#Christian Straight Talk - Courage to say No (#2 Courage)

Simon Pinchbeck and Reverend Ben Cooper take to the mice to talk about the 2nd part in the series of Courage and this week they talk about the Courage to say No to the World.

Transcript

Reverend Ben Cooper: 0:22

Yeah god bless wherever you are today thank you for joining us here#Christian straight talk straight out the barrel of truth. I've got my good friend and my brother in Christ Jesus Simon Pinchbeck and we are in the house of the Lord and we're in his presence I really feel the power of God in here today you know God is driving God is moving. God is healing God is setting the captives free but we have another podcast and we just want to say thank you to everybody that listens to these podcasts wherever you are, Simon my brother in Christ How you feeling today?

Simon Pinchbeck: 0:53

Well it's great to be stay your feet feeling is because it was great, because it ain't about how we feel about everything it's about Jesus Christ and that's what we're that's what we're doing over over the mics again the day Ben and I are coming out this morning and there's been some amazing stuff happen within the church and we haven't Yeah, you know you're in a lot of work done in the church and yeah, you know, one of the guys in the church he's a he's a he's

Reverend Ben Cooper: 1:24

a believer

Simon Pinchbeck: 1:25

believer is a follower of Jesus and and we've had some great fellowship with him already this morning and even on the subject that we're going to talk about a tie this is the second in our series Yeah, courage. We've done seven in a series on fear and obviously on the back of that we've got courage and last week's was courage to be a Christian Ben which really, it said we flip it and we as a Christian, you know, we do have the courage to say yes to Jesus and and this one is today is the courage to say no to the world and and it's a big one because the world is you know, the Bible says it will come in like a flood and it's coming in really like a flood and but we're gonna kick it off with with one scripture, Ben, or a couple of Scripture cameras. One is Romans 12, two, and Paul says this, he says, and do not be conformed to this world, smash it and do not be conformed to this world

Reverend Ben Cooper: 2:23

is actually stopped me me track. Yeah, because this is a, this is a very serious text that Well, I'm not, you know what I'm saying? You know what we're saying here, God revealed his word, doesn't he? And more often than not, we read the word and then suddenly, we read it again. And suddenly we realize the enormity and the spiritual implications or where we may have been within this text, and when Simon dropped this, and he brought this and he said, this is where we are today. Romans 12, verse two do not conform to the pattern of this world. It's quite frightening, isn't it? That's huge. It's enormous. It's actual showstopper for me. It is just,

Simon Pinchbeck: 3:04

I mean, that's so much, a few words there and do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you might prove what is good and acceptable in a perfect will of God.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 3:21

oh dear

Simon Pinchbeck: 3:22

So what God's saying there what Paul is saying that do not conform to the world,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 3:28

do not adopt the attitude, do not comply. As God made it very clear in the old testament to the Israelites. He said, when I take you into the land of Kiner, do not copy and mimic what they are doing. It's us. It's in the know, and it's in the old Jeff, you

Simon Pinchbeck: 3:47

got a courage to say no to the world because the world's coming in. Yeah, like a flood. The Bible clearly tells us, you know, we got to stand strong. And here's the thing, Ben, you know, we have spoken many times and you came up with a with a great analogy. Didn't do the salmon swimming against the bat. Yeah, yeah.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 4:08

It is serious stuff, isn't it? That salmon when you look at that, that was just dropped in our in our conversation, wasn't it? You know, and it is critical for a believer that, that I've got to keep swimming home. I've got to, I've got to make sure that I'm in the word. And when you're in the word, you become that salmon that's got to get home. I've got to get to Jesus. I have to get to Jesus. I'm swimming against the tide of religion. I'm swimming against the tide of life. I'm swimming against the tide of the pattern of the government. What is this government doing? Where are we where are we double jabbed and you'll be alright. No, it's rising. Do you know what I'm, there's so much going on. And if you are a believer in Christ Jesus, the challenge that you are going to have is one of this scriptures that we are in do not conform

Simon Pinchbeck: 4:59

to kung fu come home to the pastor of the world. And so, so we're again we're saying, you know, if you're, you can't go against that tide, you can't go against that current by yourself.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 5:14

We are in very precarious times you can't

Simon Pinchbeck: 5:17

do it. We've said this time and time again. You can't beat the flesh in the flesh and you can't conform. You can't say no to the conformation of this world, where you keep your eyes on Jesus. That's the only way you're going to do it. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Otherwise, you're going to sink your eyes on Jesus, and follow Jesus as as, as as he walks forward and opens the doors for you,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 5:41

Simon, you give me a challenge. Keep me eyes on Jesus. Yeah, Hebrews chapter 12. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfect of your faith. How do I keep my eyes on Jesus? When I'm in a church, and I'm in a demonic denomination? And I'm in a religion that is copying what the government and what the what? This is frightening staff? This

Simon Pinchbeck: 6:02

is our data. And you know, what do we do when we don't? Listen? Listen, this is this is the big deal. And this has dropped in this morning the courage to say no, yeah, the courage to say no to a denomination or a church that that is conforming is conforming to

Reverend Ben Cooper: 6:20

the world, to the trends of the world.

