But once the sailors discerned that land was nearby, staying on board ship became increasingly dangerous. God has given each leader specific gifts. Had people ceased eating, in part perhaps, because they thought they were going to die anyway? 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. There is nothing wrong with a healthy fear of danger. This channel is the place between two seas. Here the ship, in Smiths words, would strike a bottom of mud graduating into tenacious clay, into which the fore part would fix itself and be held fast, whilst the stern was exposed to the worst of the waves. After the long battering which the ship had endured for the past two weeks, its exposed part could not take this further punishment, and it quickly disintegrated. Bruce, p. 494. But today, we want to focus on a . He spoke prophetically of the fate of the ship and its passengers. The ships crew tried to hug the shore of Crete, until they could reach Phoenix, a harbor not all that distant. The danger in which they found themselves was unnecessary. On the third day, some of the unnecessary tackle on board the ship was thrown overboard. Paul was a leader here because people followed him. You may be familiar with the story of Esther. This is influence and leadership in action. 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. He was generous and that in itself bridges the gaps of selfish and greedy people if God's grace is given the opportunity to be operative. When Daniel was living in captivity in Babylon, he was obedient to the point of losing his life if necessary. Those who could swim should jump first, and make their way to shore. The job or position title does not make you a leader. Salem Media Group. For Pauls sake, all the passengers on board his ship were spared from the storm. . His previous warning did not take into account the intervention of God, resulting in the escape of every person on board the ship. 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. There are many different styles and forms of leadership. Paul did not seek to sanctify his words by giving them any spiritual flavor. The storm threatens not only the life of Paul, but also the lives of all on board his ship. I have always looked upon the Apostle Paul as a godly man, a zealous servant of Jesus Christ, and a powerful preacher of the gospel. nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. Had they heeded his warnings, this would not have happened. 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. It was only some forty miles to Lutro. Robertson, p. 461. 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. It was time for another word of encouragement. Priscilla and Aquila were hospitable. He sold his land and gave it to the church treasury. 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). No doubt there were some anxious thoughts racing through the minds of the passengers. 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. My guess is that he had skills the like of which Moses himself admired, perhaps even envied. Our world, like that ship of Pauls, was headed for destruction. No one followed Paul because he was a man of God, or even because they concluded the God was with him. But Paul did not presume to have God on tap and thus to be able to perform some miracle any time his wished. She had entered the election the previous year following the death of her husband, the incumbent governor who was campaigning for a second term. The safety of the passengers, involved their actions, in eating a good meal, in lightening the ship, and in swimming to shore or in clinging to some wreckage and floating to shore. A crucial decision had to be made at Fair Havens.549 Sailing was not safe in the winter, due to wind conditions and seasonal storms. los lderes demcratas (41) dirigentes socialdemcratas (18) lderes democrticos (15) lderes demcratas (13) demcratas (8) If elected in free elections, the usurpers of power are usually democratic leaders. Bruce writes. It was still late at night, too dark to try to make shore until it was light. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath {of God} through Him. 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. We live in a time of great crisis. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to {obtain} an inheritance {which is} imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Kings 18:27). He was both blessed and disgraced almost in the same breath. True leaders aren't afraid to call a spade a spade. 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. Because of their very limited visibility, they might not see the land until it was too late. The lives which Paul warned would be lost were those lives which were spared by God, for Pauls sake (see verses 22-24). All must abandon ship now. The decision that faced these sailors is not an uncommon one, even in our day. Up to this point in time, they had gone a long while without food. Progress was slow, due to wind conditions. 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. 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. Fourth, a moderate south wind had come up,552 which seemed to promise fair sailing to a better port. These prisoners were (pardon me for this) twice pardoned.. Democratic style on the other hand refers to leadership style in which leaders are the final decision makers with the input of followers. I do not think that Pauls words were meant as a typical I told you so so much as they were spoken to motivate his peers to listen to him now. Others decided Paul and the other prisoners should set sail, and so Paul and they were turned over to Julius. 