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). If they were to have the strength necessary to make it to shore, they would need to start the day with a good meal. I know it sounds more like mother or a TV commercial, but Paul was dealing with a very practical necessity. The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. He would build the walls on faith. He sold his land and gave it to the church treasury. True leaders aren't afraid to call a spade a spade. But more than this, God had already assured Paul that he would reach Rome. No doubt there were some anxious thoughts racing through the minds of the passengers. Godly leadership like this can impact homes, communities, churches, businesses, schools, politics, sports basically every area of life. 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 . 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). Great leaders wash their people's feet. They cut loose the anchors, which set the ship free, as wind and waves propelled it toward land. With difficulty, they finally arrived off Cnidus, but were then forced by the winds to sail under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone. Because of its size and cargo, it required deeper water. 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 name of this leadership style is derived from the word "democracy," which means "run by the people." Democratic leaders welcome and value others' input, rely heavily on team participation, and facilitate discussions that enable multiple members of their group to weigh in on decisions. If the leader becomes a wimp, he will lose his leadership role. The wise leader will work hard at blinding his or her eyes to the pettiness of church members' criticism. Paul was frequently the instrument through which Gods power was manifested. We're sorry, an error occurred. There are also plenty of real-life examples of leadership in action. Moses was seen as the patient leader of a people with little faith (Ex. 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. When this happens, there will be no protection for the lost. But he was wrong about the loss of passengers. Where is your God, he asked. At the beginning of the chapter, Paul is the object, the one who is acted upon. Allow me to make one last observation here. If you possess these types of qualifications, would that make you a better leader? 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 friend of mine, Jonathan Leath, wrote a book he titled You Only Lead One (YOLO). They would hardly wish to be close to shore in the storm anyway, for there was more danger of the ship breaking up on the rocks than of it breaking up in the open sea. Misconceptions about "Real" Leadership vs. Servant Leaders. Some call it a tough mind and a tender heart. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. {I have been} on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from {my} countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren (2 Corinthians 11:25-26). That safety is only in Christ. 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. Examples of democratic leaders. They may have the power, but they do not have the trust. There was some level of favoritism going on. For our examples, I want to look at leaders that may be a little more obscure. Even running under the shelter of a small island (Clauda, verse 16), they could hardly get the ships dingy on board. The centurion commanded that all should make it to land if they could. Pauls leadership enhanced the preaching of the gospel. What is the relationship between spiritual leadership and secular leadership? They could not handle the ship in the stormy waters. 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. The sovereignty of God is no excuse for careless or reckless living. Pauls leadership was not viewed as spiritual leadership by those on board the ship. 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). 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). Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. It was, I believe, for the sake of the gospel that Paul and these passengers were saved. His church was a murmuring people. 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. 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. Here are seven whose leadership played a significant role in leading the early church and furthering the gospel. 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 is nothing wrong with a healthy fear of danger. You can learn valuable and unique lessons on leading the church and furthering the gospel from these men of the Bible. 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 ship would be lost, but not one of the passengers would perish. He had had enough. Inclusive Meetings A weekly meeting provides the best illustrations of the democratic ideology. It was still late at night, too dark to try to make shore until it was light. Featuring Jen Wilkin, Jennifer Rothschild, Kristi McLelland, and more! He doesn't mince words when he calls them "a brood of vipers.". What are we to make of this dramatic change in Pauls standing before his fellow-shipmates? Paul took bread, and giving thanks to God before all, he began to eat. What grace was made evident in this storm! And who would not be afraid in such a storm. But there was a problem. Paul assured them that not a hair from their head would perish (verse 34). Paul was not striving to be a leader here, but simply trying to be of help. In fact, it seems that virtually everyone voted against him when the decision was made. They also loosened the ropes which lashed down the rudders and hoisted the sail.561 They were on their way toward land. These people saw first hand the hope of the gospel in Paul, when all hope was lost. Jesus: A leader is a servant first. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. All 276 passengers were saved. But today, we want to focus on a . Nevertheless, they decided to press on to a better harbor. . (4) The Sovereignty of God and Human Responsibility. Few managers or politicians understand that. Why not get better at it? It was the crew of the ship who lived dangerously, foolishly risking the ship, the cargo, and the lives of all on board, just to get ahead a little. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? It opens to the East and Southeast, but is not fit to winter in. His sarcasm showed his disdain for those who had forsaken God. Paul strongly urged them to stay where they were, at Fair Havens. And so Paul was correct, though not speaking at the moment with prophetic inspiration, authority, or inerrancy. Examples have not been reviewed. All must abandon ship now. 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. Then the passengers would have a better chance to reach shore. This inside information was, I think, a factor in their plan to abandon ship. 561 Before, adrift in the sea, they made no effort to guide the ship. The seas were closed to sailing until the beginning of February at the earliest; the three months spent in Malta must therefore have corresponded roughly to November, December, and January, so they must have left Fair Havens not much before mid-October. 542 The ship in which they embarked belonged to Adramyttium (modern Edremit), a seaport of Mysia in northwest Asia Minor, opposite the island of Lesbos. Today's nomenclature calls it tough love. God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? As a church staff or volunteer ministry leader, you can learn valuable and unique lessons from several biblical characters. One more detail about the future was revealed by Paul: the ship must run aground on a certain, but unnamed, island. 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). Focus on who you are and allow God to develop you into the leader he has called you to be. In every effective leader's life, there is a time for love, but also a time for courage. 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. Whether you realize it or not, we are all called to lead. Vision Statements of 12 Great Leaders in the Bible Petty criticism wears on the leader. In Matthew 16, Peter was both a "rock" and a "stumbling block." The God whom Paul served was a God who was (and is) in control. Resilience may be the cornerstone of effective leadership. Leading others is just too big of a responsibility for us to handle without continual prayer. The lives which Paul warned would be lost were those lives which were spared by God, for Pauls sake (see verses 22-24). Lukes remark has point only if it fell rather late in the solar calendar that year. In spite of Pauls words of encouragement, the passengers had still not eaten. 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.