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
Sealed by the Spirit: (#1065 - Elim)
Marked with a Seal – Chosen Before Time Began
Feeling exhausted, emotionally drained, or spiritually empty?
This powerful episode offers a soul-lifting truth: you’ve been marked with a seal that can never be removed.
Drawing from John 15:16, Pastor Ben Cooper shares a transformative message about the nature of divine selection:
“You did not choose me, but I chose you.”
These words break the exhausting cycle of religious performance and remind us that salvation is not about what we do—it’s about what God has already done.
Through deep scriptural insights from Ephesians 1 and Psalm 139, we uncover the staggering reality that God chose you before the foundations of the world. He saw your story before you took your first breath. You are not an accident or an afterthought—you are God’s intentional creation.
This message challenges the cultural pressure to earn approval through productivity—even in religious spaces. Churches can become arenas of performance where worth is measured by attendance, volunteering, or outward appearance. But the truth is far more liberating:
Your name was written in the Book of Life before the stars were hung in the sky.
You’ve been sealed with the Holy Spirit, not by your works, but by God’s eternal plan. That seal is unbreakable, unearned, and irrevocable.
This revelation stretches beyond our understanding—it’s a divine mystery that defies logic and science. It explains how people can come to Christ in the most unexpected ways: a persecuted believer in hiding, a deathbed conversion, a prisoner with no church access. God’s reach knows no limit, and His choosing is not bound by time or location.
If you’ve ever felt you weren’t “doing enough” for God, or wondered if you’ve lost your place in His plan, this message is for you. It offers a radical assurance:
Nothing can separate you from the love of God—not weakness, not doubt, not failure.
🎧 Listen now to receive this unshakable truth: You were chosen. You were sealed. You are secure.
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https://www.pastorbencooper.co.uk/
https://www.rbchristianradio.net/
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Speaker 1:Your financial gifts play a crucial role in supporting our radio ministry, helping us share the gospel through these podcasts. Your financial gifts play a crucial role in supporting our radio ministry, helping us share the gospel through these podcasts and providing free copies of the Gospel of John and Bibles around the globe. Please pray for this ministry as we stretch out beyond the boundaries, as we walk by faith. If you'd like to support our mission, please consider clicking the support button on Spotify, apple Podcasts or Buzzsprout. You can give a one-time gift or set up a regular contribution of three pounds, five pounds, eight pounds or ten pounds. You can also leave a legacy by clicking in the links within pastorbencoopercouk. Thank you for partnering with us in this ministry as we spread the message of hope far and wide through this radio ministry. So, whether you are on the daily commute or at home listening to our podcast, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, relax and enjoy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, god bless you. God bless you wherever you are this evening across the world. Thank you for joining us in the house of the lord and wherever you are capturing this service across the world, on rb christian radio. You might be on social media tonight, on on camera. You might be on twitter. Wherever you are across the world, may god bless you and strengthen you in the mighty name of the father, the son, the, the Holy Spirit. The Lord is good. The Lord is good, and wherever you are, we just want to encourage you this evening. We want to encourage you this evening. Doesn't matter if you feel low, if you feel tired, if you're weary, if you feel exhausted. I just want to put some scriptures across the table of life, just to let the scriptures do the work. I'm just the reader, that's all I am. The work, I'm just the reader, that's all I am. I'm just a reader, I ain't nothing else. But I just read the word and God moves by his word.
Speaker 2:We're going to dip into three areas this evening. We're going to go to the Gospel of John first, for those who want a title for this evening. You're marked with a seal. You know there's no way to wriggle out. There's no way to get out. It's impossible to fight it. You can't hand it back. There is a gift, there is a seal that has been handed over to you, that has been given to you. You are sealed with something so powerful. You have been sealed with such an amazing anointing and a power. It's impossible.
Speaker 2:When you look at these scriptures, and the further we go, I just want to encourage you tonight, don't matter how you feel. If you feel emotionally drained, if you feel money's run out and you're chasing the pound all day long, if you're exhausted at work, if your family's just here, there and everywhere and your bones are raking do you feel like your bones are raking? We're going to change the screens in just a few moments For those that are in the house and for those who are on visuals with us at this moment, just a few moments. And for those that are in the house and for those are on visuals with us at this moment, that qr code, just just very quickly, that qr code will take you straight to rb christian radio. So obviously, if you're out and about and you've got your phone, you can't click the code anyway, but if you've got the screens you can do that and it works really, really easy.
