One church member compliments your Sunday morning message, the next complains about your quoting Carl Jung because he is not a Christian. Moses was seen as the patient leader of a people with little faith (Ex. I take it that this was a form of democratic rule. I see leadership held out to men and women as a prize, rather than as a humbling responsibility. Pauls faith and his courage were contagious. 31 What then shall we say to these things? Fourteen days have passed since they left Fair Havens and the storm first struck the ship.558 The sailors now have little idea as to where they were, or how far they might be from land. 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). Paul encourages all on board to eat, and they do. Paul encouragement the passengers to trust God to do all that He promised. This problem would require the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit, which is foundational to Godly leadership. Nevertheless, they decided to press on to a better harbor. I suspect so. Free shipping on books, Bibles, gifts, VBS, and church supplies of $50 or more. His sarcasm showed his disdain for those who had forsaken God. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, let her not send her husband away. The broad issue is that of leadership. Here is a man whose personal safety was assured, and yet who lived with care and caution. But there was a problem. They took bribes and perverted justice. 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. "Perhaps he's sleeping and will wake up!" There are portions of Scripture that talk about the qualifications of a leader in the church. If you see shortcomings, those are the areas that you can ask God to help you develop. Finally, in the following chapter, there will be the snake bite, from which Paul will be spared as well. If Paul was completely right in his previous warning, then many were about to die. A true leader has to be brutally honest with all those he comes in contact with. I see people working for a place a leadership, rather than working to serve others, and letting leadership develop or not on its own. Examples of democratic leaders A few specific examples of leaders who have demonstrated this style of leadership include: Former CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi, demonstrated how much she valued her team members by writing personalized letters to their parents. Had they heeded his warnings, this would not have happened. Titus would be a good place to start, and there are other scriptures as well. Paul accomplishes all this without any formal leadership position or authority. It was too late in the sailing season to travel on to Rome by sea. Everyone speaks their minds in team meetings. 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? 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 refused to bow to the king and ended up in the lion's den. They were not men who manipulated people or their circumstances in order to further their own power or position. 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. They eventually connected with Paul and became his partners in the ministry. He . The potential gains were minimal, while the potential loss was great. 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. I believe leadership must be positive influence . Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. . There will come a time, however, when God will take His own to the full and final safety of heaven. 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. The first 8 verses of the chapter take Paul from Caesarea to a harbor named Fair Havens, not far from the city of Lasea. 563 This seems to suggest that the charges against these prisoners were serious. He has surrounded himself with executives that are experienced and insightful. Such would have been the case in Sodom and Gomorrah. The sovereignty of God is no excuse for us not to work, but the assurance that our work is not in vain, in the Lord. What kind of leadership did Paul exercise, and how did this impact the gospel? Time would prove Paul right. Godly leadership is honest leadership that allows you to lead out of who you are. 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. There are also plenty of real-life examples of leadership in action. He was not a sailor; in fact he was not even a paying passenger. But it is here, in our text, that I see Paul as a very wise man in practical matters, a man who is a leader of men, and whose counsel is taken seriously because he knows what he is doing. And He has come forth from death and the grave, to give us new life. While there are many examples of Godly leadership in the Bible, there are some you are probably more familiar with than others. He had had enough. Paul knew that he would reach Rome, but he also strongly sensed that the ship and some of its passengers would not. 2:2). Imagine this, they would have Paul to thank for their deliverance. They intended to put all the prisoners to death,563 thus eliminating the risk of an escape. The ship did not make it all the way to that beach toward which they were steering it. Paul's leadership emerges on board the ship, on which he was headed toward Rome. The prisoners (at least the dangerous or violent ones) may have been in chains. 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? Resilience may be the cornerstone of effective leadership. He bridged the gaps between the Greek and Jewish worlds. When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. There is no thus saith the Lord here, but Pauls words were worth heeding. . An elder must live a blameless life. Christianity is not a fair weather religion. Except for Paul, they had all reached the conclusion that the situation was hopeless and that they were doomed. He had a special place. To reinforce his words, Paul now did what he urged each of them to dohe ate. That sounds like leadership to me. With renewed strength, the passengers set about lightening the ship by throwing the remainder of the cargo the cargo of wheat overboard. Related Topics: Issues in Church Leadership/Ministry, Leadership, Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. The point was, before you can lead others you have to learn how to lead yourself. Pauls leadership enhanced the preaching of the gospel. Here are three people who stand out as servant leadership examples in the Bible. During the night, an angel of God had appeared to Paul, with a sure and certain word about the future, a word that would bring encouragement to all on board ship. They may have the power, but they do not have the trust. God used the centurion, who had come to deeply respect and admire Paul, to spare him, along with the rest. Priscilla and Aquila are an example of Godly leadership that was displayed or exhibited in a married couple. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? They invited Apollos into their home and spent time explaining the truth to him. 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. The passengers were not to lose hope, but to keep up their courage. Clearly the answer is yes. Your Bible study. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who dont have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. Paul thought of himself as nothing in the total scheme of things. After all, a number of the passengers could not even swim (see verses 43-44). Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Verses 9-13 describe a crucial decision that was made. 545 This seems to be the same Aristarchus mentioned in Acts 19:29; 20:4; Colossians 4:10 and Philemon 24. (2) The Sovereignty of God and Mans Safety. 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. They were also able to build a church that met in their home. The storms of your life may not have been sent your way to destroy you, but to turn you to Gods salvation. True leaders aren't afraid to call a spade a spade. He had God on his side. His God was in control of all things, including the sea. Verse Concepts. Whatever dangers might arise, He will protect His people, in accordance with His purposes and promises. Pauls influence was not the result of his political maneuverings, but mens response to his personal competence. The cultural expectations on pastors are mostly unbiblical, entirely impractical, and generally downright unrealistic. Some things dont change. He was thoroughly subservient to the will of God, and he was committed to a specific, meaningful mission. If there were but ten righteous in the city of Sodom, God would have spared the city for the sake of those righteous (Genesis 18:22-33). Let us consider just a few: 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 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). Handling the ship in this storm was almost impossible, and any attempt would require an expert crew. It would seem that they had fasted nearly two weeksthroughout the entire time the storm was raging. Fourth, a moderate south wind had come up,552 which seemed to promise fair sailing to a better port. *Indicated Required Field See ourPrivacy Policy. They all waited for the morning light. 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. He would build the walls on faith. These are examples of democratic leadership: All opinions are brought forward in team meetings. When you study closely, you will discover these examples of leadership in the Bible can help you address all of lifes situations. One of the most outstanding examples of leadership in the Bible is the example of Moses.
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