A Long-Winded Preacher
Text: Acts 20:7-12
Introduction
1. Illustration: “Preaching is effective as long as the preacher expects something to happen – not because of the sermon, or even because of the preacher, but because of God.” (John Hines).
2. Believe it or not, I’ve been accused of being a long-winded preacher a time or two over the years.
3. But if you think I’m long-winded, wait until you get a load of Paul! He preached until midnight, someone died, he brought him back to life, they had a midnight snack, and then Paul preached until daylight!
4. However, it wasn’t the length of his sermon, but the results of his sermon that count.
5. Read Acts 20:7-12
Transition: Paul teaches us…
I. Importance of the Word (7-8).
A. Paul Was Preaching to Them
1. Last week we talked about how Paul moved on from Ephesus, and in this we saw his Pastor’s heart. We mentioned how every place he stopped he encouraged people.
2. In this passage today, we see Paul moving on to Troas, and how he continued to encourage people through the Word. In vv. 7-8 Luke tells us, “On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight. 8 The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps.”
a. The Christians in Troas meet on the first day of the week. This is one of the first, and clearest, references to the early Church meeting on Sunday rather than Saturday, which was the day the Jews celebrated the Sabbath.
b. We are not sure whether Sunday worship had already become a regular practice, or if this church service being on Sunday was just a coincidence.
c. There are some churches today that believe we should meet on Saturday.
d. In my personal opinion, let’s not major in the minors. If you feel church should be on Saturday, meet on Saturday, and if you feel we should meet on Sunday, meet on Sunday. The point is meet together on a weekly basis to worship the Lord.
e. What is important, is the fact that they shared the Lord’s Super and heard preaching from the Word of God.
f. We know from earlier in the Book of Acts that the Lord’s Super was a regular part of the early Church’s worship.
g. “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42).
3. There was another important aspect to their worship, and that is the preaching of the Word.
a. Luke tells us that Paul was preaching to them.
b. For Paul, what God had to say was more important than anything he had to say.
c. Paul not only wanted them to hear him, but, more importantly, he wanted them to hear from God!
d. As he would later tell his young apprentice Timothy, “I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.” (2 Tim. 4:1-2).
e. Paul didn’t tell Timothy to give them his opinion, or tell them the latest self-help nonsense, but rather, he told him to preach the Word.
f. In fact, in the Greek it reads, “Preach, preach the Word.” The Word is the substance of what he is to preach.
g. We can be assured that Paul did the exact same thing; he preached the Word to them.
h. You don’t need my opinion on things; you need to hear what God wants you to know. He has already written that in his Word.
i. Now, Paul, was so concerned that they heard what God wanted them to hear, and he knew he was going to be leaving the next day, he kept on preaching, and preaching…until midnight.
j. Now, if you think I’m long-winded, you don’t know how good you have it!
k. But Paul was so concerned that they heard from the Word of God, and he knew this was going to his last chance, he just kept on preaching as the Spirit inspired him.
B. Doers of the Word
1. Illustration: “Preacher - tomorrow - read a text, explain what it means, and make application. Christian - tomorrow - go to a church where the preacher does that.” - Todd Bryant
2. We still need to hear the preaching of the Word of God.
a. “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15).
b. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. (James 1:22-25).
c. As your Pastor, my commitment to you is to work hard at correctly explaining the Word of truth to you every Sunday.
d. That doesn’t mean that all my sermons will be perfect, but they will come from the Word of God and not mine or someone else’s opinion.
e. The reason my sermons will come from the Word of God is that it teaches us, shows us what we’re doing wrong, it corrects us, and it equips us.
f. Now, what is your commitment to me? Your commitment to me ought to be…
1) Show up for church. I can preach the greatest sermon ever, but if you not here to listen to it, it won’t do you any good.
2) Bring your Bible. Yes, we provide pew Bibles, but it’s better if you are following along in your own Bible. This will get you into the habit of being in the Word during the week.
3) Take notes. I love it when I see people taking notes during the sermon. It tells me you are actively listening. You will remember twice as much if you take notes.
