Good morning world, wherever you are. This is #Christian Straight Talk wherever you are coming straight out of the barrel of truth. We got Simon with us today where he got a cup of coffee on the go. And we are just going to be looking at something that is so important to a believers life. Being born again, Simon Good morning.
Simon Pinchbeck:Good morning, Ben. It's great to be with you. We're in the in the new super impro conference. So he called it Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:the new super improves shed now we're almost in we're in a no room we've we've migrated from the other end of the building over the last couple years. And we're finally in a place that we believe God has. God has led us to So yeah, we're in this is good stuff, new beginnings. But this is hashtag Christian Straight Talk. Welcome to everybody. Thank you so much for the downloads all around the world. This is hashtag Christian straight talk, you can find us on many different platforms very, very soon you will find us on YouTube as well. But you can catch catch us in so many places, Amazon music, I Heart Radio, Buzzsprout, Spotify, and so many other social networks that we are on May God bless you and strengthen you. We want to encourage you today. Being born again what does it mean? You Nicodemus, what was he going on about?
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, you're you're banging on their on your bed, because we're, that takes us straight into a John free in the Bible, John three. And so this is the start of a new set of talks. And we've we've been titled The set of talks fighting talk. Yeah. And before you can be fit for the fight, you got to be born again. And what does that mean? What does
Reverend Ben Cooper:that mean? That is such a big, theological word that Simon has been given to bring to the table we could spend literally a lifetime talking about what does it mean to be born again. So we will miss a lot, a lot out. Because it is a subject that obviously is salvation. Salvation is not and cannot be earned by a human being it is a gift. But when you look at John, when you look at the Gospel of John, when it talks about John three, as Simon said, he says, John three, verse five, Jesus answered, Truly, truly I say unto you, unless one is born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Simon Pinchbeck:And he's talking exactly but when he's talking to Nicodemus, who was a he was a like a church man, when he was a probably you got a robes, he was that religious guy, he was your bishop, or whatever you want to call him.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Very Educated. Sommerset come from a really strong stock, a really intelligent man. He was up the scowl on the leadership, he was well scored, he was well oiled. He had a lifestyle of luxury. He didn't want for anything. He was a law giver. He was a writer. So this isn't really educated man, and for him to come to Jesus and say, What must a man be? What must it be for a person to be? What is that? And Jesus goes, Well, you got to do this. He must have thought that is a childlike answer.
Simon Pinchbeck:It seems Jesus only so he knew he was from he was from God, he knew there was something really special about this guy. So you know, he said to him, right off the off the bat in. He sought him out Denny in the night time when no probably no one else was about because he didn't want to be seen to be speaking to Jesus. So he said to him, Rabbi, he call him Rabbi, obviously, you know, so it's a respectful name. So we know that you're a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that You do, and this God is with him. And Jesus answered him straightaway and John free free, so the most surely, most surely, I'll say to you, unless one is born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God. Now Nicodemus can gaze and really cannot be born again. I can't go back.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Two years old, I can't go backwards. And he's come Simon has made a very important point. And he's come to him at night. Why? Because he was a Jewish ruler. He was of the Jewish Council. He was an educator. He was a very interesting character, but Simon said, and as the scripture says, He said, Rabbi, so he is recognizing Christ, his respect as a very important person, a very respectful way that he said Rabbi so for him to mention Rabbi, we understand from the text a rabbi was a very clear cut teacher of the law and have what everything what was on of the tour. So for him to recognize that but then for Jesus to literally say, you've got to enter into back into your mother's womb that Nicodemus must have gone. What are you going on about?
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, well, he thought that he thought, what does he mean? I've got to get back what? And it's very important this is in the Bible, because it tells us, you know, Jesus said it, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. And obviously Nicodemus is blown his mind. Yeah. And then he comes on, as you said, and unless you're born of water, and the spirit, and you cannot enter the kingdom of God, that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born, the Spirit is spirit. So Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again, the wind blows where I wish, it wishes, and you hear the sound of it and cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born with the Spirit? Men that that is, it's such an important part of the Bible. And the way I see it bent, the way I see, see is this. We come to Jesus, when we're ready, when we when we, when we, when we know we want to be saved. You know, we enter the kingdom of God, what do we do we begin, we give Jesus our old life.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's right, you give him but there's quite an interesting area, isn't it, what we're entering into. So we have an educator. And Christ called him Israel's Teacher He called so. So this is a real learned character. And we put a label on this a bit that this character was a very influential, very powerful, rich man. And down in the text, God, Christ says, You are Israel's teacher, Jesus said, and you do not understand these things. So straightaway, salvation has nothing to do with your education has nothing to do with your notoriety had nothing to do with your money. It can only be the gift. So you have been given a gift. So when God saved us, he presented himself to you and to me, but then that now the responsibility comes to me. And a lot of people think, well, if I don't go to church, I'm not going to be saved the responsibility don't lie at me or anyone else. It's God's responsibility, he saves, who is going to save and he lets go, who's gonna He's gonna let go. But there comes a point. Now, when we're into into the power of free will. When I say right, Lord, I'm saved. It's your choice. But now it's my choice.
