All-Night Service At Troas
~~~~~~~~~~Contents~~~~~~~~~~
1. Introduction
2. Scripture Setting
3. Eutychus Found A Seat In An Upper Window
4. Eutychus Went To Sleep And Fell To His Death
5. Paul Prayed And God Restored Eutychus
6. Paul’s Gethsemane
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1. Introduction:
The scripture tells us that this incident took place on the first day of the week. This is the first recorded service which took place on the first day of the week. Paul and those who accompanied him were in Troas. This was not Paul’s first visit to Troas, the first time (6 years before) he was forbidden of the Holy Ghost to Preach.
It was at that time he also met “Luke the beloved physician.” Now after six years Luke was with once again with him. On this night Paul had much to say. The Apostle would not see these people again till Judgment Day. So Paul poured out his heart all night.
2. The Scripture Setting:
Acts 20:6 “And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.
9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.
11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.”
It seems they had met for communion, “The disciples came together to break bread,.. (V. 7). They had 7 days to get the word out that Paul was in town and was going to preach that weekend. Everyone wanted to be there—so they all crowded into the “upper chamber,” (packed’m in). What excitement. It was like the time when Jesus was in Capernaum and they had to take the roof off to get a man to Him. We can all remember such a service, especially us older ones.
“Many lights in the upper chamber,’ oil lamps. People had made great sacrifice to be there. Many people today do not know what it is to sacrifice to go to Church. We ride a few blocks, if it is convenient, if the weather is not too pretty to go riding, fishing, visiting, or too bad, 20% chance of snow or rain.
But it seems we will make no effort, or real sacrifice to attend. People will not come to Church if they are tired or feel bad, or mad, or can think of something they would rather do.
3. Eutychus Found A Seat In An Upstairs Window:
Eutychus May have come a long ways, under great hardships, to be in that service. It says a lot that he was there, possible he was a slave. He may have been there since
before dawn, because the Early Church started this day with early prayer before dawn.
Eutychus sat in an up-stairs window… 3rd loft. It would be interesting to know why he chose that particular place, Hot, stuffy, smoke filled from all the lamps. Early places of worship had only the bare essentials for worship. They usually had a poor, bare, uncomfortable, and ordinary room in a home for its Church.
4. Eutychus Went To Sleep And Fell To His Death:
Yet the gathering was alive with the magnetic vitality of the speaker, cheered by the consciousness of the Divine Presence. I believe Paul was preaching under the “unction” (anointing) of the Holy Ghost. Yet Eutychus fell asleep. Not only fell asleep, but fell out of the third loft and killed himself.
People still fall asleep in Church. I’m talking about spiritual sleep. They are faithful to attend. They stay until it is over. Yet are oblivious to what’s going on. Not conscious or aware of the real objectives of the Church.
Paul knew that, “After his departure, grievous wolves would enter in among them, not sparking the Flock.” (Acts 20:29) “Therefore watch (Verse 31). But Eutychus sat and nodded…. unmindful and unaware of the warnings.
Heedless and with disregard to Paul’s preaching. “As Paul discoursed yet longer,” A.S.V. “Paul’s address went on and on, …” Moffatt. “Paul prolonged his speech….” R.S.V.
Preachers find some consolation in the fact that even Paul was not able to hold the attention of everyone in his Congregation. Eutychus struggled bravely to keep awake, hoping that Paul would finish. But he went on for more. Let us listen to Paul.
Titus 2:11. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”
Eutychus, “sunk down with sleep,..” (K.J.V)
“He sank into a deep sleep…….” (R.S.V.)
Eutychus sunk lower on his precarious position …. Third Floor Window..
Anytime we are in Church we are in a precarious position… Weighed by what we hear?
“He that thinketh he standeth, let him take heed lest he fall.” Paul Continued. (1 Corinthians 10:12).
“But thou, O Man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, faith, love, patience, fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”
But Eutychus had been lulled to sleep by the power of the enemy, and just as Peter, James, and John slept in the garden while Jesus was praying for them. And Jonah had slept in times of great distress.
Paul “But of the times and seasons, Brethren, ye have no need that I should write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord cometh as a Thief in the night. For when they shall say, peace and safety sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”
“But ye Brethren are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a Thief. Ye are Children of Light and the Children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that are drunken are drunken in the night.”
But as some will still do today, Eutychus let go in his sleep and fell and was taken up dead. The heat, the crowd, the smell of the lamps, the late hour, the long Sermon. “Taken up Dead.” The people considered him dead and Luke the Physician agrees with that view. Many argue otherwise.
5. Paul Prayed And God Restored Him To Life:
“And Paul went down and fell on him, and embracing him.” Did Paul Pray? I’m sure he did. Could we say the sudden jolt of Paul falling on him restarted his heart. And the squeezing of the embrace caused his breathing to start. Everyone to his own opinion.
“Trouble not yourselves;” (K.J.V.)
“Do not be alarmed;” (R.S.V.)
“Make ye no ado.” (A.S.V.)
“Stop making a noise;” (N.E.B.)
“For his life is in him.” The crowd’s reaction indicates a miracle happened.
Acts 20:12 “And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.”
A great deal, “There was great rejoicing.” The accident had interrupted Paul’s Sermon. “When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten.” Midnight—was it at this time during the night that they observed Communion or was this some kind of Midnight Snack?
After This Paul resumed his Message “And talked a long while, even till the break of
day, so he departed.
Acts 20:13. And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot.
6. Paul’s Gethsemane:
The last phrase of the above scripture tells us that Paul wanted to walk the 20 miles to Asso instead of sailing with Luke and the rest of his company. I feel that Paul wanted these hours to himself, walking and praying prayers that God has been answering for the last 2,000 years.
After this day Paul would never have another day of rest and relaxation. He would be taken into custody when he got to Jerusalem and send most of the rest of his life in one prison after another.
I Call This Day Paul’s Gethsemane because it was during these hours that he made up his mind that God’s will was to be performed in his life. “Not my will, but thine be done.”