Speaker 2:So we're trying to get many ways so that you can just click the code, click the card you, you know click in and you go straight to everything that we're doing. There's some amazing things that are happening there, but God bless every one of you across the world tonight. You know, it is such a blessing for us here in the house of the Lord and for everyone across the world, because we all belong to the kingdom of God, you know, and we want to turn right now to the gospel of John. We're going to turn to the Gospel of John, chapter 15, verse 16. And also, for those that are taking notes, marked with a Seal that is the title of the podcast of this series that we're in at this moment in time Marked with a Seal. You were marked, you was marked, and we're going to find out where we was marked, how we was marked, how this came around. And let's just jump straight into the reading. There's a lot of places we can go.
Speaker 2:So I'm just trying to be very, very sensitive. What I feel in my heart, the Lord is leading me to tonight. So I'm trying to be sensitive. Yeah, I'm going to tell you I'm tired, I'm weary, my legs are aching, you know, and it's been a long day. There's no one that is a super human being. No one is a super human being. We've got to work, we've got to live, we've got to do everything we do and we get tired and we get weary. Even pastors, do you realize? Even leaders get tired. A lot of them will just shine their lovely turkey teeth, all nice and white, and tell you I'm holy and I don't get tired, I'm a super Christian. Well, I ain't a super Christian, I'm a sinner, saved by grace and by the blood of jesus christ. I go for every emotion under the sun and, uh, and that's how I want it to be. So let's turn into the scriptures. God bless you. I mentioned it quite a few times before we get going.
Speaker 2:You know, we'll be clicking out at nine o'clock, nine o'clock, and then you click straight over, uh, to the music this evening. We've got country coming on tonight, so stay on, you know. And for those that are on uh twitter, you know what I mean x, for those that are on x at this moment in time, uh, you shouldn't have any issue whatsoever regarding the worship after the service. But for those that are streaming with us on on facebook. You know, through the policies and everything, that's their, their criteria. That's why we get kicked off so much. And for those that was on, uh, youtube, we understand now we've got no channel, which is fine. It's been taken down, that's not an issue whatsoever. So, for those that were on YouTube, thank you that you're coming over to the social networks, but also, please, if you're out and about now, across the world, thank you for listening to us on audio through the power of radio.
Speaker 2:Radio is so powerful, so let's get into the word without further ado. Chapter 15, we're in chapter 15 and we're in verse 16. Take your eyes to verse 16. I find these scriptures absolutely amazing. You know completely, just absolutely amazing, these scriptures. So, for those that are walking in the Lord's house, god bless you. Good evening in the name of Jesus.
Speaker 2:Tonight For many who are in the house with us this evening, we're in the Gospel of John, chapter 15. I do apologize for those that are listening on radio. There's a bit of a, there's a bit of a bit of not feedback, but there's a bit of an echo, just because we're in the church. Obviously, we're not in the studio, so we're getting there with the mics. We're getting there. We just need to raise a few quid. I've just got to sell another kidney and by that chance I'll have a decent mic set. But wherever you are across the world, we want to welcome you in the mighty name of Jesus. Verse 16 of John, chapter 15.
Speaker 2:Let's read this together. Let's read it and read it aloud in your spirit, you know. Read it aloud and see what the scripture says for each and every one of you. John, chapter 15, verse 16. You did not choose me. Wow, thank you Jesus. I love that Lord. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, and then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
Speaker 2:Now I don't want to break this down line by line. I just want to take this just at the top end at the moment, because as you go through the text it will take us to other scriptures. I just want to take us to a certain area tonight about salvation and hope, and God. And God, through Christ, has given you salvation and has sealed you with the Holy Spirit. So let's just read this a minute, really really important.