Simon Pinchbeck:And you made a great point there, you know, it doesn't matter. This, you don't say that you do some wonderful things with giving out food stuff, and we don't. But in the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many food parcels she give me how much you go out and you do this or that and the other. That's not going to save you. That's not going to get you into the kingdom now. The only thing that's going to get you into Kingdom is being born again. And what Jesus meant by that is you give you give him your old life. Yeah, you recognize that? This man died on the cross for your sin. Yeah. and rose again to save you. Yeah. But you ask him, Jesus, accept me accept my old life. And he does. He never turned anyone away. He knows your heart didn't turn anyone off. Amen. If your heart is right, it has to be a hard thing. Yeah. You know, you've you've got the the two differences of you've got the high priest when Jesus was who come to wash the sands. I see. No. I've seen no crime in this man. Yet his heart was hardened. And then you got a futon across. Yeah. Very smoking. Yeah. So take me with you in paradise. So Jesus says, yeah, you'll be with me. Because he sees his heart. So if your hearts right, you give him your old life. And what does he do when
Reverend Ben Cooper:or barely takes it? He takes it. He nailed it to the cross. He's given me salvation is give me hope in a future. And he's given me a turn eternity living with him.
Simon Pinchbeck:And he's given you a new life. A new life. That's what he means by you born again. But you have a new life a new life. So yeah, everything in this is the thing. You can never escape your past. You can't pass these with you in
Reverend Ben Cooper:it, but my past is with me all the time. But the penalty of the past has been now to the crosswind. The thoughts are there, the actions are still there. And that always will be that doesn't matter but we have been redeemed. Isaiah 4424 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb, I am the Lord who made all things, who alone stretches out the heavens who spreads out the earth by myself. He is your Redeemer. So whoever you are, you have been redeemed,
Simon Pinchbeck:you've been redeemed, and you'll be given a new
Reverend Ben Cooper:life. So there's been a transaction. It's the greatest deal, the greatest deal the world has ever seen. And
Simon Pinchbeck:the greatest deal, you know, it's not any free X. It's a Black Friday, or Cyber Monday, anything like that is the greatest deal that you will ever have in your life. As Ben said, it can cost you nothing except giving away your old life, accepting Jesus Christ as the new life. But then what do we do with that new life bank?
Reverend Ben Cooper:What do we do have that copy very careful what we do that we should give it straight back to give it back to him? So there's that I'm always giving it back. So that's where the The word repentance comes in, doesn't it? Follow? Thank you, Lord. Yes, I thought St. Today, I slipped today I said, St. Today I engage in a bit of road rage. I've got a bit frustrated today. So when God saved us and our salvation is, is beyond human understanding. It is a mystery, the power of salvation. So God saved us, we cannot save ourselves. But when my buddy has become alert to this salvation, then the scripture says whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. He saved me before I even called, but what my earthly body suddenly starts to realize is that now I have a responsibility of speaking and communicating with him. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord, I cannot call on the name of the Lord before he called me. So this earth suit is just coming into line what God has already done. So my life Simon's life, your life is now to the cross the Calvary you've been bought with a price you are redeemed, salvation has been given to you. So you haven't got to worry about am I saved? Yes or no? What all we got to do is is work our salvation with fear and trembling.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, and two Corinthians 517 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, amen. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So if all things are passed away, why am I still thinking about old things?
Simon Pinchbeck:And there's a deal see, what most of us do? We hang on to a bit old life, don't we? It's like, we carry the old man. Or old woman, wherever. That old person we carry that. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. On our backs. Yeah. And so we, we pretty much go around a day being a new creation. And then my mind both something it's as across our path.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And we, the Old Testament may rise is
Simon Pinchbeck:the old man comes, oh, man, deal with that. So.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So we're in a continuous, hard journey of not conforming to the wire, the world and my old pattern of my human me. But now I've got to live for Jesus. So that's where the battle of the mind comes in. That's
Simon Pinchbeck:where the battle is gone. And I am saved. We never. You'd never, never ever, but it's very difficult, I would say, to give up everything from our old life,
Reverend Ben Cooper:I would say we would never reach, never reach completion. And I read a reason to say that it's because that's what the Scripture says, He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on that day. So all the time I am breathing and walking this earth, I am saved. I am washed in the blood of Jesus, but I have to battle the human me that made tend and want to go back to some things.