4) Do what I tell you to do. I end every sermon with the question, “what’s the point preacher?” The reason for this is that I want you to understand the basic idea behind my sermon and give you an action to take home with you. My homiletics professor, Dr. Church Sackett, told us “Never let them leave after hearing you preach asking the question, ‘so what?’ Tell them what you want them to do!” That’s what I’m doing.
Transition: Next, we see the importance of…
II. Embracing of the Resurrection (9-12).
A. He is Alive
1. Next, Luke tells us about an unfortunate accident, and a miraculous healing. In vv. 9-10, Luke tells us, “As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. 10 Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!”
a. One of the things that I didn’t explain yet from v. 8 was that this worship service took place in an upstairs room at night.
b. In order for them to see, they had many lamps burning, and these lamps consisted of a candle burning inside the lamp.
c. Now, I remember growing up as a young boy in a Roman Catholic family, and I served as an altar boy. There were several occasions that I remember where the smell of the candles made me woozy, and sometimes I would nearly pass out.
d. So, imagine many candles burning in an upstairs room, in the ancient middle east, long before air conditioning was invented.
e. Well, it had an adverse effect on a young man named Eutychus. In order to stay awake, as Paul spoke on and on, he took a seat on the windowsill of an open window.
f. It would have given him some fresh air that would help him stay awake, well, at least for a little while.
g. However, eventually, he fell asleep and fell three stories to his death.
h. Now, keep in mind that Luke was a doctor, so, when he said the young man died, he was more than guessing. We can be sure that Luke knew what he was talking about.
i. Again, here is the Pastor’s heart of Paul in action. Paul goes down, took the young man in his arms, and we can be assured that Paul prayed for his healing.
j. He then tells the concerned congregation, “Don’t worry, he’s alive.”
k. This brings to mind stories of Elijah, Elisha, and even Jesus.
l. Another thing it reminds us of is the women with the blood flow issues, who knew if she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment she would be healed.
m. Somehow, Paul knew healing power had gone out of him and into the young man. He was alive!
2. Then Luke tells us, in vv. 11-12, “Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper, and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left. 12 Meanwhile, the young man was taken home alive and well, and everyone was greatly relieved.”
a. After the healing of the young man, this congregation went back upstairs, ate a meal together, and shared the Lord’s Super together.
b. Then once they were done, guess what? Paul preached some more!
c. Imagine us having a fellowship dinner together, and then I declare, “he y’all, I’m gonna preach some more!”
d. In fact, it says Paul preached until morning.
e. But the most important part of this story is that the congregation was encouraged by the fact of the young man’s healing.
f. Believe it, church, because God still heals today!
B. I Am the Resurrection
1. Illustration: It is as if the resurrection provides the “missing link” to our faith. We are all familiar with the “missing link” in the theory of evolution. The missing link is that one thing that is missing from the theory that connects the generation of humanity from the ape-like creature the theorists suppose to the up-right homo sapiens that we supposedly evolved into. That missing link leaves way too many questions unanswered. For our faith, the resurrection connects the promises of God’s covenant (peace, joy, and victory) to our lives. Certainly, we catch glimpses of God’s promises while we live, to come to the end of our lives and say, as we stare death in the face, “So that’s it?” would be futility. The resurrection erases the futility and fills us with hope.
2. The promise of the resurrection gives us hope for today and the future.
a. “Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” (Jn. 11:24-26).
b. The promise of the resurrection gives us hope for today because it shows us that this is not all there is to life.
c. Because Jesus went to the cross and died for us assures us that our sins have been forgiven.
d. But because he rose again give us victory in this life because he has overcome hell, death, and the grace for us.
e. However, the resurrection gives us hope for eternity. It guarantees us if we trust in Jesus for eternal life, that there is more to life than the here and now.
f. It guarantees us that Jesus has prepared a place for us so magnificent that we cannot even comprehend it!
g. “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9).
h. Our time on earth is here today and gone tomorrow, but our time in glory goes on and on!
Conclusion
1. Our text today tells us about…
a. The importance of the Word of God.
b. The promise of the resurrection.
2. What’s the point preacher? The preaching of the Word is God is the center of our worship service, but we need to do what the message says and not just be hearers.
