Transforming Power

Transforming Power

Meridian Christian Church is a “2:47” Church - 24/7!

What is a 2:47 church 24 hours a day – seven days a week? In the next 6 weeks we are going to have the adventure of a lifetime together as we investigate, study and explore the Bible to learn what it is and what it means!

We begin with the book of Acts in the second chapter. We’ll begin with the 43rd verse and we’ll end with Acts 2:47. (That’s where the “2:47” comes from!)

43 The apostles were doing many miracles and signs, and everyone felt great respect for God. 44 All the believers were together and shared everything. 45 They would sell their land and the things they owned and then divide the money and give it to anyone who needed it. 46 The believers met together in the Temple every day. They ate together in their homes, happy to share their food with joyful hearts.

47 They praised God and were liked by all the people. Every day the Lord added those who were being saved to the group of believers.

This is no “clubhouse” church. This is no “fortress” church. This is not a “warrior” fanatical weird church. This is not a “namby-pamby” Casper milk toast church. This is not a disconnected from the real world, pious, self-righteous bunch of “do-gooder” church. This isn’t a “let’s save the world” liberal believe nothing church.

This is an exciting, dynamic, fun, enjoyable church that is sold out on following Jesus 24 hours a day – seven days a week! This is the kind of church that transforms everything it touches because the people are a transformed people. They are changed because they have been touched by the transforming power of Jesus Christ.

That’s attractive to the world – because the world needs transforming!

The world needs transforming

This past week it feels like we have been slammed with news about the need for a transformed world. Over 350 people killed in a Russian school; several of our troops and many Iraqi innocents and insurgents killed by bullets and bombs; teenagers who are suddenly taken from us through senseless car accidents; it just goes on and on.

This past week there was a news report about a college student who took their own life on the first day of “Suicide Prevention Week” by throwing her self off a 12 story building in NYC.

Why would things like this happen? Why would a young coed jump from the roof of a building and end her life?

Let me be so bold as to tell you what the problem is; what the easy answer is – why it’s ineffective – and why the only real solution is the transforming power of Jesus Christ.

The Problem is DEATH

Let’s get real: We are all wasting away and dying

Many of us are past our physical prime. It’s sad, but true. I’m not even sure I ever HAD a physical prime. Maybe a couple of weeks back in 9th grade when I went out for football and the coach used me to hold the tackling dummies during practice. When you weigh 130 lbs soaking wet and you have to brace your self against a burlap bag filled with sand and sawdust against the senior 245 lb sneering linemen – you tend to bulk up a little. Or maybe you just get stringy and more flexible. Anyway, that’s as close to physical prime as I have ever been. Since then, it’s all been downhill.

Now I have to work to get the newspaper at just the right distance from my eyes. Every time I go to the barbershop and look at my hair lying on the floor when he is done there is less dark and lots more gray hair. My college yearbook photo – now THAT was a full head of hair – But everyone looked like that!

Those days are gone forever. Yes, diet and exercise can probably help and someday I mean to find out. And I know that the drugstores are full of pills and potions promising to restore youthfulness and vigor, but they’re only delaying the inevitable decline.

Now, fortunately, my mental faculties are still. . . what was I talking about?

Oh, yeah, we’re all in the process of falling apart and dying. Death is coming to everyone of us. There are no exceptions to this hard and fast rule.

This is the very real problem of life but before we go to the easy answer let me tell you that Death need not be something we fear or worry about. It doesn’t matter. Not really. Because there is a solution – in the realm of what’s truly important – eternally important – decline is not inevitable.