Simon Pinchbeck:And there's a deal been seen before, but I don't want to but I do want to before you were born again. They say someone else stuff. We'll move on. Where are you? Now? Because now you've because it was life. It was the wild. It was the way you were? That was the way you did things. But now the Holy Spirit has come to live in you. Yeah. And now the Holy Spirit goes, whoa, Ben. That was wrong one or rose Simon. You don't want to be thinking that so you get convicted.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So the Holy Spirit is the counselor. The Holy Spirit is the advocate. The restrictor
Simon Pinchbeck:is a counselor. He is the one that that just go he is on the straight and narrow if you're like
Reverend Ben Cooper:ding ding, ding, ding,
Simon Pinchbeck:ding, ding. And, or, if he's up like me, it's a big thump in the chest that got
Reverend Ben Cooper:Oh, hang on. So being born again, is beautiful. There's nothing fine and knowing that you're gonna be in eternity. But I think is such a hard challenge. And to live in within the UK or within the westernized world because everything is sexualized, everything is, is driven for socializing, everything is driven for a business, everything is driven for you.
Simon Pinchbeck:And the thing is you totally been. But now it's not about me and Jesus recognize that and the father recognizes that and the spirit recognizes that we are just human beings. Yeah. And we have got failings and when, when people say, oh, I want to be like, Jesus, do you know what? You're, you're never gonna be like Jesus. But we're gonna that's what we're that's, that's what we're going to try and follow Jesus. That's, that's the deal. I can remember, you know, brand new Christian. And you know what, just saying it as we've seen it today is 20 years to date. And so my Wow, in February attempt 2000. So I made a commitment to accept Jesus Christ into my life down at Trinity Brompton and yeah, you know, the times I was in there, I could listen to someone like Sandy Miller, Nicky Gumbel speak, and they spoke the truth of the gospel of the Lord. And I come out of there in tears in my eyes, being convicted of all sorts of things, couldn't even speak, or get in the car retry popcorn, or somebody cut me out. Oh, man, was that again? A piece of gum? Do you know? So? That's where we are. Because we're as the journey is the journey,
Reverend Ben Cooper:even through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because you are with me. So every day is a journey, and every day is a challenge. So being born again, it has no, I have no power to save me, even though Simon has said very clearly that this is the day that the Lord has made, he shall rejoice and be glad that was a marker in Simon's life, where the physical Simon suddenly realized that this Holy God was too big, and he could not resist Him, that his lips just had to say, Lord Jesus come into my life, when actually Christ was already in Simon's life. And Christ had already saved him by the blood of himself, because 2000 years ago, and more Christ died on the cross for Simon, and for all of us. And that 20 years ago, when Simon went down to that altar call, or whatever happened, Simon's physical body was just coming into line with the supernatural Word of
Simon Pinchbeck:God. Amazing, because it's there for everybody. It's there. It's there. It's already in place. It's already been done. Yeah. It's just a matter of each individual person.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah. And every other so many people like Simon, that has a definite marker in your life, which is brilliant. So good. Of when that day was that your earthly body really recognized that there's supernatural God. What I would say is, is that you know, you can't run from Him. You can't run from Him. As as the book says, if I go to the depths of the grave, you're there. If I go to the highest part of the heavens, you are there. If I go to the north, that you are there, where can I flee from you? Out of Your presence? I can't
Simon Pinchbeck:think Jesus is just standing there with his arms open wide saying, Come to me. Now you got a choice? Yeah. You've got a choice to say, yeah. Jesus and fall into his arms, and confess and repent, yeah. And accept him, or you got a choice to turn your back and say, No, I'm okay. I'll do this. And it's, it's, it was explained to me. And this may help one or two people out there as, as you're in, you've been charged with an offense, you're in standard in the dock. You've admitted the offense. You're pleading guilty. The judge is just about to drop the hammer, drop the hammer and write a sentence for your life. When he steps down. And he comes to you and he writes out the check, paid in full. That is paid in full gives you the check, and you're free to go free to go. You're free to go. So yes, you've committed a sin. Yes, you've admitted it. Yes, you've been repentant for it. But you've been free from it. You've been forgiven for it. Yeah. Your debt has been paid in full.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And that only happens when Christ alerts the physical me to the supernatural God, but because before that, there was no intention of any No one wakes up and suddenly goes, I'm going to be a believer. I have decided to follow him. He comes to us first and he opens the envelope of our heart. And he he he presents himself to us as His Holy God while I was still because it says in the book of Romans while I was still sending, God chose to demonstrate his own love for us while I was still sinning, so while I was still sinning, there was no no intention of going to church. But he came to us. So what happens is that day when Simon went down the front of an he stood at Holy Trinity Brompton or whatever he had prayed over him. That was the moment when suddenly his body realized that the Holy God of Israel was calling him. And Simon said, Yes, Jesus, this is that day.