Simon Pinchbeck: 6:23

And what's happening Ben and we've heard it this morning already. Yeah, it's splitting up. Yeah, it's splitting it splitting it splitting partner splitting marriages is splitting so one will stay in one church and never go to another church.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 6:38

And then what you'll find is the preaching will be very different and the teacher will be very different. So one, or the other in that relationship is getting word and the other one is getting liberal Christianity so there is a conflict and the enemy is Dr. He's

Simon Pinchbeck: 6:54

loving it and he's loving it he's lovely because he is that's his

Reverend Ben Cooper: 6:58

thing, isn't it? That one church don't agree with the same sex gender but the other denomination is marrying at the alter so you've got division in the home so the enemy is grabbing people

Simon Pinchbeck: 7:12

out is loving it because that's this is one of these main things is this destroyed a family so yeah, what you've got you've got Vickers lead in one partner, one part of marriage one and another pastor lead and another with and so when they come together, there's been a big conflict, you know? And so what do we mean that's just in the church? That's just in the church? What What do we mean about that the world and conformed to the world? Well, one, john 215 to 16 spells it out for us there and there is many scriptures, Jesus, Jesus Himself said many things about about non conforming to the world, but what is the world? What does it mean it? One, john 215 16 says this, he says, do not love the world, all the things in the world, If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Wow,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 8:11

that is that is that that's a frightening text if I loved the world. So I, I am a Bible believing believer. So I believe in the Word of God. So that what I will find is as the Holy Spirit brings me under serious conviction, through areas of indulgence in the things of the world, I cannot follow that pattern. So I will have a challenge. And then what also the only not the only challenge that I have is that this scripture makes it very clear. Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world. Love for the Father is not in them. So I will love the things about love the things of foreign gods. So when you look in Leviticus, when you go into Leviticus 18 verse three, it says, You must not do anything as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they did, and they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you do not follow their practices. So within the Old Testament and the New Testament, we find believers living amongst the world amongst that situation, and you will have a challenge as a believer, are you for me or against me? Are you going to adopt the attitude? And as you look at what they've done in Leviticus 18, three, they conformed to their gods, they indulged in everything. How can this be there is a challenge out there for anyone that is a believer,

Simon Pinchbeck: 9:47

it that's massive, you know, and there's things that you've got to have the courage to you have the courage to say no to all of that. And, and the other thing that we've said many times, you know, Matthew 633 years seek first the kingdom of God so so some of these things of the world in it that mean like we're come on to it but like not money and other stuff debt in themselves saying a bad thing in themselves and a bad thing but they become a bad thing if you put them number one in your life, if you put them before God if you if you seek in that first step, that's what they're so if you're seeking that first and they love it that is in you. And so you know, one Timothy 610 says, The route money is the root of all evil. It's the love of this the love of so if you're loving that, then the love of the farmer is not in you.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 10:45

So that becomes my god that becomes your God becomes your idol. And it was the same for the Israelites the same for the Israelites do not follow their practices, what is the practice of the world? I don't have to go too far into what the world is doing to realize that there's there's such a satanic drive as well. So I've got to be careful because I could find myself within a nation wherever I live that is completely opposing the God of Israel. And I become that Salman.

Simon Pinchbeck: 11:15

Well, I believe and I've and I've believed this for a long time that we have an enemy that will attack certain areas with certain demonic attacks. Yeah. And so you will have an area which will suddenly I used to live in an area called Loughton in Essex which is used to call it the Golden Triangle you know Boca still Chigwell on that on and it was real centered around the only what is and it became overnight. I mean, I was I've lived there for years, but overnight, it became very pretentious, very, of being an air very pretentious, and, and the little coffee shops and the stuff that we used to go in suddenly changed. It

Reverend Ben Cooper: 12:03

all changed to white teeth. And sometimes it was the whole lot the man back there. Oh, man, Mercedes a class outside.

