In Acts 24:16-18 Paul moves from talking about his conversion as he turns to Jesus commissioning him.
We see that Jesus uses three verbs all in the first person to describe His plans for him.
• Vs. 16 “I have appeared to you”:This is a general call to be a servant. The word “minister” is a word that means “under-rower” and refers to the lower level of a slave ship. They would all be chained in place and those below decks had to put up with all of the junk from above. Jesus further defines this for Paul as a witness of what he has seen and what Jesus will yet reveal. In other words Paul was no longer a leader but a servant and the way in which he served was to be humbling as he would share his failure as well as what Jesus was yet to show him.
• Vs. 17a “I will deliver you”: This is more of a specific call tied to a promise not of immunity of suffering but rather that even though he suffered God’s testimony through him would not be silenced either, by the Jews or the Gentiles.
• Vs. 17b “I now send you”: Paul finds that this call is not to a location but rather to a lifestyle. The word “send” is apostle so what Jesus is saying is that you’re mine 24 – 7!
Furthermore we see that this activity had three specific parts to it as well:
• Vs. 18a “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God”: Jesus describes the world as in a spiritual condition of self imposed blindness (open their eyes) in absolute darkness trapped in a Satanic world. Paul’s responsibility was to see them change kingdoms just as he had. From blindness to sight, from darkness to light, from the power of satan to the Kingdom of Right.
• Vs. 18b “that they may receive forgiveness of sins”: Not only were they to change kingdoms they were to experience the result of the change of kingdoms to know that all that they had ever done or would ever do was forgiven in Jesus. Paul was told that he must declare to all that receive Jesus that they were no longer in an old state; they were brand new!
• Vs. 18c “and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me”: Finally they were to know and be a part of a new and growing family, His family! Set apart in Jesus.
Folks, this commissioning of Paul is what God has now called each of us to. There is not a person here today that is a believer that Jesus has not, “appeared to, and will not deliver and is not now sending you.” The only question is, “Are you willing to appear on the stage of the world as who God has made you to be and offer them the freedom that you have received?