Simon Pinchbeck:And that's the same can be the same for everybody. Person, this
Reverend Ben Cooper:is the day.
Simon Pinchbeck:And you made a very good point, before we make that decision, what we're doing where we're in the world, we're in the world, we're following the world system. We're following the system of the world. But when we made that decision, to finally accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, yeah. Jesus says, you're now a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. I'm no longer citizen of the world, you're in the world, but you're not of the world. Which means, yes, you have to still be in the world, because that's where
Reverend Ben Cooper:we're always going to be in it in I'm not going to be part of it. But you're not,
Simon Pinchbeck:you're not part of it anymore. So why are you still being part of it? Because you're now a kingdom in a citizen of the kingdom. And you have an assignment. As a born again, spirit, full believer as a citizen of the kingdom, you've got an assignment, Ben, and what is your assignment?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Follow Jesus? That's all I gotta do
Simon Pinchbeck:you that when you when you bet, that's a great point. Ben has made absolutely key point, please get this in the way this totally, that when you're looking and praying, Lord, what's my destiny? What's my purpose, use one purpose for you, my friend, and that is follow Jesus, they are worshipping Jesus, where's Jesus going to lead you is kind of lead to some amazing places, and he's going to lead the Father. Yeah. And that is a place you'd never want to leave.
Reverend Ben Cooper:And then when he led you to the Father, you will experience the Garden of Gethsemane. And that is a massive subject. But what that does that strips everything back of me of Simon. And then we start to we can feel quite disgruntled, we can feel quite unusual because suddenly, we are alerted to what were alerted to holiness. When suddenly you realize our holy God is, and then he says, be holy. Because I am holy.
Simon Pinchbeck:I remember there was a guy that came as a great point. And when there was a guy that came on one of the Alpha courses, and right at the beginning, he said, I'm a good guy. Really? I'm a great guy. I don't want any this this garden. By the end of the Alpha course. He said, I'm a rich man. Worst of everything. You know, I so need Jesus in my life. Yeah. And that that's what so what pins is a great point. You know, we you suddenly realize just, if there is a standard, where am I on? That's great. Oh, understanding all the issues probably up there. So
Reverend Ben Cooper:I'm under the table. We're on like, I'm trying to get trying to get
Simon Pinchbeck:you in the depths of the carpet. That's the pile,
Reverend Ben Cooper:oh, God, when that Scripture, the holy because I am holy, that just turns me Want me just to curl up. Because now I'm a born again, believer. Now I recognize that the God of Israel is real. Now I understand a little bit of redemption and in salvation, and mercy. And then in Galatians Galatians, chapter one, verse 15, says, but when he had set you apart, before I was born, and who called me by grace, he's called you by grace. He's called you into holiness. He's called you into a new life. He's called you into a new, a new way of life. But we are fighting, as Simon said, and as the scripture says, oh wretched man, am I why do I do the things I hate? Why do I things where I can't do the things that I should do?
Simon Pinchbeck:As a Roman seven Christian saint with that, that is the way that's brushed under this and and you read a little bit from Galatians one it was 10. You write up for Galatians 220, which says, God's I've been crucified. It's no longer Island live, but Christ lives in me.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I have been crucified
Simon Pinchbeck:with Christ.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I can't even sorry.
Simon Pinchbeck:Oh, man. Yes, you were right, right at the start. That oh man is now to that cross. He's Like, right the old man should be in the grave but he's not his he's not he's alive and well. He keeps going my get back. Oh man get back.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So that is the battle is not with Lucifer, the battle is not with with the firefighter battle is not with the demonic forces the battle actually is my head. But ln mind, battle every battle is with me because we also want to know self yet the devil is defeated, the enemy says he's under our feet. So that's given that's gone. But now I've got to live with me. I've got to live with me. God I got a live with me.
Simon Pinchbeck:And the thing is the battle is with things that the enemy is implanted in you years ago, years ago, and you're still trying to so let me give you an example. I was quite, quite volatile temper at one time. And I could go from zero to 100 in bank in this in less than a second. And I thought I'd got rid of that Ben but something happened and they was around my granddaughter and whatever. And I went completely I just went and my my boys were there and they and afterwards they said we know that look that hurt me a little bit because I've obviously seen that look, they said we know your eyes when you go like that. We hope no one can stop you and got me knees and said, Lord, where did that anger come from?
Reverend Ben Cooper:It's frightening, isn't it to think that that old man can rise as as quick as that as quick as that.
