A STRANGE STORY!

Acts 20:7-12 TLB

On Sunday we gathered for a Communion service, with Paul preaching. And since he was leaving the next day, he talked until midnight! [8] The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps; [9] and as Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, went fast asleep and fell three stories to his death below. [10-12] Paul went down and took him into his arms. "Don't worry," he said, "he's all right!" And he was! What a wave of awesome joy swept through the crowd! They all went back upstairs and ate the Lord's Supper together; then Paul preached another long sermon-so it was dawn when he finally left them!

 

The Bible is full of all kinds of strange and interesting stories. Stories that will make you laugh, cry, and cringe. And those that will make you blush, transform you, and make you pull out your hair. 

We live in a society now where we go to church for only two hours and still complain that it’s too long. If the preacher speaks for more than the designated time, we all want to stone him. 

But Paul, on his last visit to Troas, decided to bring the people together for the Lord’s Supper. And while his long ‘sermon’ was going on, a young boy, Eutychus, sitting on a windowsill, fell into a deep sleep, tumbled three stories down, and died. You would think pandemonium would ensue. Somebody would be blamed. People would be running helter-skelter to see what was going on. And of course, the preaching would stop. 

But no—it didn’t. At least not completely. Only long enough for Paul to go downstairs, lean over to raise him back to life. Paul went back upstairs to carry on preaching but told everyone “Not to worry, he is alive.”   

And the people remained, ready to listen to more of what he had to say! Paul preached until dawn. 

Surprised? What a strange story. 

Eutychus was alive and everyone was relieved. Nobody complained. Nobody murmured. Nobody left! Everybody stayed. Why? Because something was being said. They were discussing God, Jesus, the Scriptures, the blood and the body of Christ. 

Isn’t that what being a Christian is all about? Talking about the Word, about the strange and supernatural things of God. For whatever Paul was saying was not going to be simple. It was not going to be boring. It was going to be life-transforming. Explosive. Mind-boggling. Supernatural. So why were these people willing to sit in that room for so many hours without complaining? Because they were listening to words that would pierce hearts, transform lives, change destinies, heal the sick, and raise the dead. 

What has happened to the body of Christ? Where has that power gone? Where has that zeal gone? Where has that fire gone? If something like this were to happen in our churches today, oh my goodness, someone would call the ambulance, someone else the police. Some would scream, shout, and cast blame. Fingers would point. Others would mock saying, “This is your God?” And maybe, just maybe, a few faith-filled people would still stand in the corner and call on the name of the Lord. 

But whatever you make of this strange story, it says they gathered to share in the Lord's Supper. And that tells us that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. The freedom that comes with the Spirit. The freedom that should be among Christians. The freedom that comes from knowing the Word and knowing the Lord. Sadly, that liberty is missing from many of our churches and gatherings today. 

The power of God is real. The Spirit of God is real. The resurrection power is beyond imagination. The Bible is full of strange stories. What’s your strange story? 

Have you been to a church where it seemed like they would never close? I have. Have you been in a meeting where somebody slumped and died? I haven’t. But I’ve been in a meeting where someone collapsed and was very ill. What have you experienced that caused you to trust God more? That made you listen carefully for the Word that gives life? Strange stories. We all should have our strange stories. Because if you don’t have one, it means you have not yet truly encountered the Lord in the right way. 

Whatever you do in this season, wherever you are in this season, ask the Lord to help you be like Eutychus—though sleepy, still willing to sit by the window just to hear the Word. And remember, the scripture says the room was lit only by flickering lamps. That means they weren’t seeing clearly. Today, there are nations and Christians all over the world in the same kind of situation: barely seeing clearly, but still willing to sit and hear the Word, longing to be touched by God. 

Are you with Eutychus, Paul, or one of those brethren that was in the room? Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, remember that God is still God. He has not changed. 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

-        When was the last time you longed so deeply for the Word of God that you were willing to stay longer than expected just to hear more? 

-        How do you respond when unexpected challenges or crises interrupt your worship? 

-        What “strange story” has God written in your life that has strengthened your faith in Him? 

-        What steps can you take to renew your hunger, zeal, and fire for God’s Word in this season? 

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word that gives life, heals, restores, and raises the dead. Help us to be like Paul, bold to share Your Word, and like Eutychus, eager to hear Your voice, even in weakness in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/16ykYHUWwiDPjJAB4BGGOw?si=BabY6Q_nSWuQYIOuTJHE7Q

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