A Wake Up Call

Have you ever found yourself falling asleep in church? Come one, admit it. You wouldn't be the first.

You know the feeling—your eyelids start to droop, your head nods forward, and you do that sudden jerk awake, hoping no one noticed. It’s a struggle we’ve all faced at one time or another.

I remember one Sunday morning a number of years ago. We had a guy in our church; his name was Sam. He stayed up late most Saturday evenings traveling back from southern gospel quartet concerts he sang in. I knew on Sunday morning when he had stayed up late the night before. He had a pair of dark-tinted glasses he would wear, hoping no one would notice he was sleeping in church. We had wooden pews, just like these you're sitting in.

One Sunday morning, during the message, there was a loud banging noise. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Sam's head fell backward and hit the back of the pew. All eyes turned toward him. People tried stifling their laughter – without much success. I stopped speaking. He sheepishly looked around, saw everyone looking at him, and proceeded to sit up straight like nothing had happened.

Something similar happened to a young man named Eutychus in the Bible, except with more disastrous results.

 He was sitting in a crowded room, listening to the Apostle Paul preach late into the night. And just like Sam, Eutychus struggled to stay awake. But his drowsiness had some pretty serious consequences—he fell asleep, tumbled out of a third-story window, and died.

Thankfully, that’s not where his story ends. Paul rushed down, embraced him, and through God’s power, Eutychus was brought back to life. This story isn’t just about a miraculous resurrection; it’s a wake-up call for all of us. It’s a reminder that we need to stay spiritually awake and engaged because God is always at work, even when we’re weary.

Today, we’re going to look into this story and hopefully be warned to fight spiritual drowsiness and stay attentive to God’s work in our lives. So, let’s wake up together and see what God has in store for us.

Let's take a look at Acts 20:7 where we find the early church gathered together on the first day of the week.

Acts 20:7 NKJV

7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

Luke gives us a brief report of a local church service in Troas, and from it, we learn something about how they met and worshiped the Lord.

To begin with, they met on the first day of the week and not on the seventh day which was the Sabbath (see also 1 Cor. 16:1–2). The first day came to be called “the Lord’s Day” because on it the Lord Jesus Christ arose from the dead (Rev. 1:10). We should also remember that the church was born on the first day of the week when the Spirit came at Pentecost.

The church met in the evening because Sunday was not a holiday when people were off from work.

Most people were working on Sunday mornings.

And some of the believers would no doubt be slaves. They were unable to come to the assembly until their work was done. The believers met in an upper room because the church had no buildings at the time where they could all gather together at once in the same place. This room may have been in the private home of one of the believers.

The early church shared a “potluck” meal called the “love feast” (agape), after which they probably observed the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 11:17–34).

It's likely that the church observed the Lord’s Supper each Lord’s Day when they met for fellowship and worship.

While Scripture does not give us specific instructions on how often we should observe the Lord’s Supper (“as often,” 1 Cor. 11:26), the example of the early church would encourage us to meet at the Lord’s table often.

And how we observe communion today looks nothing like it did with Jesus and His disciples, or how the early church did it.

It was simply done during their regular meals together. They already had the bread and the wine on the table. They simply took a moment to recognize Jesus’ death for them.

But we need to be careful that it doesn’t become routine, making it simply a tradition we do without thinking about it. Because in doing so, we would miss the blessing.

So they ate together, and Paul preached a long sermon.

This wasn't just a casual get-together; it was a deliberate and meaningful time for them. 

This gathering was about more than just listening to a message—it was about building relationships and growing together in faith.

The early Christians understood the importance of community. They knew that spiritual growth doesn’t happen in isolation; it happens when we come together, share our lives, and encourage one another.

Paul, who was speaking to them, didn’t rush through his message. He took his time because he valued depth over brevity. He knew that real spiritual growth takes time and effort.

So, what does this mean for us today? Are we prioritizing gathering with other believers, or are we just checking in occasionally? Are we committed to being part of a real community, or are we just going through the motions?

What are some of the signs of becoming spiritually drowsy?

Routine Worship Attendance: You’re here on Sunday mornings, but during worship, you find yourself checking your phone for notifications or thinking about your grocery list instead of focusing on what you’re hearing.

Lack of Community Engagement: You start to withdraw from your church community or small group. When you do attend, you avoid sharing personal struggles, preferring to keep conversations superficial, or over-spiritualized.

Spiritual Apathy: You used to volunteer regularly at church events, but now you decline opportunities to serve, feeling like someone else will step up. You no longer feel excited about learning new things in your faith or participating in church activities.

