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
6. Scared to Share: Marys Story - (PBC@06).
https://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/In this powerful episode, we dive deep into the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her encounter with the angel that changed her life. As the angel delivered the life-altering message, he reassured Mary with the words, "Do not be afraid." These words spoke directly to the fear that gripped her heart in the face of her divine calling. Fear is a natural human response when we're called to something extraordinary, and today, we explore how fear affects us when we're called to share our spiritual journey with others.
A Journey of Fear and Faith: Mary’s Bold Calling
Mary's story is one of courage in the face of fear. Imagine being a young, unmarried woman in a conservative society, tasked with explaining a miraculous pregnancy to her fiancé, Joseph, her family, and her community. The fear of rejection, misunderstanding, and social alienation was real for Mary—and it’s something many of us experience today when called to share our faith or step into a divine calling.
Whether it’s sharing a testimony, answering a call to ministry, or simply telling your family you've found faith, the fear of rejection can be paralyzing. Just as Mary feared Joseph's reaction and potential social ostracism, we fear workplace discrimination, family tension, or social alienation when sharing our faith journey. But, just as the angel reassured Mary, God also reassures us to trust His plan, even in moments of fear.
Choosing the Right Confidants: Guarding Your God-Story
One of the key lessons from Mary’s story is the importance of selecting the right people to share our spiritual journey. Just as Joseph supported Mary after receiving a divine dream, we must be careful about confiding in the wrong people. In today’s world of social media, sharing our calling or faith story can lead to swift opposition. Knowing who to trust with your testimony can protect your calling from harm.
Embracing the Courage to Share Your God-Story
As you listen to this episode, think about the story God has placed in your heart. Are you "pregnant" with a testimony, calling, or transformation that feels too dangerous or difficult to reveal? Remember, God doesn't just give us a story to tell; He also prepares the way for it to be shared. Whether through divine intervention or quiet reassurance, God will make a way for your story to be heard.
Join Us on This Journey
This episode is a powerful reminder that, despite the fear, God calls us to share our God-stories. Whether it’s through divine guidance or His gentle reassurance, you are not alone. Subscribe to this podcast series, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and support our ministry as we spread hope globally.
Tune in to RB Christian Radio, a global Christian radio station, where this episode is shared with listeners around the world. Together, let’s break the chains of fear and boldly share the works God is doing in our lives.
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https://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/
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Speaker 2:Thank you so much for listening to this podcast, wherever you are across the world. Maybe you're listening to this for a rodeo, or maybe you're just reading this series. This series is called the series of fear and we're in chapter six of the book, or you might be with us on the podcast, which is podcast six, and the title of this chapter that we're in at this moment in time is a really beautiful title, I believe, and it's called scared of sharing. Scared of sharing we're. We're trying to unravel that word fear, and there's no way on this earth that any human being, through counseling, through physics, through science, through preaching, through the, the power of speech, there's no way that anyone can unravel the depth and the complexities of that powerful word fear. Now, I'm not lifting up fear any higher than faith, I'm not doing that. But what I'm trying to do through these series that we are doing here is just trying to recognize the characters within the Bible. Just a couple of characters, because we would never have enough time to get all the way through, because we're only doing 10 podcasts and 10 chapters in this series of fear. So we just want to say, if you are a human being, if you are reading this. If you are listening to this, there will be times in your life when you would have experienced high extremities of fear. You know, and it's really important to understand this, just because we are christians, that we don't escape that feeling of fear. Now, uh, chapter five, that we've just read and we've just looked at, and you've just migrated from and and and that it's uh, it's a very that's a very interesting title I may say so myself and that was called but scared, called but scared. And we looked at mary, we looked at mary's life just before in in the chapter previous to this and the podcast previous to this, but now the title of this one is Scared of Sharing. Now, I find that quite fascinating really.
Speaker 2:The story of Mary. I don't know what you think about that. Maybe you want to ponder a moment. Just press the pause button, you know, grab a coffee or a cup of tea and just think was Mary happy to share her story? What was the story that Mary was sharing?
