I appreciate you being here, and I hope that you feel loved. We want you to know that you are loved this morning. We love you. Amen. Turn around to your brother, sister, and Christ. Say, we love you. We love you. And more importantly, God loves you this morning. Amen. He loves you this morning. I want you to have your Bibles turned to the book of Matthew. Our opening text will be Matthew 22. just a couple of scriptures and then you keep your place in Matthew and then we'll jump to Matthew 17. We've talked about the wonderful things the Lord did at our Creek baptism a few weeks ago, how the Lord just miraculously changed lives, helped people over their fears, did some great things, and it was a special place. But this morning we're gonna talk about the person is more important than the place. and so I believe this will balance out and sometimes we get hung up on the place but we're gonna get hung up on the person this mornin as we look to glorify the Lord, it's all about Him, the only reason you're here is God created you, whether your parents wanted you or not, God did, amen? He loves you! and you're here in this place at this time, with the person that we're gonna talk about this morning. I want you to know you're in the right place this morning, but he wanted you to be and to be here. I want you to stand as we look and open up God's Word, Matthew chapter 22, first book of the New Testament. It should be easy for you to find. Begin with verse 37 and 38. Most of you have heard this. You'll hear a lot of people quote this. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. And with what? All thy soul. And with what? All thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. I want you to flip to Matthew chapter 17. Look to the left, Matthew chapter 17. We're going to look at verse 1 through 5. I'll let you get that Matthew chapter 17 1 through 5 and after six days Jesus taketh Peter James and John his brother and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart and was transfigured before them and his face did shine as the sun and his raiment was white as the light and behold there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning of the year, and all the way back to the beginning while he gets paid behold a bright cloud overshadowed me and behold a voice out of the cloud which said this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him. Father, we thank you, Lord, for your holy word. We thank you for your Holy Spirit. We thank you for your awesome, holy son, Jesus, who died on the cross, the Lamb of God, that shed his blood for us, that we may know you, that we may have that sin issue taken away, Lord, that we might be cleansed by the blood, Lord, and we just thank you for all that you've done and who you are this morning. Lord, I pray that you'd be loosed in this place. Father, I pray that your Holy Spirit would bounce person to person, Lord, that you would speak the words that are needed, that we might hear you speak to us the words of life, the words of truth, the words that we need to direct our hearts, the words that we may need for encouragement, the words that we may need for redirection, Lord. You know the needs of your people and we pray, Lord, and we expect those needs to be met because you're an awesome God. and we thank Jesus of your word that says you are the good shepherd who gave his life for the sheep so Lord you just speak to us what you want us to hear Lord help us give us courage to be obedient to the word Lord may we be changed today Lord we may be like Jesus we pray all this in the precious holy name of our Savior and our Lord Jesus Christ and all God's children say it amen amen you may be seated The person is more important than the place. Now, I have to admit, when we have family to get together, most of you probably did something, being Labor Day weekend, probably did something with family. I don't know about your family, but we always struggle. Where are we gonna eat? Does anybody have that similar struggle? Do any of y'all eat? I just wondered, okay, I want to make sure you're awake this morning. I know we all had a good time this weekend. Well, when we have family to come in, I'm always going, well, where are we going to eat? What place are we going? We want to be special. And sometimes we forget this fact, that it's not so much about the place, but it's about the people at the place. And sometimes we forget as family, it's not that you eat at McDonald's or you eat at what's that place we were going to eat at yesterday, Cheesecake Factory. It's not whether you eat at this place, it's more about who. It's more about the people there. Amen? And sometimes we forget that. Well, we gotta go to the beach, or we gotta go to the mountains, and you know what, folks? We forget that it's about family being together. And if family's together, you know what makes a place special? It's because of who is there and the memories made. I am so I wanna talk about Jesus Christ this morning because he's so much more important. And I wanna talk, number one, if you look at the outline, does anybody need a bulletin right quick? I think that, Michael, anybody raise your hand if you need a bulletin, the outline's on the back. Thank you, everybody. Brady, you got one? Alrighty. that Michael issue one if you look at number one in your outline of the back of more to prioritize in Jesus above all I want to look at Folks, these three, Peter, James, and John, are seeing something nobody else saw. They're seeing, I believe, into the future here. I believe that they're seeing these in their glorified state, and they're seeing that interaction between Jesus and Moses and Elijah. And folks, I mean, this is an awesome time. This is something, and you can imagine, they maybe even had a little bit of airs, well, you know, Jesus took us, and you know what we saw. I think of Paul, who Paul was able to go to the third heaven. The Bible says, you know, he saw things he couldn't even express, couldn't even, you know, share those things. And because of that, one of the reasons that the Lord allowed the thorn in the flesh was