The one whose fate was sure and certain, was the most cautious; those whose ultimate fate was most uncertain were those who lived most dangerously. First, those who were considered the experts favored doing so. There is no thus saith the Lord here, but Pauls words were worth heeding. If God {is} for us, who {is} against us? Lets examine some of these, because whether you lead one, a few, or many we all have to lead. The centurion found an Alexandrian ship,547 laden with wheat that was headed for Italy. By the end of this time, all hope had been lost, either of the storm abating, or of any rescue. Their safety was contingent on the presence of Paul and the patience of God. Gods Word gives us those answers. He must live a devout and disciplined life. These are examples of democratic leadership: All opinions are brought forward in team meetings. A late night visitation by an angel of God and Pauls words of encouragement to his shipmates is reported in verses 21-26. A true leader has to be brutally honest with all those he comes in contact with. I read in the paper the other day that when faced with the decision as to whether he should change to an alternate airport or press on to the original destination, the pilot of a commercial airliner left the choice with his passengers. Just about every pastor has "struck the rock" at one time or another; but then, like Moses, the same pastor usually has the resilience to see things through. Paul accomplishes all this without any formal leadership position or authority. Nelson Mandela (1918-2013).South African political leader victim of the racial policies of Apartheid that segregated black and white, in favor of the former. Paul did not seek to sanctify his words by giving them any spiritual flavor. 482-483. Paul was as secure as any man could be. The gospel sustains men in the greatest storms of life. To reinforce his words, Paul now did what he urged each of them to dohe ate. Then the passengers would have a better chance to reach shore. Accompanying Paul were Luke544 and Aristarchus, who was from Thessalonica.545. Now they were ready for the days activities. Paul spoke up, cautioning them about sailing on any further, and warning them that if they pressed on this would result in the loss of lives and property. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath {of God} through Him. They were now well into the dangerous season; as Luke notes, even the Fast had now gone by. Did he do anything? In Matthew 16, Peter was both a "rock" and a "stumbling block." Let us consider just a few: 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The centurion commanded that all should make it to land if they could. Salem Media Group. He would build the walls on faith. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. Gods promise was fulfilled, just as Paul had said He would. Paul's leadership emerges on board the ship, on which he was headed toward Rome. I confess, I am distressed at the ways in which Christians are trying to take control of the political and governmental positions of authority. Here, Julius, the centurion in charge of Paul and the other prisoners, allowed Paul to go to his friends and be cared for by them (verse 3). Paul encourages all on board to eat, and they do. What is the relationship between spiritual leadership and secular leadership? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Because of his special blessing, he was appointed as one with judicial powers and responsibilities in Joshua 14:6-15. A ship can be tossed about in the sea and survive much better than it can survive being dashed upon the rocks. Some are not as visible; all are useful. {I have been} on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from {my} countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren (2 Corinthians 11:25-26). Remember this applies whether you are leading one or many. I see people working for a place a leadership, rather than working to serve others, and letting leadership develop or not on its own. He has been beaten by the storm of Gods anger toward sin. The encouraging news that Paul was about to tell them was that he was both right and wrong when he had warned them not to sail. 11. Romans 13:1-3 ESV / 3 helpful votesNot Helpful. The non-swimmers could wait a little longer, perhaps for the ship to further break up, and then clinging to some piece of floating wreckage, paddle their way to shore. He had had enough. To Paul, the sovereignty of God was not an excuse to avoid his human obligations or his personal responsibility; it was the motivation for him to live responsibly. 559 If the soundings were made at midnight, and if the passengers were at least inside the ship, rather than on deck, only the sailors would have known that land was approaching. He's Where the Joy Is by Tara-Leigh Cobble, Black Church Leadership & Family Conference, 10 Gift Ideas for Pastor Appreciation Month, Pastor Appreciation Month: 5 Ways to Say Thanks, Why Prayer is Essential in the Life of a Leader. Even when John Mark was being severely ostracized by Paul, Barnabas stood by John Mark. What are we to make of this dramatic change in Pauls standing before his fellow-shipmates? And He has come forth from death and the grave, to give us new life. Had people ceased eating, in part perhaps, because they thought they were going to die anyway? Leadership Styles in 1 & 2 Kings Merida introduced his Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings by touting the relevance of the biblical text to the modern world. What can we learn about leadership, which can benefit others, and can promote the gospel? When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. Gods power and His sovereign control are no pretext for carelessness or recklessness. 547 Ramsay is of the opinion that the ship was a government vessel of which the centurion, as senior officer, was properly in charge. Mordecais words influenced Esther to take an action that she would have otherwise not taken. There were no petty thieves on board this ship. In the early church there was a problem. The need is great. If this was all that Paul said to these soldiers, he did not tell them that these men were attempting to abandon ship. But there was a problem. They eventually connected with Paul and became his partners in the ministry. The cultural expectations on pastors are mostly unbiblical, entirely impractical, and generally downright unrealistic. True leaders aren't afraid to call a spade a spade. But Pauls concern here was not for himself, but for others. Some Christians are inclined to live their lives sloppily, believing that because God is sovereign He will, on demand, produce a miracle to deliver us from the fruits of our own foolishness. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. He would later, on the island, work signs and wonders. They had to move quickly now to get off the ship and to swim to shore. With renewed strength, the passengers set about lightening the ship by throwing the remainder of the cargo the cargo of wheat overboard. He was most likely the envy of other young leaders. Lukes remark has point only if it fell rather late in the solar calendar that year. Order Curriculum, Literature, and Church Supplies, by Brooks Faulkner on Tuesday, September 08, 2015 at 6:00 AM. 36 Just as it is written, For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. While Paul had not lost hope, as had his shipmates, he must have been afraid. Paul took bread, and giving thanks to God before all, he began to eat. CSB Experiencing God Bible, Hardcover, Jacketed. Paul was kept safe, and as a result, all of those with him were saved as well. You are the foundation. Clearly the answer is yes. It has long been acknowledged as one of the most instructive documents for the knowledge of ancient seamanship. