552 A south wind having blown gently, in marked contrast to the violent northwest wind that they had faced so long. In Matthew 16, Peter was both a "rock" and a "stumbling block." He did get disgusted. He was courageous as indicated by the spy scenario in Numbers 13:31. You are the devil's advocate. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath {of God} through Him. Because of their very limited visibility, they might not see the land until it was too late. With renewed strength, the passengers set about lightening the ship by throwing the remainder of the cargo the cargo of wheat overboard. Except for Paul, they had all reached the conclusion that the situation was hopeless and that they were doomed. It was too late in the sailing season to travel on to Rome by sea. His sarcasm showed his disdain for those who had forsaken God. The dangerous season for sailing began about September 14 and lasted until November 11; after the latter date all navigation on the open sea came to an end until winter was over. Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. The sovereignty of God will then result in the overthrow of His enemies and in the judgment of the wicked. 558 The fourteenth night is reckoned from the time they left Fair Havens. 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. 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 wanted to spare him, and so he forbade them from killing any of the prisoners.564 All of the prisoners were spared, on account of one personPaul, just as all of the passengers were spared for Pauls sake. In spite of this fact, one man, Paul, emerged as the leader. Scripture offers examples of both. A democratic leader likes people who disagree with them and challenge their views. He took Pauls warnings seriously here, too. The smaller boat, was much more easily handled, and would have been the logical choice when trying to make shore, especially in such circumstances. When you study closely, you will discover these examples of leadership in the Bible can help you address all of lifes situations. Sailing past Cilicia and Pamphylia, they landed at Myra in Lycia (verse 5).546 It was here that they had to change ships. Without God's constant guidance in our lives, how can we be confident of what we are teaching, how we are ministering, or why we are even leading? 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. Fourth, a moderate south wind had come up,552 which seemed to promise fair sailing to a better port. Since leadership is important, how does Godly leadership fit into the equation? 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. Examples. Thus, the sailors continually took soundings, measuring the depth below them, so that they could discern, far in advance, their approach to land (which would be indicated by progressively diminishing depths). 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. The assassination conspiracy was still the main hope of the Sanhedrin as Paul was imprisoned for two years by Felix, but God kept Paul from Jerusalem. There are portions of Scripture that talk about the qualifications of a leader in the church. This may have been the case, and if so the calculations upon which the shipmaster (not owner as AV and RV, according to Ramsay) based his rash advice are less apparent. E. M. Blaiklock, The Acts of the Apostles (Grand Rapids: Wm. They had little to gain and much to lose. 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. He was not an "out front" kind of person, but rather stayed in the background as a fan and supporter of Paul. Godly leadership is honest leadership that allows you to lead out of who you are. It seems as though the passengers, including Luke and Paul, were needed to help carry out this operation (see verse 19).556. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 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). 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. What was it about Paul that made him a leader among men, even in matters pertaining to sailing and storms? If God {is} for us, who {is} against us? Moses. 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. Christianity is not a fair weather religion. Every passenger made it safely to shore. After all, a number of the passengers could not even swim (see verses 43-44). The winds seem to have blown the ship away from the island of Crete. You can learn valuable and unique lessons on leading the church and furthering the gospel from these men of the Bible. And also for Pauls sake, all of the prisoners were spared from execution by the soldiers. In other words, your leadership style should be authentic to you. Paul was a leader here because people followed him. When they set sail from Fair Havens, fifty or sixty miles brought them under the lee of Cauda (v. 16); on the fourteenth night from Cauda they drew near the coast of Malta (v. 27), and the next day (v. 39) they landed on that island, where they spent three months (28:11). What he recognized was the person who had the ability to help bring deliverance to the Jews was Esther. Your community. It was only some forty miles to Lutro. Robertson, p. 461. 482-483. He has also just released his new book The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. There were no petty thieves on board this ship. "Perhaps he's sleeping and will wake up!" 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). 