly to Mary. Mary's journey was a fearful journey.
Speaker 2:Now you have found favor in the eyes of God. I have found favor in the eyes of God because the Bible is extremely clear who he finds favor with, favor drops on, and amongst favor is salvation and the purity and the love of God. But with all that there is a responsibility, with the responsibility of being a Christian. There brings this drumbeat, this fear rhythm, you know, because we are not called to conform to the pattern of the world. We are called to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. So when we go to work, we go to school, we live our lives and we do whatever we do, we've got to be careful that we don't get caught into the drumbeat of the world. So following Jesus is the most powerful thing that we will ever do as Bible believing believers.
Speaker 2:But alongside of that, with your calling, there could be a moment, there could be a moment in my life and your life where fear takes over. Because when you get a seed dropped in your spirit, when you get a word of God dropped in your heart, your mind, whether that's a prophetic word, maybe that's a word of healing, maybe that's a word of calling dropped in your heart, your mind, whether that's a prophetic word, maybe that's a word of calling. However you want to look at that, fear will run along with that, because what we need to understand is that Jesus was fearful, the disciples were fearful. Now we're looking at Jesus's mum, mary. Mary was called and with that calling there was favor Alongside that. In the human suit that she walked in, known as the earth suit, the angel said to her do not be afraid, mary, you have found favor with God. Let me tell you this when you find favor in the eyes of God and that is another podcast altogether when you find favor in the eyes of God, there is something that happens to the human being. When you get the calling, when salvation calls, when the love of God calls, when the power of the Holy Spirit calls, when you get called to ministry, you get called to ministry, you get called to following Jesus.
Speaker 2:There is an area of our lives that is extremely unfamiliar Now. That area is faith. So just because we have faith, does that tell me that I can't have fear? No, it doesn't, because the disciple sorry that was going to jump out of the boat. He kept his eyes on Jesus, he heard the voice of Jesus. But when he made that leap he started to walk on the water. But because he took his eyes off of Jesus and he looked at the storm. So we understand that the size of the waves and what he was looking at. He was looking at the darkness, he was looking at the waves, he was looking at the storm. Fear came along. Brothers and sisters, fear is part of our makeup. There's no point in trying to escape the fact and saying, oh, I'm never fearful, because I don't believe that is absolutely true.
Speaker 2:So when you look at mary, mary had a calling. Now she was given a responsibility. You have a responsibility, I have a responsibility. The responsibility have a responsibility. The responsibility is to carry the word. Mary was the first human being, the only human being this world will ever see, that had the privilege of carrying the living word. If you have a Bible and you want to turn to the scripture reference, if you go to the gospel of John John, chapter 1, verse 14, and it says and the word became flesh. Now Mary is the only human being across the entire world, from the beginning of time to the end of time, that had the calling to carry Jesus. She carried Jesus.
Speaker 2:Now, what I find absolutely fascinating when you get a calling, fear will run in the bones that you have, in the skin that you're in. It says in verse 26, in the sixth month, god sent an angel, gabriel, to Nazareth, to a town of Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. So the word came to Mary, a young girl, a young girl that was just going around her life. Are you just living your life? And you are finding that there is a drawing, there is a pulling, but you are a little bit fearful. Have you ever had them feelings inside of you when you've been saying what's going on, lord? I don't know. Lord, you've dropped a seed, I've got a vision, I've got a dream, and it feels quite daunting, it feels quite scary, it feels unsettling to the skin that we walk in.
Speaker 2:And in verse 28, it says and the angel went up to her and he said Greetings, greetings. You are highly favored, the Lord is with you. Now, this was uh needed because it says in verse 29 mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what type of greeting might this be? But the angel said to her in verse 30 of luke, chapter 1. But the angel said to her do not be afraid, mary, you have found favor with god. Let me put it like this you have found favor, you have found salvation. Or what I actually should say is that favor found you, salvation found you, the love of God found you. We did not just rock up to church one morning and say I want to be a Jesus follower. The Bible says, before the foundation of the world, I knew you.
Speaker 2:Now, when we look at fear, fear can get in our way. Fear can distort our vision. Fear can overtake not our calling, but it can overtake what we perceive to be what is right and true. So Mary, a young girl, had a calling and she had favor on her life. Called but scared. Have you been called to church? Have you been called to ministry? Have you been called to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are you reading the Bible secretly somewhere? And what I mean by that? Have you been given a Bible? And suddenly there's been this drawing inside your spirit. There's this nudge going on within you. There's something going on in the skin that you walk in that's drawing you to, to this church, this, this way of life you've never really been in the church before, but you're you're. You're excited, but also you're, you're fearful of what could be. It's very interesting that faith and fear run very, very close together. It's like the tear and the wheat they grow together. They grow together and we have to be extremely careful that we don't react more to the fear than the faith. We've got to listen to the word of God. You are called, you are a child of the living God. You are blessed and highly favored, but you're called. But you might be scared. Mary was called and she was scared, and I love the fact that the scripture is so poignant, it is so true that the word of God makes it extremely clear.