Speaker 2:Let's go back over what we was reading. Let's take our time tonight. There's no rush. Time is on our side. We're going to break bread For those that are on all the ball and radio. You know, break bread with us in about 30 minutes or so's time. We're going to break bread. Take out a cup and all the razzmatazz that goes with that Verse 16.
Speaker 2:And the question is you know God, bless his heart. You know the Pope passed away a few days ago. The question is is where do we all go when we die? Just because he's the Pope? Does it mean he's saved Just because he's the Pope? No one can actually give that out about anybody, because we don't know the heart, we don't know the heart of anyone, but it's a question, isn't it? So this is really critical. What we're looking at it's God is the one that chooses Christ, the Holy Spirit. So I want you just to read this If you've got a Bible tonight, wherever you are across the world, just grab the Bible and just see what it says.
Speaker 2:You did not choose me. Does that make anyone feel like you can breathe? Thank you, jesus. Wow, I can actually breathe, because it's not by works so that no one can boast, it's not by the accountability of being in and out of the church. I'm in church, I'm out of church. I'm doing this, I'm out of it. This amount of podcasts I've preached, this amount of sermons, I've hoovered the church, I've swept the church. I've done this. I've done that. It's not by work, so that no one can boast yes, we all have a part to play and there's a place for us in the church and what we do. That's amazing and every one of us that are doing things and things are happening regarding the church.
Speaker 2:But I want to let you know there's something bigger and something more powerful than what we call the mechanics of church, and that is the gift of salvation, and so often we have to remind ourselves that God saved you first, god chose you, and when we go back into the Old Testament, in just a few moments you will find this amazing text that we had a little chat before we went online, just a couple of us just talking about the psalm that we're going to go to. How powerful that psalm is. It is, it is beyond science, it is beyond reasoning, it is beyond physics, it is beyond the mind. It is, it is a mystery when you read text that we are reading. You know, because we are humanity, because we are human beings, we put this so much weight on ourselves that everything has got to be a performance, because the world wants you to perform. The world wants you to perform.
Speaker 2:And if you've got no money, you're nothing. If you haven't got a house, you're nothing. If you haven't got this, you're nothing. And the world wants it, equates everything. It values the weight of a human being by what materialistic ways that we have and what we have in our pockets and the keys that we have in the cars that we drive and the vehicles we have. It measures us by what we accumulate through life.
Speaker 2:But Jesus doesn't do any of that. Even church does that. Church in many areas, measures us by what we have. And there are class layers in church. Honestly, there are layers in certain denominations where I won't be welcome in. You know, I know the story. You know I've got my friend laughing in front of me as well, so he knows the drill as well.
Speaker 2:You know we, we know that there are areas that we they'd look at us and go are you Christians? Are you really saved? I'm saved not because of me, but because of him, because he saved every one of us. It doesn't matter what tribe we come from, doesn't matter what tongue, what culture, doesn't matter what we look like, because God doesn't look at appearance. He doesn't look at appearance. He doesn't value us by how many times we come in church. He doesn't equate salvation. We don't get another tick, a bigger mansion Every time we come in church. We get a bigger room upstairs, because it's not about that.
Speaker 2:It's not about how many times we're in church. It's about God called you first. God called you in your tiredness, in your weakness, in your shame, in your guilt, in your unbelief. When you think about that, god called us when we didn't know him, when we didn't even think about him. We wasn't interested in him. We wasn't thinking about church, wasn't thinking about Jesus in any way. God drew us, god created us, god brought us in, god will bring us out. God is in full charge. It's got nothing to do with materialistic ways.
Speaker 2:If you feel really low and very mucky and very just agitated and fed up and just tired of everything, that's okay, because it doesn't affect the gift that you've been given, the gift of salvation, the greatest gift. When you think about what we carry, we carry hope, we carry everything, because he gave it to you, he gave it to you. It's not the preacher, it's not the teacher, it's not the denomination, it's not the mechanics of this church. You are saved, you are blessed, you are going to heaven for one reason, and one reason only because God said you're mine. And we've got to realize that. It takes the pressure off us, because it's not about performance, it's not about going to the large churches, it's not going to all this stuff that's out there. You know none of it.
