JOY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

May 19, 2002 am
MFBlume



Act 20:6-12  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.


Paul arrived at Troas to be with the believers there on a Monday.
Paul preached to them in the evening. 
We read that he was going to leave them in the morning, and then we are told that he preached to them until midnight.
He preached until midnight.
He tried his best, but sleep got the best of him, and finally sunk down in sleep.
At Midnight.
The service stopped.
But at midnight when Eutychus lost his life right there in the house of God, he was resurrected and we read...
Act 20:12  And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.
"Not a little comforted" means they were extremely happy!

Joy in the middle of the night.

All had been well.
It is possible for people to be in church every weekend, and yet begin to drift away from the things of God and fall into a spiritual sleep.
Such a sleep can only lead to one thing.
Being in church and getting nothing out of it, until you crash and burn and commit a sin that is devastating.

Church loses its fire while the preaching is the same revelation-filled ministry, and the Lord's presence is the same, but our energies have failed us.
People, time is late and the heat is on.
But hear me!
You think, "Why even be here anymore?"
There can be joy in the middle of your night!

Things can change!

Sleep in the Bible is often associated with weariness and a cessation from serving God as we should.
Mat 26:39-41  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.  (40)  And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?  (41)  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Jesus was in His most trying hour in the evening before He would be taken away and nailed to a cross.
His prayer partners were sleeping on the job!
Your intentions might be good and true, but beware, your flesh is weak when it comes to doing what your spirit wills to do.

But if we do sleep, and if we do crash and burn, and even sin and die....
The midnight hour arrived and Eutychus' drowsiness finally got the best of him and he fell asleep and died.
But do not ever forget, that one soul is as much loved by God as another.
Does God want you to leave Church if you become unstable and weak in your Christianity?
After trying his best to do what was right and good, and failing so miserably, the Apostle Paul wrote:
Romans 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Jesus understands a real struggle exists between desiring to do well in a very real way.
Jesus knew His disciples' spirits were willing!
They did not spitefully plot and plan to forsake their need of prayer.

When Paul gave it his best shot, as well, and fell to the weakness of the flesh in its inability to come to that height of strength, he entered a midnight hour as well.
Paul learned, through it all, that trying his fleshly best to live that righteous life was the absolute error of errors.

When he crashed and burned....
Romans 7:24-25  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  (25)  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ...
Who is going to deliver Paul from this wretched bondage of the flesh?
Let me explain.
Well, if we could not make ourselves Christians...
Its good that we see we cannot make ourselves live righteous lives.
Eutychus died.
God loves you as much as He ever did.
Without so much of a "Eutychus, come forth," the boy came alive in Paul's arms.
Act 20:10  And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.
Don't worry, Church.
Act 20:11-12  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.
Paul returned to the third level.
You say the flesh may be weak now, but soon you will be strong in the flesh to be able to do what you should do.
Galatians 5:16-17  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  (17)  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
You'll always need to rely upon His strength.

 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

They were not a little comforted.
Sometimes He lets you fall and die right there.
God lets us go to extremes sometimes, only to contrast the negative with the complete opposite positive!

God led Israel to a place by the Red Sea where they were wide open for Pharaoh's attack.
The higher the enemy appears to rise above us in our hard times, the greater and more profound his fall when God brings him to his knees!

Feel its midnight?
Joy in the middle of the night!