They hoped that daybreak would come so that they could visually navigate the ship, rather than to attempt to make port (or even to ground the ship) in the dark. Moses. Paul accomplishes all this without any formal leadership position or authority. What the ships crew intended to do was a cowardly thing. It opens to the East and Southeast, but is not fit to winter in. . Paul thought of himself as nothing in the total scheme of things. Paul tells the soldiers that the sailors must remain on board ship, if they themselves are to be saved. You may be familiar with the story of Esther. Moses. 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). Fearing that they might drift into shallow and dangerous waters some distance to the south,553 they put out a sea anchor of some kind, perhaps something like a parachute, which filled with water and slowed the ship down.554, The storm continued through the night, and the next day things looked even worse. The ships crew tried to hug the shore of Crete, until they could reach Phoenix, a harbor not all that distant. 7 Best Democratic Leadership Examples to Know 1. The amount of talking by the leader is another clue. Their arrival had not been without difficulty, but things were only to go from bad to worse. Because of its size and cargo, it required deeper water. About midnight on the fourteenth day, the sailors determined that land was nearing because the depth of the sea below had diminished from twenty fathoms to fifteen. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. He . 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 1:6-9). The passengers were not to lose hope, but to keep up their courage. Another example of a servant leader in the Bible is Stephen, who was known for his selfless love and care for others. Silent team members are specifically asked their opinions to make sure all perspectives are heard. 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. Isnt it true that men do those things which they know to be risky, partly for the love of the risk, and often due to some small gain they wish, prompted by a false sense of assurance, and by the hope for some small gain? If the leader becomes a wimp, he will lose his leadership role. This was a Jewish couple who were deported from Rome. Verses 14-20 describe the sudden onslaught of the storm, the steadily deteriorating conditions, and the complete loss of hope of those on board. Paul was told by the angel not to be afraid, because he was going to stand before Caesar. He refused to bow to the king and ended up in the lion's den. I would think that Paul would have more reason to be reckless than these seasoned seamen and the centurion, because he was a Christian. Here are some examples of their leadership. True leaders aren't afraid to call a spade a spade. In a storm, control of the ship is limited, and so navigating a narrow entrance to a port would be almost impossible. What is the relationship between spiritual leadership and secular leadership? 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. 561 Before, adrift in the sea, they made no effort to guide the ship. 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. 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? Not the Adriatic Sea as we now call the sea between Italy and the mainland of Illyricum, but all the lower Mediterranean between Italy and Greece. Robertson, p. 469. 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? At the beginning of the chapter, Paul is the object, the one who is acted upon. Allow me to make one last observation here. Paul thought of himself as nothing in the total scheme of things. He took Pauls warnings seriously here, too. {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). The great leaders of the Bible, men like Joseph, Moses, David, and Daniel, were men who had an impact because they were men of God, men of great skill and ability, and men who God raised up. 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. The journey was delayed by unfavorable winds. Pauls faith and his courage were contagious. Looking at leadership honestly means looking at the best and the worst. With great difficulty, the dinghy was hoisted on board, and then supporting cables were used to undergird the bottom of the ship, so that it might not break up under the weight of its cargo and the stresses of the storm. Mordecais words influenced Esther to take an action that she would have otherwise not taken. Many of the great democratic leaders in history are today cult object and recognition, as an example to follow in the fight for more just, peaceful and orderly societies.. Read Chapter All Versions. The potential gains were minimal, while the potential loss was great. This harbour would protect them for a time from the winds. It was Paul who showed caution, warning those in charge of the dangers ahead. This was, I think, to cause the ship to draw less water, and thus to float higher in the water, so that it would not as easily drag bottom.560 The ship would therefore be closer to shore when it struck bottom, making it a shorter swim (or float). For our examples, I want to look at leaders that may be a little more obscure. In one of the more popular set of verses in the Bible, here is what Mordecai told Esther. 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. Titus would be a good place to start, and there are other scriptures as well. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them (Acts 6:3-6). If you see shortcomings, those are the areas that you can ask God to help you develop. It was the crew of the ship who lived dangerously, foolishly risking the ship, the cargo, and the lives of all on board, just to get ahead a little. It was a coasting vessel, which was to call at various ports of the province of Asia; at one of these Julius knew he would find a ship, preferably a grain ship, bound for Italy. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 477. Tim Cook, for example, hires people who challenge and inspire him. How often, I wonder, are others benefited by the presence of a believer? 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. All in all, it would be best to wait out the storm at sea. Discouraged by the disapproval of Jesus, yet blessed by the warmth and affection of Jesus. Paul and a number of other prisoners were put aboard an Adramyttian ship,542 which was setting sail for ports along the coast of Asia. The lives which Paul warned would be lost were those lives which were spared by God, for Pauls sake (see verses 22-24). Paul accomplishes all this without any formal leadership position or authority. He would build the walls on faith. Paul's leadership emerges on board the ship, on which he was headed toward Rome. Thus, the safety of the ship, according to Pauls words, required the presence of the crew. As time went on, as Paul was better known, and as the crises on board the ship became more pronounced, Paul stepped forward, giving both direction and hope to all the others on ship. 