Delivering Your Story

Introduction to Reverend Ben Cooper's Ministry SPEAKER_01 0:00

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Welcome to the Fear Series: Chapter 7 SPEAKER_00 2:03

Welcome back. Welcome back to this podcast. Welcome back to chapter 7 within the book. We thank you for buying the material that we're putting out. You know, this series that we are doing, the fear series. We're in chapter 7, we're in podcast 7. Wherever you are across the world, we invite you to share your story because this is what it's about. You know, fear is a very powerful, a very interesting. I find it interesting because fear does a lot of things to the human being. Fear shapes you. Like faith, fear shapes you. Because what fear does, it takes us to God. We don't actually realize, but it's a part of a journey that God is fully aware of. Now we've been we've we're up to number seven at this moment in time. So whether you're reading this at this moment in time, chapter seven, we thank you so much for that. Or whether you're listening to podcast number seven, you know, in the story of the fear series that's going on here. Now, the title of this chapter that we're in and this podcast is Deliver Your Story. What do you mean, deliver your story? That doesn't sound like it's got any fear on that, but we are just looking at Mary and Joseph. Now we're just pushing on a little bit further. We're looking at their journey. Now, once Mary had delivered, and once Mary had birthed the Lord Jesus Christ, their territory had to change after the birth of Jesus. Now, I was just speaking, and the chapter before was Are You Scared to Share Your Story? Scared of sharing the story of the seed that's been dropped in you. But just like Mary, once we get over and we get through that we have been given a vision or a dream and a call in into ministry or whatever that is in our lives, once we once we understand that that seed is in there and it's never gonna go, but now we have overcome the fear of sharing the story and the story is out, and we've told people and we've let the world around us know. There is something else as well. It's about delivering. What do you mean, delivering? Now, I'm not referring to the maternity suite of delivering a child, I'm referring to delivering what your calling is. Now, you know, this is a really interesting part of being a believer, you know. You have been called, you have been chosen, God is with you, favor is over your life, you know, just like Mary and Joseph, now they have the story in their hands. The story was delivered, you know, and I just want to backtrack a minute. Are we are we ready to deliver this story? What do you mean? How do we deliver this story? We deliver this story now. This brings fear alone, because this is really, really important for me to really grasp at this moment. Just because I've been called, just we got just because we got the power of the Holy Spirit, doesn't eliminate us from fear. You know, Psalm 23, even I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. So just like Mary, she was given a vision, given a dream, given a word, however you want to look at that at this moment in time. We're not going into the depth of the theological stuff because these are just quick fired 30-minute podcasts, a quick fired read, this chapter that we're in, deliver the story. Now, Mary delivered the story, but once she delivered the story, then suddenly their lives were transformed, and they had to leave the place that they was in at that moment in time. They had to flight, they had to literally move as quick as they possibly could, they had to go to Egypt. You find this story, the story of migration in Matthew chapter 2, verses 13 through to 18. It was the fear of losing her son. Now, we've carried the story, we've understood the story, the vision, the story is in our spirit. We we have come to a bit of an understanding that this is my calling, this this is me. I you know, maybe you've been grappling with it for years, but we're getting used to this story, this seed, this word that's been given into us. Now, Mary delivers. Now, I believe God is preparing you to deliver. But once you have delivered your story, the story still continues. But it might look very different in your eyes. The story might look completely different in your eyes. You know, Mary was fearful of losing her son. You know, and ministers can be fearful of losing the ministry, losing the church. I know what that feeling is like, but I've actually come to terms now that that there is a season for ministry. But there was a time in my life when I was really fearful. God gave me the story, God gave me the vision and the dream of where we are and everything that's happening now in this ministry. But then I went for a time in my life when when it was delivered, so to speak, but then I was frightened of losing what God gave me to carry. Now, this is Mary and Joseph's story. Now they're both walking together, they had to escape, you know, because their son's life was threatened. Jesus Christ's life was threatened, the life of Jesus from King Herod. That that this is really important. So they they had the story in their hands. So the story all of a sudden becomes very real. It's tangible, it's touchable, but now it's touchable and it's tangible, it is still scary. They had to flee for the life of Jesus. Immediately, the threat. So if you can imagine, Joseph and Mary have just experienced this supernatural birth of this Messiah. All the words that the that have that have been put out through the prophets, the words that have been put out through the angels, everything from the delivery of Mary, you have found favour, to Joseph being told that do not be afraid. Suddenly they've delivered this story that they've been told between them. They are looking at the story. I believe that there are many of us looking at the story. Suddenly it's been delivered, it's in our hands. Now the journey begins. It's very interesting that the journey of Mary and Joseph wasn't an easy journey. It was a fearful walk because they had to get themselves out of town as quick as

