The final verses (42-44) tell of the plan of the soldiers to kill the prisoners, of the intervention of the centurion, and the safe arrival on land of all 276 passengers. Engage group members: The leader involves members and encourages them to involve others. Godly leadership like this can impact homes, communities, churches, businesses, schools, politics, sports basically every area of life. They took bribes and perverted justice. It was Paul who showed caution, warning those in charge of the dangers ahead. As peoples personalities are different, so are the leadership styles. This harbour would protect them for a time from the winds. At the beginning of the chapter, Paul is the object, the one who is acted upon. Because it was a part of Gods sovereign plan, God did purpose to spare Paul and the ships passengers, but in a way that would to some seem only like good luck. The miraculous aspect is seen in Pauls prediction of what happened in complete agreement with all that did happen, even to the minute details. Tim Cook, for example, hires people who challenge and inspire him. What the ships crew intended to do was a cowardly thing. One of the most outstanding examples of leadership in the Bible is the example of Moses. The soldiers were acting, as it were, on Pauls orders. The God who was to rescue them was Pauls God, the God whom he served, and to whom he would bear testimony before Caesar. But Pauls concern here was not for himself, but for others. When the ship is grounded and the passengers must swim for their lives, the soldiers plan to kill Paul, along with the other prisoners, to prevent any from escaping. Related Topics: Issues in Church Leadership/Ministry, Leadership, Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Up to this point in time, they had gone a long while without food. 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. Pauls leadership emerged in a time of crisis, in an hour of need, when no one else seemed to have any answers.565 Functional leadership (as opposed to formal leadership) emerges in times of need. His sarcasm showed his disdain for those who had forsaken God. Since leadership is important, how does Godly leadership fit into the equation? If you see shortcomings, those are the areas that you can ask God to help you develop. Here are seven whose leadership played a significant role in leading the early church and furthering the gospel. But there was a problem. 551 Although there almost certainly would have been some loss of life, apart from divine intervention. Second, the majority of those who voted on this issue favored going further. Consider these two things: Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home (Titus 1:8). For others it extends beyond the walls of your home possibly into your community, your job, or even your ministry. These are questions that we shall seek to answer in our study of Acts chapter 27. If Gods sovereignty is the source of comfort to the Christian, it is the source of terror for the unbeliever, for God has warned of His coming judgment. Paul was overruled. It is as certain as the salvation of His own. Paul knew that he would reach Rome, but he also strongly sensed that the ship and some of its passengers would not. Because of its size and cargo, it required deeper water. In verses 27-29, Luke describes the ships approach to some body of land. This is influence and leadership in action. Inclusive Meetings A weekly meeting provides the best illustrations of the democratic ideology. The passengers were not to lose hope, but to keep up their courage. Because of one prisoner on board that ship, all the other passengers were spared. 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. Lets examine some of these, because whether you lead one, a few, or many we all have to lead. They were not in control of the ship. 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. Verses 33-41 report Pauls encouragement, in words and deeds, and the grounding and breaking up of the ship. . Verse Concepts. (3) The Sovereignty of God and the Ultimate Peril of the Lost. Except for Paul, they had all reached the conclusion that the situation was hopeless and that they were doomed. 558 The fourteenth night is reckoned from the time they left Fair Havens. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. A ship can be tossed about in the sea and survive much better than it can survive being dashed upon the rocks. Finally, in the following chapter, there will be the snake bite, from which Paul will be spared as well. Pauls leadership enhanced the preaching of the gospel. Paul encourages all on board to eat, and they do. They want to use numbers and influence decisions based upon voting power. Democratic leadership is an effective leadership style but can sometimes be too slow when fast decisions are needed. No doubt there were some anxious thoughts racing through the minds of the passengers. Is there not a kind of parable here? Indeed, the fate of the ship was not exactly as Paul had warned, for there was no loss of life.551 He simply spoke as a seasoned traveler, an astute observer, and one who had experienced dangers at sea. When the ship was far out at sea, and no one knowing how far they might be from land, abandoning ship was no temptation. The most probable account is that they dropped a floating anchor or drift anchor, which was dragged astern at the end of a rope of suitable length so as to offer the maximum resistance every time the ship plunged down from the crest of a wave. Bruce, p. 486. The broad issue is that of leadership. When Daniel was living in captivity in Babylon, he was obedient to the point of losing his life if necessary. Here are some examples of their leadership. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy (1 Corinthians 7:13-14). Los usurpadores de poder suelen ser democrticos si han sido elegidos en elecciones . And so Paul was correct, though not speaking at the moment with prophetic inspiration, authority, or inerrancy. Brooks Faulkner previously served as the senior pastoral ministry specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. As a church staff or volunteer ministry leader, you can learn valuable and unique lessons from several biblical characters. Pauls skillfulness and leadership gave the gospel a credibility it would not have otherwise have had in the eyes of these people. