It seems as though the passengers, including Luke and Paul, were needed to help carry out this operation (see verse 19).556. This channel is the place between two seas. Here the ship, in Smiths words, would strike a bottom of mud graduating into tenacious clay, into which the fore part would fix itself and be held fast, whilst the stern was exposed to the worst of the waves. After the long battering which the ship had endured for the past two weeks, its exposed part could not take this further punishment, and it quickly disintegrated. Bruce, p. 494. Smith suggests that the mainyard is meant; an immense spar, probably as long as the ship, which would require the united efforts of passengers and crews to launch overboard. Bruce p. 486. Beyond this, God is free to act or not to act in any way that He chooses. Think of it. 542 The ship in which they embarked belonged to Adramyttium (modern Edremit), a seaport of Mysia in northwest Asia Minor, opposite the island of Lesbos. One more detail about the future was revealed by Paul: the ship must run aground on a certain, but unnamed, island. He was right in that a great storm had swept down on this ship, and that both the ship and its cargo would be lost. It was still late at night, too dark to try to make shore until it was light. For others it extends beyond the walls of your home possibly into your community, your job, or even your ministry. The chapter may therefore be outlined in this way: One way or the other, Festus must have found some way to explain Pauls appearance before Caesar. 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. If they were to have the strength necessary to make it to shore, they would need to start the day with a good meal. I know it sounds more like mother or a TV commercial, but Paul was dealing with a very practical necessity. As it was the middle of the night and the storm was still fierce, the sailors put out anchors, to drag along the bottom, to slow down their drifting. When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. The danger in which they found themselves was unnecessary. Humanly viewed, Paul was constantly in grave danger, but he was never more safe or secure than when he was on his way to Rome. Pauls faith and his courage were contagious. Too often, I hear leadership spoken of as a place of status, rather than a place of service. Nevertheless, he did not presume that God would intervene in this instance. 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. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. You are the devil's advocate. Finally, in the following chapter, there will be the snake bite, from which Paul will be spared as well. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? But there was a problem. Navigating the challenges and joys of ministry life. The stern of the ship began to break up. Gods Word gives us those answers. There are many examples of Godly leadership in the Bible as God has always raised up men and women to lead others. All one needs is a clean needle or a condom or possibility an abortion and theyre off and running, seeking a little pleasure, at the cost of the loss of their life, and of their soul. An elder must live a blameless life. Now, in our text, Paul is again in great danger. Paul was a leader here because people followed him. Democratic leadership style fosters high job satisfaction and productivity because followers are involved in decision making. When you are walking in accordance with Gods purposes, whatever obstacles to the accomplishing of His will are encountered, He will overcome. He was obscure in comparison to other great Old Testament heroes, but faithfulness separated him from mediocrity. Remember this applies whether you are leading one or many. If the sailors didnt believe Paul, the soldiers did. 31 What then shall we say to these things? The ship ran aground on a reef, where it would be broken up by the action of the still raging waves. He believed in himself, but he believed in something bigger than himself, namely, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified," (1 Cor. Pauls influence was not the result of his political maneuverings, but mens response to his personal competence. We live in a time of great crisis. If you want to be a godly leader, I encourage you to focus on the qualities that God identifies as necessary in a leader. Pastor Appreciation Month and Pastor Appreciation Day are great opportunities every October to show how much you care for your pastor and church leaders. I take it that this was a form of democratic rule. The hour is hopeless. Paul did not have a formal position as leader, but was rather a functional leader. Related articlesHow and Why Should I Pray for Leaders?An Uncorrupted View of Godly Leadership from Jude10 Women in the Bible God Used to Save Lives and Lead Others, Photo credit: Getty Images/monkeybusinessimages. This centurion was to develop a deep respect for Paul, so that he would extend considerable liberties to him, take seriously his advice, and make every effort to protect him. Pay attention to the type of men they chose to handle this problem. This book will teach you how to put the pieces together so you can live a victorious Christian life and finally become the man or woman of God that you truly desire to be. He was not a sailor; in fact he was not even a paying passenger. They had