Beyond this, God is free to act or not to act in any way that He chooses. He left this to God. The need is great. When the ship was far out at sea, and no one knowing how far they might be from land, abandoning ship was no temptation. 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) A look at leadership. Are You Expecting Too Much of Your Pastor. 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. What was it about Paul that made him a leader among men, even in matters pertaining to sailing and storms? I would like to have heard that prayer, but Lukes silence here requires us to wait till heaven to find out what was said. 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. He must live wisely and be just. Not one soul was lost. In doing so, he cites Romans 15:4 (NKJV), which states, "whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the . They could not see the sun nor the stars (verse 20) and so they were unable to navigate. What has happened over the course of these events, so that a lowly prisoner, a man at the bottom of the ladder, so far as position and influence are concerned, is now the outstanding leader? His sarcasm showed his disdain for those who had forsaken God. How often, I wonder, are others benefited by the presence of a believer? The sovereignty of God is the basis for our safety and security, but it is not an excuse for our sloppiness. Lukes remark has point only if it fell rather late in the solar calendar that year. Paul encourages all on board to eat, and they do. Priscilla and Aquila were hospitable. They planned to slip away, on the pretext of laying out anchors, but they were going to take the lifeboat (as it were) and leave the people to fend for themselves in the ravaging storm, in a ship drifting ever near the rocks of the approaching shore. Jesus: A leader is a servant first. Then the passengers would have a better chance to reach shore. Apparently Paul discerned that those in charge were predisposed to sailing a little further. Whether by divine revelation, intuition, or by learning of their plans from some human source, Paul became aware of their intentions. 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). Pauls circumstances certainly do no give him any status, any clout, with anyone on board that ship. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house (1 Corinthians 16:19). 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). A true leader has to be brutally honest with all those he comes in contact with. A democratic leader likes people who disagree with them and challenge their views. For some, your leadership responsibilities are limited to yourself and your home. His military role came at a pivotal time in world history- World War II. If we are not in Christ, who has weathered the storm, then we must endure the storm ourselves, to our eternal destruction. 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? He . Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. And so they were strengthened, both in spirit and in body. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 that the proof of your faith, {being} more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:3-9). 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. These are questions that we shall seek to answer in our study of Acts chapter 27. What he recognized was the person who had the ability to help bring deliverance to the Jews was Esther. It is enough to discourage any pastor. Here are three people who stand out as servant leadership examples in the Bible. He would later, on the island, work signs and wonders. Airline pilots must constantly monitor weather conditions, and make decisions as to the route they will take, their altitude, and even their destination. Examples of democratic leaders. They want to use numbers and influence decisions based upon voting power. Because of its size and cargo, it required deeper water. Brooks Faulkner previously served as the senior pastoral ministry specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. 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 . Here is one passage that talks about the qualifications of a leader. It is as certain as the salvation of His own. Such would have been the case in Sodom and Gomorrah. This harbour would protect them for a time from the winds. Finally, in the following chapter, there will be the snake bite, from which Paul will be spared as well. This created a serious problem. As peoples personalities are different, so are the leadership styles. 16:8, 16-20). They eventually connected with Paul and became his partners in the ministry. And so Paul was correct, though not speaking at the moment with prophetic inspiration, authority, or inerrancy. The sovereignty of God means that He is not at our disposal, to carry out our whims or wishes, but that we are at His disposal. 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 was nicknamed "son of encouragement" (Acts 4:36). 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. 4 The United States is one. Paul was a prisoner, on his way to stand trial before Caesar in Rome. No one followed Paul because he was a man of God, or even because they concluded the God was with him. 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). 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. Today's nomenclature calls it tough love. A centurion of the Augustan cohort by the name of Julius543 was placed in charge of the prisoners. It may not come quickly. They intended to put all the prisoners to death,563 thus eliminating the risk of an escape. You can learn valuable and unique lessons on leading the church and furthering the gospel from these men of the Bible. Everyone speaks their minds in team meetings. Accompanying Paul were Luke544 and Aristarchus, who was from Thessalonica.545. Romans 13:1-3 ESV / 3 helpful votesNot Helpful. And who would not be afraid in such a storm. Engage group members: The leader involves members and encourages them to involve others. They had to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. Regardless of where you find yourself, you have to lead. 553 The storm was now heavy upon the lumbering vessel, as it came roaring out of the north-east. That safety is only in Christ. His previous warning did not take into account the intervention of God, resulting in the escape of every person on board the ship. While it is great to learn from others, you dont have to try to be like others. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money. Every passenger made it safely to shore. He doesn't mince words when he calls them "a brood of vipers.". 