Simon Pinchbeck:And is the is what I got back. He said, you've been hanging on to that bit of anger in case you needed it. So I haven't let go of it. So that comes down to surrender that comes down solely to surrender. So I'm saved. I'm say grace,
Reverend Ben Cooper:that God has to do what he's got to do in me. And God will lead us not into temptation, but he will take us to a place of endurance, the stretching of your faith,
Simon Pinchbeck:and that's what this pay for is more you really
Reverend Ben Cooper:want me I want your Lord. But do you really want me? And is the fact you know, I love you Lord, but but I will die for you God, I will die. But do you really love me?
Simon Pinchbeck:And that's what he said to Peter isn't it to you love? That's what he said that the Lord, I will die for you? And is the thing, but what did he do? He scarpered and he got a bad rap for that everyone else Scarpa. And that's what I was gonna say he was a badly did at least he when everyone else disappeared, we all Scarpa
Reverend Ben Cooper:don't wait, the old save me. attitude comes in. And then, aren't you for Jesus? I see you. Yeah, I see. I see you going to church now, not me.
Simon Pinchbeck:And the biggest pain for Christ on the cross was obviously, physically very, very painful. The biggest pain I believe was the separation from the Father. Separation. And that and that is the biggest pain for us being separated from the Father, allowing the old man to step in and separate us from the Father. And the father goes, we can't be with you when you're doing it. I don't think it's sin. No, I thought we could sin. Oh my god since on. I can't be with you when you're lusting after that woman or you or your, you know, filling your tax account or whatever you're doing either nicking
Reverend Ben Cooper:that bag of cement a little deal going under the table on Sunday morning your pricing.
Simon Pinchbeck:Ben, you said to me something. And I think it's you know, is truly true and I think the listeners got to hear it God does not operate under the title.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Right now Black Friday deals is
Simon Pinchbeck:free no no, no, that is not a weekend that sin is looking at you. And you can imagine cornea with Jesus looking at you with burning eyes
Reverend Ben Cooper:or don't go there. Don't go into that one that that on the island of Patmos I turned around and I see one like the Son of Man and it flattened me to the floor you couldn't make me if we made me want to dig a hole and get under the ground because
Simon Pinchbeck:my friends when Jesus is coming back he ain't coming back as he's coming back in is not going back to save anybody he's coming back for judgment
Reverend Ben Cooper:but religion in church dresses Jesus up please God forgive me for this please God as the hippie Jesus. Oh, yeah, man. Yeah. You know, like this love. Yes, he is love. Yes, he is love but also he's got a rough is a God of judgment. He's a God of justice.
Simon Pinchbeck:Well, you know, you've got to believe that the world as as made him look that soft, real soft, and even the church has ministry effeminate but if you if you that's why reading the Bible comes in because if you read any of his stuff, he gives you a large letter. He gives it large. So the old RSC Pharisees, were you, you know, you're like in the saints of their face, he draws a line in the sand Danny with a woman, anyone who's without sin cross. He don't is not Kamiya love, love love. No, he loves you totally. But that God's moral code has never, ever changed, never changed. He's the same yesterday, today and forever.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Every day I wake up, I realized I wretched man and my meter. Yeah, every day to realize that I've almost had my trousers whipped down by the church, because his dress something up. That's not real. He hasn't taught me about holiness. He hasn't taught me about sanctification. He hasn't told me about the blood of Jesus. He hasn't taught me about the consequence of sin. It has led me down a religious route and told me that I can well it hasn't told me it just but I only have to look at the denominations. Any think goes. So what is the difference between the world and that church
Simon Pinchbeck:is no different. So and that brings us on to great point, Ben, because Jesus said, you know you, he said, You got to be in the world but of the world. He said I have overcome the world. Everybody says, was saying that worldly. Yeah, become a citizen of the kingdom. And your assignment as a citizen of the kingdom is to follow Jesus and advance the Kingdom advance the kingdom. That's your assignment. Your assignment is not to sit in your lazy boy chair watching reruns of this that and have your assignment is to be a warrior to be a warrior for the Kingdom.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, to be. So that comes down to the question. It was God called me to be. Who am I in Christ Jesus. Because we've had a lot of we over the years of identity and that has been manipulated. And it
Simon Pinchbeck:is very interesting. You bring that into the onto the table day identity. Yeah,
Reverend Ben Cooper:it's ah, it's so many manuals out there for ministers in there. Send five grand and we'll we'll give you the manual thing in a minute. Yeah. mentioned them about a Bible. Well, and that an identity?
