Eutychus
There is no doubt in my mind that something catastrophic is about to happen. If you have been watching the news or listening to it then you ought to know and feel the same thing. The Dallas Morning News read that they have completed the mapping of the human DNA code. Scientists now say that people who are born with disabilities and defects could possibly have their deformity corrected. People who were born blind could now have their genetic code restructured so they can see. Cloning sheep and fruits and vegetables and man’s greatest achievement he is at the peak of cloning himself. Sounds like the Tower of Babel to me. The Trinity allowed man to build the tower only so high before they came down to confound the language of the post-diluvians, yet modern men like Nimrod think they are on the brink of accomplishing a great feat, but to God they are approaching doom and have to be stopped.
We are standing upon the threshold of great and solemn events. Prophecies are fulfilling. Strange, eventful history is being recorded in the books of heaven. Everything in our world is in agitation. There are wars, and rumors of wars. The nations are angry, and the time of the dead has come, that they should be judged. Events are changing to bring about the day of God which hasteth greatly. Only a moment of time, as it were, yet remains. But while already nation is rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, there is not now a general engagement. As yet the four winds are held until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads. Christian Service, pg. 51, 52
Unprecedented violence fills our world especially in America. We thought racial crimes were a thing of the past so what do you think about the Jasper incident? Natural disasters are still phenomenally taking people out by the thousands. And now in the new millennium, in this new century, in this new decade, we have human genome. Let me ask you a question. Has the prophetic alarm clock awaken you?
[GIVE TOPIC & PRAY]
This is the time Church, as never before that we need to expose and proclaim the truths that we know will prepare a people to meet the Lord. Although it appears that no matter what the news is or what is being heralded, the Church of God finds itself in that too familiar position of sleepiness. Every now and then the Lord tells the four angels standing on the four corners of the Earth to allow the winds of destruction, strife, and chaos to blow, so that his people can get aroused and shun complacency. The way I see it is that the earthquakes, floods, wars, and pestilences aren’t provoking enough to us. There is a numbness that seems to fill our being when we hear about these events. The only time we get alarmed is when it occurs in our surroundings, but other than that its just news.
As the Spirit of God slowly withdraws Himself away from the escalated, sinful degradation of man, we see that there are more provocative means at which God allows us to be shaken, but yet and still I can see what I call that Sabbath glare in some of your eyes. You came here just like you did last Sabbath unchanged and unjolted by the mere fact that God has allowed you to see another Sabbath. We are own our way to Glory, and some of us would probably dare say that we are ready, but our lives are mere reflections of our unprepared state.
This benumbing and desensitized attitude has been long experienced before in our Church. Turn with me in your Bibles to Acts of the Apostles 20:7-12 [READ]. This is a very familiar passage of scripture to us because it is often used to defend or offset Sunday observance. In verse 7 it states that the disciples were together ready to break bread and Paul preached. Our Protestant brothers and sisters would have you believe that those disciples are now the 12 apostles. However this isn’t the case. For in verse 4 of this same chapter we see whom these disciples are. This is not the message that the Lord wanted me to bring to you. Because all of us in here know that there is no way you can substantiate Sunday observance from the Bible.
The Lord wanted me to call your attention to dear brother Eutychus. Although the scripture points out that he was a young man, he was not estranged to the Church nor was he absent-minded of the events that happened to Paul. Paul had been a travelin’ evangelist. He had intended on being in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with the other apostles. But upon learning of a plot by the Jews to take his life, he returned to his new converts to the faith by way of Macedonia. There were many who had accompanied him because he was hoping to bring a delegation of the Gentile churches to show the brethren in Judea how the work was going on in other fields. But as it is with so many soldiers of the cross, Satan stands to oppose anyone who ventures out on his turf. Paul missed the opportunity to be in Jerusalem at the Passover so he hoped to reach them by Pentecost. While he waited he sought to celebrate the feast of unleavened bread with the brethren whom he left at Troas. These were precious moments to Paul for he knew that the Jews wanted to take his life, and he had just escaped the uproar in Ephesus. There the Bible says in verse 7, Paul preached ready to continue his journey on the morrow, and he continued his speech until midnight.
This was no ordinary Sabbath, divine hour of worship. This was actually Saturday night not Sunday morning. Paul wanted to have an all night prayer meeting with the brethren. Paul got up to preach and as he began to herald the message, Eutychus starts to nod. As Paul continued that simple nod became a jerk, until the brain and body gave way to the slumbering effect of the night, and he fell into a very deep sleep. And the Bible continues in verse 9 that Paul was long in preaching and Eutychus just couldn’t take any more and he sunk down into it.