Speaker 2:Every one of us was called outside of what we call faith. Every one of us some people might be able to equate to this can say yes. I remember when I wasn't even interested in church, when I never thought about church, when I laughed at church, when I wasn't even bothered. Who's Jesus who? Who is this Jesus? All that stuff? Oh, they're churchgoers. What's all that about? It's so bigger than that and I just want to remind you through these scriptures tonight, however you feel in your emotions, however down you might get, however scared you are of what you don't have and what you have and what you can't get, and you know what I mean, because we're all human beings. If we're chasing the pound and we've got to pay the bills and we're running around here, there and everywhere. You know, sometimes I feel like I need to be cloned 10 times over so I can split myself and go in different directions to get everything done. Because we're like that, here, there and everywhere? Because that's just being a human being. That's just being a human being. That is humanity. And sometimes we've got to remind ourselves we are human beings but we're sinners saved by grace. We're not super Christians. There's no such thing as a super Christian. There's no such thing as a super-duper cape-wearing Christian that gets it all right all the time and all that. That's not right. That's not real. That's not real.
Speaker 2:Study the disciples. Look at them 12 of them. Then they stripped back to 11 of them at the table, Passover table. They were renegades. They was just ordinary people living ordinary lives, but chosen. I'm an ordinary person, just been chosen for what? Chosen for salvation. We are just ordinary human beings trying to get through life, on a journey of life, just living and doing what we're doing, with our worries and our fears and our failings and our stumbles and our trips and the hazards of life. But what? And there is something that can never be taken out of you and that is the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. Whatever, and if you've had the baddest day of your life, it doesn't matter, because you are saved.
Speaker 2:When you're troubled at work and you're looking at the diesel needle in the van or in the car and you're thinking I've got to get to the end of the week and it's already dancing on the little yellow, on the orange little box and I ain't got another pound, what am I going to do? I'm going to have to put fuel on the credit card, but don't tell pastor, don't mention that I'm putting fuel, I'm putting money, I'm putting food on the credit. Don't mention a word. You know we're brothers and sisters fighting to stay alive sometimes.
Speaker 2:So let's read these scriptures, let's let the scripture just flow right through your innermost being. And I want to tell you tonight that you're on your way to glory. And it doesn't matter what the situations are on the terra firma, it doesn't matter who we are woven together with, it doesn't matter what's happening at work, at home, in life. That is irrelevant, because before all that happened, you were chosen. So let's see what the scripture says. Let's see what the scripture says and let's remind ourselves that I was chosen outside of what we call Christianity. I was chosen when I didn't know him. I was chosen when I didn't want to come to church. I ain't going to church. I got better things to do. I ain't going to church. He never rejects you.
Speaker 2:So let's read, and we're starting off in John, the Gospel of John, chapter 15, verse 16. You did not choose me, come on. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit. Thank you, jesus. But some days, lord, I don't feel like bearing fruit. All I want to do is eat McDonald's. And I ain't got no interest in some days about telling the world about Jesus, because I'm tired, I'm weary, I'm fed up. I'm at work, lord, and I don't fancy bearing fruit today. Has anybody been like that? But he still. He still knows Ben, come on, come on. He's saying come on, but Lord, please, I don't want to bear fruit today. Lord, I'm tired, my legs are aching. Lord, been on my feet all day, jesus, come on, lord. Have I got to bear fruit? Feet all day, jesus. Come on, lord. Have I got a bear fruit, lord? Let's look at this again. Let's read it before we turn again. You did not choose me, but I chose you Right.
Speaker 2:Let's go to the book of Ephesians as quick as we can. Let's turn to the book of Ephesians. We're going to go to the book of Ephesians, chapter one, and we're going to read Ephesians, chapter one, verse four. Go to verse four of Ephesians, chapter one. Are you tired tonight, hallelujah. Are you weary tonight? Hallelujah. Everything's okay. However, you feel in the skin that you walk in, salvation is still with you. Salvation is still with you, no matter how you feel, how many times we throw our toys out the pram, you ain't gonna lose it. You've got it because you're sealed. Let's read, let's find out what the scripture says. So we're in the book of Ephesians, chapter one. I'm gonna pick it up in verse four.