to keep him humble. But you can imagine this event. And the disciples, if you look at your outline, the disciples were impressed with where they were and what they saw. in a matter of fact you see a burst for Peter said it's good for us to be here I mean he is right all about what's going on in this place And folks, sometimes we get excited about a spiritual event, or we get excited about church, or we get excited about, I would like to say, the background, but the background needs to remain the background, and the focus needs to remain the focus, and His name is Jesus. so far, say there's a lot of blitz and glamour there's a lot of show going on a lot of places on Sunday morning but I'm telling you we fall short we fall so sure if Jesus Christ is not the centerpiece And so, listen, we need to prioritize him above all. And guess what? Charles Stanley, I don't know if I shared this with y'all, I think I did, but we had a thing with my mom, and we had a special time with my mom's birthday, and we were talking, and we had a questionnaire, or really a game, kind of a game my brother put together, and one of the questions on that was, who do you think mom's favorite preacher was? And so mom, you know, and I'm going, well, I got this one. That's going to be her boy. He's the favorite preacher. You know who my mom put down? Now, my brother made me feel a lot better, Quentin. But she put down Charles Stanley. You know, if you gotta be number two, that's okay though, right? Charles Stanley, she put Charles Stanley down, but my brother said, well, but I have to say, it took mama, because she had to think on it a little bit, so that made me feel a little bit better, amen? Now, the reason I share that is we kinda have superheroes of the Christian faith. Moses man who led the nation of Israel out of bondage what about Elijah, Elijah who could speak and put over one and pray over one and then come back from the dead? What about Elijah and the power that he had that God, and these are superheroes, but folks let me tell you, neither one of these even come close to who Jesus is. I don't care if it's Billy Graham, I don't care if it's Charles Stanley, and let me, don't you get excited about personalities? Don't you get hung up on people? Listen, you keep your focus on Jesus, you know what happens in churches and why things go down here on churches? As we start looking at people. Folks, let me tell you, the focus always needs to be at Cashpoint Baptist Church, Jesus Christ above all. all the glory and all of my life of people right on this one of my we all the always transfer that prices of this and I could not do it if it a lot of people have a lot of people have a lot of people have a lot of people have a lot of people have a lot of people have a lot of but with all things are possible, it's good to be in God's house of God's people in a a man he does the impossible he does whatever we need all to be a part of this one option relies that nobody can do what needs to be done but if Let me tell you, you can't fix my problems. But I'm going to tell you, I'm going to tell you one who can. If God is worked on, and he ain't through with me, he's still got a lot to do, Miss Mandy. But praise God, I'm not what I used to be. And I'm going to continue that path one step at a time. But let me tell you, the path for God's people is glorious. And you may not think you're going to make it, but let me tell you, according to the promise of God, if you accept Jesus Christ, if you have the Holy Spirit of God, you will make a name in all the devils and they are not going to keep you from making it they're not gonna rob you of the wonderful gif you know what happened at the man of transfiguration those disciples got all excited those three and four of about what they saw We've got to get back. I know you're excited about Moses and Elijah and what you've seen. But you know what? I want you to hear. I want you to recalibrate. I want you to come back to hear. I want you to hear. I want you to hear my son, Jesus Christ. you've heard me say this many times only thing that matters is what God says and you start trusting you start walking in and see the power of God you'll be a testimony people say you know it's easy for us to say well man God's done this but people need to see they've got something that the world don't have. They need to see hope in the middle of a hopeless situation. Let me tell you, God allows obstacles and problems, but there are always opportunities for God to do something great. I'm telling you, He can take the biggest mess, and you're seeing it before this, right as you look at me, the biggest mess in the world, raised in a hope that was an abusive, and I'm a dad divorced it was a horrible situation but god came in and let me tell you there's no mass that god can't fix there's no problem in god a lot of Somebody told me, said, well, what do you think it's like being a granddad? I said, I like having a grandchild, but the granddad, not so much. I don't know how you separate that, but I was trying to communicate. I don't want to be called a granddad, but I love having grandchildren. It don't work that way, Brother Derek, I know. Look at what I said, the notation. This was an awesome spiritual event. Now, won't you get this? this is important this keeps our feet to the ground this was an awesome spiritual event but the focus was to be on Jesus and hear his words john 1613 and 14 I'm gonna read that right quick john 1613 and 14 in a sense, it would be the spirit of truth is, speaking of the holy spirit Jesus, the samples but what's where were he shot here . He's a man where he shall receive a minus to show that he is what the whole experience I'm all spheres purpose is not to be glorified he wants to use the land and in the one that was flying before the holy spirit is to get your attention the whole experience always reflects be very weary of people that get a hold of spiritual and folks, I'm an emotional person, I can get carried away with this, the Lord has to keep me balanced in this, but we gotta remember it's not a spiritual event that we're to glorify, we