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. There was some level of favoritism going on. The smaller boat, was much more easily handled, and would have been the logical choice when trying to make shore, especially in such circumstances. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, let her not send her husband away. How can Paul, a prisoner, emerge as the leader on board a ship, while in the midst of a storm? They could not see the sun nor the stars (verse 20) and so they were unable to navigate. They cut loose the anchors, which set the ship free, as wind and waves propelled it toward land. In so doing, the sailors would not only be abandoning ship, they would be abandoning all the passengers on board ship, leaving them helpless. 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. Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? We live in a time of great crisis. They want to use numbers and influence decisions based upon voting power. It seems as thought they had left it in the sea, towed along behind, when the storm suddenly came upon them and swamped it. It was his responsibility to persuade her to use the position she had to make a difference. If the relative safety of the passengers was in being on board ship, with Paul, our certain safety is in being in Christ. He has weathered the storm of Gods wrath on the sinner. Gods Word gives us those answers. 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. Featuring Jen Wilkin, Jennifer Rothschild, Kristi McLelland, and more! Great leaders wash their people's feet. 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. He has also just released his new book The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. They boarded this ship and set sail. It is as certain as the salvation of His own. of What can we learn about leadership, which can benefit others, and can promote the gospel? 545 This seems to be the same Aristarchus mentioned in Acts 19:29; 20:4; Colossians 4:10 and Philemon 24. Finally, in the following chapter, there will be the snake bite, from which Paul will be spared as well. 550 As they waited for a change of wind at Fair Havens, it soon became clear that they could not complete the voyage to Italy before the onset of winter. 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. The soldiers who were guarding them were not as concerned about their survival as much as the possibility of an escape. Their objective was to work with two groups of people from different cultures and make sure one did not feel slighted over the other. Nobody said it would be easy. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Examples have not been reviewed. 546 With the westerly winds which prevail in those seas, says James Smith, ships, particularly those of the ancients, unprovided with a compass and ill calculated to work to windward, would naturally stand to the north till they made the land of Asia Minor, which is peculiarly favourable for navigation by such vessels, because the coast is bold and safe, and the elevation of the mountains makes it visible at a great distance; it abounds in harbours, and the sinuosities of its shores and the westerly current would enable them, if the wind was at all off the land, to work to windward, at least as far as Cnidus, where these advantages ceased. 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. 556 The following day, a more drastic measure was necessary: the spare gear had to go if the ship was to have any chance of surviving. 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. There is no place safer than the place of obedience to the Word of God. Our world, like that ship of Pauls, was headed for destruction. 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. Pauls caution is rather interesting. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. A democratic leader encourages open conversation and helps their employees set goals, evaluate their own performance and motivates them to grow. The ship would be lost, but not one of the passengers would perish. Nevertheless, he did not presume that God would intervene in this instance. Now, in our text, Paul is again in great danger. I would say that is a great example of Godly leadership. If you are a Christian, the same safety is yours, when you are walking in obedience to His commands, and within His purposes. When you study closely, you will discover these examples of leadership in the Bible can help you address all of lifes situations. It is not surprising, though, that he would take the advice of the ships captain and its pilot as being more expert. They would hardly wish to be close to shore in the storm anyway, for there was more danger of the ship breaking up on the rocks than of it breaking up in the open sea. Elijah had both. Far to the south, off the African coast, lay the notorious Syrtes (17), the graveyard of many ships, as underwater archaeology has vividly revealed in recent years. But by the end of this chapter, it is Paul who is active, Paul who is leading, and the others are following him. Would any have heeded Paul or the gospel as seriously as they did, had the trip to Rome gone quickly and smoothly? Paul lived dangerously, in one respect, but no one could have been any safer. It was too late in the sailing season to travel on to Rome by sea. In spite of Pauls words of encouragement, the passengers had still not eaten. This journey began on an Adramyttian ship, which took them as far as Myra, where they boarded an Alexandrian ship, headed for Italy. 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. The time which had been lost, due to unfavorable winds, made it evident that they would not be able to reach Rome, not without wintering at some port, and finishing the journey in the Spring.550 The only question now was where they would winter, and whether or not they would press on to some more favorable port. 563 This seems to suggest that the charges against these prisoners were serious. God used the centurion, who had come to deeply respect and admire Paul, to spare him, along with the rest. 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. It will, however, come eventually. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. She had entered the election the previous year following the death of her husband, the incumbent governor who was campaigning for a second term. But once the sailors discerned that land was nearby, staying on board ship became increasingly dangerous.
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