Simon Pinchbeck: 12:11

Unbelievable. Yeah. So I believe there's two scenarios suddenly, and all of a sudden, you know, kids in school, are conforming to this kids in school.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 12:22

It's a pattern isn't it's a pattern. Because social trend is a social trend. Because,

Simon Pinchbeck: 12:27

look, it says

Reverend Ben Cooper: 12:28

that if I don't conform to it, Simon, I become ostracized from my peer group. And then suddenly, I've got to conform. But how many people and young people in schools and young adults are conforming to this, but it's not really them, but they're frightened of rejection. So when you do not conform, you get rejected from the mass the hashtag that the social media so you so there is an element. If I don't conform, I'm going to be rejected because no one likes to be rejected.

Simon Pinchbeck: 13:00

And we've said it before, but you're exactly right. You're on the button there because fear of rejection is huge fear of rejection within your peer group fear of rejection with within society

Reverend Ben Cooper: 13:13

is massive. So this happens in your nominations.

Simon Pinchbeck: 13:16

This happens in denominations I was in churches, fear of rejection, if

Reverend Ben Cooper: 13:20

if I if I say that I actually, I don't agree with that, because the Bible tells me different Yeah, but the pastor, or the leader is going, this is what we're going to do, because the denomination, the Methodist, whoever we are, we've conformed and we will do this, how many people in that movement, at this very moment in time are thinking, Well, what you've decided to do around the boardroom table doesn't sit with my Bible, but if I don't conform to this pattern that you are bringing in, I'm going to be rejected from my church family that I was brought up in. So there must be many people in denominations that are just conforming to the pattern of religion because if I leave this church where when I go

Simon Pinchbeck: 14:06

Yeah, the sad thing is I think Ben is that is that is that the message as been so watered down in a lot of places that people are almost in it to say it but people in church have a real cognitive dose to the true message and and the sensitize the sensitize. So if and it says it clearly in the Bible in the last days, this is what's going to happen so so if all of a sudden you know, the church goes we're gonna go this way. The sheep will go that way. Yeah, but there'll be a few that will stick around up and go. I've got courage to say no.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 14:48

So the courage is?

Simon Pinchbeck: 14:49

have you got the courage to say no.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 14:52

I believe the biggest challenge that we have at the moment is not so much saying no to the world, but the chair Religion has followed the pattern that as the as is a very worldly business like spreadsheet model that is that is very flowing together through the business world, for the church world, for all that sort of stuff, and is very difficult to see a line in the sand where there are pastors and leaders going, No, we are not going to conform to that. And now it says, do not conform to the pattern of the world. But religion and the church is very worldly at the moment. It has never seen before.

Simon Pinchbeck: 15:31

And look at this look, it goes on to say in one john 216, for all that that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, your feelings. Yeah, no, you're right. All right. How do you feel? Yeah, that the lust of the eyes, which is I want this everywhere. I want that. Yeah, give me that. Looking at, you know,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 15:52

everything, images, picture, images, cars, notoriety,

Simon Pinchbeck: 15:56

but what's in what's in the church, then is the product life, which says massive, you can do this?

Reverend Ben Cooper: 16:02

Are you failing today? You can do it. Do you know what we can do this you can do that you can, you can do it. You are God. You can go that way, is so confusing. So then confusion comes in of so much. And then suddenly before we know it, the devil doesn't need to do anything. Because of the wishy washy preaching the wishy washy attitude, the devil aint in the church because he ain't got a

Simon Pinchbeck: 16:35

doesn't have to do anything.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 16:37

Man's attitude has done it.

Simon Pinchbeck: 16:40

We get the songs dont we that, you know, this is me, you can you know, I can do I can do all this you know, all these all these songs. I have a friend of God. Come on your friend of God unbelivable

Reverend Ben Cooper: 16:57

hang on a minute. decided to follow Jesus, in which we spoke decided to save me in the pit of

Simon Pinchbeck: 17:04

Jesus is is in my corner. No, no, seriously, you're nothing.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 17:10

You're nothing without him. Without him. Even with him. What happens I believe is when someone suddenly realizes that this god that decided to choose us and to set us free. I think what happens to that that individual that really has a great spiritual awakening, I'll be very careful how I use that word. Because that has been prostituted as well that word like Christianity and church, you gotta be very careful how we label things and how we answer questions these days, I really believe that there are many men and women that are going I can't confirm or can't confirm. It's not so much the pattern of the world. But the what the church is doing is is just replicating what is happening in in the world. So it's very difficult to find a break point between the world and religion and church and liberal Christianity. What is all that about? What is ethics and science?