Welcome to the Fear Series: Chapter 7 SPEAKER_00 9:26

Mary, could we say Mary was not afraid of Jesus' survival? I'm not quite sure. Because being a mum and being a parent, even though that she was given word and you're gonna call him Jesus,

Delivering Your Story Despite Fear SPEAKER_00 9:40

Emmanuel, God with us, and everything that goes along with the biblical text and the facts of the story and the birth of Jesus, we got to remind ourselves is that she's still a young mum. And Joseph is a dad. So they had to deal with this situation. Obviously, there was fears of the safety of Jesus, but I actually believe that Mary and Joseph were fearful of the story that was being unwhat it was being woven together as they started to live their lives. So all of a sudden, Jesus is birthed. We understand in the Gospel of John chapter 1, verse 14, and the word became flesh. As soon as Jesus was birthed, they had to pitch up and they had to get out of town. It might be like that for you. You've been given a story, you've been given a word, and the people around you do not want to see your story survive. Oh, hang on a minute. Now that brings fear. The people around you, the people around you are saying there's no room at the inn. There's no room for Jesus in this church. There's no room for Jesus in this house. There's no room for Jesus. So be careful who you show your story to. Be careful who you reveal your story to. Again, we have this very interesting text in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2, verse 13 and 18. This this crazy king, King Herod, he wanted to take Jesus out. He wanted to remove Mary and Joseph's story. He wanted to destroy the story. He wanted to destroy this story of this Messiah. I believe that there are many of us in life that have experienced moments like this when you have given birth to your story and you're holding your story and you're looking at your story, and your story is in swaddling clothes, and you've got this story. You've got this. God told it, told you it will happen, and all of a sudden it has happened. And then all of a sudden, just like Joseph back in Genesis, when he said, Look what the Father has given me, this coat, this tunic, look. When he told them his story, suddenly his brothers in the environment and in the family house didn't like his story. As soon as Joseph presented them the physical action of this is the coat that the father has given me. Look at what I am carrying. Look at what I'm carrying, brothers. They did not like what Joseph was carrying. I believe that there could be, there may be, very possibly, people in our lives that don't like what we are carrying. And they want to try to stop your story. Now, when you realize that that can be true, that brings a fear on its own. Because I can't lose my story. God has given me this. If God has given you the story, it's very interesting that it won't be lost. But the fear of losing the story, this is very prominent, this is very fierce in ministry, in all types of ministry, that we can, I have been, and I'm just starting to come to an understanding that this is God's story. And if this is God's story, I can't be fearful, and it won't be lost until the right time. So we understand that Jesus lived around about 33 years according to the word, and I'm not a theologian. I'm just throwing this out there in these quick-fired podcasts, these quick chapters, these quick reads, you know, and as we're in chapter seven and we're in podcast seven, as we're just throwing open this the barn doors, so to speak, on fear, you know, fear is a massive subject. Fear hits us in many ways, fear comes in many ways. Fear is really, really powerful, but I'm not giving it any more airplay than actually faith. But what I want to recognize is that fear is very real, and many areas of ministry and church does not recognize it, it tries to push it under the carpet. But you will find the disciples, you will find Mary and Joseph. They had to be comforted by the angel, the messenger. And the messenger said the same line to each and every one of them do not be afraid. Let me tell you, the story that you have been given, the seed that has been sown, yes, it's fearful, just like Mary and Joseph. Their story is a scary story, it brings anxiety, it brings worry. When God drops a vision and a dream, it will bring fear, but it also will bring hope. It may bring anxiety, even just by being a Christian, being a Christian in this time in which we live in the UK in the persecuted church, it can bring fear. So I want to let you know, just like Mary was told, God will see this story done. No Herod, no system, no family will drive that amount of fear in you for you to drop the story. Because the story is not actually my story or your story. It actually wasn't Mary's and Joseph's story, it was the story of Jesus. And I'm using the word story because that's what we're familiar with, and I'm not talking about a bedtime story, I'm talking about fact, biblical fact, that this is documented heavily throughout the world. That when God gives you a story, your life is a story. Let me tell you, the story will not end until Jesus Christ has got his story lived all the way through you. It's not gonna end. There might be Herods around you that is driving fear at you. There might be controlling people around you, and you have been and you've got a story, and you've been delivered this story. The angel has told you about the story. You've had it in a vision, you've had it in a dream, you've experienced it in this way and that way. You are carrying power, you are carrying anointing. As you read this chapter, God is speaking loud and clear. Your story will be delivered. Your story will not be taken out, your life will not be taken out, your ministry will not be taken out.

