We Believe It So We Might As Well Live Like It | Devotional | Acts 20:7-12

On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him." And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted. — Acts 20:7-12 So Paul and his seven men are all in Troas. And they are waiting to leave by ship. And Paul is investing every waking minute he has with believers teaching into the early hours of the morning. They are in a room filled with oil lamps burning, and this young man Eutychus who is sitting in the window, perhaps trying to get some fresh air, is wooed to sleep by a long-winded pastor in an oxygen-depleted room. And something unfortunate happens. This young man falls to sleep and drops backward out of a three-story window, and dies. And right when you think hope is lost, they all run down out of the house to stand over a young man that Paul raises from the dead. And thus, Eutychus becomes numbered with a few people in the New Testament who share one thing in common — an incredible resurrection story. Among them are a widow's son, Jairus's daughter, Lazarus, and Dorcas, all raised from the dead. But in this present case, there are some interesting parallels to the resurrection of Jesus. You see, it was springtime in Troas and right around Easter. You may recall the note in the previous verses about Paul celebrating the feast of Unleavened Bread. This means the Passover had just ended, as did the remembrance of Jesus's resurrection. This event probably fell on the following week, but you'll notice it was Sunday, which was the day of Jesus's resurrection. And since we know Paul well, we know the central message of his preaching was the resurrection. Everything hinged on this event for Paul. This is what he preached consistently — Jesus's resurrection from the dead. But his sermon on this night came with a vivid real-time illustration of resurrection. We sometimes live the Christian life and forget that we believe that a man, Jesus, was raised from the dead. We live a very natural life. One that is detached from resurrection experiences. Yet, it is this one event that gives us hope more than any other. And we should live like resurrection people. Not just people who hear sermons preached about resurrection but people that live as we believe in a resurrection. We should walk out into life fearless of death. This is not to be careless, but to be full of faith, believing that God can do anything he wants at any time. And if he wants to raise a young man fallen from a window dead — he will. This is not outside of his ability. He has done it before, many times, and he can do it again. So today, don't go about living life scared of death. Death is simply a means of moving from the land of the dying into the land of the living. And while you are living, live all the life you are given. Get out there and tell the great news of a man who defeated death — Jesus. He is our living hope. ASK THIS: How do you need to live out your resurrection faith? DO THIS: Live fearlessly. PRAY THIS: God, you are my resurrection and life. Allow me an opportunity to tell this story today. PLAY THIS: Phil Wickham - Living Hope. Check out other all Vince Miller's videos and audios for small groups at: https://beresolute.org/ Get Vince's most widely read resources The Daily Devotional at: https://beresolute.org/mdd Check out more ALL IN products like the one Vince is wearing at: https://beresolute.org/product-category/all-in-hats/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Connect with Vince socially: FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/millervince INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vinceleemiller LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincemiller TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vinceleemiller