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Acts 20

Aren’t you glad they no longer record the names of those who fall asleep in church?

With Memorial Day a week away, I was reminded of the story of a young boy leaving the Sunday service with his father. As Dad chatted up the pastor, the lad looked around the foyer and noticed a wall hanging with numerous names engraved in brass. Interrupting his father he said, “Dad, who are those people?” The pastor, seeing an opportunity to engage the young member, replied, “Those are the members of our church who died in the service!” The boy responded, “Which one, Pastor. The 9:00 or 10:30 service?” ☺

Perhaps my yet-to-be-published memoirs will include a few of the many personal stories I can recall of this sort of thing happening in church. But until then, here’s some observations regarding sleeping in worship:

  • Worship orders that have become routine and lack engaging freshness
  • Environmental factors such as poor lighting, lack of heat/cool control, seating
  • Staying up too late the night before the Gathering so we arrive exhausted
  • Arriving with a “who cares” heart attitude rather than anticipation/expectation
  • Boring preaching that is difficult to follow and impossible to apply

All these and more are definitely factors in drowsiness in worship. But the number one cause is simply this:

  • Failure to be looking for and lifting up the Lord Jesus!

Now, Dr. Luke cut our sleepy-eyed saint man some serious slack when he graciously noted some possible influencing factors. “There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together…and as Paul kept talking…” Acts 20:8

  • A lack of oxygen in the gathering place
  • A room filled to capacity
  • A location on the upper level where the heat would naturally rise
  • And a long sermon leading up to the Communion

So here we are 2,000 years later chuckling at the unfortunate worshipper who fell asleep in the middle of Paul’s LONG sermon. “And there was a certain young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor, and was picked up dead.” Acts 20:9

It wasn’t the falling asleep that was the reason for Dr. Luke’s accounting. But rather, it was the compassionate portrait of a caring shepherd as he responded to the need of the moment. In this first recorded case of “sleeping saints” we read of an Elijah/Peter sort of resurrection miracle. Paul went downstairs, embraced the young man, and he was restored to life. (In my own experience, I have discovered that simply saying “Amen” usually restores those who have fallen asleep! ☺)

Aren’t you glad they no longer record the names of those who fall asleep in church?

I’m doing my diligence on Friday so you don’t need to sleep on Sunday!

See you Sunday, Church!
Pastor Tom