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 474. If you see shortcomings, those are the areas that you can ask God to help you develop. A theophany had taken place in Joshua 5:15: "The commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, "Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." This harbour would protect them for a time from the winds. Paul was overruled. Sailing past Cilicia and Pamphylia, they landed at Myra in Lycia (verse 5).546 It was here that they had to change ships. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning, Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act toward achieving a common goal. Susan Ward. What the ships crew intended to do was a cowardly thing. (3) The Sovereignty of God and the Ultimate Peril of the Lost. How does Pauls safety relate to you? Focus on who you are and allow God to develop you into the leader he has called you to be. Other words for democratic leadership Godly leadership is honest leadership that allows you to lead out of who you are. The storm threatens not only the life of Paul, but also the lives of all on board his ship. Sweden, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, and the Netherlands are a few others. The reason this type of leadership was necessary is because they were not just passing out food; they were solving a potentially bigger problem. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them (Acts 6:3-6). Until now, they had been trying to save the ships cargo, but now some of it555 was thrown overboard, lightening the ship and reducing the stress on the hull. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your fathers family will perish. During the night, an angel of God had appeared to Paul, with a sure and certain word about the future, a word that would bring encouragement to all on board ship. As the song goes, More secure is no one ever, than the loved ones of the Savior. They eventually connected with Paul and became his partners in the ministry. The ship would be lost, but not one of the passengers would perish. (1) A look at leadership. Examples of delegated authority include parents and their children, masters and their servants, priests serving in the temple, and Christian leaders, as Christ's servants, with the members of a church. It is enough to discourage any pastor. The point was, before you can lead others you have to learn how to lead yourself. Simply put, Paul warned those making the decision about whether or not to press on that continuing on was not wise. Photo Credit: Sparrowstock. He portrays Paul in many roles throughout Acts, but here he shows him standing out as the practical man in a critical emergency--keeping his head when all about him are losing theirs. Paul tells the soldiers that the sailors must remain on board ship, if they themselves are to be saved. Free shipping on books, Bibles, gifts, VBS, and church supplies of $50 or more. Because of their very limited visibility, they might not see the land until it was too late. Democratic Leadership Examples at work - Leadership Ahoy! I think not. Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. It has become an untenable situation, a burden no man can bear. Scripture offers examples of both. Another example of a servant leader in the Bible is Stephen, who was known for his selfless love and care for others. This necessitated sailing close to the coast of Cyprus, which, to some degree, sheltered them from the contrary winds (verse 4). They did not know exactly where they were and they could not recognize anything familiar about the land, but they did resolve to run the ship aground in a bay which they could see ahead. The Greek-speaking Jewish believers complained that their widows were being overlooked in the distribution of food when compared to the widows who were Hebrew-speaking. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Romans 5:8-10). It is not surprising, though, that he would take the advice of the ships captain and its pilot as being more expert. When the ship was far out at sea, and no one knowing how far they might be from land, abandoning ship was no temptation. PDF Looking at Leadership: Lessons from 1 and 2 Kings - Good Faith Media It was his responsibility to persuade her to use the position she had to make a difference. 4 The United States is one. They also loosened the ropes which lashed down the rudders and hoisted the sail.561 They were on their way toward land. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com. But he was wrong about the loss of passengers. Democratic leadership style fosters high job satisfaction and productivity because followers are involved in decision making. The solar date of the day of atonement in A.D. 59 thus accords well with Lukes implication that the Fast took place while they waited at Fair Havens. Bruce, p. 481. He bridged the gaps between the Greek and Jewish worlds. If their safety was assured then let them do what they could to help themselveslet them eat. Paul had a fair bit of experience with sea travel. Thus, the safety of the ship, according to Pauls words, required the presence of the crew. As peoples personalities are different, so are the leadership styles. Since this was not an ideal place to spend the winter, and sailing conditions looked favorable at the moment, they decided to press on to a more accommodating port. Verses 30-32 describe the sailors attempt to abandon ship, which they aborted, due to the action taken by the soldiers, who heeded Pauls words of warning. Examples of Democratic Leadership More than half of the countries in the world with populations over 500,000 people use a democratic leadership style. The God whom Paul served was a God who was (and is) in control. An elder must live a blameless life. A centurion of the Augustan cohort by the name of Julius543 was placed in charge of the prisoners. Paul: "Believe in something bigger than yourself." "I have appointed you as a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth" (Acts 13:47). The safety of the passengers, involved their actions, in eating a good meal, in lightening the ship, and in swimming to shore or in clinging to some wreckage and floating to shore. Paul accomplishes all this without any formal leadership position or authority. 38. A Biblical Look at Leadership (Acts 27:1-44) | Bible.org He had already survived one shipwreck, and he knew the dangers of sea travel: Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. The ship ran aground on a reef, where it would be broken up by the action of the still raging waves. Bureaucratic leadership is defined as a form of leadership in which there is a hierarchy of authority that creates rules for management and decision making. Nobody said it would be easy. Passing it with considerable difficulty, and apparently not being able to make port there, they finally were able to make port at a place known as Fair Havens,548 which was not far from the city of Lasea, where they could have spent the winter. Authoritarian Church Leadership and the Individual Freedom - CULTWATCH He believed in himself, but he believed in something bigger than himself, namely, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified," (1 Cor. At its heart, leadership for the Christian means loving God, walking in God's ways, acknowledging God's blessing, confessing personal limitations and corporate failures, doing justice, seeking peace and asking God for the gift of . Their arrival had not been without difficulty, but things were only to go from bad to worse. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.