We're going to be Acts chapter 21. So if you have your Bibles, if you'll join me there in Acts

Chapter 21, we're going to look at some verses in Chapter 21 that appear to be a contradiction

of messages by people who claim to have heard from the Holy Spirit.

And it has to do with whether or not Paul, the apostle, should go to Jerusalem.

Remember, Paul was making various missionary journeys throughout Asia Minor, throughout

parts of Europe and in the Middle East, spreading the good news

of Jesus Christ, and he believed that the Holy Spirit told him to go to Jerusalem.

Others believe that the Holy Spirit told him not to go to Jerusalem.

So it's interesting what appears to be a contradiction.

We're going to talk about it.

Some believe that the Holy Spirit said,

no, don't go. Paul believed the Holy Spirit said, yes, do go. And how do we reconcile these two

things that seem to be some kind of a contradiction? And here's the deeper question, because this is

where it applies to all of us in a very practical way. Here's the bigger question. How can we be certain that we are hearing

from God? I would say that probably in the 30 plus years I've been in ministry now, the number

one question I get from people is how can I discern God's will? The close runner up, number two,

is people want to know, how can I discern God's

voice? How can I hear from the Lord? Now, that question assumes that God still speaks today.

And I would say to that, he absolutely still speaks today.

There's nothing in the Bible to suggest that he has stopped speaking, except to those who

believe that now that we do have the Bible, that God has stopped speaking since we have

the Bible.

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