He had already survived one shipwreck, and he knew the dangers of sea travel: Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. The sovereignty of God will then result in the overthrow of His enemies and in the judgment of the wicked. Paul was not striving to be a leader here, but simply trying to be of help. 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. Now, when they knew where they wanted to go, they again began to rig the ship for sailing, to whatever degree this could be done in such a storm. 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. 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. Christianity is not a fair weather religion. *Indicated Required Field See ourPrivacy Policy. It did not take long at this time of year for a storm to brew at sea. Verse Concepts. 1 Timothy 3:5. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. The grounding of the ship, some distance from shore, and then its breaking up poses another threat, which all survive. 552 A south wind having blown gently, in marked contrast to the violent northwest wind that they had faced so long. 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. Few managers or politicians understand that. You are currently impersonating {{userSessionData.email}}. 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. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Even when John Mark was being severely ostracized by Paul, Barnabas stood by John Mark. 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 churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Paul knew that he would reach Rome, but he also strongly sensed that the ship and some of its passengers would not. Behind every support specialist, Bible study editor, graphic designer, and accountant is a Sunday School teacher, kids volunteer, or small group leader. The ship would be lost, but not one of the passengers would perish. Examples. A friend of mine, Jonathan Leath, wrote a book he titled You Only Lead One (YOLO). What kind of leadership did Paul exercise, and how did this impact the gospel? Flee to safety today. 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. God has given each leader specific gifts. Your family. Peter, the most well-known disciple of Jesus, denies even . He took Pauls warnings seriously here, too. 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. Democratic Leadership Examples President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was famously democratic in his leadership style, once said that "leadership consists of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your subordinates credit for everything that goes well." Is there not a kind of parable here? On the third day, some of the unnecessary tackle on board the ship was thrown overboard. 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. Democratic leadership is an effective leadership style but can sometimes be too slow when fast decisions are needed. This is influence and leadership in action. I think not. While it is great to learn from others, you dont have to try to be like others. By the end of this time, all hope had been lost, either of the storm abating, or of any rescue. It was too late in the sailing season to travel on to Rome by sea. Another example of a servant leader in the Bible is Stephen, who was known for his selfless love and care for others. Nobody said it would be easy. They were now well into the dangerous season; as Luke notes, even the Fast had now gone by. 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. In a storm, control of the ship is limited, and so navigating a narrow entrance to a port would be almost impossible. 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. When you study closely, you will discover these examples of leadership in the Bible can help you address all of lifes situations. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They invited Apollos into their home and spent time explaining the truth to him. Pauls leadership was not viewed as spiritual leadership by those on board the ship. What he recognized was the person who had the ability to help bring deliverance to the Jews was Esther. 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). It was, I believe, for the sake of the gospel that Paul and these passengers were saved. 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 must live wisely and be just. 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. 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. In so doing, the sailors would not only be abandoning ship, they would be abandoning all the passengers on board ship, leaving them helpless. Related Topics: Issues in Church Leadership/Ministry, Leadership, Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. The centurion found an Alexandrian ship,547 laden with wheat that was headed for Italy. You can learn valuable and unique lessons on leading the church and furthering the gospel from these men of the Bible. Pauls execution was sought by the Sanhedrin, which first tried to execute him legally (like Stephen) and then by assassination, but God used Roman soldiers once again to spare His servant. When the ship set sail, they began to encounter unfavorable winds. God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? 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. Democratic leadership style fosters high job satisfaction and productivity because followers are involved in decision making. Nearing land in a storm is a very dangerous thing. He believed in himself, but he believed in something bigger than himself, namely, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified," (1 Cor. Engage group members: The leader involves members and encourages them to involve others. The need is great. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. Not the Adriatic Sea as we now call the sea between Italy and the mainland of Illyricum, but all the lower Mediterranean between Italy and Greece. Robertson, p. 469. How this decision would be regretted, and soon! In spite of Pauls words of encouragement, the passengers had still not eaten. With renewed strength, the passengers set about lightening the ship by throwing the remainder of the cargo the cargo of wheat overboard. What the ships crew intended to do was a cowardly thing. There would be no one left who was an experienced sailor, who could help land the crippled ship. He has surrounded himself with executives that are experienced and insightful. Verses 9-13 describe a crucial decision that was made. It has long been acknowledged as one of the most instructive documents for the knowledge of ancient seamanship. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 474. Consider these two things: Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home (Titus 1:8). As Paul had already informed them, neither the ship nor its cargo would survive, only the passengers. Then the passengers would have a better chance to reach shore. 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. The point was, before you can lead others you have to learn how to lead yourself. There was some level of favoritism going on. You are the devil's advocate. He has been beaten by the storm of Gods anger toward sin. When Esthers words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: Do not think that because you are in the kings house you alone of all the Jews will escape. Priscilla and Aquila are an example of Godly leadership that was displayed or exhibited in a married couple. I am not certain that anyone ever thought of Paul as the leader, but he did lead and they followed. This journey began on an Adramyttian ship, which took them as far as Myra, where they boarded an Alexandrian ship, headed for Italy. I see leadership held out to men and women as a prize, rather than as a humbling responsibility.