Speaker 2:We understand through the Gospel of Luke very clearly in chapter 1, verse 26,. And all the way through it tells us from chapter 1 of Luke, chapter 1, verse 26 through to 38, what it actually tells us is the story from the angel giving the word that you have been chosen, that there is favor and you are blessed and highly favored. There is favor on your life. But also, because you have been called, what happens? The human being goes into this drive of fear. Now the angel said, as we just recap in a moment do not be afraid. Now, after she was delivered this message and after this conversation and this dialogue between them had settled down, there would be a time in her life when she would have had to share her story.
Speaker 2:I wonder, if mary was scared of sharing her story, are you scared of sharing your calling your story? You know, do the dots line up? Does it look good or is it a bit of a bleak story? Is it a bit of an unusual story? Because Mary's story, she was a young woman, she was unmarried, living in a small conservative town. You know, faced with this sudden realization that she'd been chosen and she'd be called to bear the Messiah, are the world around me going to look at me and think I'm crazy? You know so when you share your story, when you share your vision or your dream, it's really important that we're very careful who we share our story to Now if we was to go to the Old Testament and read that great biblical text about that young lad who was blessed by his father that gave him that coat of many colors.
Speaker 2:You know the tunic of many colors when you look at the story of Joseph, joseph was loud and he ran out and he said look what the father has given me, look at this beautiful gift. We've got to be careful who we choose to tell our story to, because there is a few things about the story. Now, he was glad to share his story, but I actually believe that when he shared his story, suddenly the realization and the fear and the worry from his brothers looking at him and suddenly they turned on him. So his story brought fear. His story is an amazing story, but that story is a very interesting story because at the beginning he just let it out to his brothers and he said look what what our father, look what dad has given me. You got to be careful because that not only can it be fearful in sharing your story, but when we share the story and the calling, we've got to be extremely careful. The people that are receiving what we're saying because jealousy now be really careful.
Speaker 2:Now.
Speaker 2:Mary's story. Was mary scared to share her story? I actually believe that mary was simply because the angel addresses it straight off the bat. He says to her don't be afraid. Now, why would she be afraid? Let's look at a couple of reasons. Let's just throw these up in the air. Let's just say say, right, okay, so she's unmarried. She's a young woman living in a small area, a small village, small town, suddenly been given this realization that you have been chosen. Now I've got to tell my family and not only have I got to tell my parents and my family, I've actually got to tell the one that I'm going to marry. Actually, joseph, I've got a story to tell you Now that would bring fear to anyone's heart when you think about it. She had to tell Joseph, joseph, I've got something to tell you. You can't tell me that that wouldn't have brought some form of fear to the skin that she walked in. It had to be because Mary was a human being, and the Bible addresses that at the beginning, because the angel says to her do not be afraid.
Speaker 2:Have you got a story? Have you got a calling that you're scared of sharing? Is there a cultural issue around you? Are you a single parent family. Are you being called? And you know that you've been called, but even you're frightened of sharing your story to the leadership team. Are you worried about sharing your story with the church? Are you worried about sharing your story with your, your partner, your friend, your, your colleague in work, your husband, your wife, your, your children around you? Are you frightened of sharing your story? Because your story could well be and I believe is a very unusual story and I'm not referring to the testimony, because all of us have got a testimony.
Speaker 2:What we are looking at is the calling Mary's story. What was Mary's story? We understand that Mary's story that she was going to carry child. She was going to carry the living word, carry the king of kings and the Lord of lords, and what a story to actually tell your husband to be. She was scared of sharing the story. So fear is in everything that we do Now, whether we're in church, we're out of church. We're in faith, we're out of faith. You know, whatever and however we look at life, fear takes no prisoners. So the fear of divine choice Now, when you get called, when you get saved, there is no choice.