Simon Pinchbeck: 18:07

I mean, we

Reverend Ben Cooper: 18:07

wishy washy,

Simon Pinchbeck: 18:09

when we this has just happened today, didn't it? You know, we were just having a coffee. I'm gonna chat when we come into the boardroom. And, and one of the guys doing a bit of work on a church comes in, and he's talking about a men's ministry, which is partnered with with a Methodist Church that believes in same sex marriage, marriage, and he's gone, what's going on there now what's going on? prom there, but this is just, yeah, it was coming. Look, Ben, look at this. He says. He says so if you listen, the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is not of the Father, but your softer world and 17 goes answers and the world is passing away. The world is disappearing, it's going and the lust of it. But he who does the will of God abides forever.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 18:56

To do the will of God. Does anyone know what the will is? Take me to the garden. The Garden of gift 70 is a place of breaking and shaping the garden. If anyone is out there that is saying what is your will? Firstly, I need to understand that the will of the Father is completely against the pattern of this world. And I will find that if I pray Lord, let your will be done. Not my will be done. I will find I will have a challenge to dodge every arrow because Psalm 91 says watch the arrows that are fired by de knots and the nighttime pessimists that stopped around so the enemy is firing arrows and there is some friendly fire in religion.

Simon Pinchbeck: 19:45

Oh without a doubt, a lion

Reverend Ben Cooper: 19:47

cannot conform to what the world is doing. And liberal Christianity is doing and everything that religion is doing. I if you are listening to this and you are a believer in You are going to have some serious challenges over the next number of months.

Simon Pinchbeck: 20:04

And I think this is what our podcasts do, but we challenged people to look at your life What, what, how you're living your life, is it? Is it does it come conformed to the Bible? Was it conformed to the world. And and really, there is many people out there who just get in the habit of saying yes, now Yes, they get even things that are not right. Yeah, because of what we said. But you're right. So if you get back into the garden and get into that relationship with Jesus Christ, then you have the discernment to know what the will of God is, and what is the will of the world and you will get the courage to say now.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 20:47

But that text that you brought to the table, Romans 12, verse two, it says, do not conform to the pattern of this world. Okay, I get that a lot. But then he goes on and says, but be transformed. So through the transforming, it says, By the transforming by the renewing of my mind, yeah, there has to be a move of God, that will bring me to a place of brokenness and easiest way to put that. So I will be challenged and God will shape me, father put me on the potter's wheel, because this clay is marred with wrong teaching, with the pride of life, with arrogance, with religion, with liberal Christianity, and, and the potter, the master at work. I really believe that there is a fresh shaping in believers at this moment. And this text is about shaping. Because it says but the trend by the transformation of your mind, to have your mind renewed and transformed, can only be of God.

Simon Pinchbeck: 21:52

It can only be a god, I think you're absolutely right. Because if you keep saying yes, the world, you're going to get entangled, my friends, we don't say this as any, any sort of tough love or tough message, it becomes a tough message. Because if you get more and more entangled with the things of the world, then it's more and more difficult to say no. And God wants us all to be He wants us all to be courageous. And he was sort operating that courage and stand to say no, because otherwise what we do we become, you know, if you're a believer, you become a Christian floater. Yeah. So you've wrote here and say yes, yeah. And then maybe now over there, but God wants us to Yeah, I say no, we want to doesn't want Christian float as in is following him, does he? And if we quickly look at someone in the Bible, who had the courage to say no, Ben, do you remember and this is interesting to remember. Joseph the story of Joseph right? Yeah. So he had been sold into slavery and and a guy called Potiphar, you know, bought him and he was to do this so well in part of his house dinner, that he was now rolling over everything.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 23:16

He he had such an interest in life, Joseph from where he come from, and he finds himself in potter's house. I think I know where this one is going.

Simon Pinchbeck: 23:26

Yeah. Because the Bible tells us in Genesis, I think it's 4960 tells us that he was a good looking guy. And yes, politics, his wife, suddenly, I guess the enemy got inside her and she decide,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 23:43

it's like candy in my head.

Simon Pinchbeck: 23:45

And, and she laid it on the table, she laid it, laid it out and said, you know, sleep with me. And she kept on and on and on. But he said no, you had the courage to say no, he said, he said my master has given me authority over everything. Except you armor I'm not and as he ran out, she grabbed his cloak now it's interesting we just because it's the second time his cloak has got him in a bit of trouble

Reverend Ben Cooper: 24:19

yeah as his first one brother Look at this. Look at this. Look that has blessed me. Oh, yeah. He loves you more does he? Let's kill him. So your tunic? I always looked at this. This fantastic text about Jonah. Is the enemies after your coat.

