Acts 20:7 “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.”
It has likely been pointed out a thousand times before, by preachers the world over. Believers we know today would never last through a service like this one. Complaints of all sorts would arise from the congregation about tired school children and sleepy husbands at the office. Even five minutes outside the regular routine is too much for many.
Why then were the people of Paul’s day different? The answer is simple: they were not. We have the same living Spirit of God inside us, and can listen, stay awake, and learn in the very same fashion. We are equipped, but without appetite, because we may (too often) be without the Spirit’s filling. Total surrender to Christ will increase our appetite for His word.
Do we fear a lengthy sermon on Sunday? Perhaps it would be a good idea for us to examine our level of commitment. I’ll not advocate an after-midnight service every week, but thirty minutes extra now and then couldn’t hurt us a bit!
Acts 20:7 “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.”