When Others Try to Destroy Your Story SPEAKER_00 16:39

You know, God will get his story because Jesus was his story. And just like Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit used Joseph and Mary to deliver what their plan was. God is using you, and God will get his story, which is your story and his story, delivered. Now I find this really interesting that Joseph and Mary, their their journey had to change direction. See, once it's been delivered, once your story is out there, once the word is out there, and the world around you knows that you're carrying now your story in physical form, and you're in church, and you're living church, and maybe your story was where you was addicted to certain areas of life, and the addiction has been broken, and you're carrying this powerful story. Be careful of the people around you. There are Herods that are still alive, there are people that will want to try to stop this story from happening. If you look at Joseph, again, I've got to reference the Old Testament. If you look at Joseph, very, very interesting. Joseph's story was a story of where his family wanted to destroy his story, the coat story, this beautiful tunic that had been given to him, this blessing from the father, the the father has blessed you, but there might be people around you and in your life that actually want to destroy your story. Now, if you are aware of these people in your life, and we are talking about fear because fear is the fundamental point that we're looking at at this all the way through these podcast series, all the way through the chapters of this book. Fear is the center. That is what we were looking at. But fear is a very interesting word in ministry. Not many churches will talk about it, not many pastors will deal with it because they have a different concept and a different understanding. But Jesus feared, Mary feared, even Herod was fearful of what might happen. Even the enemy can fear. Joseph was fearful, they was uncertain of what was lying ahead. So suddenly they're being forced to flee their home. Imagine that, the fear the town that they that they lived in, the town that they grew up in. Imagine that living in this constant fear caught by these these these men that are looking. You know, it's exhausting looking over your back. They they had no choice. They was vulnerable. Jesus was vulnerable, but the two adults were vulnerable. Mary and Joseph, their journey to Egypt was a scary journey. Now that's very, very interesting as well, isn't it? The physical journey is an emotional journey. It's filled with anxiety. There was refugees, they they was fleeing. There was no clear future, there was no place to call home. The fear that Mary must have felt during these months of exile, her heart must have been beating, the survival of this child, what is gonna happen? So Mary and Joseph's story is not a happy clappy church story, it's a story of going through the valley of the shadow of death. But they've had reassurance, both of these two human beings, Joseph and Mary, have had this reassurance that don't be afraid, and I actually believe God is telling us this right now. Don't be afraid. Your story will get delivered, and not only will it get delivered, but I might take you back to a place where you're unfamiliar, you're unfamiliar with Egypt. I find this absolutely fascinating that that they're carrying the story, the story of the world, this this powerful story of Jesus, this story of the king, this story of the savior, that that these these angels delivered this message. The angel delivered a message to Joseph and Mary. Don't be afraid. Suddenly, this story comes out across the the dining room table. Mary delivers the story to Joseph. Joseph, I've got something to tell you. I'm carrying child. So Mary is fearful in delivering her story to her husband to be. Joseph, the husband to be, is feared now because I'm suddenly hearing a story that I don't want to hear, and this hasn't, and it can't physically happen because of this biological process hasn't actually taken place. So suddenly Mary is in a fearful position. How is Joseph gonna react? Joseph is on the other side of the table thinking to himself, hang on a minute, this physical