Simon Pinchbeck: 24:40

Joseph. Yeah, to say Joseph. Joseph is another one. Yeah.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 24:47

Yeah, say no. But he was saying no to God. But it's like when you look at Joseph, you know his coat his coat this beautiful tunic. That was absolutely a blessing. You know, the enemies are after your blessing. Even your family are trying to snatch your blessing. Even Potter furs wives are trying to snatch your coat. The world is trying that that coat represented a blessing from the Father. The enemy is trying to snatch your blessing. Well, what have you got? Have you got the courage to say no, I love it. I love the enemies not taking money out. It was a blessing from the Father. Have we got the courage to say no. And what happened

Simon Pinchbeck: 25:27

then? to mean he could have said yes, can the support of his wife and he could have had a fun time? I guess with Yeah. Anyway, a minute. I kept it under the radar. Yeah. But look what happened to me when he went to prison for it. But instead of being a slave, I said, I've been a slave. Really interesting. But what happened to him? So instead of coming out and being a slave and in charge of one outsold EPA him out and he was in charge of the whole of Egypt, so what happened?

Reverend Ben Cooper: 26:00

Are you faithful in little God blessed him?

Simon Pinchbeck: 26:04

When he had the courage to say no?

Reverend Ben Cooper: 26:06

Yeah, have you got the courage to say no, to what the world is doing? Have you got the courage to say no to religion? I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in this word. I believe in

Simon Pinchbeck: 26:17

it. Tonight, it's been Come on. You never lose. When you choose. How would you choose God, I never lose. When you choose God matter. Heck,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 26:26

you never you never lose his choice. You strike talk

Simon Pinchbeck: 26:29

straight out of the barrel of truth. Never lose when you choose God,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 26:33

you know, but you can't lose. But all of a sudden, you become this highlighted individual where people and religion and church leaders could say you're a loose cannon. You're not conforming. You're You're, you're you're a renegade. What are you and suddenly, they can almost label you as a fanatic arc. What? Look at them. Look what religion done to Jesus, because

Simon Pinchbeck: 26:58

you're putting them on the spot? Yeah, you're putting them on a spot because they're not conforming. They're conforming to the world, and not what? Yeah. What if we go down the route of another guy that said no, and a few fellows who said no, within Boris,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 27:14

my ankle, he said, Yeah, I called him he had his coat snapped straight out of college

Simon Pinchbeck: 27:20

news get rewarded with a bit of a decent job. But Daniel, can you look at that? Yeah.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 27:26

So on, Daniel.

Simon Pinchbeck: 27:27

So what he was, what they were saying to him was you got to eat this food, or the young men have got to eat these foods food. And Daniel said, No, that's a food from idols. And obviously, we don't want to eat that. And not only did he say no, he said, I tell you what, we'll just eat vegetables, and we'll just drink water. And at the end of a certain amount of time, let's see how we get on. And man, these were guys, these guys were handsome and there was there was strong, standing strong. So he said, No, Danny Daniel, he said, No, he had the courage to say no, because here's the thing. This was a decree from that from the king.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 28:07

Yeah, and another area as well in it, we want to stop your prayer. We want to stop you praying, we want to stop you praying, you're going to stop at this time, and you're going to worship this golden idol. But now, I'm not gonna conform to what the governors the priests, the say, traps, the judges, the magistrates, I'm not gonna conform to what you're telling me. I am going to pray to my God. But when you become a rebel for Jesus Christ, it can put you in trouble with the world

Simon Pinchbeck: 28:44

yet because you're not you're you're going against

Reverend Ben Cooper: 28:47

what they want. Say one yeah, I'm gonna believe in Jesus. I'm gonna stand on the Word of God. I'm not going to conform, to pray and to worship, golden idols that you have made. I'm not I'm not going to lift you up higher than my God. at four o'clock in the afternoon, I'm going to go back to my bedroom, I'm going to open my windows, I'm going to face Jerusalem, I'm going to pray. And what happened we know that that prayer that time that that intimate time with God got him into trouble with the world

Simon Pinchbeck: 29:21

with the world. But isn't it funny how it all gets switched, switched? And and so is the thing in our lives as we look at our lives are two great examples of people that have said in the Bible, people who said no, and Ben, but

Reverend Ben Cooper: 29:38

can I drop in there and they share? shamrock and Bendigo

Simon Pinchbeck: 29:42

then no, then they all say no, then I,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 29:45

whatever happens to us is the will of the Father. If he chooses to save us. We're blessed if we're choosing if he chooses that lives to be taken in the fire. We are blessed. But we will not conform.

