Sermon Tone Analysis

Falling asleep

Have you ever fallen asleep at an awkward time?

I once fell asleep on a train travelling to Nottingham.

Thanks to a helpful guard he didn’t charge me the return fare to skegness.

A few months ago Jenny and I were at the spirit and word conference in Hull, we were sat right at the front, next to the stage.

There was guy on the table who fell asleep not one, but a few times during the event.

I don’t know how he managed it with all the noise.

It is amazing somehow some people can sleep anywhere.

The First time we camped at the One Event, or Grapevine as it was known then, Andrew was desperate to go to a Matt Redman Concert.

- He danced on the seats during the first song, he sat for the second, and slept on the row of seats for the remainder of the concert.

In his defence he could only have been five at the time.

It can be quite a problem falling asleep in the wrong places at the wrong time.

It can be quite a problem falling asleep in the wrong places at the wrong time.

Adam Fell asleep and woke up married and missing a rib.

-

Sampson Fell asleep and woke up bald and beaten -

In the new testament there is a story about a young man called Eutychus.

Εὔτυχος (Eutychos)

is a bit of a strange story.

It is one that at first seems to be just one of those incidental details like the 153 fish from last week but it is a story that carries some great lessons.

it can be found in and its a story of two halves.

Let me start by covering off one lesson that is not in this passage.

It is not - if you fall asleep in church God will strike you dead other wise that chap in Hull would be ‘a goner’

Not - if you fall asleep in church God will strike you dead

Acts 2 tells us.

The believers had come together for fellowship - Much as we have come together today.

They planned to break bread to remember Jesus command in the form of communion.

Much as we are doing today.

They had come to hear teaching and the word of God - Much like today

Paul was with them for a short time, the previous verses speak about the disciples being here for a day, rushing there for two days, spending a week somewhere else.

Paul had a lot to say and as the text puts it was talking on and on.

Much like I am doing today.

There would have been a lot of people in that room, we don’t know how many, but traditionally the upper room of the building would have been the biggest and there is reference to there being many lamps which suggests there space was big it needed lots of light and full of people.

Yet the story focuses on Eutychus and his rapid exit from the meeting.

v7 - came together to break bread -

Unlike Humpty Dumpty there is no question of whether he fell or was pushed.

We know he fell asleep and fell, asleep to the floor three floors below.

It seems a strange story to record.

Other than when the speaker is droning on don’t sit in a window what can we learn?

There is a key question to unlocking this passage.

Why did Eutychus fall and die, I’m sure others in building where just as tired, as the night went on and the room became stuffier with all those lamps.

Eutychus’ position left him vulnerable.

The way we position ourselves in relation to God and to the church can leave us vulnerable too.

It is all a matter of position

Eutychus placed himself on the outside.

On the outside

He had chosen to sit somewhere away from where Paul was- not in proximity- not in the middle.

Not the floor- not the wall- but a window

Not the floor- not the wall- A window

Out of all the places that he chose, it was a DISTANCE away from where Paul was.

He positioned himself on the outside, a spectator to what was going on.

There are some people who will always choose to be spectators to what God is doing - Eutychus was one of them.

Sure, he was THERE but he wasn’t on the INSIDE of where God was moving- he had positioned himself on the edge, on the fringe

There are some people who will always choose to be spectators to what God is doing

Sure, he was THERE but he wasn’t on the INSIDE of where God was moving- he had positioned himself on the edge

On the fringe

Some people find comfort on the fringe- staying where its seemingly safe- where they don’t have to get involved- where they are not known but staying on the edge of where God is moving is not where you want to be.

Staying on the edge of where God is moving is not where you want to be

You want to be in the middle of it.

Now I get that sometimes it is difficult to be fully involved in things.

Life gets in the way, we get tired but staying at the edge for too long can be unhealthy.

Have you ever seen Emperor Penguins?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL7O5O7U4Gs

To survive frigid temperatures, emperor penguins all converge on the same central point and begin to form a huddle.

As those on the outside take the brunt of the cold, those on the inside take tiny steps that move the huddle in waves.

The pack continues to shift and rotate from the centre, so no one is left permanently in the cold.

You know what happens to those penguins that stay on the outside too long.

- They perish.

Have you ever s

In the fresh air (out side of the presence)

Not only had Eutychus placed himself on the outside of the the church.

He had placed himself in the fresh air.

This seems like a sensible thing to do, the text tells us that the room was filled with many lamps, the smoke from which would have filled the room.

But this was the part of his problem- not only he had positioned himself in a way from the others from fellowship, he had moved so that he wasn’t close to where Paul was preaching, to where the move of God was going on!

his was Eutychus beginning problem- he had positioned himself in a way that he wasn’t close to where Paul was preaching- to where the move of God was going on!

He had put himself out of the presence of God, the fumes of the lamp where reminiscent of the incense that burned in the temple representing Gods presence.

There is a real danger when we place ourselves on the outside of the things of Church we start to place ourselves outside the presence of God, either accidentally, we drift away or deliberately when we fear the loss of control when God moves.

Now part of this story is that Eutychus, even thoughh he clearly wasn’t paying attention, even though he wasn’t close to the action- was still hanging out with the Christians

Part of this story is that Eutychus, even though he clearly wasn’t paying attention, even though he wasn’t close to the action- was still hanging out with the Christians

Sometimes we seem to think that just because we’re not ‘feeling it’ we shouldn’t come to church or shouldn’t go and fellowship - this is not the case- you can just be a by-stander and still receive some blessings!

• Not the case- you can just be a by-stander and still receive some blessings!

Not the case- you can just be a by-stander and still receive some blessings!

A place of obvious danger

Worse than placing himself on the edge, away from Paul, away from the presence of God he placed himself in an obvious position of Danger.

It was an open window, it was three stories up.

We do this if we aren’t close to God.

We distance ourselves, give ourselves a little space and pretty soon we are in places that we know are risky.

Addicts fall back in with the people they used to associate with.

We suddenly get the opinion we can deal with temptations.

If you fall out or a window you end up hurting and bleeding in the world.

We have to make sure we stay close to God.

Having proximity to what God is doing is the first part of growing in Christ, it is the second step in growing in christ, it is main step.

We can study, read, watch God TV, do good deeds all of which is great but proximity to God is key.

• Having proximity to what God is doing is the first part of growing in Christ

If you don’t want to fall out of a window

If you don’t want to fall out of a spiritual window to the floor below there are some things that can help - you have to keep in the presence of God, in close proximity.

Proximity is really important.

Why do sports fans travel to Wimbledon?

or the city of a cup final with no ticket?

Just to watch on a screen, they could do that at home - It is about proximity.

Why do sports fans travel to Wimbledon or the city of a cup final with no ticket?