In our readings from the book of Acts, there is a very interesting story in chapter 20 about a guy who falls asleep during church. It was Sunday and Paul was preaching like a 4 hour sermon. This young man named Eutychus (pronounced; you tick us. What a name for a guy who attempts to endure a 4 hour sermon), was seated in the window. Let's pick up the story in Acts 20:9, "Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep (the implication is at first he was just head bobbing but now he's totally out), he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. 'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'He's alive!"
The bible says they went back upstairs and ate. I love it! Can't you just imagine someone coming up to Paul and saying, "You just raised the dead! What next?"
Paul calmly replies, "We're going to eat".
A cautionary note to preachers: The ability to preach long sermons must be accompanied by the ability to raise the dead. If you can't raise the dead, then shorten your sermon.
People fall asleep in church for various reasons. It used to bug me but it doesn't anymore. Do you know what bugs me more? It's the people who are awake, their eyes are open, but their soul is lethargic. Some people are more awake attending a garage sale or going to a ball game than they are attending church. Many churchgoers appear to be completely awake but their souls are snoozing.
Familiarity is a big culprit to soul napping. For those of us who grew up in church this is particularly dangerous. We knew the Doxology before we knew our ABC's. We became so familiar with everything in church we took it for granted. Church becomes ho-hum and it becomes easy to slumber through a worship gathering. We need to be cautioned. There's a danger of falling if we snooze through church!
One of the ways to combat spiritual lethargy is to consciously and deliberately participate with all our being in the corporate worship of the church. Pray sincerely. Sing wholeheartedly. Listen intently. Focus constantly. There is great spiritual benefit from being fully awake in church. "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Paul wrote that in Ephesians 5:14. Ironic, isn't it?
I'm going to do my best to keep my sermons under 45 minutes. But if I preach over an hour some Sunday and you fall asleep and die - don't worry. I have 911 on speed dial. And after your resuscitated - we'll go eat!

Awake in Christ,
Pastor Tim

Labels: Don't fall asleep in church