Acts 20:1-12 - Results of “spiritually asleep”

Braydon Hotchkiss

Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

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BEGIN WITH READING THE TEXT

Introduction

Sleep is good right?

The longest ever recorded time of someone staying awake without any sleep is 264 hours which is over 11 consecutive days

After 3-4 nights without sleep you can begin to hallucinate

Too much sleep is bad

Can cause depression, diabetes, and heart disease

Too little sleep is also bad

“I figured I would get some more sleep but everyone else in the car I was driving really didn’t appreciate it”

Today our narrative in Acts includes a story where too much sleep became a problem

The Text - Acts 20:1-12

Paul’s Travels -Acts 20:1-6

Acts 20:1–6 ESV

1 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. 3 There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. 5 These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, 6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

Paul went back and visited churches that he had planted

Paul did not just establish churches and then leave them out to dry

Paul established elders at them then moved on to the next one - and would then circle back to them.

In the same way we should also “double back” and check on those who we have led to the Lord. We are told to make DISCIPLES not just CONVERTS.

When a baby is born do we just leave it to fend for itself? NO! We care for it. We nurture and feed it. We guide it as it grows and keep it safe.

We need to have the same outlook with those infants in the faith. We cannot just leave them to fend for themselves! They could be taken by someone bad (false teachers). They need to be guided and protected as they grow in the faith.

Sleepy Boy - Acts 20:7-12

The setting - (Verse 7)

Acts 20:7 ESV

7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

First Day

SUNDAY - Sanctified by Jesus’s resurrection and first appearance to his followers. This is why we do not worship on Saturday (which is the traditional sabbath day) - This is why we call it the “Lord’s Day”

Revelation 1:10 ESV

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet

The Lamps (verse 8)

Acts 20:8 ESV

8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered.

Burning of these lamps to light the room would consume a considerable amount of oil!

Would have let off of an aroma and made the air a bit thinner

The Sleepy Boy Falls (verse 9)

Acts 20:9 ESV

9 And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.

The boy perhaps overcome by the aroma and fumes succumbs to sleep

He gave “fell asleep” a whole new meaning

Unfortunately the boy (probably between 8 - 14 years old) falls out of the window and dies

Paul Raises the boy from the dead (verse 10)

Acts 20:10 ESV

10 But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”

Paul raises the boy from the dead!

This follows what Peter did in Acts 9 with Dorcas

This resurrection miracle shows and proves who Paul is

This was not ment to be some “horse and pony show”

It had a distinct purpose

This “resurrection” the boy received seems to be a great illustration for our resurrection. The boy falls and is dead (just as we are spiritually dead). Paul then goes down to Him (a Christ figure) and brings him to life. The boy to not bring himself back rather it was a work of God.

Paul goes back and continues teaching and the people are happy (v.11-12)

Acts 20:11–12 ESV

11 And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12 And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.

Right after this amazing thing happens they go back to breaking bread with one another and Paul continues teaching!

We are also told that the people are excited and overjoyed.

This can teach us about the Christian life - Do not fall asleep

This boy was sitting in the “upper room” - right at the feet of an Apostle

He would have been receiving the best teaching possible

Some of us have this experience - we attend a strong true teaching - It feels great!

We become “comfortable” just having something that we do “religiously” - something that has a bit of a routine to it that feels good.

The kid in our story became too comfortable while teetering on the edge - he fell asleep!

If we become too comfortable we can fall asleep too!

It is bad to fall asleep while driving a car no matter how comfortable your car is! It would be disastrous

If you are in this church every week and you find yourself just comfortable then you might be “asleep at the wheel” spiritually

Too much Comfort is the enemy of missions

Being spiritually asleep will cost you greatly -

God does not call us to be on autopilot and be comfortable - he calls us to step out of our comfort zone and into service of him.

The literal falling asleep cost this boy his life - falling asleep spiritually can greatly hinder and damage your walk with Christ.

So how do we avoid falling asleep?

First, how did the boy “wake up”

Through the power of God

This is the only way we can truly wake up - it is not in our own power alone but through the power of God.

We must ask God where we are to grow through the reading of scripture, prayer, and seeking Godly counsel - as we lay ourselves bare before him humbly he will show us aspects in our life where we are too comfortable.