Today, I'm going to be focusing on verse two. They will put you out of synagogues, indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you would think he is offering service to God. John starts with the words that they will put you out of synagogue. You guys remember Jesus and throughout his ministry, that Jesus had several groups that were against him. The groups like the Pharisees, Satrusees, And many others were against Jesus at times. And many of them always trying to find a way to call Jesus to stomach. But Jesus knew their heart. And John 2, it just said Jesus didn't trust himself unto them because he knew their heart. They just wanted the miracles from Jesus, but they didn't want to follow Jesus. When Jesus came to do the will of his father, he honored the father and kept the law. For them, they were jealous of him. They thought they had it all together. And when Jesus came and walked in humility, they were upset at Jesus. They were jealous of Jesus. So Jesus has several groups that actually, they were against him. But what about us today as Christians, but even as the disciples? It's always people that's going to be against the people of God. We're always going to have enemies. Because our Savior had enemies. That's not having an enemy now. You provoking somebody, you're trying to bring attention to yourself. You say, oh, this person doesn't like me now. Well, what did you do to them? I'm not talking about those type of enemies, those people that we do stuff to them, they have to do stuff back to us. But truthfully, as Christians, as we honor the Lord, we will have people that go against us. We're faithful to the Lord. It will be people that despise against us. That's what happened to the apostles. And Paul, Paul was asked on the mission trip and Paul was beaten for the sake of the gospel. He wanted to tell people about Jesus. He was beaten, but think about Jesus' life. Nine weren't bad things Jesus did. Did Jesus do anything bad? No, but they still killed him. Jesus didn't do anything, and they still hated on him. Jesus didn't do anything, and they still despised him. Jesus did everything his father called him to do. He loved his enemies. He cared for those that didn't like him. He even knew what taxes collected was known for. A lot of them were known for stealing money, but Jesus was eating at the table with them. He ate at the table with sinners. The woman that was struggling with men and John 4. Jesus come to her as she was going to the well for water. Jesus came and let her know that he's living water. Jesus go to the people that the people, the normal, the popular, the people that think they got it all together won't go to, Jesus go to them. And Jesus walked this earth today. I can see Jesus walking the streets of Howard Drive. I can see Jesus walking the street of Lilac. Jesus walking the street of Arlington. I can see Jesus today not being in a wealthy community. I see Jesus walking amongst the people that have been rejected, people that are broken. Jesus doesn't mind living his life, but those that are in need. So this woman right here that's struggling with me, or this guy named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was known as a person that a lot of people didn't like. When they saw Zacchaeus, people walked on the other side of the street. But Jesus comes to Zacchaeus, and Jesus welcomes him. This Jesus I just described, y'all, the one that loves all these people and never in his life have done anything bad to anybody, they still killed him. They still didn't like him. So the apostles, Paul, Paul and them followed the same footsteps of Jesus. And guess what Paul and them did? They honored the Lord, they helped those, they went to a woman named Lydia, near Thessalonica, I think it was close to Philippi. And Paul went to them, he went to a woman that was actually a slave woman. And Paul went to her, and Paul still cared for her. Where did Paul learn that from? He learned it from Jesus. But still Paul got arrested a few verses later. He helped somebody, he still got arrested. The reason why I'm saying all this, what about us? What about us as believers in Christ? If Jesus never done anything bad, he still got persecuted and arrested. What about us? A lot of times we feel like, you know, the world is against me. All this is happening. It is. For us following after Jesus, the world doesn't like us. They didn't like him. They didn't like his apostles. They didn't like the people, they didn't like him. They didn't like these things. So for us following after Jesus, the world despises us. Because for us, we are doing Jesus' work. And Satan doesn't like it. It's a family here. Today can be a co-worker, can be a family member. They can be a friend. That they that are persecuted and jealous and envious, they might just be in the house with us. Might be across the street. Might be at the family reunion, hey! We don't know who they