TRANSFORMING APATHY TO REVIVAL
Acts 20:7-12
A young lady is uncomfortable about her spiritual life. She believes in God, belong to Christian church, attends church’s weekly service, gives offering and yet she still feels emptiness and confusion.
• She sat on the church’s pew until the preacher pronounce the benediction and yet she can almost sleep on the preacher’s message
• She prays and asks God for many things but wasn’t sure if her prayers are just stocked on the outbox
• She smiles and shakes hand with other believers but she doesn’t really cares
• She sings the church hymns, clap her hands during praise and worship time and yet all things are just mechanical. She can’t feel the real touch of the Holy Spirit of God in her heart
In the corner of her mind, she might be asking the questions:
• What’s wrong with me?
• Am I a real Christian?
• Am I really saved?
• What must I do to experience the real touch of God in my life?
She may not be alone. There may be thousands or even million of so called Christians in the world who suffer the same situation. If you feel the same feelings! If you suffer the same apathy and spiritual problem today, then this message if for you my friend.
• You might be a Christian from birth but it doesn’t ensure that you are saved
• You might be a seminary graduate, a pastor, or a Christian leaders but it does not guarantee the real fire and passion that ignites from the touch of God
• You might be giving the biggest offering, give tithes and yet if you did not feel the real love for God and men everything are but useless.
Let us be awakened by the experience of Eutychus, the man who sleep and fell from the window sill while Paul was preaching
Act 20:7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
Act 20:8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.
Act 20:9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third storey and was picked up dead.
Act 20:10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. Don’t be alarmed, he said. He’s alive!
Act 20:11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.
Act 20:12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
There are several reasons that Luke, the writer of the book of Acts mentioned about Eutychus drowsiness and subsequent fall. Here are the lists.
1. The lateness of the hour
2. The many lamps
3. The window seat
4. The long discourse
Though each of those contributing factors to his drowsiness is but natural, this incident was recorded in the bible to illustrate a typical significance. This is to demonstrate something which is more important about the condition of our spiritual life. The drowsiness and fall of Eutychus is a mirror of our fading affection for God which cause our fall into deep troubles.
In the following verses from the book of Revelation, Apostle John describes the church with a very commendable outward qualification. But on the later part, God also declared an unexpected but tough rebuke.
Rev 2:2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
Rev 2:3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Now, here is the stern rebuke:
Rev 2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
The church of Ephesus is a picture of many Christians today. Godly in the outside but empty in the inside. The fervor and passion has dried away, the excitement and zeal of first love for God has been forsaken.
This same spiritual condition make Eutychus sleep while one of the most gifted and anointed teacher of the word of God is speaking.
This also reveals Eutychus’ heart: He doesn’t love the word of God truly enough to enjoy it and he doesn’t care for his brother that much to stay awake with Paul on his farewell meeting. His love for God and men is rather flaccid and dying.
I. THE CAUSES OF EUTYCHUS DROWSINESS AND FALL (VS 7-9)
1. THE EXHAUSTING LATENESS OF THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
The first natural culprit is the midnight hour. Our text mentioned; Act 20:7…Paul …“kept on talking until midnight.” But aside from Eutychus, the writer of Acts did not mention of any other hearers who sleep while Paul is giving his long discourse. Instead, they bear with Paul until morning thus we can safely said that they conducted an overnight fellowship.
Why other people enjoyed hearing the exposition of the word of God while other people feels it as punishment and strenuous to endure sitting and hearing the message even for a short 30 minutes? The answer of course is the condition of the heart. Talking to someone you love throughout the whole night is almost effortless for many. While spending few minutes in front of your terror boss is like eternity.
Spiritual drowsiness should be transformed to watchfulness and perseverance. And we will be able to do this easily if we have the burning love for God in our hearts
Midnight can be the most dangerous hour:
• It was midnight when the death angel passed through Egypt and smote the first born
• It was midnight When the cry was made that woke the sleeping virgins
Midnight can also mean half way point or the start of the morning break:
• It was midnight when Paul and Silas turned the corner and turned their pain into praise.
• Midnight is where it can go either way. Midnight speaks of decision time
Those who are sleeping when they should be watching and praying will be caught surprise by sudden attack of the enemies
2. THE SATISFYING COMFORT OF THE MANY LAMPS
Luke revealed the second culprit: “Act 20:8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.”
No doubt, many lamps produce heat and odor that makes anybody drowsy. But lamps is also providing security and comfort good enough to forget the missing others who still grasping and crawling in the dark – the lost souls in the sinful world.
If we are going to renew our love for God and decide to experience revival and spiritual awakening, then, complacency should be changed to compassion and ministry designed to save and reach the lost
Those who become contented with the comfort of their lamps of salvation become blind to the millions dying unsaved souls in the dark
3. THE AMUSING WINDOW SEAT COMPROMISE
Now, Luke identified the third culprit: “Act 20:9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus”
When you are hearing the preaching of the word, window is not a good place to be: Window is many different things for Christians.
1. The window of divided attention
2. The window of compromise
3. The window of exploring the world
4. The window of temptation
Undeniably, Carnal mind should be renewed to undivided heart if we want to experience revival.
Those who seat on the windows of compromise and continually explore the entertainment of the devil while hearing the word of God will be endangered of falling into sin
4. THE LACK OF SPIRITUAL HUNGER FOR THE WORD
Luke describe the fourth culprit: “Act 20:9 … Paul talked on and on…”
In a natural sense, the culprit might be the length of the discourse, but in closer look, the other reason might be spiritual. It might be….
1. The Christian life that seems to be dry and lifeless
2. The heart that lost its joy and appetite on hearing the word of God
If we want to experience spiritual revitalization; then, spiritual dryness should be transformed to passionate love for God.
Those who profess they are Christian and yet there is no real hunger for the word of God can be considered back-slider in the heart. They need spiritual awakening through the Spirit of God less they fall from the grace of God.
II. THE FALLING THAT MADE EUTYCHUS AND OTHER PEOPLE CHANGE (VS 9-12)
1. The cause of the falling
“deep sleeping”
2. The criticality of the falling
“he fell to the ground from the third storey
3. The result of falling
“dead”
4. The rescue from falling
“Paul went down”
5. The change after falling experience
“Act 20:12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.”
Though it is clearly our mistakes and God allow us to fall sometimes, but God in his unexplainable grace and mercy uses our falling from sin to chastise us and change us into better person.
Some of you may be still hanging on the window sill while some has already fallen. But what ever your situation maybe, God is still willing to give you the second chance and a second life. Will you come to him, repent from your sin of apathy and complacency and renew your love for God today.
It is not too late to repent and be forgiven
Hear the admonition from our Lord Jesus from heaven:
Rev 2:5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
If you have been blessed, encouraged or inspired by this sermon then it’s your turn to be an encouragement too. You can do it by sending email to this contributor at spy2rb@yahoo.com or post comment on the discussion box below.