Speaker 2:No-transcript. Are you frightened to go into church? Have you been walking by a church? And or have you been, excuse me, on the social networks and capturing services and you've been watching services from lockdown to now and you're interested and you want to go and find a church, but you're scared. You know you're unsure of how you are going to be received when you go into church. Or are you already in church and you want to pray out, but you're scared to pray out.
Speaker 2:You know you're in a bit of a fearful place. I want to pray. I want to read the Bible out loud when the pastor or in the prayer meeting. But I'm a little bit scared. I'm worried about what people might say about me. That is exactly as Mary was at one point might say about me. That is exactly as mary was at one point. They was worried about what culture and society might say about me. So you might be in church and you've made that cross over and you've managed to get yourself into church and you've been in church for a few weeks. You've been in church for maybe for a few years and you may be in there for quite a few years.
Speaker 2:But you want to pray out but fear is stopping you. Fear is holding you back. You feel quite comfortable in church, but when the pastors and the leaders say if anybody's got a word from the Lord, you're fearful to deliver it. It is natural and it is normal to feel like that. It really is, because if we dive into the scriptures and we ransack the word of god, we will find. You know all over the place that the disciples and jesus in the garden of gethsemane were frightened at particular times in their life, and we are in series five of this uh book at this moment, in this chapter that you are reading, and we welcome you and we thank you from the very bottom of our heart and for all those across the world that are following this through the podcast series or in chapter five of the podcast. You know the series, uh, the fear series, called but scared, that's where we are at this moment in time. You know we could spend hours, we could, we could dissect this. You know, with our holy uh eyes we could dissect this and pull this apart everywhere. But these quick-fired chapters, these quick-fired 30-minute podcasts, are literally just throwing open the barn doors and just going let's see what God has for us, let's ransack the barn.
Speaker 2:You know I am not a theologian in any way, shape or form. You know I get by by a wing and a prayer, if I can use that terminology, jesus, but you're called. I know what it's like to be called and I know what it's like to be scared. Some days I look at this ministry and everything that goes on within this large ministry that God has put me in this situation and I see the church moving and service after service and the podcast and the streaming service in and trying to draw the finances in as well. I get worried and I get scared. I'm called. I know that I'm called. I'm not called to religion. Yes, I'm under the hand of Elim and I thank God for Elim, the denomination. May God bless that denomination. I've been ordained under that, but I haven't been called through that. I've been called through the scripture.
Speaker 2:God has called you and you might be looking for a theological college to go to. You might be looking for a church to go to. I know what it's like to have a calling on your life and to be scared. Sometimes I feel more scared than I have actually faith in my skin that I'm walking in. You know I'm called, but I'm scared and I'm not frightened to admit it. And you know and I like to put this across the airways you know whether you're on radio, whether you're following this series through the book or whether you're listening to this through the podcast. You know it's really important.
Speaker 2:We get a calling and sometimes it can make us fearful. Lord, how am I going to plant a church? I've got no money. I'm worried. Lord, how am I going to fulfill this vision and this dream you got me, lord. I've got to get to college, but I'm a single parent and I've got to bring these children up. Lord, you've called me to chaplaincy but Lord, I've got a four-time secular job. You know it takes years. It takes years of just saying god, what do you? And sometimes well, not just sometimes, but the majority of the time when god drops the calling in to ministry, you know we all get called and get saved in one strike of the pen. But then if you have been set aside and many have been called, few have chosen, many have been set aside for ministerial callings.
Speaker 2:What I find that we have at this moment in time, especially within the uk, we have a lot of people that are in pulpits, a lot of leaders I will use that that are just leaders, because they got business acumen and they're pretty well oiled in many areas of academics and academia and they can speak publicly. You know. But I want to encourage you right now. You know, god calls. God calls the lowly things. God calls the despised things. God calls the things that are not to nullify the things that are.
Speaker 2:So don't look at religion. It's really important that we don't look at religion. It's really important that we don't look at religion. You look at Jesus. You might have a calling on your life. You might have been given a vision or a dream, or a prophecy has been said over your life, or a prayer has been said over your life and you're worried about how that's going to be fulfilled. This is Mary's story. Mary was worried and the angel said to her don't be afraid. I want to instill in you at this moment. I want to encourage you at this moment. I want to let you know at this moment that you are anointed and you are called.