to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. What Does the Bible Say About Democracy? - OpenBible.info He left this to God. Paul assured them that not a hair from their head would perish (verse 34). A democratic leader likes people who disagree with them and challenge their views. Sailing past Cilicia and Pamphylia, they landed at Myra in Lycia (verse 5).546 It was here that they had to change ships. In other words, your leadership style should be authentic to you. The gospel sustains men in the greatest storms of life. . Paul thought of himself as nothing in the total scheme of things. Examples of Democratic Leadership More than half of the countries in the world with populations over 500,000 people use a democratic leadership style. Verses 33-41 report Pauls encouragement, in words and deeds, and the grounding and breaking up of the ship. How this decision would be regretted, and soon! Christianity is not a fair weather religion. They were also able to build a church that met in their home. Born a Cypriot and reared a Levite, he linked the Hellenistic world and the Jerusalem church. He sold his land and gave it to the church treasury. His leadership was built not so much on ancestry from the Jewish lineage as by faithfulness. You can look at the qualities and simply see how you measure up. The Fast is the day of atonement (Yom Kippur), which falls on Tishri 10. Is this principle of extended deliverance perhaps an explanation of Pauls comments in 1 Corinthians 7, that the unbeliever is sanctified on account of the believer? And were all in it for the same reasonto fuel the churchs mission of making disciples. Priscilla and Aquila were hospitable. Behind every support specialist, Bible study editor, graphic designer, and accountant is a Sunday School teacher, kids volunteer, or small group leader. Romans 13:1-3 ESV / 3 helpful votesNot Helpful. Leadership Styles in 1 & 2 Kings - Matt Garris 564 Would he not have dared to command the soldiers not to kill Paul, but to have allowed the others to be put to death? Pauls leadership emerged in a democratic society. We are told that the majority reached the decision to sail on, rather than to winter in Fair Havens. (1 Kings 18:27). It is only when all hope is lost that Paul addresses his fellow shipmates.557 Much time had passed, the storm had not diminished, the ship was being constantly mauled by the storm, and the passengers had gone a long time without food. Vision Statements of 12 Great Leaders in the Bible 544 We know that Luke was on board ship because of the we references, and because of the great detail that he includes, as an eyewitness of the journey, the storm, and the safe landing of the passengers. Since leadership is important, how does Godly leadership fit into the equation? 557 This is not to suggest that Paul now emerged because he knew that this was the low-point of his fellow-passengers, but because the night before the angel of God had appeared to him. in 1971. If there was ever a time for Christians to emerge as leaders, it is now. It was, I believe, for the sake of the gospel that Paul and these passengers were saved. Now, no one had the use of this boat. However, there is no story of Esther without Mordecai. When this happens, there will be no protection for the lost. 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (2) The Sovereignty of God and Mans Safety. As the journey to Rome continues, there are yet to be more signs and wonders accomplished through the hands of Paul (see 28:3-10). 33 Who will bring a charge against Gods elect? When the ship set sail, they began to encounter unfavorable winds. I believe leadership must be positive influence . 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. This necessitated sailing close to the coast of Cyprus, which, to some degree, sheltered them from the contrary winds (verse 4). Pauls leadership emerges on board the ship, on which he was headed toward Rome. If that doesn't work, he outlasts them. Now, when they knew where they wanted to go, they again began to rig the ship for sailing, to whatever degree this could be done in such a storm. And Joshua did so.". He is the author ofThe Pursuit of Purpose which will help you understand how God leads you into his will. Is there not a kind of parable here? Doing so would be certain death, for the larger vessel offered more protection, so long as it held together. Pauls caution is rather interesting. God used the centurion, who had come to deeply respect and admire Paul, to spare him, along with the rest. The name of this leadership style is derived from the word "democracy," which means "run by the people." Democratic leaders welcome and value others' input, rely heavily on team participation, and facilitate discussions that enable multiple members of their group to weigh in on decisions. The image of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples in John 13 is a striking one. Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. At the beginning of the chapter, Paul is the object, the one who is acted upon. Gods mission for Paul was to go to Rome and there to preach the gospel. Pauls safety and deliverance was so certain that it was sufficient for others as well. My guess is that he had skills the like of which Moses himself admired, perhaps even envied. 