Speaker 2:For he chose us goes a little further. Let your eyes just roll along the text. For he chose us in him. That is powerful. He chose us in him Before church, before ministry, before the job you're at, before the universal credit, before social housing, before your mortgage, before your car, before your children, before the first star was thrown up in the heavens. Look what it says, my sisters and brothers. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. That's a tricky one, jesus. In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Christ. In accordance this is it In accordance with his pleasure and will. You have been called and you have been created. You were brought in before the fabric of the world because of his will and his pleasure, because that's him, that's God's right. I'm going to create, I'm going to bring in out of nothing human beings. I'm going to bring into this world. I'm going to bring in men and women. I'm going to bring into this world the human race. And why I'm bringing that in. It's very interesting that he says I knew you before.
Speaker 2:He doesn't talk about creation, as in the creator God that we understand. See, you were before he even thought about the first star. You were before the creation of the sun, and I'm referring to the one in the sky, that, the one that throws out the heat in the day. You was on his heart. You was on his heart before the seas rolled in and out. You was on his heart before he created every grain of sand. It is beyond physics, it is beyond life, it is beyond human understanding. It is a mystery, but we gather a bit of an understanding of his mystery.
Speaker 2:And if you're joining us now, we are in Ephesians 1, verse 4. Grab yourself a Bible. If you need a Bible, we will give you a Bible across the world. You've only got to stretch out through the networks. You can find us all over the place. And it says in verse 4, now this is really beautiful. This is so beautiful because this takes the dairy off, this takes the pressure off, this takes the weight off of going to church, of doing an alpha course, of doing any course, listening to podcasts. This takes the stress out of religion and the mechanics of what we have created, and what I mean by what we have created. Denominations have created this bubble called church, this crazy thing called church and religion and all that stuff. This, what we are reading, is so powerful.
Speaker 2:If you want to go back to the Gospel of John, chapter 15, verse 16, I'll read that again. And it says you did not choose me, but I chose you. Where did you choose me from Jesus? Was it out of pastor's office? No, I chose you before church. What do you mean? You chose me before church, but, lord, I thought everything had to happen in church for it to work. No, church only happened. Church only came in generations back.
Speaker 2:The church that we belong to is the church from the book of Acts, chapter 2. That is the prime, that is the foundation of what we belong to. But then man comes along, popes come along, kings come along and make up their own understanding of church. I do not belong to Elim. I thank God for them and for what they're doing. Elim does not own me, I do not own you. You are free to go to Elim. I thank God for them and for what they're doing. Elim does not own me, I do not own you. You are free to go to any church. You are free to sit at home and never go to church.
Speaker 2:I understand what it says about church. I get that. But we put too much weight on the word church. I've got to get to church, I've got to get, I've got to get. If I don't get a church, oh my goodness. If I don't get a church, what am I going to do? It ain't going to work out. Forget the word church, replace it with kingdom. When you replace it with kingdom, you realize you're already in the church because you are the church. You are the church. It's not about this, this configuration of bricks and mortar.
Speaker 2:So let's quickly read these scriptures. It says in John, chapter 15, john chapter 15, verse 16, you did not choose me, but I chose you. Now let's go to the book of Ephesians. Let's read this quickly as we can. Ephesians, chapter 1, verse 4, for he chose us in him before the creation, before the creation of the world, to be holy, to be blameless in his See. You're adopted, you're grafted in. You can't be separated. Romans 8,. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. You can't wriggle out of it, you can't remove yourself from salvation. You are saved.
Speaker 2:Let's read a little bit down further. It says In love, he predestined us to be adopted to his sons through Christ Jesus. How many times do we read this? Through Jesus, through Jesus, through Jesus, through Jesus. We're going to read a scripture in a minute that is really beautiful, that is really calming to the spirit, because I've got to tell you it's the title of this, what we are reading and what we are looking.