Speaker 2:Now, this is throwing something into the mix of this series that we're looking at, but it's really important because I can't run from salvation, you can't run from your calling, and I'm talking about the calling unto salvation. The Bible says, as we know, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Now Mary was called. She had favor, but now she's got to share her story. You have been called, you are the john 3 3. You are a bible believing believer, you are spirit filled. God has chosen you for a great mission and that mission might not be a pulpit mission, it might not be a chaplaincy mission. The mission is just being a jesus follower. But now you've got to share your story. Now it can be fearful in sharing your story, because I know what that's like sharing your story with family, with friends, with people around you. And even if you are in leadership at this moment, and you've been given a vision and a dream, and you are in some place and some church, and now you've got to share your story, share your vision and your dream. And you are in some place, in some church, and, and now you've got to share your story, share your vision and your dream with the eldership team. Are they going to receive this story? Are they going to receive this vision and this dream.
Speaker 2:Now, mary hit these barriers in her life. She was in a small town, a small village, unmar. She was young, she was called, and she had a very powerful story. She was going to carry, she was going to bear, she was going to give birth to the Messiah. Imagine the depth of the fear that comes from carrying Christ and this monumental moment in the world where you've got to tell the world around you. It's a life-changing story. Mary's story was a story that changed her environment. Your story is the same. Yes, we are carrying word, but we are not carrying word like. Mary carried word, she carried the physical Christ. We carry the living word of Christ. So she had a physical burden carrying this child. Not only was she carrying the Messiah, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, she was carrying this spiritual weight as well. And she had to go to Joseph.
Speaker 2:Now imagine what that conversation must have been like with Joseph. Joseph and Mary were on their way to get married and suddenly she's got to share her story. How do I approach? How do I tell Joseph? What do I do? Are you in a situation like this, where you've got to share your story. Share your calling, that God has called you to something. God is delivering you from something. God has broken the umbilical cord from something. Now you've got to tell the culture around you because as soon as you start telling the world around you your story, the world will change their viewpoint to you. It's really important that we become bold and we realize that god's will is over your life.
Speaker 2:And mary had to share her story. I find it fascinating that she would have had to have gone to joseph and she would have had to have lay everything out on the table. Now imagine it from joseph's side of the table. Suddenly his wife-to-be comes up to him and says joseph, I've got something to announce we're carrying child. Now, if you just drop that line across the other side of the table to your husband-to-be, your partner or however way you want to look at that, however you unpack that and how you look at that, knowing that there was no union, knowing that there was no physical activity, so to speak that we know when you think about that, joseph.
Speaker 2:Now joseph story comes into the arena. So joseph, hearing mary deliver this message. So what we have got? We've got many stories going on across the table. We got the story of mary saying joseph, I'm carrying child joseph, you can imagine he must have gone white, almost to a degree. He would have. The blood would have drained out of his body. What do you mean, mary?
Speaker 2:Now we know through scripture that joseph was planning to divorce her quietly, because he didn't want to put her to shame. So he had moments in his life very, very quickly, because we understand, the angel came and gave him a visit too. We understand very, very quickly that Joseph was delivered a message and the message that came to Joseph was don't be afraid, don't be afraid of the story. Joseph, I want to encourage anyone out of you if you've been given an obscured story or you have got to deliver something, an unusual story, to your family, your friends, your work colleagues, maybe you've got to tell someone that you've been to church. I need to share my story with you. I went to church yesterday for the first time in my life.
Speaker 2:Are you frightened of sharing your story? Because that can be scary, that can be fearful, that can bring anxiety and worry and doubt and uncertainty. Maybe we're losing sleep, that I've got to tell my family that I've been to church, or maybe you're in a different religion completely to Christianity and all of a sudden you've had a vision and a dream. We see this in the world of the persecuted church. We see in many areas of the persecuted church where family members have been given a vision and dream of Christ and they go to bed following a different God. And then they've been given a vision and a dream. They wake up in the morning being Bible-believing believers and then they've got to share that vision and that dream with the household that they've been brought up in in a different world religion and suddenly they've got to tell their parents. I've got a vision, I've got a dream, something has happened to me and it must put fear in their bones. I've got to share my story. So we see this through the persecuted church. We see this in scripture.