Poor brother Eutychus slept himself out of the Church through the window on the third floor. He probably intended when he came to the meeting that night that he would choose a seat that would shield him from the view of all in the congregation. I mean after all, the Sabbath had just past and I’m sure that the way the Sabbath was observed then wasn’t too much different from the way we do it today because he was a Gentile convert, and Gentiles were new to Sabbath keeping as well. Brother Eutychus had been to Early Morning prayer service, Sabbath School, the Divine Hour, to somebody’s home for lunch, back to AY, and then went right into the All Night prayer meeting. To his credit I will say that he had been up all day, but I won’t let him get off so easy. For if he realized that he was tired he should have carried himself home. By the mere fact that he was present in that upper room proves that he was interested in what Paul had to say.
Eutychus has a most unusual name also. His name is a compound of two Greek root words. The first is “eus” which means well or good and “tucho” which means to make ready or bring to pass. Put them together you come up with a definition of well fated or fortunate. Turn with me to Revelation 3:17, and allow the Holy Spirit to broaden that meaning for you. He was spiritually endowed. He had all he could get form Early Morning prayer service, Sabbath School, Divine Hour, potluck, AY, and he didn’t need the first 6 hours of Paul’s sermon. His spiritual cup was full; “he was rich and increased with goods.” Has there ever been a Sabbath when you went home with your cup filled and your soul satisfied?
Don’t fool yourself because the scripture says that he was a young man. Do you not realize that a young man then could have been 40-years-old? What if Eutychus was young to our connotation? That doesn’t mean anything either. It is the youth that should light up the service with life and vibrancy. It should be exhibited in worship the joy it comes in serving God, and sometimes the old get a little hardened and forget that it is because of struggles that we have to rejoice and say, Praise Him! It doesn’t take drums to move your lips. It doesn’t take a tambourine to lift your hands in a wave of praise. Being young doesn’t mean that I have to be tantalized and entertained for God to arrest my attention. Just being in His presence is enough. Just being in His house means that He has had grace and mercy upon me. Then why are we so sleepy? Oh Church of the living God we have got to Praise Him! Praise is what we bring not what we get out of worship. Bring a song to Church, have a word of edification on your lips, bring a large gift to the Lord and soon you will discover that praise is an attitude and not mere display.
“But Eutychus was young,” someone might push the point. “He needed to have his rest.” Young he was, but he was there. He didn’t have to be. Tell the young people that there is going to be a lock-in somewhere and energy like electricity will light them up and it will hurl into the shout of that infamous question, Where? When they get there they won’t be sleeping anytime soon. They can gaze at the one-eyed monster for hours without a nod or drift. They can stay outdoors playing for hours without stretching out on the side-walked to take a nap. They can yell and scream all day long without ever yawning. Then why Church is it when we come to the House of God, we fall victim just like Eutychus, who was well endowed with spiritual vitality, to sleep?
Eutychus suffered from three elements of sleepiness that plague us today. The three characteristics of spiritual drowsiness are truth unable to make a lasting impression, boredom, and a stupor placed on us by Satan. Jesus told his disciples that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. But how could they sleep at a time like this. They knew that the Sanhedrin was after Jesus. Eutychus knew that the same Sanhedrin was after Paul; he had heard Paul’s testimonies before. Just like Jesus in the garden, Paul was trying to prepare them for what was going to happen. He didn’t want them to become discouraged at what may happen to him. This was his last time to see them, and he had a lot to say.
Eutychus allowed truth to have a recoiling effect on him. Paul’s words lost significance with him. He was no longer arrested with the urgency of the times. He became dull to the violence hurled upon the believers of Christ at that time. Acts 20:8 simply says that there were “many lights” in the room. Psalm 119:115 describes the light as being God’s word. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet a light unto my path.” I don’t think it happenstance that Luke gives attention to the fact that there were many lights in the upper room. He doesn’t mention lighting in the fact that at the Lord’s Supper Jesus broke bread. They were in an upper room as well. Make no mistake about it! The light in the room nor the light illuminating from the lips of the short apostle were having any affect on Eutychus. He just became all the more sleepy.
Eutychus couldn’t see the value of truth at that time of night. He didn’t realize the intensity of the situation. He just thought maybe if I show up then no one would think that I’m not interested. After all I am a deacon. And I know they are going to be asking about me if I don’t come. If he couldn’t come for himself, he should have stayed at home. We can’t be worried about what other people have to say about us. We have to be attentive to the Word of God, so that we can receive instructions on how to get out of this thing. If I come solely because I feel someone wants me to then how do you think that’s going to measure up in Heaven? God wants you there too, but if you don’t want to go, he isn’t going to make you come. What happens to an individual when he does things out of display and for acceptance is that he develops that behavior talked about in II Timothy 3:5, 7 and II Thessalonians 2:11:
[They] have a form of godliness, but [are] denying the power thereof…ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie:
You know that is what happens! You develop only the form because you aren’t coming really to be changed, and therefore the Sword of Truth dulls its blade on what you consider a spiritually dexterous and enriched mind.
