Get 30 FREE sermons.

EUTYCHUS, DEAD MAN WALKING (2 OF 4)

by Tony Thomas

Scripture: Acts 20:7-12
This content is part of a series.


Eutychus, Dead Man Walking (2 of 4)
Series: 15 Minutes of Fame, The Bible's One-Hit Wonders
Tony Thomas
Acts 20:7-12


Dead Man Walking is an academy-award-winning film. It's based on a true story about two convicted killers who were incarcerated on Death Row in Louisiana. Susan Sarandon played the role of Sister Helen Prejean, and Sean Penn played the role of Matthew Poncelet.

Poncelet was convicted of killing two teenagers with the help of a guy named Carl Vitello. Vitello was sentenced to life in prison, while Poncelet was sentenced to execution by lethal injection. As the day of his execution approached, Poncelet asked Sister Helen Prejean to help him with a final appeal.

Sister Helen had corresponded with Poncelet for six years. But, they'd never spoken face-to-face, so she decided to arrange a visit. During that initial visit Poncelet showed no remorse, claimed to be innocent, and he pinned the blame on Vitello.

In spite of Sister Helen's best efforts the pardon was declined and Poncelet made a full confession. He told the victim's parents that he hoped his death would bring them peace, and the movie concluded with Sister Helen praying with one of the fathers.

There's a Dead Man Walking in the Bible, too, but he's not a killer. His story is tucked away in Acts 20. This story didn't win any academy awards or nominations, but God thought it was worthy to include his story and name in the pages of the Bible. His name is Eutychus.

We're in a summer series called 15 Minutes of Fame, the Bible's One-Hit Wonders. There are some Bible characters that are only mentioned once, and they created a short-lived sensation. They are one-hit wonders and we're trying to draw out some lessons that'll make a difference in our lives.

The first character we studied was Enoch. Enoch was the five-time-great-grandson of Adam, and the great-great-grandfather of Noah. Genesis 5:21 reads, ''Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him.''

Enoch demons ...

There are 16625 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.

Price:  $5.99 or 1 credit
Start a Free Trial