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. He had had enough. Thus, the safety of the ship, according to Pauls words, required the presence of the crew. The passengers were not to lose hope, but to keep up their courage. 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. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Leaders in the bible had six key characteristics that included commitment, credibility, purpose, gifts, accountability, and self-discipline. {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). He was thoroughly subservient to the will of God, and he was committed to a specific, meaningful mission. 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. They were not men who manipulated people or their circumstances in order to further their own power or position. They took bribes and perverted justice. The need is great. 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. . Thus, he did not expect a miracle, nor did he even ask for one. Other words for democratic leadership What are some examples of democratic leadership? If that doesn't work, he outlasts them. The job or position title does not make you a leader. His previous warning did not take into account the intervention of God, resulting in the escape of every person on board the ship. He refused to bow to the king and ended up in the lion's den. But there was a problem. Had they heeded his warnings, this would not have happened. He has surrounded himself with executives that are experienced and insightful. Handling the ship in this storm was almost impossible, and any attempt would require an expert crew. Clearly the answer is yes. When the outcome is known, and the One who determines it is both faithful and sovereign (in control), the danger of harm is removed, along with the need for fear. The storms of your life may not have been sent your way to destroy you, but to turn you to Gods salvation. The soldiers were thus acting to save themselves, as well as the rest on board. But more than this, God had already assured Paul that he would reach Rome. Paul knew that he would reach Rome, but he also strongly sensed that the ship and some of its passengers would not. The God whom Paul served was a God who was (and is) in control. If Paul had been incompetent and impotent in this time of crisis, who would have wanted to hear him tell about faith in Jesus as the Messiah? Most leadership gurus define leadership as 'influence'. They eventually connected with Paul and became his partners in the ministry. Proud member He was not a sailor; in fact he was not even a paying passenger. 15:24; 16: 2-3). Lukes remark has point only if it fell rather late in the solar calendar that year. Their safety was contingent on the presence of Paul and the patience of God. Reminder: You are currently impersonating {{userSessionData.email}}. He was obscure in comparison to other great Old Testament heroes, but faithfulness separated him from mediocrity. The Greater Syrtis was still a great distance away, but the wind might continue to blow for many days, and that was the direction in which it was blowing them. The otherstwo hundred and seventy-six in allfollowed his example. And so they were strengthened, both in spirit and in body. Sweden, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, and the Netherlands are a few others. 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). When Daniel was living in captivity in Babylon, he was obedient to the point of losing his life if necessary. Here is a list of famous examples of democratic leaders: Dwight Eisenhower, The 34th U.S. President Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple Larry Page, Co-founder of Google Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter Read more about these Famous examples of democratic leadership and feel inspired. Democratic leadership style fosters high job satisfaction and productivity because followers are involved in decision making. In verses 27-29, Luke describes the ships approach to some body of land. Would any have heeded Paul or the gospel as seriously as they did, had the trip to Rome gone quickly and smoothly? They could not see the sun nor the stars (verse 20) and so they were unable to navigate. Even when John Mark was being severely ostracized by Paul, Barnabas stood by John Mark. Pay attention to the type of men they chose to handle this problem. How can Paul, a prisoner, emerge as the leader on board a ship, while in the midst of a storm? (This also required a small boat, which was going to be taken by those abandoning the ship.) Is there not a kind of parable here? They were so sure of the wisdom of their decision that they did not even draw up the small boat attached by a rope to the vessels stern (verse 16). If you see shortcomings, those are the areas that you can ask God to help you develop. I would think that Paul would have more reason to be reckless than these seasoned seamen and the centurion, because he was a Christian. In the sea of Adria (en toi Hadriai). Discouraged by the disapproval of Jesus, yet blessed by the warmth and affection of Jesus. Since leadership happens inside and outside the church, these examples are good wherever you lead. As Paul had already informed them, neither the ship nor its cargo would survive, only the passengers. 1 Timothy 3:5. The first 8 verses of the chapter take Paul from Caesarea to a harbor named Fair Havens, not far from the city of Lasea.