Acts 20:7-12Preaching at Midnight

Acts 20:7–12 HCSB

7 On the first day of the week, we assembled to break bread. Paul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he extended his message until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were assembled, 9 and a young man named Eutychus was sitting on a window sill and sank into a deep sleep as Paul kept on speaking. When he was overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down, fell on him, embraced him, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, for his life is in him!” 11 After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, Paul conversed a considerable time until dawn. Then he left. 12 They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.

Sub: Preaching at Midnight

Intro:

Overview:

In Ephesus Paul told disciples of John the Baptist about Christ (19:1-7). His two-year ministry there was supported by miracles (vv. 8-16). It yielded so many converts (vv. 17-22) it threatened the temple-based trade of the Ephesian silversmiths, who rioted (vv. 23-41). Paul revisited his Macedonian churches (20:1-6). In Troas Eutychus died and was restored to life (vv. 7-11).

Paul had originally planted the church in Ephesus during his second missionary journey. He spent close to three years there training and equipping this body of believers. While under house arrest in Rome, Paul wrote a letter to the church in Ephesus. He was later released for a short time and traveled around revisiting some of the key churches he had planted. When he arrived in Ephesus, he was grieved to find that the church had been overrun by false teachers, just as he had predicted in his final meeting with the Ephesian elders in . After confronting the men who were teaching heresy, Paul traveled on to Macedonia, leaving behind his prized partner in ministry Timothy to oversee the reorganization process of the church and help it get back to the way God originally intended.

I. The Midnight Meeting

7a On the first day of the week, we assembled to break bread.....

II. The Midnight Message

7b Paul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he extended his message until midnight.

III

III. The Midnight Miracle

8 There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were assembled, 9 and a young man named Eutychus was sitting on a window sill and sank into a deep sleep as Paul kept on speaking. When he was overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down, fell on him, embraced him, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, for his life is in him!”

IV. The Motivated Members

11 After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, Paul conversed a considerable time until dawn. Then he left. 12 They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.

Paul addressed the concerned flock. "Don't worry," he said. Then, with those powerful Resurrection-reminiscent words, he added: "He's alive!" Can you imagine the impact that moment would have had on the watching congregation? on Eutychus's family? on Eutychus? The believers at Troas surely must have retold that story for years to come. Following this amazing miracle, the meeting was resumed upstairs where they broke bread (most likely, they ate a meal, then celebrated the Lord's Supper), followed by Paul's continuing to teach until daylight! The believers were greatly comforted (literally, "encouraged")—a repeated feature of Paul's ministry. Luke concludes the episode with the reassurance that the boy suffered no lingering effects from his ordeal. He wasn’t merely “lucky” to be alive; the power of God had restored him to complete health. The church in Troas had in their congregation a living reminder of God’s mercy. And if anyone doubted the authenticity of Paul as God’s spokesman, they need only talk to the boy who fell asleep in church.

Expository Listening: A Handbook for Hearing and Doing God's Word.

365-Day Devotional Commentary, The.

Life Application Bible Commentary - Acts.

Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary - Acts.