Will Your Weariness Lead To Death? (AM Sermon Notes)
GIST: We’re all heading toward death, but Jesus came to bring abundant life!
SCRIPTURE: Acts 20:1-12
This morning we’re coming to the beginning of Acts 20. If you’ve been tracking with us, you’ve probably noticed that there are 28 chapters in this book. That means we’re in the homeward stretch here! The passage we’re coming to this morning is really a story of Paul wrapping up his third missionary journey and preparing to return to Jerusalem for the last time before he’ll be taken captive to Rome—where he will remain until he is executed. If you’ve read this passage before, you’ll probably remember it as the time Paul preached so long a kid fell asleep and fell out of a window… and died. While that does happen ☺️, there’s something more I want us to glean from this this morning. Let’s read the passage and then chat.
“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. 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. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. 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. 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." 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.”
Basically, I see both deep encouragement and conviction for us in this passage this morning. I see encouragement in the unity of the believers and the spiritual implications of this young boy’s resurrection. I see conviction in the spiritual implications of this young boy’s death. I don’t want to delay, nor do I plan on keeping you long, but I really want us to see these key truths this morning. That being said, here’s our gist: We’re all heading toward death, but Jesus came to bring abundant life!
I. THERE IS ENCOURAGEMENT HERE
The first observation I want to make here is an easy one to miss. By the time you get to the part about a kid falling out a window, it’s easy to forget that the first six verses of this chapter were about Paul traveling with some guys down to Troas on his way to Jerusalem. Honestly, even if the next six verses weren’t so extreme, that would be easy to skim over. However, embedded in this “easy-to-skim” passage is actually a picture of→
Church Unity. What we have in this list of relatively difficult to pronounce names ☺️are representatives of the churches started along these missionary journeys. These are men who had been saved by Jesus as the Gospel spread across Asia minor. These are men Paul invested in. These are men who are leaders in their local churches now. And these are men who want to give back. They’re traveling with Paul to Jerusalem to help their brothers and sisters who are under even more persecution than they are at this point.
I don’t want to overemphasize anything here, but it is worth noting that the Church (big-C, the whole body of Christ) is not meant to exist in isolation. Too often in our modern context churches are fractured off by denominations and physical locations. Please don’t fall victim to that. If they have given their lives over to Jesus, they’re our brothers and sisters. We’re meant to stand in this community and in this world united, not apart from one another. It is easy to feel isolated as a believer, especially if you’re a member of a smaller church. Which honestly, our local congregation fits that description. However, we’re part of something much, much bigger. We’re meant to be standing for Jesus in this world together. Don’t forget that! Here we see the Church coming together united under a common bond: Christ Jesus! We should be united in the same way—because we all share the same truth we see in the→
Spiritual Implications Of Eutychus’ Resurrection. This is definitely the more dynamic sounding part of the passage this morning. In fact, if you’ve ever studied Acts before, you probably haven’t forgotten this section. Paul is preparing to leave this area and, as we’ll see soon, doesn’t think he’ll ever return. Therefore, this is like his farewell message. He’s pouring everything he can into these people before he goes. The result is quite possibly the longest sermon ever preached! While this is happening, Eutychus is sitting in a window getting drowsy. We honestly can’t blame him. It’s very late. There are oil lamps flickering around him. The word used to describe him seems to have been used to refer primarily to boys between the ages of about 8 and 14. So, he’s very young. Eventually, sleep overtakes him.
We’ve all been there. Honestly, guys, I’m there a lot right now ☺️...and with baby Xander’s arrival imminent, that probably won’t change soon. If I sit down… I crash! That’s what happened here, right? This passage doesn’t describe Eutychus trying to fall asleep in the window. He was there, so clearly he intended to listen to Paul. He couldn’t help himself. He was exhausted. When you fall asleep like this, it is because your body needs sleep; you’ve met your limit. This isn’t just a physical situation for us either, is it? It is easy to feel weary in this world. It is easy to be overwhelmed and exhausted, to feel like everything is crumbling. But there is hope! However, that hope comes only when we realize how utterly hopeless we are on our own!