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, you're exactly right. And you get from that you don't Yeah. Especially a lot of young people go. I've heard of Jeremiah 2911. But what about for a while but yeah, I know. Yeah. Great. I know the plans I have for you Plans to prosper. You know, it's not the homie. But you will find me if you seek me with all your heart, men, that's the deal and get
Reverend Ben Cooper:your heart it has. It's your heart. And God has already got your heart but he wants to he wants. It's such an inter woven this salvation. God saves God gives it but then I need to recognize through the word of God, that I am a wretched man, but whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. But God hasn't waited to give me salvation until my lips move. He saved me before my lips moved but now, now my earth suit has recognized that this God is holy. Now I start speaking these scriptures. Now I start speaking it now. So my identity, what is what does that actually mean when they go? What's your identity in Christ first, firstly, identify myself as a saved human being that has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus then I identify myself as a wretched man am I but by grace I have been saved proof fruit sanctity, I don't identify myself as a little God.
Simon Pinchbeck:Now when if if anyone is wondering what you know, grace means that every Sunday certified which God's undeserved deserved, you don't deserve it. And but you've done it perfect, but you've got it and and you can't resist it. And it's fresh every day.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Yeah, Simon, I can't resist it. He is going to save me. He is going to deliver me he is going to do all that because it's already been done because it's been written in the book of life. He's going to get me to do it.
Simon Pinchbeck:I mean, look what he's done with this church here. And you would say, Father, thank you but I don't deserve it is don't worry about whatever you deserve is why it's what
Reverend Ben Cooper:are my plans are being fulfilled. You're just an instrument.
Simon Pinchbeck:But I'm looking at your heart is no no, I'm looking at your heart and this is this is not for you. It's not for Reverend Ben Cooper is not big statues of you out in the front is not
Reverend Ben Cooper:not out on the
Simon Pinchbeck:big picture view or anything like that. This is King Midas. Mara godson where where we're going to do start doing business, yeah, proper business, I will build my church and you ain't seen nothing yet. No, you're really i I'm gonna, this is what I'm gonna do,
Reverend Ben Cooper:I will build my church. That's what God says, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail.
Simon Pinchbeck:And you said something really important. And, and this, you know, when we become a citizen of the kingdom when we confess, repent and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and then accept that commission? Yeah, to go out and, and preach the gospel to the world. Yes, we're following Jesus. And so we're following Jesus. You're right. As you rightly said, we need to follow him to the garden.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Where you're leaving me alone, I'm leading you to a great ministry. I'm leading you to a lovely house, I'm leading you, knowing I'm Ben, you've been lied to? I'm leading you to the Garden of Gethsemane where you will say on your hands and knees, Lord, not my will.
Simon Pinchbeck:Not my will. But your will be done. And I think I think what's coming out his talk this morning, I think is something really, really reverse reverse revelation completely. But I think this is the deal. Your biggest battle, my friend is not with the devil. It's not really and not your biggest battle is with yourself. Yeah. And letting the old man go. Yeah. And the biggest battle is with that separation from the Father, but absolutely not my will, but Your will be done. And I had it the other day. It couldn't make a mind as a police officer, armed officer. A very independent man.
Reverend Ben Cooper:I self driven, self driven, self motivated
Simon Pinchbeck:Christian guy, though. But I said you I said you have not surrendered? He says you're right. I haven't surrendered? Because I need to be in control. And the answer is Amen to that. No, you don't. You don't need to be in control. Because you need to know what it is. And you need to get on your knees on your face in a garden and say exactly that prayer. Ben just said not my will. But your will be done. Father is all over to you. This you can't do any of this by yourself. Now, you we can't do this but you think you can. And a finger spin. If you think you can do this by yourself, you're gonna come a real Cropper. You're gonna you you're gonna, your life's gonna become a train wreck. Because if God is for us, who can stand against us? And if we're not you not embracing the Lord, if we're not embracing Jesus, and following Him, then it's going to be a struggle.
Reverend Ben Cooper:The hardest thing is to surrender. This is the biggest thing to surrender. Why is it hard because you're wrestling yourself. You're wrestling your wants, you're wrestling your flesh, you're red, you're wrestling your dream. You wrestle wrestling, the worldly dream, you're wrestling. Stuff
Simon Pinchbeck:that and you're wrestling all the time, and it's exhausting. And my mate there is got a real problem with one of his children. And his wife is, you know, getting really upset. And it's exactly the same with the wife because he's gone to his wife. Yeah, this is what you got to you got to do this out in the oven. That's what we say to God, this is what I'm going to do. This got my way, and God's gonna shut up. Shut up, and listen to me. And all you bring it before me and lead me to do to do the rest. Leave me a do the rest. I didn't I had two sons that that sadly went down the drugs route. Quite Yeah, quite got deep into it. And all I just kept doing was praying and praying and praying and praying and, and and then I'm over, Lord, I can't do this. And, and after years of praying, we had breakfast with both of them. And now that they're both clean, I would never go back to that
Reverend Ben Cooper:panic, right miracle.