don't glorify what happened at the creek. Y'all got that? We glorify the one who was at the creek with us. The person is always more important than the place. always I want you to get that and it'll help these other two points will help that because we we start glorifying people and places and we get in trouble so was it a great it was a great time but you know what we met Jesus there we saw Jesus activity Jesus was glorified people were proclaiming Jesus people were confessing he'll as they were baptized what people were doing they were givin baptism is just not a spiritual apart it's a test of five of what got me it's a test of five trust in Jesus what he did for me to get me to have a name Verse 19, John 4, 19, true worship. Let me tell you, God is looking to get past the norm of going through the motions. I told somebody this morning going into Sunday school, I said, I'm not, I'm just, I'm past the point of going through the motions. I believe we're too far along. I believe Jesus is going to come back. I believe He'll come back any day. I believe that we need to get real with Him. We need to get right with Him, and we need to glorify Him. And we need to be telling people about Jesus. Amen? But I'm going to tell you what God wants. He wants some true worship. Now remember, we're talking about the person is more important than the place. I want you to look at John chapter 14, or John chapter 4, verse 19, excuse me, John chapter 4, verse 19. You know this, the story of the woman at the well? Jesus is speaking to her, he's getting through to her, and she starts to get a little religious. You know, when somebody talks about Jesus, and they want to kind of avoid where they really are, well, I believe in God. Well, I think churches, as a matter of fact, my name's on the church roll. You know, people start, but if you don't hear this, you know what? Jesus. If it wasn't for Jesus. Let me tell you what Jesus did. in a self-made by me told you look at this as we look here the woman is getting religious and then Jesus is getting in a business policies, where she are and you say that in Jerusalem is the place for me and all four now look at Jesus response are starting one you worship you know not one Now this is what she's saying. This Samaritan woman, she's hung up on the place. She's going, well, we believe the Samaritans worship, they go to this place and we worship here. And the Jews, they worship here in Jerusalem. Samaria is one place for those people, the half-breed Jews, really, what they were. And we worship. Let me tell you, people get hung up on the place. they have a we don't come with one and it's fine I mean I like I like decorations I minutes that we wanted to look less than we don't have a repeat of the walls we don't mess up you don't give glory to a church you give glory to God, a man there may be a time that we have to make with Jesus annual basement you get we have charged not because there was anything the creek was hurting it was well knows that it was not but you know what it would have been worth of food if Jesus, so we were shipped him I'm not picking on anybody, because you ought to be at church. I told them in Sunday school. I said, we look at it sometimes. We look at, well, what does church have to offer? And I shared with a couple one time. I was speaking to them. I said, have you ever thought about, when you're not there, what you're robbing the people, your brothers and sisters in Christ of by not being in the house of God? Maybe somebody needs to hear your words and encourage you. maybe somebody made you to put your arm around and say this is one of the old. I'm praying for you and I mean he will take care of the building were always supposed to be good stewards absolutely always supposed to back him absolutely response to absolutely but we don't by a wall boy is a pretty place I'm sure I just feel like a positive reply somebody you today it has nothing to do with that we come to charge the calls got here a minute and let me tell you you know what he's saying it's temporary that place is temporary cannot tell you that home and everything that we spent so much energy on is all temporary this place of worship it's different. I know that it's been here a long time now what is it was, 1896, six , 1896, many of which you know what they're in charge of the year long in the first place of worship you're looking to be there are two. But the one who we are to worship easy, all that the 2412, read it to you at 2412 right way and Jesus would not look at this Jesus went out and departed from the temple as a place of worship temple big deal ever solve this one, several years ago but this is a place of worship a lab look at what he's a citizen of the 24 to you got respected you know what Jesus was saying all four of about the in a way that people say a lot of people use this in in a witness to somebody you know people who are one of the church there are good around this, I'm a man and you are people say this, you heard as I am able use a lot of the witnesses because you're a part of this because you're misplaced as well we pray he's the one that washes the sea and one is putting your faith in june is not church members you have a proponent of membership years My name is on cash point roll. It's been on that roll for 20 years. That ain't gonna get me into heaven. Amen? But you know what's going to get me into heaven? Oh, there was a day. Oh, there was a night when I gave my heart to Jesus. Oh, there was a time. It was I trusted what Jesus did on the cross. I trusted that Jesus died for all my sin past, present and future. His blood was shed. And now because of the blood, I'm cleansed as white as snow. Did we earn it? No. Did we deserve it? No. But he did it because the Bible says God is love, because of his great love. OK, number three, the last one. I want you, last book of the Bible, easy to find. Revelation 21. You still awake? Say amen. Amen. All righty, Revelation 21. Revelation 21. When you think of heaven, I want you to just kind of, when you think of heaven, Brother Dusty preached on heaven. You think about that. You