Speaker 2:Your circumstances doesn't look good to a calling. You might be flat out at work, you might be a single parent, family. You might think that I'm on the other side of the age. Age is irrelevant in the kingdom of God. Age works and age is only important within the world and religion. You know you don't need a CV. You need the power of the holy spirit. You don't need to worry when god has dropped that seed, when drop god, sorry, dropped that calling and that seed upon and within mary. God will make a way. Hebrews 12 I believe. Hebrews 12, uh, verse 1 says keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of your faith. Keep your eyes on Jesus If you have been given a vision and a dream and if you are worried, if you are fearful, you know, because we get caught in this very robotic way, whether we're church, whatever is going on in life, and fear can freeze us.
Speaker 2:Fear can paralyze us to a certain demographic of our lives and we can be quite fearful of expanding and living out of that small parochial stretch that we have in our lives. I want to encourage you, wherever you are across this world, not to be fearful of the calling. You know Mary was called, but she was fearful of the calling. What type of greeting is this? What type of message? He said you found favor. What we've got to realize is that when we are being given a favor, favor is of God and there is nothing more beautiful than to know that you have favor. There is favor over your life. There is an anointing over your life. Your life and my life does not reflect a calling and an anointing, because we are always having storms and adversities come our way. If you can make what has been dropped in your spirit happen, it is not of god. If you are looking at what god has dropped in your spirit and you are saying there's no way this can happen, it will happen. But if you are making up a ministry by your own strength, be careful, be extremely careful. Fear when you get called and you get this anointing and you get drawn by the hand of God, when you get all this stuff coming along in your life, let me tell you, fear will be right at the forefront of your lips.
Speaker 2:I know what it's like to be called. I know what it's like to be scared. I know what it's like to step into the pulpit and actually be shaken to the kneecaps. I know what it's like to deliver a message to a massive auditorium, a massive amount of people. I know what it's like to do a first wedding, maybe a first funeral. I know what it's like to go into a prison and to deliver a message as a chaplain.
Speaker 2:I know what it's like to be thrusted into a secular position. You've been called and you've been thrusted into a chaplaincy role. That is a very worldly place. I know what it's like to step into them positions and to be born again, but also to carry fear. It's okay. It really is okay, because Jesus experienced it, the disciples experienced it.
Speaker 2:Now we are just quickly, very quickly, looking at Mary, called, but scared. Whatever your calling is and you might literally be scared of salvation. Now, why would someone be scared of salvation, salvation? I believe the simple reason that this could be is because when we are called to salvation, it requires surrender. Religion doesn't require surrender being called and being a jesus follower and a John 3, 3, what that actually requires. That requires surrender and, with the power of the Holy Spirit and that unction inside of you, what that actually does. It tells you day after day, moment after moment. You know very, very quietly, without consciously realizing, that the Holy Spirit is working at you, you know there's a change in your life. It's like being on the potter's wheel the master is shaping me and the master is shaping you. But when we are shaped, it can be fearful. God is shaping you for ministry. God is shaping you for chaplaincy. God is shaping you for a calling. God is shaping you for a new journey.
Speaker 2:So when we are called to salvation, our lives are transformed and through that transforming work of the Holy Spirit, what that brings as well something that's very, very interesting is it brings fear, because it goes against the grain of life. It changes direction. It changes. It's a pivotal moment in our lives. When we have been given salvation, it drops inside of us and suddenly there's an explosion of life. But with the explosion of salvation, fear suddenly starts to become very, very real. You know, I'm not saying by any way that fear is greater than faith it isn't. But because we are human beings, sometimes it's easier to recognize fear in your calling. Now, what we've been looking at and I really haven't covered the table on this whatsoever at all, I've just laid out a blanket covering called but scared sisters and brothers.
Speaker 2:Mary's story is a powerful story in the gospel of luke, and that's what I've been referencing, the gospel of luke, chapter one, and we picked it up in verse 26, and if you have time, read Wherever you are, I want you to read that Because she was called, she had a divine calling on her life, but she was scared. Are you scared for the calling that's on your life? Are you looking at your surroundings and saying to yourself I've got this calling. I'm frightened to share this calling as well. God is calling you to a greater worth. God is calling you now, but the money isn't going to make it, the notoriety isn't going to make it, and everything in your life, even your family, even your family, may ridicule you and may joke at you, but God is calling to you. You and may joke at you, but god is calling to you don't be scared.
Speaker 2:It's easy for me to say don't be scared, but I will share more, through this podcast series and through the next chapter of this book, what it's like to to have a calling but to be fearful. So the title of this podcast, the title of this fear series, chapter five, podcast five, you know mary's story, which is very simply called but scared. I want to encourage you right now as you read this. I want to encourage you right now as you listen to this don't give up, don't be fearful, don't be scared. God is with you god bless, but scared.
Speaker 1:This 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.
