Title: God's Comfort
Contents
♡♥♡ God's comfort / Acts 20:7-12
***Introduction
In today's busy and complicated world, people's hearts are bound to be lonely. It's because they can't pay much attention to each other when they're chased by work. That's why modern psychologists say that the best way to treat clients who come to counseling from exhaustion of life is to just listen. It is said that modern people become depressed and lonely because there is no one who listens to them and accepts their heart.
I remember the words of a professor who taught counseling when I was a seminary student. The professor said that the best counselors are not those who solve problems and teach the way, but those who listen to them. The professor taught me this.
“The person coming to the consultation already knows their problem and knows how to solve it. But there was no one to listen to and acknowledge them. So when someone comes to my consultation, I ask them to repeat the last part of his speech. For example, if the client says, 'My child hangs out with bad friends and causes trouble without studying.' I'm really upset.' If you do that, you will say everything you can, and later, even the solution, and say, ‘Thank you. It has been very helpful.’ He said that he had to pay to go. So ‘I just listen and get paid.’”
I remember everyone laughing at that. In this way, people today are looking for the comfort of recognizing their own heart.
One morning, Saint Saint, a mother of two, gave the children books and toys and went upstairs to tidy up the room. Thirty minutes passed quietly. Then the child downstairs asked, “Mom, are you there?” Mom replied, “Yes, here it is.” “Okay then,” said quiet again. These short questions and answers continued periodically until my mom came down from work.
The children could be comforted and at peace just by being close to their mother. The greatest consolation for our members today is that God is with us, who is our life, our strength, and our refuge.
Let's take a look at the text.
The members of the early church had great zeal for longing for the Word of God. In Acts 17:11, the story of the church members in Berea is mentioned. It is testified that “the Bereans were more gentle than those in Thessalonica, receiving the word with eagerness of heart, and searching the Scriptures daily to see if this was the case.” Not only these Bereas, but most of the members of the early church had great passion for the Word. Among them, the content of the text of this hour reflects such passion.
The character in the text is an ordinary young man named Eutychus. While Paul and his party were on a missionary trip, they arrived in Troas one day after the Feast of Unleavened Bread at the beginning of the year. I stayed there for a week and was preaching to the members of the Church of Troas. That day was the first day after the Sabbath, the present Sunday.
The Sunday service was held in the upper attic of a family. An attic is a place where the first floor is a residential space, and an attic was built above the residential space and used for various purposes (Mark's attic). The upper attic is another attic in the attic that makes up the second floor. This upper attic is not very spacious and corresponds to the third floor. Perhaps because of Paul's sudden visit, the place of worship could not be prepared, so it was a temporarily rented place. Nevertheless, people gathered so much that there was no place to sit. This shows the passion for the words of the members of the Church of Troas.
A young man named Eutychus arrived late, so there was no place to sit, so it seems that he barely sat on the window sill. But he was sitting in that dangerous place and sleeping deeply. This is evidence that he was very tired. From this point of view, it is highly probable that this young man was probably a slave at the time. His name was also commonly given to slaves at the time.
Paul's sermons continued into deep into the night. Eutychus, who was sitting on the window sill, fell asleep and fell out of the window. People were startled and when they went out, they were already dead. Paul told the people to be quiet, and he fell down on the young man and brought him back to life. The people deeply experienced the words they had been taught through Eutychus, who was resurrected, and they were comforted by the presence of God.
So, what was the reason Eutychus was raised to life? We don't know anything about him, but let's consider the reason through the Word.
1. I had a zeal for God.
Eutychus had a zeal for God. Had he been a slave, it would not have been so easy to find time, even in the evening hours. Even if there was time, it would not have been easy to lead that tired body to the church. Anyway, Eutychus came to the church late at night to hear the word, and there was no seat, so he tried to listen to the word even by sitting on the window sill.
The Lord said in Matthew 11:12, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Faith does not come by itself even if you sit still. The kingdom of God we hope for can only be attained by actively approaching it and fighting against the forces of obstruction. Eutychus had such a passion.
Hebrews 10:38 says, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he goes back, my heart will have no pleasure in him.” Also, in 1 Samuel 12:23, the prophet Samuel declares, "I will never sin before the Lord in ceasing to pray for you, and I will teach you the good and righteous way."
With this kind of heart, yearn for God and be zealous. God does not spare enough compensation for that.
2. Enthusiasm is also ruined by a moment's inattention.
Even though Eutychus had a passion for the Word, he fell into a deep sleep where he could not hear the Word. And eventually fell and died. At that time, most of the early church members were people with lowly jobs. They made a living through physical labor. And at that time, before the one-day rest day was implemented, even if there were, the benefits did not return to slaves or people of low status. It must have been a very difficult time for them to attend the evening meeting they attended after being so overburdened. But worship went on regardless.
Paul's sermon continued without end. In the middle of the night, Eutychus, unable to overcome the drowsiness that came upon him, fell and died on the spot. Even in a place where the word of life overflowed, Eutychus did not possess life and fell into the world.
This case is something we need to listen to. God's word is a living and active power, but if you don't listen to it, it can't be any power. Although the saints today attend the worship service, there are many people who are not very interested in the Word of God. If you have your body in the place of worship, but your mind is somewhere else, you will eventually be hindered by Satan. In Jesus' parable of the sower, we are in the same situation as 'by the roadside'. Seeds that fall on the roadside will not germinate and will be destroyed by Satan.
That is why God said that knowing God is more pleasing than sacrifice, worship, or any act of faith. You cannot know God without hearing the Word of God. Jeremiah 9:24 says, “Let him who boasts boast in this, that he may have understanding and know me, and understand that I, the LORD, are the doers of kindness, fairness, and uprightness in the earth. I rejoice in this. saith the Lord,” and in Hosea 6:6, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice; I desire the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” In John 17:3, “Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
3. Nevertheless, he gives grace to those he longs for.
A commotion arose among those who were listening to God's Word. The sudden death was enough to make people roar. However, God accomplished the work of new life through that work. God raised Eutychus from the dead through Paul. And the turbulent saints talked with Paul all night, and received much comfort from Eutychus who was resurrected.
God promises us clearly. Psalm 107:9. He said, “He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with good things.” According to these words, God gave greater grace to those who longed for him. He gave Eutychus the grace of being raised to life, and he made those who longed for the word receive the assurance of faith that God is with them and the grace and comfort of God who releases them from the pain of death.
You and I are all living with this grace. And they are happy people who are promised eternal life and victory in the world. Therefore, in order to enjoy this great grace, we must be more zealous for God and long for the Word.
There is a saying that if a pregnant woman hates someone, her child will resemble the person she hates. Conversely, it is said that if you think deeply about someone, you will have a child who resembles that person.
This is also the case in the work ‘Woman of Fantasy’ written by ‘Thomas Hardy’. There was a woman who had a deep love for a poet. The woman married and had a child, who resembled the poet. A woman is misunderstood by her husband. However, even though the woman had never met the poet, she fell in love with her and gave birth to a child who resembled that person as if she had a child.
In order to become like the image of Christ, we too must long for Jesus. When we long for God deeply, even if there are times when we make mistakes and are careless and are ridiculed by Satan, God's grace does not leave us.
I pray that you will always be filled with this sincere heart of longing for God in your life, and that you will enjoy God's comfort and grace to your heart's content.