Acts 20- The Supreme Point

Read Acts 20:7-12.

These verses contain a story that is just wild.  I'll try to recap the story and then we'll look at what the supreme point of the story is.

Paul got to Troas.  Troas is the town where he and the other men with him were going to board a ship.  Paul only had one day in Troas and wanted to make the most of it.  So Paul spoke to the people... for a very long time.  He started speaking during the day and spoke until midnight.  While Paul was speaking a young man named Eutychus began to drift asleep.  Who could blame him?  The warmth from the candles and Pauls continuous speaking lulled him to sleep.  The problem is that Eutychus was sitting by the window.  Eutychus fell back out of the window three stories to the ground and died.  Paul then ran down the stairs, threw himself on the boy and resuscitated him miraculously.  Paul then went back upstairs, got a bite to eat and went back to preaching until morning.

What a wild story.

So, what is the supreme point of this story?  Is it Paul's miraculous resuscitation of a dead boy?  Is it a warning to pastors not to preach too long?  Sorry guys, it isn't those two points.  The second one would be nice if it were true.  I mean we could finally beat the Lutherans to the chinese restaurant.

I believe the supreme point of this story is the Gospel.

Paul was given one day with the folks at Troas.  What does he do with that day?  He preaches the Gospel.  He preaches all day long.  He has people light lamps so he can preach at night.  He let nothing stop him, not even a death.  Eutychus falls out the window and dies.  That would make me stop preaching, I can say that for sure.  But not Paul.  Paul runs down stairs and heals him then grabs a bite to eat and proceeds to preach until morning when he needed to leave for the boat.

Paul's greatest goal in this story was sharing the Gospel.  His resolve to share the Gospel was so resolute that it outshone a boy being resuscitated from the dead.

So, what's the supreme point of your life?  Is it the Gospel the supreme point of your life?  Pastor and author John Piper defines the supreme point of our life as this, "... that God be displayed as glorious because of all the He is and all that He has made and done... especially the grace He has shown in the work of Christ." (Think p.15)

The Gospel should be the supreme point of our stories.  I once was lost but now I'm found.

Do we hide the thesis statement of our lives?  Do others see the Gospel as the supreme point of our lives?

Make the Gospel the supreme point of your life.  Don't let others miss the supreme point of your story today.