I’m guilty. I admit it. Sometimes I doze off in church.
I’ll also admit that I’ve probably put more than a handful of people to sleep myself. It happens to the best of preachers. In fact, God saw fit to record in the Bible that even the Apostle Paul preached people to sleep. Who knows? Perhaps God thought Paul was long winded too!
Luke (Paul’s fellow traveler and the author of Acts) must have thought Paul was stretching it out a bit, because he recorded in Acts 20:9 that Paul was “long preaching”. A couple of translations say that he talked “on and on”. Yeah, I’ve been in those services too.
After all, Paul had arrived in the city of Troas a week earlier. It is reasonable to assume that he had preached a lot that week. He was leaving the next day. So, the Christians in Troas got together for supper. Then, Paul decided to share a few “after supper” thoughts. At midnight he was still going.
Now here is where our young man Eutychus (his name means, “fortunate” or “lucky”) comes into the picture.
Lets set the scene, shall we?
Eutychus had a full belly. He is in a room full of people. There is no air conditioner. There are many lights in this room, and all (naturally) involve a flame of some kind (either candle or lamp). His belly is full. He is warm. It is way past his usual bedtime and Paul has been droning on and on about one thing or another for hours.
He sits down in an open window, trying to catch a cool night breeze. His eyelids get heavier and heavier. Then it happens. Out of the window he topples…from the third story.
Well, the young man Eutychus is pronounced “dead” at the scene. (Remember we know there was a doctor in the house, because Acts was written by Luke the “beloved physician“. Luke was there.)
Then, Paul comes down, gives the boy a hug, and Eutychus life is restored.
Now, what did Paul do? He went through the buffet line again, of course.
He is a preacher, after all. Go figure. Then he “talked a long while” (Luke’s words, not mine) until the sun came up.
I’ll also admit that I’ve probably put more than a handful of people to sleep myself. It happens to the best of preachers. In fact, God saw fit to record in the Bible that even the Apostle Paul preached people to sleep. Who knows? Perhaps God thought Paul was long winded too!
Luke (Paul’s fellow traveler and the author of Acts) must have thought Paul was stretching it out a bit, because he recorded in Acts 20:9 that Paul was “long preaching”. A couple of translations say that he talked “on and on”. Yeah, I’ve been in those services too.
After all, Paul had arrived in the city of Troas a week earlier. It is reasonable to assume that he had preached a lot that week. He was leaving the next day. So, the Christians in Troas got together for supper. Then, Paul decided to share a few “after supper” thoughts. At midnight he was still going.
Now here is where our young man Eutychus (his name means, “fortunate” or “lucky”) comes into the picture.
Lets set the scene, shall we?
Eutychus had a full belly. He is in a room full of people. There is no air conditioner. There are many lights in this room, and all (naturally) involve a flame of some kind (either candle or lamp). His belly is full. He is warm. It is way past his usual bedtime and Paul has been droning on and on about one thing or another for hours.
He sits down in an open window, trying to catch a cool night breeze. His eyelids get heavier and heavier. Then it happens. Out of the window he topples…from the third story.
Well, the young man Eutychus is pronounced “dead” at the scene. (Remember we know there was a doctor in the house, because Acts was written by Luke the “beloved physician“. Luke was there.)
Then, Paul comes down, gives the boy a hug, and Eutychus life is restored.
Now, what did Paul do? He went through the buffet line again, of course.
He is a preacher, after all. Go figure. Then he “talked a long while” (Luke’s words, not mine) until the sun came up.
Okay, here is where I get to glean a few things from all of this…
1. Even if your boredom is legitimate, be careful where it takes you…the fall can do you in.
2. In matters of life and death God has the last word, not doctors. It isn’t over until God says its over.
3. If you like preachers who entertain, you wouldn’t have liked Paul, but If you needed one to raise the dead, you would have.
4. Even if your mama named you “Lucky”, you will someday need a miracle.
5. The further you are from the light, the more likely you will fall asleep.
And so I wonder about the Apostle as he went back up stairs and refilled his plate. After that kind of sermon interruption, what exactly do you say to the guy next to you in line?
1Thesselonians 5:4-6 might give us a clue. How about…
“But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”
Stay awake!
