1. Acts Is That You, Lord?

2. Acts 20:17-32, 21:1-15 Is That You Lord?
20:17  From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.  I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in

3. Acts 20:17-32, 21:1-15 Is That You Lord?
20:21    repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

4. Acts 20:17-32, 21:1-15 Is That You Lord?
20:25     “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 

5. Acts 20:17-32, 21:1-15 Is That You Lord?
20:30      Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
32 Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

6. Acts 20:17-32, 21:1-15 Is That You Lord?
21:1      After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.

7. Acts 20:17-32, 21:1-15 Is That You Lord?
21:5       When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.
7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day.

8. Acts 20:17-32, 21:1-15 Is That You Lord?
21:8       Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven.  9He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

9. Acts 20:17-32, 21:1-15 Is That You Lord?
21:12       12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
15 After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem.

10. Acts 20:17-32, 21:1-15 Is That You Lord?
20:22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
21:4 Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over

11. one way, now another - though no one perceives it.
Acts 20:17-32, 21: Is That You Lord?
Job 33:14
For God does speak – now
one way, now another - though no one perceives it.

12. God Speaks Through the Bible
2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness

13. God Speaks Through the Bible
2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed 
2 Peter 1:19-21 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it…20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

14. God Speaks Through the Bible
Acts 23:2-5 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!” 4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!” 5 Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”

15. God Speaks Through the Bible
Prov 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end it leads to death
Col 2:8 Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

16. God Speaks Through Prayer
John 10:3,27 the sheep listen to his voice… My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 
John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

17. God Speaks Through Prayer
Acts 10:9,13 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray… Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
Acts 22: When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me.
Acts 23:11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!

18. God Speaks Through Prayer
1 Kings 19 Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart… but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

19. God Speaks Through Prayer
Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God

20. God Speaks Through Prayer
Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God
Jer 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Ps 32:6-9 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you… I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle

21. God Speaks Through Prayer
2 Cor 2: Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

22. God Speaks Through Counsel
Prov 11:14 Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory. Prov 12:15 The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. Prov 15:22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. Prov 19:20 Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Prov 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

23. God Speaks Through Counsel
Acts 21: The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. … Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, … They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you... Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved… The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made

24. God Speaks Through Counsel
Acts 15
So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question…
The apostles and elders met to consider this question.  After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them…
they sent the following letter…
“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us   

25. God Speaks Through Counsel
Col 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom

26. God Speaks Through Circumstances
Acts 21:27-29,37
When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him… They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple…
As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something? 

27. God Speaks Through Circumstances
2 Cor 1:16, 2: I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea…  Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

28. God Speaks Through Circumstances
Acts 16:6-10 having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

29. God Speaks Through Circumstances
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him

30. God Speaks Through Direct Words
1 Cor 12:7-10 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit… to another prophecy
1 Thes 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.

31. God Speaks Through Direct Words
1 Cor 14:3 the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.
Acts 21: “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”
12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 

32. God Speaks Through Direct Words
Acts 20: Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! … Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up
Gal 1:7-8 Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!

33. God Speaks Through Direct Words
2 Cor 11: For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.
1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

34. Acts 20-24 Is That You, Lord? God Speaks Through the Bible
God Speaks Through Prayer
God Speaks Through Counsel
God Speaks Through Circumstances
God Speaks Through Direct Words