God gives his believers powers as well - in fact, God gives us the power to do anything.
Acts 1:12-22 - a replacement is chosen for Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. Whoever is chosen is to join the others in being a witness of the things they saw Jesus say and do.
A Witness -
- Tells about what they've seen and heard
- Needs to be truthful
- Needs to have courage
- Sometimes needs protection from the people they're testifying against
Acts 2:1-13
The Holy Spirit comes on the apostles, and they begin to speak in foreign languages. The people are amazed - kind of like when you meet someone in a foreign country who can speak your own language. People had gathered from all over because it was Pentecost, 50 days after the Passover celebration, and they were all in Jerusalem. The disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit, and Peter begins to speak.
Acts 2:14-40
Peter speaks to the crowd. Since Jews believe in the Old Testament, he used two prophecies from there. (A prophecy is a prediction of a future event.)
Joel predicted that on "The Day of the Lord," God would pour out his holy spirit and people would have dreams and visions and speak in foreign tongues. Peter says this is what they are witnessing.
David predicted that God would raise someone from the grave, not letting the body decay. But, Peter says, it was not David - he is still in his grave. The one raised was Jesus - whom they had crucified. Peter tries to convince the crowd that the one they turned against was God's chosen one.
When the crowd heard this, many were convinced and asked what they should do - Peter told them to repent (turn from sin) and be baptized, and they would be saved and they would also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
What the Holy Spirit did here: It gave the disciples courage, it protected them from the opposition (this will become really important later in Acts), and it allowed them to speak other languages and be understood.
Why God sent it: This was the beginning of getting the message out. The Bible says after Peter spoke, 3,000 people became believers. The new "church" began to grow, and grow...until the Jewish leaders took notice, which begins chapter 3.
Can a Christian really do anything? Yes - you can do anything God needs you to do. In this case, God needed the apostles to be able to speak in other languages. He has given us the power to do what we can't do on our own - to forgive, to love difficult people, to stand up for him. God will never ask us to do something that he doesn't also, at the same time, help us to do.
