Sleeping In Church
Children's sermon
The Giant Book Of Children's Sermons
Matthew To Revelation
Object: nodding - have the children practice nodding
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever fallen asleep in church while the pastor was preaching? (let them answer) I think almost everyone has done this at one time or another. Sometimes you are listening when all of a sudden your eyes just get heavier and heavier, and you fall asleep. Let's all pretend that we are getting sleepy. How does a sleepy person act? (have the children close their eyes and begin to nod) It doesn't only happen in church. Some people fall asleep while they are watching television or riding in a car. There is nothing wrong with it, but I suppose that it can be a little embarrassing.
Paul had it happen to one of his listeners. There was a young man by the name of Eutychus who came to a meeting in Troas, Turkey, with his parents.
Do you know anyone named Eutychus? (let them answer) No, it's not a common name today. But that's what this young man was named.
Anyway, it was a communion service that evening and Paul was rather new in the community. He began to preach, and the Bible says that he preached on and on. Poor Eutychus was sitting on the window sill and the window was open. Maybe he had crawled up there with the hope that the fresh air would keep him awake. Paul kept preaching, the room got warmer and warmer, and Eutychus' eyes got heavier and heavier. Before he knew what had happened, he fell out of the window and down three stories where he hit the ground so hard that he died! It all happened that fast. Someone must have seen him fall and screamed, but it was too late. Eutychus was dead from falling out of a window where he had fallen asleep listening to Paul preach.
Paul rushed out of the room and down the stairs where he found the dead man. But Paul did not panic. He told the people not to worry, because Eutychus would be all right. How could anyone believe that a dead person would be all right? Paul could, because he believed that God would answer his prayer and breathe new life back into Eutychus. While he was praying, Paul picked the young man up and, sure enough, Eutychus came back to life.
We have no idea how good Paul must have felt. You would think that this would end the service, but it didn't. The people followed Paul back up the stairs where they had the communion, and then Paul began to preach again. He preached the whole night about the wonders of God and his love. The Bible says that he preached all night and until the sun came up. That is quite a sermon. I don't know where Eutychus sat for the rest of the service, but I am pretty sure it was not in an open window.
This is a good story for young people who sometimes fall asleep in church. They get bored because they don't understand everything that is said, and sometimes it seems like the service is just for adults. But that is not a bad way for children to feel. Some things are for adults, just as some things are for children. Parents must listen to things that are for children, and children must learn to listen to things that are for adults.
Church can be fun. There are a lot of things that everyone can do. The music is beautiful, the stories in the Bible are exciting to listen to, and there is time to sing and pray out loud. If you fall asleep once in a while when the pastor is preaching a sermon, I know that he or she will not mind. As a matter of fact, the pastor will be glad that you are there and will also know that some day you will grow up and bring your children to church. They, too, will fall asleep while you listen. That is the way it is, and the way it always has been.
The next time you get a little drowsy and feel like you are going to fall asleep, just think about the young man named Eutychus and how he went to sleep in a service at which Paul preached. The important thing to remember is that you should never sit in an open window, but instead find a nice soft place on your father's or mother's lap, and then just gently go to sleep.
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever fallen asleep in church while the pastor was preaching? (let them answer) I think almost everyone has done this at one time or another. Sometimes you are listening when all of a sudden your eyes just get heavier and heavier, and you fall asleep. Let's all pretend that we are getting sleepy. How does a sleepy person act? (have the children close their eyes and begin to nod) It doesn't only happen in church. Some people fall asleep while they are watching television or riding in a car. There is nothing wrong with it, but I suppose that it can be a little embarrassing.
Paul had it happen to one of his listeners. There was a young man by the name of Eutychus who came to a meeting in Troas, Turkey, with his parents.
Do you know anyone named Eutychus? (let them answer) No, it's not a common name today. But that's what this young man was named.
Anyway, it was a communion service that evening and Paul was rather new in the community. He began to preach, and the Bible says that he preached on and on. Poor Eutychus was sitting on the window sill and the window was open. Maybe he had crawled up there with the hope that the fresh air would keep him awake. Paul kept preaching, the room got warmer and warmer, and Eutychus' eyes got heavier and heavier. Before he knew what had happened, he fell out of the window and down three stories where he hit the ground so hard that he died! It all happened that fast. Someone must have seen him fall and screamed, but it was too late. Eutychus was dead from falling out of a window where he had fallen asleep listening to Paul preach.
Paul rushed out of the room and down the stairs where he found the dead man. But Paul did not panic. He told the people not to worry, because Eutychus would be all right. How could anyone believe that a dead person would be all right? Paul could, because he believed that God would answer his prayer and breathe new life back into Eutychus. While he was praying, Paul picked the young man up and, sure enough, Eutychus came back to life.
We have no idea how good Paul must have felt. You would think that this would end the service, but it didn't. The people followed Paul back up the stairs where they had the communion, and then Paul began to preach again. He preached the whole night about the wonders of God and his love. The Bible says that he preached all night and until the sun came up. That is quite a sermon. I don't know where Eutychus sat for the rest of the service, but I am pretty sure it was not in an open window.
This is a good story for young people who sometimes fall asleep in church. They get bored because they don't understand everything that is said, and sometimes it seems like the service is just for adults. But that is not a bad way for children to feel. Some things are for adults, just as some things are for children. Parents must listen to things that are for children, and children must learn to listen to things that are for adults.
Church can be fun. There are a lot of things that everyone can do. The music is beautiful, the stories in the Bible are exciting to listen to, and there is time to sing and pray out loud. If you fall asleep once in a while when the pastor is preaching a sermon, I know that he or she will not mind. As a matter of fact, the pastor will be glad that you are there and will also know that some day you will grow up and bring your children to church. They, too, will fall asleep while you listen. That is the way it is, and the way it always has been.
The next time you get a little drowsy and feel like you are going to fall asleep, just think about the young man named Eutychus and how he went to sleep in a service at which Paul preached. The important thing to remember is that you should never sit in an open window, but instead find a nice soft place on your father's or mother's lap, and then just gently go to sleep.