Simon Pinchbeck:But But I would win, you know, fingers a former police officer. I wanted to grab all these young men and beat the living daylights out of them. But when I realized that I thought God has forgiven me. Yeah. I've got to start forgiving these two young men and supporting them. We have done a great He's done a great job. So where we're saying is the deal You accept you give Jesus your old life, you accept the new life, but then give it back to him. Give it back to him, because he has got the right plans for you. And you don't need to know what your destiny is. You don't need to know where you're going. You don't need to know your next step because you can't even take a breath without the Lord going. Yes, he could tell you and express. You can't do it. So don't think about the Bible tells us don't plan about tomorrow, this. One of the one of the craziest, most stupidest men in the Bible was Lazarus when he said, I'm building this bond. These bonds. Yeah. And the Lord says, What a stupid man, Christian, I'm taking your life.
Reverend Ben Cooper:What happened to him? What? Lazarus? Bosh,
Simon Pinchbeck:dead, gone. And even when he was in the hell, he didn't repent, because he was saying, go and see my loan. Some are brothers. He didn't know. You can't take your next step. Yes, it is wise to do a little bit of planning. But put it before the Lord. The just shall live by 555 a
Reverend Ben Cooper:month. And you got to be careful with that. Because people go oh, yeah, well, faith also means planning. When I plan. And I anticipate, and I work out, I'm starting to do what I want to do. So it's not really faith. Faith is going with an understanding is I don't actually know what's going to happen to my life. But all I do know is one thing is for sure, I'm destined for eternity. So what are you going to do with me today, God, but we have found ourselves in ivory towers, we're in jobs that we shouldn't be in. We're in postcodes, we shouldn't even be living in the kids are going to schools that they shouldn't even be going to. We are we are finding ourselves that we are in a mess, because we haven't listened to clear instruction we
Simon Pinchbeck:haven't been. You're exactly right. But we are saved, you're saved. But your life could still be a train wreck. Because you, you don't understand how this thing works. And you don't understand when Matthew 633 says, Seek first the kingdom of God. You are a citizen of the kingdom.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So what is the king? What is the king's requirement for me and my house. As for me and my house, we shall serve Boris. In my house, we shall so the load
Simon Pinchbeck:that you're saying. Joshua said, guys,
Reverend Ben Cooper:for me, and my house, anyone under that roof, bring a child up in the way that they should go. We are putting our children in what we call church goals. And we got funny things happening. We have got unbelievable things happening in what we call church goals. As for me in my house, we shall serve the Lord. So what does that tell me? I am a servant. So I serve. As for me, in my house, we shall serve the Lord, bring a child up in the way that they should go. We are in a trash can at the moment, or in the UK.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yes, totally morally corrupt, money saved, but we're still stay saved.
Reverend Ben Cooper:So my eternity is safe. Because my name and I'm referring to you, everyone on the other side of this and I believe that atheists listen to this. This is not just for the believer. This is for everybody. I honestly believe that your name is in the Lamb's book of life. And you're wrestling God right now you are even not even thinking you would label yourself as an atheist. You will listen to this back through Amazon music or wherever you listen to this and you will clearly label yourself as an atheist, but no one, no one can leave an eternal God. No one can escape him. B
Simon Pinchbeck:can have it you can choose you can fight him or you can choose not to accept His Son Jesus. And that's your choice, but as consequences, huge consequences.
Reverend Ben Cooper:But even when the human is alerted to that God, that God of Israel, you can wrestle him. But just like soul, his destiny was predestined for a set day at a set time. And also, as I've said before the 11th hour, God, what is going to happen to me remember me when you come into your kingdom, your paradise that place? You can't you can't wrestle you can't wrestle God what you do is you run from Him, but He will get you not because he's a dictator. Because he's a God of love. And he loves you that much.