560 The higher the ship floated in the water, the closer to shore they could get before the ship grounded. When you are walking in accordance with Gods purposes, whatever obstacles to the accomplishing of His will are encountered, He will overcome. Their actions revealed that they did not believe Pauls words of assurance, that all would be saved, though the ship would be grounded and destroyed. Neither Lasea nor Fair Havens is mentioned by any ancient writer, two of the hundred cities of Crete. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 460. Paul thought of himself as nothing in the total scheme of things. 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. 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. Scripture offers examples of both. I would think that Paul would have more reason to be reckless than these seasoned seamen and the centurion, because he was a Christian. The gospel sustains men in the greatest storms of life. To Paul, the sovereignty of God was not an excuse to avoid his human obligations or his personal responsibility; it was the motivation for him to live responsibly. They may have the power, but they do not have the trust. The death penalty is certainly one possibility. The journey was delayed by unfavorable winds. 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. 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? 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. 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. 555 From verse 38 we know that all the cargo was not thrown overboard at this time. He loved God. It has become an untenable situation, a burden no man can bear. I do not believe that Lukes central purpose in Acts 27 is to teach us about leadership, but I do think that Pauls leadership is very apparent in our text. Let us, like Paul, have a word from God for such needy times as ours. 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. He turned to the centurion and the soldiers and gave them what were really orders: Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved (verse 31). Leaders in the bible had six key characteristics that included commitment, credibility, purpose, gifts, accountability, and self-discipline. Not once or twice the world has had to thank the great saints and mystics for providing timely help in moments of crisis when realistic, practical men of affairs were unable to supply it. Bruce, p. 475. Some call it a tough mind and a tender heart. To reinforce his words, Paul now did what he urged each of them to dohe ate. He is the author ofThe Pursuit of Purpose which will help you understand how God leads you into his will. 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. It is enough to discourage any pastor. The first 8 verses of the chapter take Paul from Caesarea to a harbor named Fair Havens, not far from the city of Lasea. Your Bible study. Paul reminded his shipmates that they should have listened to him sooner. Paul was kept safe, and as a result, all of those with him were saved as well. How often, I wonder, are others benefited by the presence of a believer? 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!" They want to use numbers and influence decisions based upon voting power. Resilience may be the cornerstone of effective leadership. After all, a number of the passengers could not even swim (see verses 43-44). 1 Timothy 4:12. These people saw first hand the hope of the gospel in Paul, when all hope was lost. Hence the battle to maintain a westerly course, aided, it appears, by a veering of the wind to the east, as the cyclonic disturbance shifted its centre. Blaiklock p. 190. Paul took bread, and giving thanks to God before all, he began to eat. He left this to God. Thankfully if God has called you to leadership, he will take the time to help you grow into it. 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. Time would prove Paul right. If you are a Christian, the same safety is yours, when you are walking in obedience to His commands, and within His purposes. With renewed strength, the passengers set about lightening the ship by throwing the remainder of the cargo the cargo of wheat overboard. These are questions that we shall seek to answer in our study of Acts chapter 27. They took down the sail, which would have been ripped to shreds by the winds, and lashed down the rudders, which would have been broken up as they were smashed against the ship by the waves. 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. Airline pilots must constantly monitor weather conditions, and make decisions as to the route they will take, their altitude, and even their destination. 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. They boarded this ship and set sail. Paul was not striving to be a leader here, but simply trying to be of help. Pauls circumstances certainly do no give him any status, any clout, with anyone on board that ship. 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. Gods Word gives us those answers. This was probably due to seasickness, and perhaps to the difficulty of cooking under such circumstances. There will come a time, however, when God will take His own to the full and final safety of heaven. Paul accomplishes all this without any formal leadership position or authority. 33 Who will bring a charge against Gods elect? Gods power and His sovereign control are no pretext for carelessness or recklessness. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined {to become} conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; 30 and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
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