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.

 Acts 20:17-38

From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 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. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 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 repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 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.

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 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! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

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.

You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.

When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Why?

Paul worried about delaying his schedule to Jerusalem if he went to Ephesus, so he invited elders of the church Ephesus to Miletus.

Paul knew the prison and hardships were facing him, but Paul didn't care about his life but the mission of the Lord. Paul knew when he came back to Jerusalem, he wouldn't be able to meet them again.

Even the Holy Spirit has warned Paul, but Paul continues to teach them and warn them what will happen after his leaving.

Paul said that both Jews and Greeks must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. So are our people in Taiwan and China.

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. Paul told them as much as he can to serve people.

Paul went to Jerusalem compelled by the Holy Spirit, even though he did not know what would happen. This is the heart of a God's servant, sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

How?

Commit us to God and to the word of his grace can build us up and give us an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. This is our strength and our foundation in Jesus Christ.