Simon Pinchbeck:Yeah, but you can choose to accept His Son Jesus or not. Yes, if you don't, that has consequences if you do this consequences, yes, well, you can turn your back on Him, you can run and you can, but he will refuse him. But he's always there. And as you quite rightly said, right, you know, he never gives up on anybody, no matter who you are. But you can go to your deathbed refusing to accept Jesus Christ says that is that your choice? That is that your choice, you can refuse to accept it, because not everyone goes to heaven.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Now, notice what the Scripture is very clear on that the scripture very clear, but the church got it. The scripture tell you that God, for God so loved the world, he does love the world, but he's only chosen, but there is an XML that are destined for eternal damnation. So this is a very difficult text,
Simon Pinchbeck:because he says, later on in junk free 160 He said that anyone, whoever believes in my Son, Jesus, will not perish but have everlasting life. So whoever, so he's open to everyone he doesn't, it's not. It's not the guy that puts the chairs out of church. It's not a person who does the coffee. It's not a person who has degrees, anyone, whoever, whoever, but you've got a choice, you can choose not to accept Jesus, and you can wander away from him. But if at any time along that run, as he did with as the parable of the of the guys who, who were employed to work in the vineyard, yeah, it can be the last minute, as you know, as you've seen in our space you can before you take your last breath for God says, No, that's your last breath is giving you have a choice, and I believe, right to the wire. And I believe right now, across the world, the world is in in a terrible place. Morally, it's a terrible place. It says turn its back on God, completely across the world. But I believe that God so loves the world is given. One last chance, we're in a window of opportunity is a window of opportunity. So if you are a born again, spirit, full believe if you take in on that commission, to, to embrace the gospel and share the Gospel, if you become a kingdom, citizen of the kingdom of God, we are at that, you know, the harvest is plentiful, it's massive. Huge, yeah, it's massive. It's plentiful, but the workers are few. And if you if you are like me and want to live a life of an experience, exciting Christian, if you want to live an exciting Christian life, put your hand up and say, Lord, choose me. I'll go, I'll go, not my will. But your will be done. And show me where you want me later. Show me where you want me to who you want me to speak to show me where you want me to preach the gospel.
Reverend Ben Cooper:That's amazing. God, God loves you. God needs you. When I say God, and he said, that's a very difficult one to open up. But I do believe also some sinus was dropped in my spirit. As he walked along the shoreline of Galilee. He said to the disciples, that wasn't the disciples, at that point, drop your nets come and follow me. And I believe God is saying, Come and follow me. Drop your nets. We know the next was associating to all their livelihood, drop your nets, and follow me surrender. The ultimate thing is to surrender your net. Surrender your home, surrender your life, surrender your finances. It's interesting, because the loaves and the fish, they said, We haven't got enough but what we have got I'm going to give you so when you give it to him, he will give it back. But it has a different press.
Simon Pinchbeck:And I think it's important to note, then you're not saying cola I saw your house do you know certainly what you're saying is and this is an important point, what you're saying is give it to the Lord,
Reverend Ben Cooper:give it over and over. So there's gonna be handing over as the loaves and the fishes what I have is not enough to sustain everyone around me to sustain this situation. But I'm gonna hand it to you and what did Christ do? He lifted it up and he gave thanks for what he had. But when Christ gives it back is completely different. So you have different with what you've got already,
Simon Pinchbeck:because you're then it's you've headed into the kingdom. You put it in the king I
Reverend Ben Cooper:surrender. I'm surrendering everything under my roof.
Simon Pinchbeck:Jesus said in John 15 Five, I am the fine you're grafted into the vine you can do nothing apart from me. So don't think you made this you know business and your own strength down and you did anything in your own state. Don't think your your career is in your own strength. You can do nothing apart. HEAR from Jesus. And when you finally come to that decision, realization to hand it over to hand it over. Wow. Man, you you say, you know the Bible says it comes back tenfold press down, shaken together, right?
Reverend Ben Cooper:Spilling running out, my cup runneth over.
Simon Pinchbeck:And you you if we had time we could go into we've seen that operate in this church. But oh yeah, we will do that another time. We will
Reverend Ben Cooper:do God bless. Or we
Simon Pinchbeck:come to when we're at
Reverend Ben Cooper:the end we're at the 50 pay is gonna run out anywhere Well,
Simon Pinchbeck:listen, if you anyone out there and you've been attached to the loudest touch here from for this message, there's some been some great stuff spoken today that you know, if if you want if you need Jesus, if you want to be born again, you just open up, confess the stuff in your life, turn your back on it and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. And you become a citizen of the kingdom and you're in for a real exciting life. But wow, real exciting. They'll tell you the places you know, it's been 20 years but
Reverend Ben Cooper:it's a the places where you don't need a double jab
Simon Pinchbeck:off. I've been lazy is that I would have been such an amazing time you start being easy. It's been it's been yelled. At amazing time. There's a there's a citizen Kingdom a long way that live that go on.
Reverend Ben Cooper:Amen. Simon, you know, there's nothing finer than being a servant. But being a servant is so different to what the Church wants you to be. Be a follower of Jesus. You've been listening to # Christian Straight Talk. We've just skimmed over the top of the subject that we had today, just just, but I believe God has opened and Simon believes that God has opened the envelope of truth and as he opens up the envelope of truth, today's title of the podcast was being born again.
Simon Pinchbeck:Until next week, we're signing off, we're out. Let's go. Just a couple of goals.
Reverend Ben Cooper:In the name of Jesus, you can find us on Amazon music, I Heart Radio, Buzzsprout, Spotify, all the places in Jesus name, Amen.