For the past 24 hours Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC has been preaching none stop in celebration of his first book, Sun Stand Still being released.
I’ll be honest, I can think of easier ways to celebrate a book release, but thought that this was pretty unique
Pastor Steven is a great preacher and really captivates his audience for the 30 minutes he preaches in a Sunday morning, but 24 hours, that’s got to take some pretty crazy concentration to stay awake for that long!
It reminds me of a story found in Acts 20:7-12. The Apostle Paul turns up at this little church. He has to leave the next day and has so much he would like to say that he gets kind of long winded! In fact he preaches all day right through to midnight. Yes the Apostle Paul was a great man, but hours upon hours of hearing this man preach made some a little sleepy. Well a young man called Eutychus was sitting on the window ledge; he fell asleep, fell out of the window, droped a couple of stories and died. Next, the service stops, Paul goes outside, prays for the kid, and suddenly he comes back to life.
Ok, so a crazy miracle happens, most us would have been rejoicing and gone and celebrated, not Paul! He went straight back upstairs and continued to preach!
Every time I read this story I laugh out loud! I’ve listened to long winded preachers, but this one took the biscuit!
Well, this Sunday I promise to keep the sermon the 30 minutes max!
In the meantime, Pastor Steven, I hope no-one falls to their death during your 24 hour marathon, and a great big congratulations on your first book, your life, ministry, passion and audacious faith that is an inspiration to all us church planters!
