Turn The Page: Living An Extraordinary Story
Week 14
Preaching Text: Acts 18:9-11 (NIV)
Additional Reading: Acts 19:1-41 (NIV)
Additional Questions:
Read all of Chapter 18. Using your knowledge from reading previous chapters in Acts, what do you notice that is similar with other times that the Disciples had begun to preach to a new group of people? What do you notice that is different?
Take note of this part of verses 9-10:
“...Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.
For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you,
because I have many people in this city.”
If one were to focus on this part of Scripture by itself, it would be easy to draw a conclusion that we are always to speak boldly and to presume that no harm will come to us because we are Christians. However, it is important to read all of verse 9:
"One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:
“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.
For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you,
because I have many people in this city.
So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half,
teaching them the word of God.”
By reading the entire verse we see that the Lord is speaking to Paul about this particular city at this particular time and giving him foresight that the Lord is asking him to stay here.
When you think about everything you have read in the book of Acts to date and focusing on verse 9 of this chapter, what is God showing you about how He desires to lead and guide every aspect of your life? What would be different in your approach to people and situations if you sought to hear the Holy Spirit in every situation? Questions as simple as, "Lord, should I speak or be silent?"; "Lord, should I stay or should I go?" Spend time practicing that this week.