PICKING UP THE DEAD                                     The Acts of the Apostles Part 23

The Teaching Ministry of Rick Trice

January 22, 2006

Trinity Fellowship

Raton, NM

Acts 20:7-12

(20:7-8)WHEN THE DISCIPLES CAME TOGETHER,

*THEY BROKE BREAD,

*THEY HEARD THE WORD.

*THEY SAT IN THE LIGHT

THERE WERE “MANY LAMPS” WHERE THEY GATHERED. ANYWHERE THE BODY OF CHRIST IS GATHERED, THERE SHOULD BE “MANY LAMPS” PRESENT.

*EPH 5:8 WE ARE TO “WALK AS CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT”

*I THESS 5:5. WE ARE “ALL SONS OF THE LIGHT”

*I PETER 2:9 WE ARE “ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, CHOSEN GENERATION

…CALLED OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT…”

(9) THERE ARE MANY AROUND US SITTING IN THE WINDOW; HALFWAY IN AND HALFWAY OUT. AND AFTER AWHILE, THEY GO TO SLEEP, HEARING THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER, OR MAYBE NOT REALLY HEARING AT ALL. THE DANGER IS FALLING OUT THE WINDOW, ALMOST DEAD.…AND THE REALITY IS…THEY ARE DEAD.

*DEAD TO GOD’S POWER

*DEAD TO WHAT THEY COULD BE IN CHRIST

*DEAD TO THEIR USEFULENESS TO GOD

(10) “THERE IS LIFE IN HIM”

BUT PAUL PROCLAIMED THE LIFE TO STILL BE IN HIM, AND EMBRACED HIM. PAUL IS DECLARING THERE IS STILL HOPE FOR THOSE WHO ARE HALF IN AND HALF OUT. THEY HAVE HEARD THE TRUTH, AND MAY HAVE EVEN RECEIVED THEIR SALVATION. BUT SOME IN THE CHURCH ARE STILL “ASLEEP IN THE WINDOW,” IN DANGER OF FALLING OUT OF FELLOWSHIP.

*GOD WANTS US TO EMBRACE EACH OTHER AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS

*TO “EMBRACE” MEANS TO HOLD EACH OTHER NEAR AND DEAR TO US;

*TO SHARE THE POWER OF GOD WITHIN US

(11) THEN HE EVIDENTLY LEFT HIM THERE, AND WENT BACK UPSTAIRS TO CONTINUE TEACHING! AFTER DETERMINING LIFE TO STILL BE IN EUTYCHUS, AND EMBRACING HIM, PAUL WENT BACK TO HIS MINISTRY, AND LEFT EUTYCHUS IN THE CAPABLE HANDS OF OTHERS.

GOD HAS CALLED EACH OF US TO A SPECIFIC MINISTRY. WE DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILTY FOR EVERYTHING WRONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE, OR EVERTHING ELSE, IN THE CHURCH. AFTER WE HAVE TOUCHED SOMEONE WITH THE POWER OF GOD, WE MUST TRUST GOD TO TAKE THAT PERSON TO THE NEXT LEVEL; TO TAKE THAT PERSON TO THE NEXT PERSON WHOM HE HAS CALLED, WHO CAN MORE EFFECTIVELY MINISTER TO HIM.

EUTHYCHUS DOESN’T HAVE TO BECOME OUR OWN LIFELONG PERSONAL MINISTRY…SO LONG AS WE KNOW WHAT MINISTRY GOD HAS REALLY CALLED US TO…AND GO DO IT.

©2006, Richard C. Trice & TriceTunes, all rights reserved. (If you reprint this sermon in part or in whole please include this copyright notice)