Speaker 2:Mary had to share her story. Now I believe there are many of us reading this, this chapter, as we go right now, knowing that there is a story within you as you read this and you've got to share your story. But I've got to overcome this fear of sharing my story. Even there's that old saying out there and I remember someone saying to me a few years ago I'm a closet Christian because I'm frightened of telling the people around me that I believe in Jesus because I'm fearful, because I'm going to get laughed at, I'm going to get ridiculed. What is the culture going to do to me when I share my story? Mary had no choice but to share her story, even when you look at Mary's lifestyle and the social alienation that would have been brought the responsibility of sharing his story. You know, a young girl outside of wedlock, everything that went along with that suddenly finds herself carrying child outside of wedlock. It could have brought public shame, ostracizing, you know, and even worse, he could have been put to death. Because you know what, what happens in certain areas and certain cultures when you share your story, and also being judged.
Speaker 2:Now we can be very, very fearful of situations in our lives where we've been judged. Are you scared of being judged? Are you fearful of being judged? Are you worried about being judged because you're a christian, because you're a bible, believing, believer, and you're carrying a story? What is your story? Are you fearful of sharing your story now?
Speaker 2:Fear we understand that power of fear. We understand where fear comes from. We know that it can distort our vision. We know that fear can take us away from from what we should be focusing on the fear of the lack of the, the worry, the uncertainty. Fear is extremely powerful. We are living in very powerful days. We are living in strong biblical prophecies being fulfilled. I actually believe that we are waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ, the return of the saving grace, the return of Jesus.
Speaker 2:If you live within the UK right now, you will know the church in the UK is very messy. It's very messy and that can be fearful too. Looking into the church, knowing that you've got to, I've got to deliver a message into the understanding of church and religion, that you've got to be born again Because there is no other message now, that can be fearful. Stepping into the pulpit, stepping into a studio and recording a series or preaching a message or praying for people uh, praying in a prayer group, reading out for the first time, you know that is fearful. And then suddenly you've been asked to share your story, a testimony. Are you fearful in sharing your story? Mary was fearful. She was uncertain of how culture was going to receive her. She was unsure how society was going to receive her. She was unsure of what the outcome of society around her was going to look like. Are you frightened of the culture around you? Are you carrying a story?
Speaker 2:Let me use this terminology. Are you pregnant with a powerful word? And I'm not referring to a baby, I'm referring to carrying. Do you feel that there is this word, that you've got to give birth to this word? You've got to give birth to this ministry. You know it, but you're frightened. You're going through this process, you're going through the labor suite at the moment and you're frightened because I've got to tell the world this story. This is going to be birthed at any moment. You know I'm not referring to the physical birth of a baby. I'm referring to the spiritual birth of telling your story, because telling a story that christ has been working in your life and you are changed.
Speaker 2:Are you in a culture that that might laugh at you because the culture that you've been brought up in will not accept the story of jesus in your life? Do you think that you could be ostracized when you've got to tell people in your house, you've got to tell the children that God is calling you? Are you living in a very worldly culture? Are you living in a very worldly situation? Are you serving and have served foreign gods and then, all of a sudden. You've got this story of Jesus. I've got to share this story. You've got this story of Jesus. I've got to share this story. But, just like Mary, mary's story was a scary story to share Anxiety. Mary had anxiety. Mary was worried because the angel addresses this. We've looked at this. She was greatly troubled.
Speaker 2:Luke, chapter 1, verse 26 to 38 fear of being chosen. Now that can be frightening as well. Are you getting ready to deliver your first ever sermon? Are you looking forward to standing in the pulpit for the first time? Are you going to deliver some tracks? Are you getting prepared to share something at work? Are you, are you going to go some tracks? Are you getting prepared to share something at work? Are you going to go into church this weekend, this Sunday, for the first time ever in your life? Are you going to go and share the gospel when you go back to work on Monday? Have you made up your mind that I want to share my story? Just simply by thinking about sharing your story is a very frightening experience.