Eutychus’ sleep wasn’t caused by the speaker but what the speaker was saying and how long it took him to say it. I mean come on this is the Apostle Paul preaching not the local elder. Really it shouldn’t have mattered who was preaching the Word as long as it was the Word. Many in our day are impressed by the familiarity and status of a certain preacher but that has nothing to do with the content of his message. You don’t know me and some of you probably prejudged me before you even heard what I had to say because you are not familiar with my speaking. The truth makes no impression on God’s people because it is not being preached by your particular favorite. Listen to this:
Those who allow prejudice to bar the mind against the reception of truth cannot receive the divine enlightenment. Yet, when a view of Scripture is presented, many do not ask, Is it True,--in harmony with God’s word? but, By whom is it advocated? And unless it comes through the very channel that pleases them, they do not accept it. So thoroughly satisfied are they with their own ideas, that they will not examine the Scripture evidence, with a desire to learn, but refuse to be interested, merely because of their prejudices. Gospel Worker, pg. 125
Perhaps the truth did make an impression on Eutychus. He was there wasn’t he? He evidently came for some fulfillment. Maybe Eutychus was just bored. You know we hear that all to often nowadays in this Church mostly from the young people, but you adults have the luxury of going somewhere else so you don’t have to say it you just plan not to come to Fellowship, but instead go to City, Faith, or Grace or wherever your favorite hang out is.
Boredom! Hmmm! Acts 20:9, again says Paul was long preaching. I can see it now Eutychus was all comfortable and snug in the back pew. And as Paul opened his sermon I’m sure he started with his encounter with Christ on the Road to Damascus. Eutychus said, “Yeah, I all ready know where he’s going with this one.” So he positions himself to where he could take a nap.
Let none come to the place of worship to take a nap. There should be no sleeping in the house of God. You do not fall asleep on when engaged in your temporal business, because you have an interest in your work. Shall we allow the service which involves eternal interests to be placed on a lower level than the temporal affairs of life? When we do this we miss the blessing which the Lord designs us to have. The Sabbath is not to be a day of useless idleness…All heaven is keeping the Sabbath, but not in a listless, do-nothing way. On this day every energy of the soul should be awake, for are we not to meet with God and with Christ our Saviour? We may behold Him by faith. He is longing to refresh and bless every soul. Testimonies for the Church, volume 6, pages 361-62
Some of you might as well start bringing your pillows. The Church is no place for sleeping. We’ve got work to do. First worship, then service. No time for sleeping! If you are sleepy don’t come. Don’t come, get sleepy, and then leave. You can jam somebody up with that behavior. I admit that some of the sermons lack the fire and power that should accompany them. However the Church should attend the services with the attitude of prayer. When the brother starts talking, pray, and asked the Father to not allow you to fall asleep so that you can secure your blessing. Sometimes when you look into the congregation, it looks as though the saints of God got their spiritual spoons, forks, and knives out ready to cut into it. And when you serve it up to them they say, “We don’t like that flavor! We loathe this light bread! We don’t want to hear it!” So just to get yourself through the rest of the service you allow yourself to fall asleep. Don’t you know men should not live by bread alone but by every word that proceed out of the mouth of God. You might not get what you want all the time, but it is still food for your soul.
Boredom can set in not only from a lack of interest but from too much of one thing. Luke said that Paul preached a long time, and he wasn’t near finishing. Noah preached the same message for 120 years that it was going to flood. The Pen of Inspiration points out that people who were helping Noah in the building of the ark, begin to put there hammers down because there was no rain. “Noah, I’m not going to help anymore you keep saying it’s going to rain, man, I feel really stupid because it has never rained and now I’m out here building a boat.” The Adventists have been preaching the Everlasting Gospel for over 150 years. We have been telling people that Jesus is soon to come and this is what they have to do to be ready when He does.