Speaker 2:This podcast, this live stream, whatever way you want to look at it, the title is You're Marked with a Seal, you were marked because he marked you. You did not mark yourself. You're not, I'm not capable of marking ourselves, because this is the outward working of the holy spirit through christ, through the power of the god of israel, jehovah jireh, jehovah nissi, jehovah shalom, let's get straight back in. And it says in love, he predestined us to be adopted to his sons through christ jesus, in accordance of his pleasure and his goodwill. Let's go a little bit further. In him verse 7,. In him we have redemption, come on. In him we have redemption Through his blood for the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with his riches of God's grace, that which he lavished on us all wisdom and all understanding, verse 9. Lavished us on us all wisdom and all understanding, verse 9,. And he made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to put in full effect through all times that we will have reached fulfillment to bring all things in heaven and on earth together. Under who? Under the Pope? No, what does it say? Under one head, even Christ.
Speaker 2:When you look at these scriptures, I've got to tell you you can't save yourself. It doesn't matter how great the social preacher is, it doesn't matter how great the biggest ministry is across the world. They do not have any power within themselves to save you, because no human being has the power to transfer salvation, because, let me tell you, it can't be transferred from human to human, because it has been given from above, and Jesus tells us that through John, 3, 3, you must be born again. You must be born again. But how, nicodemus, how that famous that beautiful scripture, how can I be born again? How can this happen? The physical realm, it can't happen. It can't be gauged through the physicality, through the engagement of humanity. No, jesus says it comes from above. So the gift drops on, the gift drops on and the gift drops within. It is dropped within you. You are saved before. We're going to transfer in a minute to a scripture that is beyond the human mind. My pea brain just, absolutely just evaporates when I read these scriptures. So it's about his blood, it's about redemption.
Speaker 2:Verse 11, verse 11 of Ephesians, chapter one. In him we were also chosen, having predestined according to the plan of him. Your life's already written, your life is already written. Your life is already written. The scriptures will show us in a few moments. God chose me, god chose you when we didn't even know Jesus, when you didn't know the word Jesus, when you didn't have any intention of following Jesus. He chose you way before.
Speaker 2:Let's find the scriptures. Let's let the scripture do the work. The scripture shows us. The scripture shows us in him, verse 11, ephesians, chapter one. In him you were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of his works, working everything out in conformity with his purpose, of his will, in order that we might uh for those of the first hope through christ, uh might be for the praise of his glory. And also we were included in christ. When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having uh believed, you were marked in him with the hope, with the promise of the holy spirit.
Speaker 2:Let's quickly go. Let's quickly go. Let's go down to the, to the old testament. This is where I really wanted to get to. Um, this is so powerful.
Speaker 2:As we come to the table, let's go to the book of psalms, psalms uh 139, psalms 139 and let go to verse 13, and we'll read it through to around about 16. This is so powerful. This breaks science, this breaks physics. This breaks everything. This breaks all the law of the natural world that we understand. It goes beyond education. It can be so powerful that when we read it that we can almost, I won't say not believe it, but we can't, uh, we can't, box it, we can't, we can't get it because it's outside of of academics, it's outside of science, it's outside of mathematics, it's outside of of every human understanding. When you read this scripture, it it is beyond the human mind, the concept of life itself.
Speaker 2:Verse 13 of Psalms 139. For you created me, or you created my innermost being. You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am wonderfully and fearfully made. Your works are wonderful and I know that full well. Here we go Now. This is the bit. This will blow your socks off your front room, wherever you are at the moment in time, and if you've got white socks and you've got sandals on and you look like a Christian, the sandals are about to evaporate.
Speaker 2:When you read this one, look what it says. My frame was not hidden from you. Your frame, your structure, my frame frame. Verse 15. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in a secret place. Come on, this is outside of education. This is outside of the church understanding. This is beyond religion. This is beyond the test tube of of of science. This is outside. This takes belief. This takes. I've got to just believe it, because if I work it out, I will never work it out. I will literally go down a rabbit hole and just confuse myself and just completely throw my mind all over the shot. Look what it says my frame was not hidden from you when I was made in that secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. This is the one. This is the one. Get all your sandals on.