Simon Pinchbeck: 29:59

And please, if you're listening out there don't don't think of this as just a nice story in a bubble. This is an example to where we should be going. I believe, you know, because we're going to get challenged in every area of our life. The area of sensuality, the area of sex, we're going to be judged very strongly in that area. I got a mayor Ben, he confided in a lady I think I don't I don't think she was a believer but she confided in with her that things weren't exactly going great in the in the bedroom for him, this man is a believer in his wife so believe he confided. And you know what, Ben within

Reverend Ben Cooper: 30:46

Little One Said rollover,

Simon Pinchbeck: 30:47

well, within offer now she'd sent him a link to a lady that was a little bit fed up with her husband and was offering him. Now it's no strings attached sex within half an hour. So he rang me and I said, Mate,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 31:06

I said, What are you gonna do?

Simon Pinchbeck: 31:08

I said, Yeah, exactly.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 31:09

Are you gonna do?

Simon Pinchbeck: 31:11

He said, I think he enjoyed the I think he enjoyed the devil. The thing the bit of an ego, you know, he always says, suddenly, you've got this woman saying that she wanted sex with him, because obviously this other lady had sent him a photo. he said, I said, What? What was the Where did you make your first mistake? He said, Telling her, say No. ringing herYeah, say no, say no. Say No. be tempted, you know, come on with that you're going to get these things flying at you.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 31:45

every area of life will challenge you, whoever you are, wherever you

Simon Pinchbeck: 31:49

finance,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 31:50

finance, your business

Simon Pinchbeck: 31:53

listen to this. It's I've got a mate of mine, who's who's a builder. Good, good mate. And it's Christian. But he's come from an area of life, where where he sorted things out with his fists. And he was doing a bit of work for a guy got a few quid. And he done a lovely patio. And let's just say, for example, that it was five grand. Yeah, at the end of the day, when he when he done a lovely job, we when he went to get their money, the fella said to him, he said theres two grand you ain't getting any more.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 32:27

Oh, what happened next? Did they give him one Corinthians? Did you give him love? Where do you draw the sword?

Simon Pinchbeck: 32:35

What is the thing? He went back to his car and his boy was helping was in the car, and he and his boys, and we can do that. And normally, you know, he will have gone a smashed offering out, probably smashed the fella up as well. So he went back. And he said, No, he said, The price was so so the falla said what you're doing here, You're like a bit of dirt on my nose, get out of the house, you know, not getting a penny more. And he swallowed it. And he went back, he sat in his car. And he was tough for him. It was tough for him. But he said, no courage to say no, no to the world. And what happened? God give him another job that afternoon. But that gave him more and replaced everything that he lost in the first I will restore,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 33:24

God is the Restore. But it takes the courage to say no

Simon Pinchbeck: 33:31

to the world and yes to God, no, no, I'm

Reverend Ben Cooper: 33:35

not going to conform. I believe that all of us have had challenges and still got challenges and will have challenges to say, No. Many areas of life No, the conforming, the, the transforming of my mind, I've got to have my mind transformed, it's got to be renewed, is a process I've got to go for. And that process will be a process of breaking. That will be a process of challenges that will be a processes of growing that will be a process of being discerning that that this this word opens up so much. It is really intriguing. And it is very powerful. That that Christ is reshaping. I believe God is reshaping you whoever you are at this moment. And it is feeling very, very tiring to you at this moment. Because you've been in church, you've been in religion. You've been caught up in in all this stuff. Your ministry has been your ministry and not God's ministry you have been getting trying to get glory, and you have been people lifting you up and praising you, but it's time to say no, it's time to stop conforming to what the world is saying it's time to stop conforming to what the priests and the bishops and the denominations are saying, and am I going to be a follower of Jesus says, it doesn't say to the disciples, come on conformed to me. He says come and follow me

Simon Pinchbeck: 34:58

and my friends. It is a time and Ben is exactly right. What he's what he's saying every single word, please pay attention to what he's saying. Because it's a time when it can be very lonely out there. Simon, it can be very lonely,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 35:13

though you're not you're not on your own. You've got three with you, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and not also, if you could see the amount of angels that are put to fly it, because He cares for you. Christ God, the Holy Spirit loves you so much, that he knows the challenges that you have. But Christ Jesus has come down 14 generations as the Gospel of Matthew tells us, and he humbled himself and there is nothing no temptation that has been given to men that Christ does not know about he has gone before he has paid the price he is your ransom, European washed in the Crimson Tide. And the challenge is to say no, yes to Jesus. No to the wall,

Simon Pinchbeck: 35:59

no to the wilderness. And you're right, Ben, you know, everyone, we all get tempted. Every one of us gets tend tempted in in everyday, everyday life, everyday life and to say yes, that temptation is a weakness to say no, is a strength Have a look, take time when that temptation comes in? Have a look at the source of it. What's the source of the offer? Is it God? Or is it from God? Or is it from the enemy? Or is it you know, past?