Eutychus’ start to leave the Church because they say the message is boring and it lacks charisma. “We need to alter some things and change some of the stuff we believe. We need to liven up the Church!” You don’t know it but Jesus said, “I am the light and life of the world,” and I John 5:12 says very plainly that he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. You can’t “stump” it into someone. You can’t “shout” it into someone. You can’t “beat” it into someone. Unless that individual has come to the realization that he is void of life, John P. Kee, Kirk Franklin, and the likes aren’t going to show him or her differently. The Church has no excitement because you are void of Life. All you want to do is come in here and take, take, take. God has called us to let our light shine that others may see and glorify him which is above. Church is not boring. You just have your expectations backwards. God is the only one who should expect anything from us. Come here to please Him and then we will see where boredom resides.
What I really think happen to Eutychus is that he fell victim to Satan’s stupor. In that same verse of Acts 20:9, we read that he sunk down with deep sleep, and fell to his death from the third story window. You know indolence is laziness. Do you know that the Church has befallen into a sleepy state a state of inactivity? Do you know how many people die everyday without knowing the truth because we’re asleep? Not to mention that we are killing ourselves with idleness and slumber?
You know the Devil knows that he has a short time. So he is doing everything he can do to unarm the Body of Christ.
God’s people must take warning and discern the signs of the times. The signs of Christ’s coming are too plain to be doubted; and in view of these things every one who professes the truth should be a living preacher. God call upon all, both preachers and people, to awake. All heaven is astir. The scenes of earth’s history are fast closing. We are amid the perils of the last days. Greater perils are before us, and yet we are not awake. This lack of activity and earnestness in the cause of God is dreadful. This death stupor is from Satan. Testimonies for the Church, volume 1, pages 260-61
The Lord said all of us not just President Elder Wright, Pastor Warfield, Elder Lee, and myself, but he is calling you too. We are the few red blood cells in the arm of Christ that are still percolating trying to get you, the arm, moving and unstiffened by numbness.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for He hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Isaiah 52:7, 8
The arm of the Lord made bare! God is waiting for us to roll up our sleeves and stop sleeping on the job, and let the world know that His law is not void and Jesus is coming again. That stupor arrested Eutychus to the point of death. How many of us wonder why the Church seems so lifeless because Satan has placed his death stupor on us.
Men are in peril. Multitudes are perishing. But how few of the professed followers of Christ are burdened for these souls. The destiny of a world hangs in the balance; but this hardly moves even those who claim to believe the most far-reaching truth ever given to mortals. There is a lack of that love which led Christ to leave His heavenly home and take man’s nature that humanity might touch humanity and draw humanity to divinity. There is a stupor a paralysis, upon the people of God, which prevents them from understanding the duty of the hour. Christ’s Object Lessons, page 303
This is why things like what happen in Jonesboro and Columbine don’t move us to act. This is why we can come to Church, Sabbath after Sabbath without feeling a little remorse for those who are dying. That stupor is deep. Just like Eutychus’ deep sleep. There is no arousing, jolting, diligence sparked, intensity raised, urgency awakened, exigency quickened in us.
Make no mistake about it, Satan desires to sift us as wheat, but he rather we do it to ourselves with our self-complacency. Because in striking us down, he can’t win, but when we voluntarily relinquish our responsibility, ignore accountability, and fall asleep on the job he wins. There go another 100, 1000 precious souls who died without knowing the Truth. But the Lord in his mercy asks the question:
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Proverbs 6:9, 10, 6
Thank God for Jesus Christ! Eutychus didn’t stay dead. There was much commotion going on after Eutychus took the dive. Had it been today, somebody in the Church would have laughed. But they loved back then. They were deeply concerned about one another’s feelings especially those who weren’t so spiritual. Paul, instead of continuing on with his sermon with great alertness ran to the aid of his young fallen brother. He took a minute out of his busy routine to help. He came to the help of the Lord in restoring a brother to the faith.
We have got to stop sleeping on the job while people in the church and out of the church are dying. Let’s do what Paul did and say to one another “Trouble not, Jesus is able to bring life into you and in saying it embrace one another with the Word.” Offend somebody back into the faith with the Words of Life. Open rebuke is better than secret love. (Proverbs 27:5) We must take this message to a dying world, but if we are dying, then how can we administer this saving message to them? Everyone must shun his or her problem worn pajamas. Replace that soft pillow for a pillar of truth and that slumbering lethargy for a diligent spirit. We can do this; we can shake the death stupor of Satan by the grace of God. We must be willing to realize our condition. Then only then will we arise, and awake out of sleep.
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: For henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Romans 13:11, 12; Isaiah 52:1, 2; Romans 13:13, 14 respectively
We cannot afford to become bored with the same messages, the truth must not become the tune of an old favorite, and we certainly must shake the stupor of Satan. Our services cannot be slumber parties anymore. We cannot stymie to I’m sleepy but be ever watching unto prayer.
[PRAY]