may be, but they coming. Or Deion Santa say coming. I don't know if y'all watching football. Deion Santa said they coming. But for the most part, following after Jesus, doing things right, People despise that. A lot of people despise that. And Jesus talks about that. It's going to happen. So don't be surprised that if you do everything right, you feel like you still can't come up. Because this is not our home. The Lord don't want us to be as comfortable here. He goes to prepare a place for us that's going to be our home. But this place right here, we live out the life that Jesus calls to live, a life just like His. A life of sacrifice and serving others, honoring Him. so the world may know him. We live our lives so people can know Jesus. And Ms. Ashley has done a great job in loving you all. And Ms. Ashley, I want to point you all to Jesus. And I want to point you all to Jesus. But don't be discouraged when bad things happen in life, when your health is not the best, when things in your life are not going as planned. Don't be discouraged. Be reminded that this world is not our home. That one day, for those that believe in Jesus, he's going to get rid of this old flesh we have on us. He's going to give us incorruptible flesh, a new body. I'm going to get my hairline back, y'all, the one that was way back here when I was young. I'm going to get all that back. All right? And some of y'all, the way you used to run and skip, y'all want them legs back, don't you? Y'all want them legs? When we get them new body, we get them legs back, y'all. get them hands back and everything else. On that glorious day to come, everything gonna be new. Everything, all them little dance y'all used to do, listen to the OJs and the, what was y'all used to listen to? OJs and the, come on now, y'all ain't been saying it all your life. Bobby Womacks, y'all ain't know I know them four digits. What's some more of them names? Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Tyrone Davis, Johnny T. Who was that last two dollars? Who was that one? That was Johnny Taylor? Y'all, look at you. Y'all used to dance to it, too. Put something in your hand. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Pastor Ben Messing name. That's a melon now, he found time for preaching the melon. But one thing about it, you can think about your youthful days, you used to be able to move, you'd be able to do this thing, go fishing, go hunting, do all those things. But one day, for those that believe in Jesus, you're gonna get those arms, you're gonna get that health back, you're gonna get a better body than you ever had before, and you're gonna be with God forevermore. So the first thing we see here, they, right here that burned about persecuting is all those that are against Jesus. Everything Satan has his hands on against Jesus. That's what it talks about here in verse two. That's who they, when it talks about, they will put you out into synagogues. They are, all those are against Jesus. They was against the apostles. There was a kid that started to kick the apostles out. But also he says here also in verse two, he said, they will put you out of Senegal. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you would think he is offering service to God. He even uses word right here. It's like a conjunction. Actually, indeed, it's like, is that a conjunction or I know you're an English scholar. So I think it's like this indeed is conjunction. He said, indeed, they're going to kill you. So he's telling the apostles, Hey, you said you believe in me. You want to follow me? You're going to get killed. Think about that. Somebody said, hey, you go with me, we might not come back. For me now, I'm like, hold on now. You're telling me I can't come back? I'm going to skip this trip right here. I'm going to let somebody take my spot. So right here in our test, it tells us right here is that indeed, indeed, The hour is coming. It's just that the day is coming. The time is coming that this is going to happen. Jesus straight up y'all. He's good. I like about you. He's straight up. You know, he let you know, you're going to get killed. You follow me. And I think about what Peter, y'all remember Peter, when Peter saw all this stuff that was happening to Jesus, when Judah betrayed him and Jesus, all this stuff was happening. Peter was like, nah, I don't know him. I don't know him. And they said, do you know him? They can't show how many times, brother God. How many times they go to Peter? Three times. Do you know him? That might even took a picture and put the phone up to him. Do you know him? That's another picture and put the phone. Do you know him? People are like, oh, he look familiar. But I don't think I know him. He look familiar, but I don't think I know him. Peter denied Jesus three times. What did the rooster do? Crow. Cock-a-doodle-doo. Cock-a-doodle-doo, and cock-a-doodle-doo. And that's what happened. Peter