At the beginning of Acts 20, Paul traveled to Troas where he spent seven days with the church there.
It is recorded that on the first day of the week, the church members gathered together to break bread. This being a workday, the church gathered in the evening. Intending to depart the next day, Paul spoke with them long into the night, midnight to be more specific (v7).
Unfortunately, one of the young men sitting by the window began to feel drowsy. Perhaps he was tired after a long day’s work, or maybe it was the heat and smoke from the lamps filling the third-story room. At last, unable to fight sleep any longer, he fell out of the window to his death.
The text does not record the resulting furor of church members witnessing the sudden death of one of their members, but Paul rushed to the young man and immediately held him in his arms. He reassured the shocked gathering, telling them not to be alarmed, for the boy was alive. The Lord had restored his life, and everyone comforted.
I love this little episode in the Bible. While only 5 verses long, it is rich with meaning.
Let me just highlight 3 things that struck me.
Among all the miracles mentioned in the Bible, by far the most dramatic are those where dead people were brought back to life. We are reminded again and again how our Lord is sovereign over both life and death. No matter whether in the Old Testament or New Testament, it was the same Lord who reigned over His people. Even today, we can be rest assured that the Lord who resurrected the young man watches over us. And because He is the same Lord, we know that He is exactly as the Bible describes Him – King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. He is powerful, almighty and not lacking in anything. If our Lord brought the young man of Troas back to life, surely, He can do amazing things for us even today.
Secondly, Paul’s time in Troas was likely spent both teaching the church God’s Word and learning about their situation, so he could share updates about them with the other churches he visited. It is no wonder that he and the church spent almost 6 hours talking together on that last night! What an encouragement it must have been for them to hear how the Lord was working throughout the known world and to know that their story would be passed on to others as well.
Such care and unity among people, across countries and cultures, just doesn’t happen naturally. Yet it is the Lord’s Spirit that binds the hearts of believers together, and this is a great gift that the Lord has extended to all His children even today. Whenever I hear how the Lord is working in True Way, it is a great encouragement to me in Japan. Also, I believe that the church in Japan is encouraged knowing that they are being prayed for by fellow believers overseas.
Lastly, despite it being a normal working day, the believers in Troas still met to break bread together. This is the first recorded mention of a group of believers gathering in what could be considered a precursor to Sunday worship service. Like many Christians in the world today, they too lived in a secular world that did not recognise God’s rule. Many of them faced persecution or other forms of discrimination for being a follower of Jesus.
Yet even under those difficult circumstances, God established and preserved His church. Today in Singapore, we should not take for granted the freedom of worship that we enjoy, for the church is always under attack, whether from without or within. Still, we can be encouraged that, just as with the early church, the Lord will continue to sustain His church. He will never forget us.
Brothers and Sisters of True Way, this was the miracle of the church at Troas. In fact, every church today is an ongoing testimony of the Lord’s miraculous power being poured out all over the earth. That is why we continue to gather together regularly; that is why we can have unity though we are all different; that is why we can fully trust Him. Amen.