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. These passengers were spared, I suspect, so that they could not only hear the gospel, but experience the hope which the gospel gives, and the power by which the gospel saves unworthy sinners. 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to {His} purpose. 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. Paul encourages all on board to eat, and they do. Brooks Faulkner previously served as the senior pastoral ministry specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. Simply put, Paul warned those making the decision about whether or not to press on that continuing on was not wise. Engage group members: The leader involves members and encourages them to involve others. The sovereignty of God means not only that God is able to intervene supernaturally, but that He is also able to work naturally, through human instruments (like the Roman soldiers, and in our story, like the centurion, in Pauls behalf). Because of one prisoner on board that ship, all the other passengers were spared. If Paul had been right before, and his words had come to pass, he had even more important words to speak now, not from his own perception or judgment, but from the God whom he served. Examples have not been reviewed. God used this two-year delay of Felix and the bungling of Festus to bring Paul to the point where he would appeal to Caesar. To sail on, therefore, was a foolish decision in Pauls opinion, and thus he discouraged it as strongly as he could, but to no avail. Paul encouragement the passengers to trust God to do all that He promised. The broad issue is that of leadership. Bruce writes. Progress was slow, due to wind conditions. Pauls leadership enhanced the preaching of the gospel. But we can still have hope, even when we are afraid. It did not take long at this time of year for a storm to brew at sea. You may be familiar with the story of Esther. Just so you know, the person they are talking about in Acts 18:26 is Apollos. It was his responsibility to persuade her to use the position she had to make a difference. Democratic Leadership Examples President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was famously democratic in his leadership style, once said that "leadership consists of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your subordinates credit for everything that goes well." The winds seem to have blown the ship away from the island of Crete. One church member compliments your Sunday morning message, the next complains about your quoting Carl Jung because he is not a Christian. 2:2). In Acts 20:35, we see him say to the elders of the church in Ephesus, "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 . He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong (Titus 1:9). Several days before, Paul had told the passengers, who had lost all hope, that they would all be saved, although the ship would run aground (verses 21-26). He spoke prophetically of the fate of the ship and its passengers. The grounding of the ship, some distance from shore, and then its breaking up poses another threat, which all survive. Julius and the others did not seem to look upon Paul in religious or spiritual terms, but only in terms of practical and proven ability and knowledge. They eventually connected with Paul and became his partners in the ministry. A true leader has to be brutally honest with all those he comes in contact with. Even when John Mark was being severely ostracized by Paul, Barnabas stood by John Mark. modern political leaders are good examples (Tony Blair, Geogrge Bush, Sarcosie, JFK, David cameron) What is a sentence with the words democracy and democratic? 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). In a storm, control of the ship is limited, and so navigating a narrow entrance to a port would be almost impossible. He has also just released his new book The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. All rights reserved. What Is Democratic Leadership? - Verywell Mind Here are seven whose leadership played a significant role in leading the early church and furthering the gospel. (1) A look at leadership. As a church staff or volunteer ministry leader, you can learn valuable and unique lessons from several biblical characters. 549 Smith observes that Fair Havens is so well protected by islands, that though not equal to Lutro [Loutron, a port some 40 miles farther west along the coast], it must be a very fair winter harbour; and that considering the suddenness, the frequency, and the violence with which gales of northerly wind spring up, and the certainty that, if such a gale sprang up in the passage from Fair Havens to Lutro, the ship must be driven off to sea, the prudence of the advice given by St. Paul may probably be supported even on nautical grounds. Bruce, pp. He turned to the centurion and the soldiers and gave them what were really orders: Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved (verse 31). He had a special place. Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? But Paul did not presume to have God on tap and thus to be able to perform some miracle any time his wished. All 276 passengers were saved. The angel of God told Paul not to be afraid, which would indicate that he was afraid. Your Bible study. Moses is remembered as the liberator, the leader, the law-giver, the prophet, and the intermediary in the covenant between God and the Jewish people. Influence of Religion on Leadership Styles and Leadership Roles: A