A Boy is Raised from the Dead & EQ - Acts 20

⁷ On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.

The church that follows Jesus meets on the first day of the week.  Why?  Shouldn’t this be on the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week?  It is because that is the day that Jesus rose from the dead.  The church has moved from the Jewish tradition of meeting on the Sabbath like the Jews to meeting on the first day in recognition of being aligned with Jesus the Savior.  The old creation was seventh day was important, but under the new creation, the first day is important.   On the Sabbath day, Jesus was dead, but on the first day He was alive!  The church meets on the first day because they are joined with Christ.

However, it must be noted that nowhere in Scripture is a particular day of worship required.  In fact, I believe Scripture leads us to be intent to worship every day.

Paul speaks until midnight.  How many complaints do you think he got from those attending?  Paul, knowing he wouldn’t return, is probably much like a parent trying to put every bit of wisdom and instruction possible into their minds that he can for their protection and well-being.

 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, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. ¹⁰ Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” ¹¹ Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. ¹² The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

Here is a good lesson on why we should not fall asleep in church.  Paul is speaking “on and on” and a young man falls out of the window to the ground.  God raises him from the dead through Paul.  Just as Peter had raised Dorcas, Paul raises Eutychus from the dead.  Then Paul goes back up and preaches until daylight.  He speaks up until the time that he must leave.  How does someone teach half the night, raise someone from the dead, then continue to teach until daybreak. 

In many of today’s churches, we’re amazed if someone raises their hands or shows any kind of emotional response within the hour of assigned worship time.  Holy hellfire if the preacher preaches 5 minutes too long.  What a stark change from this first church. The rising trend today is EQ – Emotional Intelligence.  I think the churches could learn a lot by increasing their EQ to visibly show their love for preaching and teaching.