Speaker 2:Your eyes saw my unformed body. Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Can you work that out a minute? So every footprint that you have on this earth, every word, every pronunciation, every song that comes from you, every argument, every area of life itself was seen before the action was lived. He watched me be birthed into the physical realm and he's seen me die. He's seen me die. I'm alive, but when I die, he knows the hour, the moment, the second, he knows the year. He knows everything because he's seen everything before it's been produced in the physical realm.
Speaker 2:Now, this takes complete faith. To believe this takes the Hebrew writer to get us to this place. If you have a Bible, turn to Hebrews 12. But you could gos 11, verse 1 first. Now faith. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things seen. Now faith is believing that the invisible can be seen, that is, outside of the physical realm. Now faith. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence. Now faith is the evidence.
Speaker 2:Do you know that there's a world outside of this world? Do you realize, out of this bubble of what we live in, we cocoon ourselves in this little life, this tiny little parochial stretch. They reckon we don't live outside of like four to six miles of our life. We just like just mooch around a certain parochial area. But outside of that area it is beyond physics, it's beyond. Do you know that you was brought into existence before existence even came into existence? Do you realize that Yahweh, the God of Israel, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, knew you before the first star was spoken into the universe, before light was spoken in Genesis, chapter 1, verse 3, you already existed in the creator's heart.
Speaker 2:Do you realize that you didn't need to go to church to get saved? Do you realize there are more people being saved outside of what we call church than there is being saved inside what we call church. You've only got to study the persecuted church 365 million displaced Christians running for their lives. They couldn't run to a church. They had to run for their lives and on the run of their lives, jesus saved them. God doesn't need a church. Pastors need a church. We need a platform. Oh God, we need a platform. There's many controllers behind the pulpit. Lord, will you strip me back? I don't want to be like that, lord, when you look at this scripture. Let's read it again. We're going to come to the table in around about four to five minutes, so let's read this again.
Speaker 2:Verse 13 of Psalms 139. For you created my innermost being. You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. You are not here because of an accident, because of a certain reason. You are here because of God. You are on this earth because God brought you through. God brought you through for a reason, and not everyone gets to the distance that you got. Not everyone will get to the distance that some of us will and might not get to. It's a very interesting text when you look at it. I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes look at that. Your eyes saw my unformed body. Thank you, jesus. Thank you, lord. God brought you. God loves you. When you look at these scriptures, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book predestination. Now, we don't like that word, predestination, because predestined means that I'm doing what I should be doing at the right time, whether right or wrong, because he already see it and he doesn't reject me in the wrong.
Speaker 2:How many people were saved outside of the fabric of the building? How many people couldn't even get to church? I've seen this in an area that I used to work. Never been in church in their life, ridiculing God all the way to the last hour of their breath. Didn't want to know Jesus, not interested in Jesus, throwing money around, drinking, smoking fags, living life to the full stretch.
Speaker 2:Suddenly, the Grand Reaper starts knocking on the door. It's getting closer, it's getting closer, it's getting closer. Suddenly, out of nowhere, god tears open their heart and then they go. Chaplain, rev, what's going to happen to me? Because the quack that's just come in my room I should say consultant, sorry. The consultant that just came in my room and just delivered me a message said I've got a week at top whack. What happens to me when I die? Because I've lived my life, the cross, the criminal on the cross?
Speaker 2:See, it's not about church, it's about timing, because God does everything in his time. There are many people in church that are not saved because it's not their time. There are many people in religion that are not saved because it's not their time and no one can save themselves. It doesn't matter how we hang on to the preacher's coattails, that is irrelevant. It doesn't matter about the ministry. You might be involved in the biggest ministry the globe has ever seen. It's not the ministry that got you saved, it's God's timing.
Speaker 2:Because what happens is that we say, yeah, well, okay, rev, I went to church and I went in that church and at that moment I decided no, it wasn't your decision, it was the clock of heaven ticked on your heart at that second and God said I'm real. And suddenly the earth suit, suddenly tingles and starts to come alive and it's like having an electric shock. We are shocked with the Holy Spirit bang and suddenly we come alive. Do you realize? There are many people walking that are dead. You can be walking on the earth and have all the riches of hell and be dead.
