SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 24 March 26, 2006

The Raising of the Dead
Theme: Living by Faith in Christ Alone
Theme Verse: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 NIV
Readings: Acts 20: 1-12
Optional Readings: Luke 9:1-6, Ephesians 2:1-5
Memory Verse: "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." John 14:12

      Setting "After the uproar ceased" refers to the riot in Ephesus started by the silversmiths who were not selling as many silver idols of Artemis as they used to. Luke is traveling with Paul again and we get "we" passages. Luke is quite detailed about the time spent in some places. Quite likely it is from a diary he kept and later used to write the Book of Acts.

      Paul encourages and exhorts the believers in Ephesus before he starts the journey back to Jerusalem by way of Macedonia and Greece. As he was traveling through Macedonia he visited and encouraged ("much encouragement") the churches he had planted. He spent three months in Greece, undoubtedly doing the same thing. Word received: I want you to encourage others as well. Word received: That's what I want you to share, words of encouragement. When you build each other up then you will see each other grow.

      Paul escapes another plot just as he is about to sail for Syria, so he decides to go back through Macedonia. (!!) It is likely that God warned and protected Paul by other Christians as before. Paul never gives up, he just travels another way. In addition to his regular traveling companions, there are 6 others from various churches going with them. This sounds like the representative group that was carrying a gift of relief money to Jerusalem that Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians 16:1-9 and 2 Corinthians 8:20 and 9:5.

      The timing is very soon after Passover (and therefore after Easter) and five days later they came to Troas. Recall that Troas was where Paul had seen the vision of a man from Macedonia saying "Come over and help us." (Acts 16:8-11) They left for Macedonia immediately so we don't know how there came to be a church in Troas. Someone else probable founded it and this could have been Paul's first visit. He wanted to make sure they were properly taught because he stayed there for seven days. Clearly Paul feels an urgency and a sense of duty to cram as much as he possibly can into this short visit.

      In the next few verses we see a glimpse of the first century church at worship. Notice that it was on the first day of the week- the day of Jesus' resurrection, not the Jewish Sabbath. It was at night since most people had to work during the day and they were less likely to be noticed at night where there were hostile surroundings. They broke bread (v.7) and ate (v.10). Many of the earliest churches had the Eucharist and a fellowship meal together (see 1 Corinthians 11:20-22, 33-34). There was also a teaching and/or sermon. We know from other sources that the early church took patterns of worship: scripture reading and singing from the synagogue. (Compare Acts 2:42)

      It was late, midnight, and probably hot (many oil lamps) and crowded. Poor young Eutychus was sitting in the window, fell asleep and fell down from that 3rd story window and was killed, "taken up dead". Then the story turns astonishing. Paul goes down, bends over the boy and embraces him and says in a matter of fact way, "Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him"!!! (Paul's approach was like Elisha's in bringing back to life the son of the Shunammite woman.(2 Kings 4:32-37).

      Something bad happened, Paul takes care of it, goes back up for the meal and the "breaking of bread" and keeps on talking till dawn!!! He expected God to work! Do we? That's how God wants it to be in his community- using the gifts God gives as just a normal part of spreading the Good News of Jesus. Even today in many parts of the world where the people have no one to turn to except God, miracles of healing are a common place part of evangelism.

      Compare what Paul did here and elsewhere with what Jesus did with his disciples while he was still with them on earth. In Luke 9:1-6, Jesus gives his 12 disciples power to heal and authority over evil spirits and with this demonstration of God's power, they are to preach the Gospel. The Memory Verse says that anyone who has faith in Jesus will do what Jesus had been doing and "even greater things". (Probably means more things since Jesus was going to the Father. Word received: Paul did those greater things. I want you to do those greater things too. I want your daily journey with Me to be as vibrant as Paul's. Have we received the power of God's Spirit to be used by God and follow Jesus or are we trying to do it in our own strength?

      Paul and Jesus raised people from the dead but physical death is not all that God is concerned with. Read Ephesians 2:1-5. God is even more concerned when people are "dead in sin" "following the course of this world" and the Evil One, and "following the desires of body and mind". "But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us….made us alive together with Christ" "By grace you have been saved." Just as Paul brought this young man back to life through the power of Jesus' Spirit, so God brings us back from the dead through Jesus.

      Young Eutychus is like the church sometimes. We get sleepy and fall. But just when it looks dead, God through his Holy Spirit revives his church.

Teaching Ideas for Lesson 24
Please read the Study Guide first. Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.

      Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.

      Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you. Consider acting it out sometimes.

Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
1. As friends of Jesus, he wants us to tell each other when we do things well.
      2. God also wants us to share Jesus' love with each other both by helping each other and reminding each other of God's love.
      3. When we are in a Christian group we can expect that miracles will happen when we pray. (Remind them about Sean Wendell or tell them if they haven't heard.)
      4. Something always happens when we pray (although it may be different than what we expected.)
      5. We need to ask for God's power to follow and obey Jesus day by day, like Paul.