565 In particular, much may be learned from Lukes portrayal of Pauls character and behavior in circumstances in which the real man is most likely to be revealed. 72-73, p. 480. Time would prove Paul right. Paul was frequently the instrument through which Gods power was manifested. An Uncorrupted View of Godly Leadership from Jude, 10 Women in the Bible God Used to Save Lives and Lead Others. Here is a man whose personal safety was assured, and yet who lived with care and caution. Thus, he did not expect a miracle, nor did he even ask for one. Related Topics: Issues in Church Leadership/Ministry, Leadership, Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. He only said that their remaining on ship was necessary if these soldiers wanted to survive. One church member compliments your Sunday morning message, the next complains about your quoting Carl Jung because he is not a Christian. 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). 554 The wind would tend to blow the ship much more quickly than the current, and so a sea anchor would reduce the force of the wind on the ship by using the sea as a brake. 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. Here are seven whose leadership played a significant role in leading the early church and furthering the gospel. We're sorry, an error occurred. 2:2). Progress was slow, due to wind conditions. With renewed strength, the passengers set about lightening the ship by throwing the remainder of the cargo the cargo of wheat overboard. Lets examine some of these, because whether you lead one, a few, or many we all have to lead. Paul tells the soldiers that the sailors must remain on board ship, if they themselves are to be saved. 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. It was time for another word of encouragement. 552 A south wind having blown gently, in marked contrast to the violent northwest wind that they had faced so long. Simply put, Paul warned those making the decision about whether or not to press on that continuing on was not wise. For more information, see ourPrivacy Policy. Here is another example of Godly leadership in the Bible that sometimes gets overlooked. Few managers or politicians understand that. 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. Los usurpadores de poder suelen ser democrticos si han sido elegidos en elecciones . 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. 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. First, those who were considered the experts favored doing so. He had had enough. The bottom line is that everyone leads in some fashion, be it great or small. The point was, before you can lead others you have to learn how to lead yourself. They also loosened the ropes which lashed down the rudders and hoisted the sail.561 They were on their way toward land. . 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. He did not claim to have a certain (prophetic) knowledge of what was going to happen. Those who could swim should jump first, and make their way to shore. Here are some examples of their leadership. Navigating the challenges and joys of ministry life. The centurion commanded that all should make it to land if they could. If there was ever a time for Christians to emerge as leaders, it is now. With difficulty, they finally arrived off Cnidus, but were then forced by the winds to sail under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone. 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. There are also plenty of real-life examples of leadership in action. We live in a time of great crisis. He has also just released his new book The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Paul once again stepped forward, speaking out to all aboard, so as to assure and encourage them, as well as to persuade them to prepare themselves for the rigors and physical demands of the hours that were to follow. Luke now passes over the details of a number of the days that followed, indicating only that many days passed, and that the storm continued to abuse the ship and to terrify its passengers. The approaching land brought a new temptation to the sailors, who better than anyone else knew they were coming upon land.559. The soldiers heed Pauls words and cut the ropes to the lifeboat, letting it fall away. The most memorable aspect of effective leadership of a pastor is when he has survived the polarities of differing opinions and modeled having each side respect the other's. 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? Paul accomplishes all this without any formal leadership position or authority. He was both blessed and disgraced almost in the same breath. He spoke prophetically of the fate of the ship and its passengers. After all, a number of the passengers could not even swim (see verses 43-44). (The term Augustan, i.e., His Imperial Majestys, was a title of honor bestowed on several cohorts of auxiliary troops.) 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. "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. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? (Esther 4:12-14). When he spoke, there was no vote taken. Had they heeded his warnings, this would not have happened. God used the centurion, who had come to deeply respect and admire Paul, to spare him, along with the rest. What is the relationship between spiritual leadership and secular leadership? But in addition to his surviving this storm, God promised to spare all the other passengers on board as well, not for their sakes alone, but for Pauls sake. This journey began on an Adramyttian ship, which took them as far as Myra, where they boarded an Alexandrian ship, headed for Italy. 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. The job or position title does not make you a leader. 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. Here are seven whose leadership played a significant role in leading the early church and furthering the gospel. 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. 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. It has become an untenable situation, a burden no man can bear. Paul was as secure as any man could be. I could talk about David, Moses, or Nehemiah, but I want to talk about three lesser-known leaders who make great examples of Godly leadership in the Bible. But once the sailors discerned that land was nearby, staying on board ship became increasingly dangerous.
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