Speaker 2:So in the area that I worked, I watched the 11th hour crossover Bang within a twinkling of an eye. They made it by the skin of their teeth, lived their lives for the devil, right up to the last puff on the fag of life, and as they was coughing, jesus, jesus, jesus, because it's all about time. It's all about time, it's not about church. God reveals himself to you and to me, and this is what he says. We come into the table. The clock is against us and it says in verse 16, your eyes hang on. God is invisible, but Jesus isn't. Jesus has got two eyes. When you look at this stuff, when you look at this, when you open up this God, open this up to me, your eyes saw my unformed body.
Speaker 2:All the days ordained for me were written in your book, the book of what? The book of life. Because your name was stamped before the cross was delivered, because you were saved before the stars in the heavens. You were saved before the first fish jumped out of the sea. You were saved before light sprang out of the voice of God. You was in the redemption plan before creation came in, because the Bible tells me, because the Bible tells me, the Bible tells me that creation is secondary Salvation and redemption is before all things.
Speaker 2:As soon as God said, let there be light, as that acceleration from God's mouth bang the speed of light. They can't even measure it properly. It is moving so fast. As soon as God said, let speed of light. They can't even measure it properly. It is moving so fast. As soon as God said, let there be light, and it accelerated and the universes and oxygen and the molecules of life were put into existence, the life form that is down the telescope that we don't even see beyond the human retina.
Speaker 2:Before all this came into existence, god went, you were with me. You were with me Because I see your unformed body and before you lived, before you breathed, before you done anything, I knew when you would be revealed to the world through birth. I've watched you be born and I've watched you die, because he knows the first from the last, the end from the beginning, the beginning from the end. He knows everything he knows when I'm going to die. Let's come to the table, father. We thank you for the word of god because every one of us was formed outside of physics and science education. We was in existence before the creation story. I love that. So rest tonight. Rest tonight on your pillow and remember what the title of this sermon, this podcast, this live stream is Marked with a seal. You are marked with the Holy Spirit and your name is in the book and nothing is going to rub your name out of that book, doesn't matter what anybody says to you. I'm telling you now you are of God's plan.
Speaker 2:Let's break bread, father, in the name of Jesus. This bread symbolizes your body. Father, in the name of Jesus, this bread symbolizes your body and, father, we recognize that your body was broken. As we break the bread, as we dip it in the cup, we thank you. As the scripture says, it becomes so the, the, the blood, so to speak. Uh, like, it's like soaked up into the bread. It becomes one when you think about that. So, father, I thank you, lord, for this bread that has become sop as I dip it in this cup, and I thank you that I am blood washed, sanctified. Bless this bread, amen. The Bible says after supper, he took the cup and he gave thanks. So, father, we give thanks for this cup, the redemption cup. What is the word of God about? From the first to the last, it's about redemption. That's what the story is about. Cleanse us in the blood of Jesus, amen.
Speaker 2:We've got a minute and a half and we're out of here. We'll still be on radio. Music is coming on. We've got two hours of country and the rest of that that goes there. You know, if you're on Facebook, I will disappear in a puff of smoke in a few moments, but we'll still be on X. We'll still be on Twitter, you know. So the music will stream through that. You can flick over to X, to Twitter. On that, we're going to disappear in just a few moments.
Speaker 2:I pray for every one of us tonight that we will realize that there is nothing in this world that can separate us from the love of God.
Speaker 2:It doesn't matter how we feel, it doesn't matter what our attitude is, it doesn't matter how angry we get, how crazy we get, because before anything was lived and the boards of life were trod, we were saved. Chosen to be saved, chosen to be brought in we thank you for joining us on RB, christian Radio, this evening. May God bless you as you are scattered across this beautiful world. Thank you for joining us in the house of the Lord tonight. May God bless you. Thank you to everybody that's on live stream now, wherever you are tuning in to the visuals. May God bless you right now. In the name of Jesus, we're going to kick out in just a few seconds, but just remember you're saved're saved, blood washed, sanctified in the name of jesus christ. We'll catch you very, very soon, wherever you are. May god bless you and carry you in the greatest name in heaven and earth god bless thank you for listening to us today on Reverend Ben Cooper's podcast.
Speaker 1: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.