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. He believed in himself, but he believed in something bigger than himself, namely, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified," (1 Cor. From here on, sailing will not be smooth. It did not take long at this time of year for a storm to brew at sea. If the leader becomes a wimp, he will lose his leadership role. 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. Pauls leadership was not viewed as spiritual leadership by those on board the ship. In fact, it seems that virtually everyone voted against him when the decision was made. Behind every support specialist, Bible study editor, graphic designer, and accountant is a Sunday School teacher, kids volunteer, or small group leader. Here are 12 examples of inspiring leaders in the Bible who teach us what a great leader could and should be as well as how leaders should carry themselves. Obedient Daniel. Navigating the challenges and joys of ministry life. Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. 7 Best Democratic Leadership Examples to Know 1. For our examples, I want to look at leaders that may be a little more obscure. The angry mob, which the Asian Jews had incited in Jerusalem, were trying to kill Paul, but God used Claudius Lysias and his soldiers to save his life. God has given each leader specific gifts. 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. The angel of God told Paul not to be afraid, which would indicate that he was afraid. All 276 passengers were saved. Today's nomenclature calls it tough love. 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. 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. nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. Even running under the shelter of a small island (Clauda, verse 16), they could hardly get the ships dingy on board. The doctrine of Gods sovereignty is multi-faceted, something which careless and thoughtless Christians often forget or set aside. {For I am} confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). In other words, your leadership style should be authentic to you. They were not going to get to Rome until after winter was over anyway, and they could stay right where they were, with no real problems. What did Paul do to bring about such a change? It is not surprising, though, that he would take the advice of the ships captain and its pilot as being more expert. They had little to gain and much to lose. The wise leader will work hard at blinding his or her eyes to the pettiness of church members' criticism. He has surrounded himself with executives that are experienced and insightful. He was both blessed and disgraced almost in the same breath. He was obscure in comparison to other great Old Testament heroes, but faithfulness separated him from mediocrity. God does not jump through our hoops and thus Paul never presumed that he had Gods power on tap to use when and how he chose. It was simpler, it seems, to forbid them from killing any of them. There is no place safer than the place of obedience to the Word of God. If you remember the qualifications of a leader that we looked at earlier, you will see why this is a great example of Godly leadership in the Bible. Handling the ship in this storm was almost impossible, and any attempt would require an expert crew. The precise status of Julius is difficult to determine: from the authority which he assumed when once (from Myra onward) he found himself on board a ship of the Alexandrian grain fleet, it might be inferred that he was a frumentarius, an officer charged with supervising the transport of grain (frumentum) to Rome. Bruce p. 477. He doesn't mince words when he calls them "a brood of vipers.". It has become an untenable situation, a burden no man can bear. 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. It was needlessly endangering others that Paul was trying to avoid. Here are some ideas to help you celebrate them this year. You are the church, and Lifeway is here to serve you with biblical resources for everything life brings your way. What is the relationship between spiritual leadership and secular leadership? Paul encouragement the passengers to trust God to do all that He promised. And were all in it for the same reasonto fuel the churchs mission of making disciples. 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. Effective leaders have the courage to speak even when it is unpopular to speak because they speak the truth with love. 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. Doing so would be certain death, for the larger vessel offered more protection, so long as it held together. For some, your leadership responsibilities are limited to yourself and your home. This problem would require the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit, which is foundational to Godly leadership. They had to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. Take aids, or drugs, for example. 555 From verse 38 we know that all the cargo was not thrown overboard at this time. It will, however, come eventually. Three days have already passed, and Luke provides us with the description of some incident for each day. 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. If this was all that Paul said to these soldiers, he did not tell them that these men were attempting to abandon ship. 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. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. The ship ran aground on a reef, where it would be broken up by the action of the still raging waves. These people saw first hand the hope of the gospel in Paul, when all hope was lost. 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. "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. The soldiers heed Pauls words and cut the ropes to the lifeboat, letting it fall away. 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.. 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). Just so you know, the person they are talking about in Acts 18:26 is Apollos. The need is great. The potential gains were minimal, while the potential loss was great. On the third day, some of the unnecessary tackle on board the ship was thrown overboard. When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 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. Pauls faith and his courage were contagious.
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