Speaker 2:Sharing your story I know what it's like to share your story because your story is unique and people won't understand your story because when you share your story with family and friends, and even with leadership, even with the church the church, you know. You've got to be careful of those jealous people because they they will try to tear your story down, just like joseph and the coat that he was given by his father, his brothers wanted to destroy his story. Be careful of those in your life that will try to destroy your story. You've got to be extremely careful who we share and who we talk to and who we walk with and who we allow in the circle of our life. Be careful of sharing your story. God is with you. The power of the Holy Spirit is with you. But, just like Mary, we hit points in our lives where we have to share the story.
Speaker 2:Now Mary had to go and approach Joseph. Imagine, imagine what that was like, going to Joseph and saying to Joseph Joseph, I've got something I need to share. I've got something, joseph, I don't know how to tell you. You know what it's like when someone close with you a family, a friend or a brother or a sister, someone in your life or work colleague, says I've got something to tell you and I don't know how to tell you. Naturally, the recipient of the story gets fearful as well. So Joseph, on the other side of the table, must have been fearful. What's Mary going to say? What's Mary going to deliver it? What, what, what, what's wrong? Mary, tell me please. Have you ever been in that situation when you're waiting for something and someone in your life is is preparing you for this news? This news that could just shatter and change stuff around you? Because this changed joseph's life. It changed the environment for him. It made him think in a way that he probably never thought that he would. He would think a way that he never thought that he would have to understand life.
Speaker 2:He was told a story that a lot of people in the world laugh out. This moment in time, you're carrying child and you're telling me God has sent an angel down to you. Wouldn't it be interesting to know the full story, the full story, the full conversation of Joseph and Mary? But what I find absolutely beautiful is that God made a way by using the angel. So the angel was integral to the story and the word of God is really important to your story. God has called you through the word. You are a Bible-believing believer. You are blood-washed, sanctified, but your story has got to be shared.
Speaker 2:I want to encourage you now to share your story. Don't be fearful of being chosen. Don't be fearful of sharing your story. Don't be fearful of delivering what God has dropped in your heart, your mind, your body, your soul, just like Mary, just like Mary now had to tell Mary, just like Mary now had to tell Joseph. Joseph, I've got to tell you something. What is that? Mary? I'm carrying child. You can imagine what it felt like for Joseph to hear the one that he loved, the one that he wanted to marry, the one that he was going to be with, the one that he decided to call his wife to walk with for eternity, suddenly drops a line across the breakfast table. I'm carrying child. But how can this be? Imagine Joseph's reaction, how he felt. So, all of a sudden, we got Mary being fearful. She was fearful because she was young, she was from a small town. Suddenly, the realization of being ostracized socially. The talk of the village, the talk of town, the talk of work. Have you heard about mary? Do you? Have you heard a story?
Speaker 2:I believe that there are many people on the other side of this mic. I believe there are people that are reading this right now and people that are indulging into what we are putting out there, this fear series. I believe that there are many people that have a story, that are very faithful of sharing their story. I pray that God will bring peace to your heart because you're going to deliver your story, just like Mary, she was being prepared to deliver her story. I believe God is preparing you to deliver your story. You know, get ready. God is going to deliver your story because it's God's story. You know you're being prepared, just like Mary. You know you're being prepared. Just like Mary, she was being prepared. Joseph was being prepared to get ready for the next chapter in life.
Speaker 2:So, wherever you are, whatever your name is, whatever tribe, whatever tongue you're from, whatever culture you're from, there is a story within you that's got to be shared. There is a story in your heart that's got to be shared. There is a story in your heart that's got to be shared. There is a story within you that needs to be told the story of hope, the story of salvation, the story of the power of God. You have been given a story. Your life represents the story, wherever you are across this world.
Speaker 2:I pray that you will dig deep into the scripture and you will not be frightened to share your story, the story of Mary, the story of Joseph, the story of Jesus. Are you ready to share your story? Mary was prepared and let me just tell you this as we come to a close of this chapter, this podcast don't be afraid, because it's God's story and God is preparing you and God has a way. Just hold on, never give up. The power of the Holy Spirit is with you. May God bless you and strengthen you in the name of Jesus. But get ready to share your story. God bless in Jesus' name, 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.