Notice that Eutychus doesn’t just doze in church (like many of you ☺️), but he falls to his death! Don’t misread this. Luke, the author of this book, is a medical doctor, and he’s on hand when this happens. He tells us Eutychus was dead. He’d fallen from three floors up. He wasn’t just faking it. But Paul rushes down and throws himself on the child. If you’re familiar with your Old Testament, this should remind you of what Elijah did with the widow’s son. It’s a sign of compassion. He then looks at the crowd, that has to be feeling completely devastated and afraid at this point, and says, “Don’t worry. He’s alive.” And the boy gets up.
Man, there’s a picture for us here! You might feel weary here this morning, but without Jesus, we’re all spiritually dead. We need to be brought to life—true and lasting life. And Jesus does this in a way Paul only symbolizes here. He ran to us. He poured Himself out for us. You might be weary today. In fact, I’d say it’s pretty likely. BUT, you were made for something more! Naturally, we are dead and without hope, but Jesus died to give us life!
That is the incredible encouragement I see here. This world is plagued with sin...and so is my heart! We have to see this. Our natural state isn’t just hard; it’s devastating because we’re seeking ourselves and running after the sin we hold so dear...that is destroying us. We need to see that. And we need to see that this isn’t what we were made for. We were made to be with Jesus. When He calls you to Himself, He’s calling you to live life abundantly, united with His Church, fulfilling the purpose for which you were designed!
There is great encouragement in this passage. Likewise→
II. THERE IS CONVICTION HERE
Let’s look at the→
Spiritual Implications Of Eutychus’ Death. I’ll be shorter on this point. Not because I want to shrink away from the “negative” side, but because I’ve actually already made half this point ☺️. His death points to your position. Like we’ve just pointed out: you’re dead in your trespasses. You need life. Personally. This isn’t just someone else’s problem. This is your problem. The fact that Eutychus died here points to the severity of our need. We might all experience weariness, but will your weariness lead to death? Will you come to the One who died to give you life, or will you cling to your own frailty and continue to reject Him?
Secondly, you need to be conscious of the conditions of those around you. I actually heard another pastor point this out in a sermon, and it really stuck with me. Eutychus was a young boy who was surrounded by people...and he still managed to fall out of a window and die! Why? Where were his parents? Why didn’t anyone notice that this was happening and step in and help? Clearly, God had a plan to use this as an example for us. However, how often does the same thing happen all around us...and we do nothing? We might not overlook people actually falling out of windows to their deaths, but all around us, there are people who are weary and dying in their sin. What are we doing about it? Everywhere we go, there are broken people. They might be people that irritate you. In fact, they might be people who are downright rude to you. Don’t take it personally. Instead, reach out. Their condition is more serious than your offense. We need to pray that we see people like Jesus does, and then that we actually reach out to them with the hope of His love! It’s like the Brandon Heath song “Give Me Your Eyes”:
Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see
As a final observation here, I just want to point out what Paul did after this boy was brought back to life. He went upstairs, broke bread (they took time to remember that this life is all about what Jesus has done!), and then... he kept talking! What? Why? Because more people needed to hear! There were more people who were in just as much need as Eutychus. If you’re lost, you need to hear about Jesus’ salvation and come to Him. If you’re saved, you need to learn more and more about Jesus so you can cling to Him.
Let me just make three quick→
TAKEAWAYS
1. You were made for something more. Come to Jesus and live! One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes is: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” You were. You were made for something so much more than this world and its burdens. Come to Jesus. Because without Him, you’re trying to live while being spiritually dead. I love the new Jeremy Camp song “Dead Man Walking” because it carries such truth!
I was a dead man walking
Until I was a man walking with You
I was a blind man falling
Until I felt the life You're calling me to
Pulling me out of the darkness and
Pulling me out of the lies
Putting the beat in my heart again
I was a dead man walking
Until You loved this dead man walking back to life
2. Let’s be individuals who are aware of those around us. People around us are dying and going to Hell. Do we care? Are we pointing them to life-giving Jesus?
3. Let’s be the Church shining hope to the lost & dying.
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