knew that persecution would come and he was afraid. He denied Jesus because he was afraid. A lot of times for us, we're just like Peter. We deny Jesus because we're afraid that we won't be accepted. We're afraid that we won't fit in. We're afraid that we won't get the things we want to get from people. We get a fright in life, and we deny the Lord. And the Lord tells us in his word, though, is that for us, whoever denied him, he would deny us. But Peter got it together a little later, didn't he? He eventually turned around, he trusted the Lord. So for us, family, hey, Miss Bozell. So Jesus right here, I mean, so Jesus tells them straight up, you're following after me, you will be persecuted. Many of you all, when you said you believe in Jesus, many of you all walked down the aisle. And the whole day, y'all are young folks in here. Y'all don't remember what you call the bench, the prayer bench? What you call the bench? That's in front of the traffic. That's in front of the traffic, it's called a prayer bench? What's that name for? It was called something else. Hey, Miss Marzell. What was the bench called? The morning? The morning bench. The morning bench? Is that what it's called? Okay, so y'all too young y'all don't know about y'all too young What was that miss Morning star, okay. She's that morning star, but the bitch and everything would go you better go down You better profess your sins and put your faith in Jesus But how many y'all knew that when you say you believe in Jesus you wouldn't get up in it Give up everything in this world to follow out to him You were to give up the toxic relationships You ready to give up and everything, anything that doesn't honor the Lord? You willing to give up everything to follow after him. And that's what Jesus said. You got to be willing to leave everything behind to follow after me. The anger in your heart, the enviousness, the jealousy, the backstabbing, all those things, Jesus said, now you follow me, you leave those things behind, and I'll make you a new person. But when you do that, though, the other side of this, when you leave those things behind, you will be persecuted. Why won't you come out here and drink some more 100 Pooh Vodka again? Why won't you come back and do this again? By honoring Jesus, the world's gonna mock you. But will you be ashamed of him? Will you be ashamed of him? It's okay to say, I love Jesus, when you ain't gotta lose nothing. It's okay, so I don't mind going to war if you ain't fighting against anybody. But Jesus said, no, when you follow after me, you will have to lose everything to come after me. So Jesus tells his apostles here that they're going to kill you. The disciples said, you're going to get killed. There's a book called Justin's Book of Martyrs. We have all these stories how all the disciples were killed for following Jesus. I said, Peter returned upside down. He was killed because he didn't want to die the same way Jesus died. Many other stories of John, Mark, Mark, they said he got killed in Africa, Northern Africa. I said, all of them got killed for the sake of following Jesus. They're willing to leave these behind under the Lord. I'm not saying you all got to move to Africa. I'm not saying you got to move to Europe or China. I'm not saying you gotta move anywhere, but where you at right now here at Trinity Village, what are you willing to lose to follow Jesus? Is it you ready to lose cursing? What are you able to lose in the sense of gossip? Able to lose in the sense of being angry all the time? What are you willing to lose to follow after Jesus? To follow Jesus, you must lose these certain things. Again, when we don't lose these things, We're not willing to deny these things. Jesus said you must deny these things that come out of me. And family, I'm gonna tell you, I'm the chief sinner, I'm the biggest sinner in this room. Y'all got it all together. I'm the biggest sinner in this room. And it's difficult for me every single day. Sometimes I want this, right? And I know it's not of God. Then I have to ask the Lord to help me through these certain things. At the same time, it's a battle for me. But I have to be faithful to the Lord. I have to trust the Lord at different times. I have to trust the Lord. You have to trust the Lord when things happen. Things are going to happen, it's going to come. What happened though is that those things are going to show you your true heart. Again, we can pray every night. We can say we trust the Lord, but when trials come, trials show us what we truly believe. Trials show us our maturity. And a lot of times trials show you that I don't believe the Lord as much as I say I believe. I'm only saying I'm blaming when things are good. When things are bad, I'm going to go ahead and give these persons my hands, I'm going to give them some words, then I'm going to ask the Lord to forgive them later. We didn't trust the Lord. If you trust the Lord