VERSES: Acts 20:1-16
MEMORY VERSE: Acts 20:7 "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples gathered together to break break, Paul preached unto them..."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: James. Write "James" on small slips of paper, so the students may take them home and memorize another New Testament book. Review all New Testament books so far.
PRAYER: Remember to pray for others who are not in good health.
SPECIAL SONG: How Do Christians Worship God? (see May 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #5 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)
VISUAL AID: Bible map; Large Activity (see below)
LESSON POINTS:
- When the uproar in Ephesus over Diana, an idol in that city. was finally over, Paul said good-bye to his good friends in the church and sailed on to Macedonia where Paul encouraged the disciples in that large area. When he arrived in Greece, Paul stayed three months until the Jews laid in wait for him which meant that they were waiting for him, so they could hurt him. So, Paul traveled back again through Macedonia instead of another way he had intended to go.
- Sometimes we may think that Paul was traveling alone, but he had many companions who went along with him on his journeys. Other disciples traveled with Paul including Luke, author of the book of Acts. Men such as Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus traveled from Philippi to the city of Troas and waited for Paul and Luke in Troas where they then stayed a week.
- On the first day of the week, which is Sunday, the disciples came together to break bread or to observe the Lord's Supper which they did every first day of the week (Acts 2:42). On this particular Sunday, Paul preached a long time, even until midnight! Paul was getting ready to leave the next day and had many things to say to the disciples, so he kept on preaching.
- There were many lights on in the room upstairs where they were meeting and there was a young man name Eutychus who sat in a window. As Paul was preaching a long time, Eutychus went to sleep and fell out of the window from the third floor! Everyone thought Eutychus was dead, but Paul went downstairs, embraced him, and called back to all those concerned, "Do not worry! Eutychus is alive!"
- Then they went back upstairs, broke bread, ate, and talked for a long while--even until the sun came up! Then Paul left. All those who had met that night were greatly relieved that Eutychus was alive, but were sad that Paul was leaving!
- In Acts 20:7, the reason the disciples came together on the first day of the week was to break bread, meaning to partake of the Lord's Supper and remember Christ's death on the cross (1 Corinthians 11:26). Christians still do this same act of worship on the first day of the week. The unleavened bread represents Jesus' broken body of the cross and the fruit of the vine symbolizes Jesus' blood that was shed on the cross (Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:24, 25). Christians are to think back on the death of Christ as they partake in the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-29).
- Anther act of worship that Christians must participate in on the first day of the week, in addition to partaking of the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7), is laying by in store or giving of our means (1 Corinthians 16:1, 2). Christians may sing, pray, and study God's Word on the first day of the week or any other day of the week. But observing the Lord's Supper and laying by in store MUST be done on the Lord's Day which is the first day of the week.
- Acts 20:7 also gives us book, chapter and verse for meeting together on the first day of the week to worship God.
- Trace Paul's travels on the Bible map.
Materials needed: 9" x 12" black construction paper, 4" x 8" brown construction paper, 2" x 6" yellow construction paper, 1" x 12" tan construction paper strip, scraps of tan, blue, red, light brown, and white paper, glue, white crayon, black marker, crayons, scissors.
- Hand out black paper.
- Hand out brown paper.
- Glue brown paper to the right corner of the black paper.
- Glue tan strip to the bottom of the black paper. This is the dirt.
- Cut yellow paper into thirds.These are the windows.
- Glue windows on house, making certain their are three stories.
- Glue scrap of light brown on house for a door.
- Out of scraps of tan, cut out four small circles. These are faces.
- Glue two circles in top window.
- Glue red rectangle on dirt road.
- Glue blue rectangle standing up on road.
- Glue one circle to the top of each small rectangle. This is Paul and Eutychus.
- Draw faces on all four circles, and arms and feet on Paul and Eutychus.
- Write "Don not worry! Eutychus is alive!" on white paper.
- Cut a speech bubble around Paul's words.
- Glue white speech bubble in the middle of the black paper by Paul.
- On black paper, write "Eutychus fell out of a window, listening to Paul's preaching" and "Acts 20:1-12." White crayon is best.
- Draw a small moon (because it happened at night).
- Write "Paul" and "Eutychus" on their clothes.