Reverend Ben Cooper: 36:30

from them one lead in the ministry.

Simon Pinchbeck: 36:33

God I never tempt you to do wrong Willie now caught he will never tend to do wrong. But people live in a moment and they want instant gratification or Lord and they want that instant, one that instant fixed and they saw that temptation comes in. But it's a consequence as a

Reverend Ben Cooper: 36:51

consequence to that I think Simon there's been a lot of spiritual blindness there's been a lot of blind in his in their eyes are easily blind, you know, can you can get caught in the motion of business and get caught in emotion of living in an A well paid job and you're in charge and suddenly, all this stuff is happening. And you just you just before you know it, you're conforming to a very worldly church, but deep inside, that you're not getting the spiritual fulfillment that you are hungry enough to so that even drives you to be more conforming to the world. Because that church can I use that word the church isn't giving you the meat that you need isn't it's giving you such a watered down staff that it's not spiritually fulfilling?

Simon Pinchbeck: 37:39

Yeah, and I think you're exactly right. Ben, if you if you're somewhere like that, as yourself, start asking, take time to ask yourself some questions, you know, start taking time to have a look at what is the requirement of what that offer, or whatever it is, once you do it, if you've got to lay down your conviction, does it matter? Is it sale? Does it? Does it require to lay down your conviction? Does it require you to go against your conviction to ignore to give up purity, honesty or integrity? See, Ben sin is costly in it. Sin is costly, and you might say or they seem to be getting on well over there. And you know, they ain't far they haven't said no.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 38:27

But his first season Ben, Father, forgive them for they know know what they do. It's only for a season for a season if you

Simon Pinchbeck: 38:34

if you've got to lay down your purity, your honesty, your integrity, your holiness. If you've got to lay that down to pick up this this thing, then it's time to run to the cross reference. It's time to get the courage to say no,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 38:49

the Scripture is very clear, be holy, because I am holy here because

Simon Pinchbeck: 38:54

nothing is worth disobeying God is nothing is worth. Imagine that. Because there's a consequence to every action. One join for the here now. That's right, it's only temporary in it, it's minions and currencies are lasting,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 39:10

fleeting. Eternity is forever. Eternity let one john, Chapter 215 and 16 that Simon has brought to the table today do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them. For everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life comes not from the Father, but from the world.

Simon Pinchbeck: 39:39

And so, so why do we hesitate and we touched on it earlier, but the biggest reason we hesitate is because of fear of rejection. fear of being light, fear of not being in the peer group fear of that is the biggest

Reverend Ben Cooper: 39:57

fight if I just conformed to this. If I just go Along with it, I'll be in the club. I'll be okay. Yeah, I'll be in a club, but I'm not okay, cuz it's going against how I'm feeling inside. So I go along with all this stuff, because the crowd is going this way. But to step out of the crowd and be that salmon, it's gonna take every ounce of energy, I've got to say, No,

Simon Pinchbeck: 40:29

I've got a Tony Benn, when I, before I made the decision to make Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior, you know, I'd be in a crowd might be down a rugby club might be, you know, I'll be in a crowd conforming to the crowd, you know, drinking everything, every the lot, but enough, but I never really felt in the crowd. Now. And I think that's way if you're, if you're that person, and I and it is crazy, I had a text from a guy that I met not a believer, but he's, he's totally nice. See, I'd text him on Friday night, and he's gone. I'm in this pub. But I don't feel like I fit in.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 41:17

Because God is stirring. And that happens so much. That happens so much. God is stirring. And God is is drawing the person God is drawing a person. And what happens when we're in that club environment that that that situation that Simon is talking about on this guy. It happens so often. But we are so frightened to say to those around us. I'm not actually part of this, because when you say I'm not part of it, you suddenly become ostracized and put out if you don't conform to the drinking, if you don't conform to the lust of the eyes, if you don't conform to we're going on a pub crawl, we're going to this, we're going to that club, we're going to do this, I'm going to follow this I'm going to if I if I don't conform, I'm going to be rejected. rejection.

Simon Pinchbeck: 42:06

And what does what does the enemy do shines a light on you.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 42:10

Look, you're strange. I want everyone on a Friday. Why? Why don't you want to absolutely get rat faced? What was wrong with you?