The early church shows us that being engaged in the gathering of believers is vital for our spiritual health. It’s not just about attending church; it’s about being an active part of a community that supports and challenges us.

So, let’s ask ourselves: Are we making time for fellowship, worship, and teaching? Are we investing in relationships that help us grow in our faith? Let’s follow the example of the early church and make gathering with other believers a priority in our lives.

Now, there's more to the story. Let's look at verses 8-9.

Acts 20:8–9 NKJV

8 There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. 9 And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.

Here we meet Eutychus, a young man who found himself in a bit of a predicament.

Picture this: it’s late at night, the room is dimly lit by a bunch of oil lamps, eating up much of the oxygen. It probably got pretty warm, and a long-winded preacher goes on until midnight. 

Eutychus is sitting in a window, and as the hours drag on, he starts to feel drowsy.

We’ve all been there, right? But for Eutychus, (whose name BTW means "fortunate,") this wasn’t just a sleepy moment—it was a dangerous one. He gradually drifted off, and before he knew it, he fell asleep, falling out the window and down to the ground below, killed in the fall. Turned out to be rather "unfortunate."

Now, I don't mean to over-spiritualize this, but this story is a vivid reminder of how easy it is to become spiritually drowsy.

Just like Eutychus, we can find ourselves slowly drifting away from attentiveness to God. It doesn’t happen all at once; it’s gradual. We get caught up in the busyness of life, and before we know it, our spiritual energy is drained. We stop hungering for God’s Word, worship becomes routine, and we become numb to things that used to convict us.

We start going through the motions without expecting God to move in our lives. We get spiritually drowsy, get dulled, and eventually, we fall asleep.

But let's move on. As the old news columnist, Paul Harvey would say, "Now, for the rest of the story."

Acts 20:10–12 NKJV

10 But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” 11 Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. 12 And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.

If there were ever a reason to cut a message short, this would be one of them. Somebody falls from a third-story window and dies while you're preaching.

But Paul doesn’t panic. Instead, he goes down to where Eutychus is lying, and he does something incredible.

In a move reminding us of the OT prophets Elijah and Elisha, Paul embraces the young man, and with a calm assurance, he tells everyone not to worry because Eutychus is alive.

The second reference to “breaking bread” seems to take that phrase beyond the Lord’s Supper and describes what could well be called a midnight snack.

The excitement of the fall, the resurrection, and the nourishment of the snack rejuvenated both preacher and audience, so Paul spoke on until daylight.

The comfort theme of verse 12 links very nicely with the encouragement of verses 1 and 2. As a matter of fact, Luke uses the same word (parakaleo). At every stop on this last leg of the third journey, people were built up and encouraged in their faith.

This moment is a wonderful picture of God’s power at work in our weakest moments.

Just like Paul’s embrace brought life back to Eutychus, God’s love and power can revive us when we feel spiritually dead or exhausted. It’s a reminder that no matter how far we’ve fallen or how weak we feel, God is always ready to lift us up and restore us.

The church that night didn’t just witness a miracle; they experienced the faithfulness of God in a profound way.

They were encouraged and strengthened, knowing that God was with them even in their darkest moments.

So, what does this mean for us? It means that when we feel like we’ve hit rock bottom, when we’re overwhelmed by life’s challenges, we can trust that God’s power is still at work.

He doesn’t just want to wake us up; He wants to revive us completely.

Maybe you’ve been feeling spiritually drowsy or even fallen asleep completely.

But just like Eutychus, you can experience God’s restoring power.

His story isn’t just a strange event tucked away in the pages of the Bible; it’s a wake-up call for each of us.

What are some other examples of falling asleep spiritually?

Neglecting Prayer: You used to start your day with prayer, but now you hit the snooze button multiple times and rush out the door, telling yourself you'll pray later. By the time you get to bed, you're too tired and fall asleep without having prayed at all.

Bible Reading as a Duty: You have a Bible app on your phone that sends you a daily verse, but instead of reflecting on it, you swipe it away like any other notification. When you do open your Bible, you read a chapter quickly just to check it off your to-do list.

Lack of Expectation: You attend church services out of habit, not expecting to hear anything new or impactful. During sermons, your mind wanders, and you leave without any takeaway or sense of how to apply the message to your life.

So, let’s not wait until we’re at rock bottom to wake up. Let’s be fully present, fully engaged, and fully expectant of what God wants to do in our lives.

Because He is moving, and He wants us to experience His power and His presence in a real and transformative way.

Let’s commit to staying spiritually awake and alert, trusting that God is always at work, even when we’re weary.