Father, as I come alongside You this evening. I bring all that I am. Some things are not so pretty, but You know me…and still, You love me. Mold me and make me into what You want me to be. Amen.
Acts 20:7-12 (<<click here to read the passage)
I try not to preach too long but I do believe that some preachers feel they have a captive audience and go at it for a very…long…time.
The first pastor that I served under was Rev. Tom Lasley, he was a Spirit-filled man of God. His philosophy on preaching was that if he couldn’t communicate it in 20 minutes, people would lose interest and begin to tune him out. He was a bi-vocational pastor, having taught and served as a superintendent of schools for many years. He knew his stuff!
I feel that if Rev. Lasley had felt it was important to keep on preaching because his listeners were hanging on to every word, and that time was of the essence, he would have followed the Spirit’s leading to communicate everything that was laid on his heart to proclaim.
In today’s passage, it was Sunday and Paul had gathered with the believers in Troas (in modern Turkey) to take part in the breaking of bread (communion). Since he was leaving the next day, he began preaching. Time was of the essence, and he wanted to pass along as much about Jesus and how that applied to them, as he possibly could. He kept preaching and preaching, all the way up until midnight!
I truly don’t think anyone was complaining, but at least one young man (that term according to my Life Application Study Bible, means that he was probably between the ages of 8 and 14), didn’t have issues with what Paul was saying but with the hour being what it was, he had trouble staying awake. That wasn’t a very polite thing to do but the worst of the matter was that he was sitting in a third-story window while listening and when he fell asleep…he fell out of the window! The thing is…he died…
But that was the end of him. By the way, his name was Eutychus, and I had to laugh when I read this passage in the Amplified Bible. It tells us what his name meant – Lucky! Can you believe it? Other sources say it means fortunate! His falling to his death was neither of those, but what happened next wasn’t really either of those either… in truth, it was providential!

Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!” v10

They all went back upstairs, broke bread once more, and Paul spoke until dawn (and you can rest assured no one fell asleep!) He and his companions headed out and Eutychus headed home
The lesson we can take from this story is that if Jesus’ resurrection power could bring young Eutychus from death to life, then Jesus would have no problem taking care of us too!
Paul had shared a lot of information, but this miraculous incident drove home the reality of who Jesus was, cementing it in the hearts and minds of all present. It should do the same for us, as well!

“What is impossible for people is possible with God.” Luke 18:27 NLT

July 10th, 2022, Sun, 9:46 pm