Scared to Share: Mary’s Story

Introduction to the Fear Series SPEAKER_01 0:00

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Thank you so much for uh listening to this podcast wherever you are across the world. Maybe you're listening to this through rodeo, or maybe you're just reading this series. This series is called the The Series of Fear.

Scared of Sharing Your Story SPEAKER_00 2:15

And uh we're in chapter six of the book, or you might be with us on the podcast, which is uh podcast six, and uh the title of this chapter that we're in at this moment is 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 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 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 uh never have enough time to get all the way through because we're only doing 10 podcasts and ten 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, chapter five that we that we've just read and we've just looked at, and you've just uh 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, the story of Mary. I I don't know what you think about that. Maybe you want to ponder a moment, uh 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? We understand through the Gospel of Luke very clearly in chapter one, verse 26, and all the way through, it tells us from chapter one of Luke, chapter one, verse 26 through to 38. What it actually tells us is the story from the angel given the word that you have been chosen, that there is favour, and you are blessed and highly favoured. There is favor on your life, but also because you have been called, what happens?

Mary's Fearful Situation SPEAKER_00 4:51

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 conver conversation as 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. 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 have been chosen and she'd be called to bear the Messiah. Are the world around me gonna look that 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 we're very careful who we share our story to. Now, if we were 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 colours, you know, the tunic of many colours. 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 the f look what our father, look what dad has given me. You gotta 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. Now, 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, 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 gonna 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. 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

Joseph's Perspective SPEAKER_00 8:56

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 the testimony because all of us have got a testimony. 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 gonna carry child, she was gonna 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, what whatever and however we look at life, fear takes no prisoners. So the for the fear of divine choice. Now, when you get called, when you get saved, that there is no choice. 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 and now you've got to share your story, share your vision and your dream with the eldership team. Are they gonna receive this story? Are they gonna receive this vision and this dream? Now, Mary hit these barriers in her life. She was in a small town, a small village, unmarried. She was young, she was called, and she had a very powerful story. She was gonna carry, she was gonna bear, she was gonna 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. 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 called 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, 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 laid everything out on the table. Now, imagine it from Joseph's side of the table,

The Fear of Being Judged SPEAKER_00 13:23

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, now Joseph's story comes into the arena. So Joseph hearing Mary deliver this message. So what we have got, we have 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 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? 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 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 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. 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 a dream of Christ, and they go to bed following a different God, and then they 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. Mary had to share her story. Now, I believe there are many of us reading 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 gonna get laughed at, I'm gonna get ridiculed. What is the culture gonna 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, ostracising, you know, and even worse, she could have been put to death because you know what happens in certain areas and certain cultures when you share your story and also being judged. Now, we can be very, very fearful of situations

Finding Courage to Share Your Story SPEAKER_00 17:43

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, 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 what we should be focusing on. The fear of the lack of, 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. You know, 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, 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 gonna receive her, she was unsure of what the outcome of society around her was gonna look like. Are you frightened of the culture around you? Are you carrying a story? Let me use

Finding Courage to Share Your Story SPEAKER_00 20:25

Are you pregnant with a powerful word? And I'm not referring to a baby, I'm referring to carrying that. Do you feel that there is this word that you are 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 labour suite at the moment, and you're frightened because I've got to tell the world this story. This this is gonna be birthed at any moment. You know, I'm not referring to the to the the physical birth of a baby, I'm referring to the the spiritual birth of telling your story because telling a story that Christ has been working in your life and you are changed. 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 served foreign gods? And then all of a sudden, 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. 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 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. 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, 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.

Mary and Joseph's Conversation SPEAKER_00 23:41

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 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 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 gonna say? What's Mary gonna deliver it? What 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. He was told a story that a lot of people in the world would laugh at at 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 bloodwashed, sanctified, but your story has got to be shared. 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 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 gonna 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 her story? 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 still this fear series. I believe that there are many people that have a story that are very fearful of sharing their story. I pray that God will bring peace to your heart because you're gonna 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 gonna deliver your story because it's God's story. 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. 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

Closing Thoughts and Encouragement SPEAKER_00 28:16

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, 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.

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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 pastorbencooper.co.uk. 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.