LESSONS FROM A DROP OUT
 

Acts 20:6-12

In this message, I want us to learn some lessons from a dropout. But this drop out was not necessarily a dropout from school.

Acts 20:6-12

I. AN APPEARANCE THAT IS COMMENDABLE

Notice that this young man was in the house of God on the first day of the week. I don't know of any   better place to be on Sunday than in the house of God. Of all the things that you could involve yourself   in, church is by far the most important. Let's look at a couple of things that are true about this particular church that is true of all   good churches.

A. A Place of Fellowship

1. By far, the best times I can remember as a teenager are the times I spent in fellowship with   my friends here at FBC. We had some great times together!

2. To this day, many of those I spent time with as a teenager are still my dearest friends.

3. That doesn't mean that from time to time we didn't have our problems. That's just part of   being a young person. But most of those things had a way of working themselves out and   in the end, we still enjoy each other's company to this day.

4. Young people, take advantage of the opportunity you have to make good friends. And   remember, to have friends you must SHOW YOURSELF FRIENDLY!

5. This is the time in your life for making memories. Learn to love one another.

B. The Proper Focus

1. Notice that Paul was preaching to them.

2. Young people, you need preaching. Activities and times of fun are important and they're   all a part of being in a youth department, but the preaching and teaching of God's Word   is what is going to change your life, and when the preaching is going on, you need to pay  attention.

3. I will say this to the account of many of our young people, just when you think they're   not listening or picking up on anything you say, inevitably one of them will say something   that let's you know they're picking up more than you think.

ILLUSTRATION: Chris Davis wrote me a letter from Army boot camp, and in his letter he said that he had gone to the "Protestant" service on the base there. He said that the morning he went there were 12 or 15 soldiers who had gotten baptized. Chris' question was, "Bro. Prater, what authority do they have to baptize?"

4. This particular church was a Place of Fellowship and it had the Proper Focus.

II. AN ATTITUDE THAT IS REGRETTABLE

This story mentions "a certain young man named Eutychus" who just happened to be sitting in the  window sill while Paul was preaching. Something happened to this young man that happens to literally thousands of young men and women, he dropped out of church. I could name you many, many young   people who have dropped out of church for one reason or another. Young people who used to be  faithful, who no longer serve the Lord in any capacity whatsoever, and in most of those cases, the  scenario is much the same as the one we see here in the story of Eutychus.

A. We see him Separating

1. While everyone else was in one area, Eutychus was way up in the window sill, totally   separated from the others.

2. You can always tell when something's wrong with a teenager because they will begin   separating themselves from the rest of the group. That's not only true in their church life,   but it's also true in their social life as well.

3. Young people, you need to be so careful who you socialize with. It is still true that "evil   communications corrupt good manners."

ILLUSTRATION: "I was hanging around a bad crowd. I mean, that's no excuse. But I mean, I was with people that I shouldn't have been with."

 Those are the words of a young man by the name of Shawn Allen Berry who is facing capital murder charges in the dragging death of a black man in Jasper, Texas.

4. Proverbs 4:14-15, 9:6, 13:20

5. Psalm 119:63

6. 2 Timothy 2:22

7. 3 John 11

8. There are many adults here who would love to stand and tell you the very same thing I'm   telling you right now because they, like me, have had to suffer the consequences of   choosing the wrong kind of friends.

9. Let me say this in terms of dating. The only place you ought to go with a lost person is to   church.

10. If you're dating, and it seems that you always have to be by yourselves instead of with the   rest of the group, that's not morally healthy.

B. We see him Sinking

1. Once a teenager begins separating himself or herself from the rest of the group, the only  way to go is DOWN!

2. Before long they find themselves down and out, when they should be up and in.

3. I want you to notice one very important fact here. Even though physically Eutychus was   in church, spiritually, his heart was outside of church. Today we would say that his heart   was in the world.

4. Many of you have no choice right now as to whether or not you're going to be in church,  but one day you will. And if all these years your body has been in church but your spirit   has been in the world, you'll end up in the world.

5. Why is it do you suppose that Eutychus fell "out" instead of falling "in?" Because that's  the way he was leaning.

6. Which way are you leaning?

C. We see him Suffering

"and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft,   and was taken up dead."

1. There is always a price to pay when you quit on God. Young people, you turn your back   on God and you will end up suffering the consequences.

2. Proverbs 13:15

III. SOME ACTIONS THAT ARE COMMENDABLE

Acts 20:10, 12

A. The Concern

1. Paul could have just left this young man for dead. He could have viewed his life as not   worth saving, just another wasted life to be tossed upon the scrap heap of life. Just another   rebellious teenager who was bent on a life of destruction and got what he deserved.

2. Paul could have paid no attention and just gone on about his business, but he didn't. He  showed some concern.

3. This church is concerned about you. Your pastor, your parents, your youth directors are  all concerned about your spiritual well-being.

4. We may not do everything right or just the way you would like it done and you may be able   to fault us for some things, but you cannot accuse us of not being concerned.

5. Bro. Everett and Tonja are busy people, but still they take time for you. Why? Because   they're concerned!

6. It's a dangerous thing for churches not to be concerned about their teens. Churches ought   to be willing to make whatever investment is necessary in order to provide for their teens   in the best possible way.

B. The Compassion

1. It's one thing to be concerned, but it's something totally different for that concern to move   you to action. As a matter of fact, the difference between being critical under the guise of   being concerned and truly being concerned is whether or not your "concern" moves you   to act in a compassionate way.

2. I'm thankful that this church has TRULY been concerned for its teens over the years. Many   of you have sacrificed in many different ways to see that the young people of FBC had the   best possible chance at making it in a world that would love to destroy them.

C. The Celebration

1. Verse 12

2. This young man had been restored to life.

3. I'm thankful that the Lord is in the restoration business.

4. There have been a number of times when young people have gotten out of church and into  the world and it's grieved our hearts. But oh thank God when they come back home.

5. I remember a time in my life as a teenager when I got out of church, over something stupid.  But I'm so thankful that I came back home! I remember the day when at a youth rally, Bro.   Swope was preaching, I came to the altar and made things right with the Lord.

CLOSING: I want to close with this thought. The name Eutychus means "Fortunate." Certainly he was a fortunate young man.

Young people, whether you realize it or not, you're fortunate.

You're fortunate to have parents who love you.

You're fortunate to have a pastor and youth director who love you.

You're fortunate to have a church that cares enough to invest what it takes to see that you have every chance to make in this world.

You're fortunate to have a church that preaches the gospel so you and your friends can be saved.

You're fortunate to have the opportunity to make friends with those who will encourage you to do right and the opportunity to make friendships that will last forever.

Are you taking advantage of the good fortune the Lord has provided you, or are you taking it all for granted? If you're living in sin, you're fortunate that you've have the opportunity make things right with the Lord during the invitation.