Mary and Joseph's Journey of Fear SPEAKER_00 21:47

action hasn't happened. So what in the world is all this about? So suddenly we've got these two people, these two human beings, been given a word, carrying a word, then suddenly their story starts to. flow together and they that that they're told not to be fearful so they're they've got these nine months they've got this nine month period as we're very aware of where where this this child is growing in in the womb in in in in in the belly or of Mary and suddenly the the fear of telling the family and culture and life and the the fear of the people on the outside and then suddenly the the fear of actually delivering the story delivering the story I've got to deliver this story so suddenly they she is and she delivers the story the story suddenly becomes physical it becomes very very real it's in the hands and I believe that is a very fearful thing as well suddenly having the story that has been birthed within you suddenly it has been given to you and it is in your hands and what what do I mean by that the physical attributes what God told you all those years ago and all these years of it rumbling around is right before your very eyes it's in your hands you are carrying this story now externally it's in your vision so then suddenly around you there are people that are not accepting your story Herod would not accept this story this physical story so Mary and Joseph two young parents flee they run for their lives just like two refugees it's not clear the future they've got no place to call home Mary and Joseph are fleeing for their lives not only are their lives they are us going to spend a good number of months in exile they have to go and hide and they have to keep this child survival the fear of the unknown dangers that they might face on the road the sense of vulnerability everything that goes along with their story their story is a God story but not only is it a story of God it's a story of faith it's a story of hope it's easy for us to go I don't know what they was worried about we know the end of the story what we've got to remember is they did not know how the story would pan out they're going on what was delivered in their spirit in their heart through a vision through a dream through an encounter of an angelic host but suddenly they're starting to see the physical story that Jesus is real this child has been growing in the womb of Mary then suddenly it becomes real it's in her hands Joseph takes Jesus as his own according to the word suddenly they're they're together and they're carrying the story I believe God's story is in your hands now and just like Jesus the story will survive it doesn't matter about the authoritarians are around you it doesn't matter what is happening on the outside your story will come forward your story will survive even though Herod even though the journey of uncertain days even though you're exhausted even though you're weary even though the traumatic time of giving birth to your story no one's accepting your story the innkeeper said there's no room at the inn maybe that's what the family are saying to you tonight at this hour wherever you are across the world there's no room for Jesus in our lives maybe that's happening to people right now your family are

Your Story Will Survive Like Jesus Did SPEAKER_00 25:49

saying there's no room for Jesus the innkeeper said there's no room and then suddenly the word gets them that this young child this this child his his life is in danger the authorities want to take out the story. I find that really fascinating actually that the authorities in this nation want to take out the story of Jesus I actually believe that you are carrying a powerful story. You might be a different position to many people at this moment in time you might have just been given a seed and you're in a different position. You might have given birth to the vision and the dream and you're holding it in your hands you might literally be moving away from where the vision and the dream was birthed. Now that's another interesting part of the story where you give birth to your story your vision and your dream doesn't necessarily say that that is where the future of that vision and that dream will be because Jesus was taken into Egypt. Mary and Joseph journey to Egypt was not just a physical journey but it was an emotional one. So wherever you was and however you delivered this story doesn't mean to say that the story is going to stay in the geographical position that it was birthed in. You might have to go to a different territory for a while before the story can fully grow because Mary gave birth to the living word and we understand that through humanity through the biological process of life that we grow so now we're in a different realm fear the fear of delivering the story the fear of sharing the story the fear of changing direction now I've got this story. So fear is very prominent in the scripture faith is so powerful in the word of God I want to encourage you right now maybe you feel like Mary and Joseph where you're carrying your story in physical form now and all of a sudden you've got to leave the territory where the story was birthed because the story can't stay at the innkeeper's door because Herod is on your towel. The authorities are trying to take your story maybe the authorities in your life are not accepting your story maybe family are not accepting your story maybe situations around you don't compute so your story is in danger. Now that brings fear but let me just remind you as we come to the close of this podcast as we come to the close of this chapter you know the delivery of your story no one will destroy your story because it's God's story being delivered through you. So God has a plan for you so whatever story you're carrying don't allow fear to distort your vision call on God the story will be completed. But do not allow fear do not allow fear to control the last part of your journey you know God is with you wherever you are may God bless you. Thank you for listening to this podcast it's podcast seven chapter seven in the book may God bless you wherever you are in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_01 29:39

God bless

Episode Closing and Blessing SPEAKER_01 29:45

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