This is a question that is yet to be answered. WHY DO PEOPLE SLEEP IN CHURCH? People claim to go to church every Sunday fully dressed and with their bibles clutched to their side. Some even accuse those that are sitting at home of been the devil himself, then they get to the church and open their mouths wide and heads facing upwards or down as d position might best be suitable.
To find these sets of people, you will get them in the middle seat or the back seat. You hardly find them in front as it would be embarrassing for them to sleep off while the pastor is preaching and he calls out their names (if he knows them) like saying “help me tap Brother Segun to wake up.”
A lot of factors could be responsible for this: poor sermon; heavy clubbing on Saturday night; excessive alcohol through out the night; lack of zeal for the word of God or sleepless night caused by whatever they could find themselves doing through the night.
A pastor of a small church was greatly annoyed by one of his elderly members who fell asleep during his sermons every Sunday. After the service one day, the pastor said to the old man’s grandson who always sat with his grandfather, “If you can keep the old man awake, I’ll pay you a dollar a week.” Well, this worked for a couple of weeks; the aged man was very alert and listened to the sermons attentively. On the third Sunday, however, there he was, up to his old tricks again, sound asleep in the pew.
After the service the pastor called the boy over and said, “I’m disappointed in you. Didn’t I promise you a dollar a week to keep your grandfather awake?”
“Yes,” replied the boy, “but Grandpa gives me five dollars not to disturb him.”
Sleeping in Church goes all the way back to the birth of the Church. If you have your Bible this morning, turn to Acts 20:7-12
“On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.
Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.”
I really feel sorry for Eutychus. It was bad enough for this boy to fall asleep in church while Paul was preaching; he even fell out the window to his death three stories below! But then, of all things, Dr. Luke included the incident for all of the world to read down through the centuries.
If the same thing happened to sleepers today, every church would have to build a morgue in the basement. There isn’t an experienced preacher who hasn’t faced the most incredible (sometimes hilarious) slumbering saints in the pew. I’ve seen them nearly bump their heads on the back of the chair in front of them, snore out loud, stay seated when everyone else stood up, drool, and even drop their Bible and then jump when it hit the floor.
Obviously, we’re not surprised when children fall asleep. But I’ve watched couples nod off together. College students and 3rd shifters are notorious for falling asleep in church. Every now and then you’ll get a snorer or wheezer. So on Sunday morning, if you find yourself getting a bit sleepy, watch out! Eutychus, “being dead, yet speaketh.”
For the records, yours truly had fallen asleep on a few occasions but you hardly noticed because I did it with style. Working to ensure that such act occupies the hidden chapters of the history books as I have consciously avoided the things that make Saturday night overtly exciting and Sunday morning taking the fall for it. Besides you can’t be under the ministration of Pastor Sam Adeyemi and fall asleep during service.
Joseph Adams.
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