before you try to give them them hands, and before you curse them out, before you do all these other things, you seek the Lord and let the Lord go before you. Sometimes I mess up. I got them kids, y'all. I got seven of them. I got seven of them, y'all. And sometimes I forget and I don't go to the Lord. I have to grab one of them. So I struggle with it too. But I need to go to the Lord first and ask the Lord to go before me. Because the Lord used my kids to even show me my own heart. That I need to be more patient. I need to be kind. I need to be considerate. I need to be these certain things. So the Lord used me in this. The last thing, we're about out of time, I want to say here is It's the last thing here. He said, they will put you out of synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever you would think he is offering service to God. Think about it, y'all. He said, even those that's going to persecute the disciples, they're going to be thinking they honoring God doing it. Think about that again. The people that's going to kill the disciples, they're thinking they're doing God's will by killing the disciples. These people are saying that they truly believe in God. These are people that are actually persecuting the people of God. So people are thinking that they're living for God by doing this right here. Let me bring it home to you. Y'all don't understand what I'm saying. The people that are hating on you, they feel like they're doing right by hating on you. They feel like you need it. They feel like you need it. And they really think before the Lord that they're doing a good job by hating on you. They're so blinded and they're thinking their way. So for them, they're going to have to eat some more. She needs to hear this about her. He needs to hear this about him. You don't need to fool with them. You don't need to deal with these certain things. And that's crazy when God blind them and give them over to themselves, that they actually think they're serving the God, but they're actually doing service to Satan. That's scary. But they actually think they're doing it. Think about somebody dying and their whole life, They're doing evil towards others, and they're thinking they're doing it for God. What I gotta say is I gotta do these things about these certain people. And that's what happened here. These Jewish leaders and things of that nature that persecuted the people of God, that persecuted the people of God, they actually thought they were doing the service of God, and they wasn't. So family here this morning, It's going to be people that are doing things behind your back. It's going to be people that are despising you, and they feel like they're doing the right thing. And they're not. They're blinded by it. They're doing it because they're hard and jealous of you. They're prideful. And they see that the Lord, you have so much peace about yourself, you're rejoicing, and they don't like it. But I tell you right here, it's coming. So today, don't be shocked when it happens to you. Trust the Lord. Because if it happened to Jesus, it's going to happen to you. So trust the Lord when times of difficulty come, and as you trust the Lord, the Lord will see you through. Amen? Amen. Give us a song, my sister. You know, I want to say this before I sing. You know, last Sunday, so that Sunday school lesson, the Sunday before last, the Pharisees were trying Jesus, but they were trying to discredit him. And Jesus was so on to the program, so every trap they tried to set for him, he already had an outcome, so they would be the one that got caught in their own trap. And I tell you, if you just trust God, if you just trust God, he'll come out a winner to finish the line every time. That's all I got to say about that. Thank you, Lord God. Hallelujah. And Satan cannot, cannot, will not stay around when Jesus is around. Okay, y'all understand what I'm saying? Let me see Lord God, I lost my train of thought there when he started talking about that because I know that happened with me Sunday in Sunday school when I was teaching and I kept saying, oh Lord, use me. But in doing so, I just want you to know that serving the Lord will pay off. Serving the Lord will pay off after a while. Mm. Serving the Lord will pay off after a while. Amen, amen. Just keep working every day. Oh, whatever is right, y'all. My, my, my God will pay. Cause serving the Lord. Oh, it'll pay off after a while. Man, man. I gotta keep working every day. Oh, Satan, he's on my track. But I know my God, he has my back. Yes, yes, yes, yes. I know, I know that I know. Save me, the Lord. God is going to pay all. After a while Serving the Lord We'll pay all After a while Serving the Lord Oh, we'll pay all Everyone just keep working every day. Y'all, whatever you ride, my, my, my, my, my God will pay. Cause serving the Lord, y'all I know it dear, It'll pay off after a while. Hallelujah. Amen, amen, amen.