"Y’all Need Jesus"
Matthew 17:1-8 Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration
Recently, I was eating lunch with a pastor at Cracker Barrel. A man and his family came in for lunch and I was immediately captured by the phrase written on his tee-shirt: “Y’all Need Jesus”.
That simple phrase captured my heart and my imagination as a simple truth that summarizes the answer to everything facing our culture today! We do need Jesus. I need Jesus. You need Jesus. Everyone needs Jesus and especially those who are not even looking for Him. We need to be sharing Jesus with everyone we can.
Matthew 17:1-8 tells the story of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.
My pastor, Dr. Hugh Price Garner from Adel, Georgia, loved to preach on this passage and it became a signature message for him. He preached it at the Annual Meeting of the Baptist State Convention in 1993 when I was serving briefly with him as his associate pastor when he retired. Dr. Garner was all about Jesus and he wanted everyone else to be all about Jesus. In his message he took everyone –moderates and conservatives – to task. It’s all about Jesus!
A Brief Exposition of this Rich Scripture:
1. A Holy Moment. v2 Have you had a Holy encounter with Jesus? Is it good for us to be here? YES. COVID, Social Unrest, Unknown future.
2. Peter Did Not Get It. v4 Most of the time we do not get it due to so many distractions. We want to build something or start or maintain a tradition and Jesus says – it’s not about the buildings or traditions. It’s about the Gospel. It's about Jesus!
3. God Removed All the Distractions. v5 – And said – “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” - Not everyone, just Jesus! Who or what are the distracting voices that are drawing your attention?
4. Does the Presence of a Holy Jesus bring fear to you? V6 It should, it will!
5. Jesus Removes All Fear. V7-8 Only Jesus alone! We all need Jesus!
As a 20 year old college student I asked my pastor,
"Dr. Hugh Garner why do you not preach much on social issues ?”
and his grandfatherly response was "well until people get Jesus right, they are not gonna get their social issues right, so I'm just gonna preach Jesus until they get Jesus right ."
Y’all Need Jesus! I need Jesus.We all need Jesus. Listen to His Voice, Jesus alone!
What a Disciple does: Pray, Read the Bible, Share the Gospel.
MartyDupree.org/resources
(Content from message preached August 2, 2020 at Lillington Baptist Church)