know, a lot of people say, well, they immediately were the streets of gold. you know we are about 6 to 8¢ for the first, the goal of the lot transfer last three to go I mean in heaven as the people you know you hear people say, have a major problem, and we think about a major problem as really talk about one place, I will have a And the gates, and Brother Dusty preached on this, and the gates, the 12 gates were 12 pearls. Every several gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. In other words, there was complete purity in this place. In other words, the substance in gold, there's impurity. you are in heaven to go will be so pure we cannot imagine the. The parole and we know these is valuable GM's Bible substance is here on our public inverse 22 and I saw no one people in other words, we're not going into a building, we're going to a place. I mean, we're not going into a building or a place, we're going to a person, and Jesus Christ and God are going to be the temple in whom we, I don't know how that's going to work, but we're going to be, when you go in something, you're covered, right? When you're in, you're going in, you know what? God's going to be all over the place. so we're in the church of ideas in this picture so we have our we have walls were covered up with this bill were within the bill a man , I don't know how that's going to be able to build a new commandment of a and we're going to see him face to face he's the people he's the one we were shipped not the building there's no people there is no building is as a first 23 and the city had no need of the son of a final note that the sun is a magnificent thing I mean, I don't know, I'm not a scientist, I don't know how close you can come without it burning you up, but as a matter of fact, if you look at the sun too long, and especially for an eclipse, I talk to you, that you can go blind. Okay, so you're not to look because the light of that is so bright. Look at what the scripture says about the sun there. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it. look at this for the glory of god did like me in the land is a lot there you know what he's saying here he's in the area. There's no need for the substance in the people were about the sun going out and it's going out in the U.S. and if you have all that all of it is a file says it will come back when the you know the reason that you cannot go to heaven when you are they can't stand but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others, but others I don't care if it's been jetskiing, rolling up my boy, David Michael was saying, he's trying to talk me in, we'll talk about vacation next, again, the place. We'll talk about where we're gonna go, and he said, well, daddy, will you ride a rollercoaster with me? And I'm going, okay, I'm trying to stay young, but Lord, how am I gonna tell him those days are probably past? But I remember, I remember, and the excitement. We had this one called White Lightning, anyway. It was called the Carol Wins. It was a ride, not a drink. It was a ride, okay? And so I remember it shootin' you zero to 60, I don't remember how fast, but it was really fast, and you went up a loop, and it shot you up to the top, and then you went backwards, and the G-force was so stout, Randy, I was like, I mean, I remember bein' in there, pushin' my hand almost in between my legs, because of the force, and I got off of that Zachary, and I said, whoa, let's do it again. and a Jesus if it wasn't for you that rescued me. Jesus it was you that saved me. It was you that sustained me. It's you that sent me. It's you that did it all. Amen. And we're gonna be good with giving him all the glory. and you know that we're not, and so we're moving. There'll be no jealousy and have no one of the only one in all. You don't believe you're in the middle of a child standing in the building. Most of his number two on the list of his mom you know what it's gonna be gone. It's the whole because it was for God. Billy Graham would have never went to Russia and be able to speak to the communist countries. If it wasn't for God opening the doors that no man could open. If it wasn't for God who healed Lazarus when he was dead, dead. if you want to go you and I will not be what you are you certainly wouldn't be able to have a mean , you will have been in one of the what might have been in the in the you're down in the middle of all about you. If you're saying the weather you're on the mountain, you're in the back. It's not about the one about her. And you know what I don't care if you're way down here. . It doesn't matter if you don't work. It's not a religious experience . More you are so you are all, we need more, more . Her challenge board may be the refocus us on why we're here next floor, you Jesus we thank you for taking all the evil taking all the I pray, father, in the name of Jesus, that we would flesh it out, that people would see that we are new creatures in Christ, that old things are passed away. All things are becoming dead. Father, I pray in the name of Jesus, if there's one that's maybe got hung up on the place, maybe even church membership, or maybe a certain spiritual event, I pray that they get past all that and see that as nothing but background. That they would see you, Jesus. That you love them. I mean, you really, really love them. for we know, we pray for that one may never truly trust and believe in our home that you got from the U.S. and we pray Jesus that your whole issue. We believe him down the path of salvation are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you are you we love you, Jesus, we love you, Jesus. If you're here with every head bowed and every eye closed and you never trusted Jesus, you never asked Him to save you. Ask Him to save you right now. If God is speaking to you through His Spirit, He's drawing you, ask Him to save you right now. Forgive you of your sin, to give you eternal life, to say, Jesus, I believe you died for me. I believe you rose again the third day for me. I believe who you are and what you say. Would you pray that prayer in Jesus' name? Amen.