Simon Pinchbeck: 42:21

And so then you have that real fear of rejection? fear of losing relationships with your friends? Yeah. It can be a loss of finances, or maybe a loss of opportunity. Ben, do you remember? Even I come to you a couple of months ago denied? I said, I was thinking of putting my house. Yes, I remember that sale. And we had a guy come around. And lovely guy, nice fella. But he wants to be your best might mean and he talks. I'm not saying you're his best. You're exactly. And and he put something on the table, an opportunity on the table, which you know, came from under the table, do not conform. And I say I came here and I said to you, I said, Ben, this is happened. And you What did you say to me? You gave me some very wise advice. You said, God don't deal with stuff.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 43:18

Yeah, I said it's not hidden. It's not

Simon Pinchbeck: 43:20

hidden. And, and although the opportunity looked really good, you know, we didn't go with it. We turned it down. We had the courage to say no. But then but but right there. And then in the moment, it looks so good.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 43:36

Yeah, this is, Thank You, Jesus, this is an opportunity. Under the Table under the table is never under the table.

Simon Pinchbeck: 43:43

Because what was going to have to happen was a little bit of a

Reverend Ben Cooper: 43:50

little golden handshake. God does nothing under the table. He does everything out in the open. When you see God doing things out in the open, what does it do? It highlights you, it highlights you because you have had the courage to say no. And let your yes be yes and your no be no. And what not do that goodness gracious. How many men are in men's ministries that are conforming to the pattern of the narcissistic leaders in ministries and areas and the preachers and the teachers and the ones that say we are living in a time when you can be a pastor you can make you can be everyone you know I mean you can you can do whatever you want you but we are in need in this nation of spiritual leaders.

Simon Pinchbeck: 44:36

We are event and our belief but I believe if you firmly believe you stand up and make a stand for God and say no, and conform the world then. God bless you god oh gosh, you gotta get God's attention. And he will go keep we've got a hand on him and what is it saying? Listen to this, then look at this in Isaiah. You want 10? I've just picked this out Look, is this it fair? Not fair. I'm with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God, I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous, right come on down. He ain't gonna do that if you're dealing under the table, he's not gonna do that if you if you're saying yes to the world, and yet great thing that great is gonna uphold you with His mighty right then that's right, hold on a minute, on a call that we say find the courage to say no. We're not gonna do it. He says obey me. Is it trust me? He says no. And God says this, Ben, he said, Let me handle the consequences. Yeah, let me handle a fallout all and all that,

Reverend Ben Cooper: 45:44

yeah, we'll make our way we'll make our way where there seems to be no way. Do not conform to what the denomination is doing. Do not conform to the world, do not conform to the manipulation of leaders do not conform to what the worldly liberal church is doing. But have your minds have your minds transformed. But but but to be transformed, there is going to be a garden experience, there's going to be a potter's house experience of where the master has to work, you're like clay, He will guide you, he will strengthen you in the valley of the shadow of death. God is with you. He's with me. He's with Simon, he's with you. However you are capturing these podcasts, you know, today has really challenged me as made me think today is really stretched me to be honest with you today has made me look at things very differently. You know, am I willing to say no? Have I got the strength? To say no. It frightens me, Simon,

Simon Pinchbeck: 46:52

Ben, that you just given us the answer there. You've just given us the answer. We have to be intertwined with a world but with God, we have to be intertwined. They're not what a will. But with Jesus, we have to intertwine not what it will, but with the Holy Spirit. That's the way they're gonna have the strength to say no. And when you get a strength to saying no, when you get back into the garden, like what we keep saying, when you get on your face, and say, Lord, I'm broken, you have to this is I can't do this, you're gonna have to, I can't do this in my own strength. I can't you get that, you know, God will give you the supernatural courage to say no, it'll give you that courage to say no. And he will handle the consequences, my friend, whatever your fear is, he'll handle that. And here's the deal, Ben, as we as we're coming to learn today, if you're listening to this, and you don't know Jesus Christ, you haven't got a relationship with Jesus Christ in you're not going to have that power to say no to the world. It's going to be very difficult for you. So we just want to end with this if you're if you're a born again, believer a day, then we just say, you know, just keep having the courage to say no, come to come to Jesus lay on, get on your face, however you want to do it, but get on your face. But if you don't know Jesus, then just have the courage to lay down. Confess to him, all the wrongdoing you're doing in your life, confess to him that you that you're going to move on and you're going to turn your back on that. But have the courage to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Reverend Ben Cooper: 48:38

There we go. We've added #Christian, straight talk wherever you are across the world today. Simon has been very obedient to the Word of God. God has brought certain scriptures to the table, and one of them was Romans chapter 12, verse to one john 515 30, to 16. But in the word of the Lord, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Simon. May God bless every one of you across the world. You know, we're out here#Christian straight talk straight out the barrel of truth. Wherever you are today, you know, do not conform. Do not conform to religion, do not conform to the government do not conform to the pattern of this world. God is with you never give up in Jesus name. Amen.