Resilience may be the cornerstone of effective leadership. Paul was told by the angel not to be afraid, because he was going to stand before Caesar. A centurion of the Augustan cohort by the name of Julius543 was placed in charge of the prisoners. Petty criticism wears on the leader. The centurion found an Alexandrian ship,547 laden with wheat that was headed for Italy. But once the sailors discerned that land was nearby, staying on board ship became increasingly dangerous. Verses 33-41 report Pauls encouragement, in words and deeds, and the grounding and breaking up of the ship. The God who was to rescue them was Pauls God, the God whom he served, and to whom he would bear testimony before Caesar. Because of its size and cargo, it required deeper water. While there are many examples of Godly leadership in the Bible, there are some you are probably more familiar with than others. The bottom line is that everyone leads in some fashion, be it great or small. Here are seven whose leadership played a significant role in leading the early church and furthering the gospel. If you remember the qualifications of a leader that we looked at earlier, you will see why this is a great example of Godly leadership in the Bible. It was drifting wherever the storm carried it. The job or position title does not make you a leader. The cultural expectations on pastors are mostly unbiblical, entirely impractical, and generally downright unrealistic. Nevertheless, they decided to press on to a better harbor. Here are three people who stand out as servant leadership examples in the Bible. These are questions that we shall seek to answer in our study of Acts chapter 27. 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. But Paul did not presume to have God on tap and thus to be able to perform some miracle any time his wished. Examples. Look at what was necessary for these men to be qualified to carry out this task. 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 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. 545 This seems to be the same Aristarchus mentioned in Acts 19:29; 20:4; Colossians 4:10 and Philemon 24. 2:2). 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. Paul was as secure as any man could be. These are examples of democratic leadership: All opinions are brought forward in team meetings. Paul once again stepped forward, speaking out to all aboard, so as to assure and encourage them, as well as to persuade them to prepare themselves for the rigors and physical demands of the hours that were to follow. Pauls caution is rather interesting. 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 could not handle the ship in the stormy waters. And so they were strengthened, both in spirit and in body. It was simpler, it seems, to forbid them from killing any of them. In the early church there was a problem. Where is your God, he asked. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. 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? 544 We know that Luke was on board ship because of the we references, and because of the great detail that he includes, as an eyewitness of the journey, the storm, and the safe landing of the passengers. 548 This harbour is named Kalus Limeonas, a small bay two miles east of Cape Matala. 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. 31 What then shall we say to these things? It is not surprising, though, that he would take the advice of the ships captain and its pilot as being more expert. What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? CSB Experiencing God Bible, Hardcover, Jacketed. It was time for another word of encouragement. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Some are not as visible; all are useful. The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. 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). The storm threatens not only the life of Paul, but also the lives of all on board his ship. Simply put, Paul warned those making the decision about whether or not to press on that continuing on was not wise. 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. Democratic style on the other hand refers to leadership style in which leaders are the final decision makers with the input of followers. 1. Bureaucratic leadership is defined as a form of leadership in which there is a hierarchy of authority that creates rules for management and decision making. It would seem that they had fasted nearly two weeksthroughout the entire time the storm was raging. "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. They were not men who manipulated people or their circumstances in order to further their own power or position. An elder must live a blameless life. But what are some of these purposes and promises? (2) The Sovereignty of God and Mans Safety. Few managers or politicians understand that. What is the relationship between spiritual leadership and secular leadership? (4) The Sovereignty of God and Human Responsibility. The death penalty is certainly one possibility. He sold his land and gave it to the church treasury. 563 This seems to suggest that the charges against these prisoners were serious. Tim Cook, for example, hires people who challenge and inspire him. Their safety was relative, however. Fourth, a moderate south wind had come up,552 which seemed to promise fair sailing to a better port. The centurion commanded that all should make it to land if they could. Inclusive Meetings A weekly meeting provides the best illustrations of the democratic ideology. In verses 27-29, Luke describes the ships approach to some body of land. He . He arose, then, for two reasons: (1) his shipmates were in desperate need of encouragement, and (2) he now had a word from God for them. Pauls influence was not the result of his political maneuverings, but mens response to his personal competence. After all, a number of the passengers could not even swim (see verses 43-44). Whether you realize it or not, we are all called to lead. Indeed, the fate of the ship was not exactly as Paul had warned, for there was no loss of life.551 He simply spoke as a seasoned traveler, an astute observer, and one who had experienced dangers at sea. They were now well into the dangerous season; as Luke notes, even the Fast had now gone by. He must live a devout and disciplined life. But he was wrong about the loss of passengers. Democratic leadership style fosters high job satisfaction and productivity because followers are involved in decision making. As it was the middle of the night and the storm was still fierce, the sailors put out anchors, to drag along the bottom, to slow down their drifting. (1) A look at leadership. Paul assured them that not a hair from their head would perish (verse 34). 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). Romans 13:1-3 ESV / 3 helpful votesNot Helpful. The centurion did not seem to be concerned with any of the prisoners, except one Paul. 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). What the ships crew intended to do was a cowardly thing. To Paul (in my opinion) this would be akin to jumping off the pinnacle of the temple, and thus putting God to the test (Luke 4:9-12). The amount of talking by the leader is another clue. "Perhaps he's sleeping and will wake up!" Nevertheless, he did not presume that God would intervene in this instance. If their safety was assured then let them do what they could to help themselveslet them eat. Here are some examples of their leadership. I would like to have heard that prayer, but Lukes silence here requires us to wait till heaven to find out what was said. In A.D. 59 it fell on October 5, but in all the neighboring years from 57 to 62 it fell earlier. I see people working for a place a leadership, rather than working to serve others, and letting leadership develop or not on its own. With difficulty, they finally arrived off Cnidus, but were then forced by the winds to sail under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone. The image of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples in John 13 is a striking one. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. Gods power and His sovereign control are no pretext for carelessness or recklessness. They cut loose the anchors, which set the ship free, as wind and waves propelled it toward land. 11. The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. The sovereignty of God is the basis for our safety and security, but it is not an excuse for our sloppiness. God used this two-year delay of Felix and the bungling of Festus to bring Paul to the point where he would appeal to Caesar. There is nothing wrong with a healthy fear of danger. Would any have heeded Paul or the gospel as seriously as they did, had the trip to Rome gone quickly and smoothly? How often, I wonder, are others benefited by the presence of a believer? I would say that is a great example of Godly leadership. 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? But Pauls concern here was not for himself, but for others. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com. The chapter may therefore be outlined in this way: One way or the other, Festus must have found some way to explain Pauls appearance before Caesar. The hour is hopeless. Remember this applies whether you are leading one or many. 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. Paul did not seek to sanctify his words by giving them any spiritual flavor. This is influence and leadership in action. While it is great to learn from others, you dont have to try to be like others. It was only some forty miles to Lutro. Robertson, p. 461. 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. In 1925 Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first woman to serve as a governor in the United States when she was inaugurated in Wyoming. A friend of mine, Jonathan Leath, wrote a book he titled You Only Lead One (YOLO). I could talk about David, Moses, or Nehemiah, but I want to talk about three lesser-known leaders who make great examples of Godly leadership in the Bible. He was going to survive. Apparently Paul discerned that those in charge were predisposed to sailing a little further. The ship did not make it all the way to that beach toward which they were steering it. 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. How does Pauls safety relate to you? Great leaders focus on serving those who follow them. But the storm brought men and women face to face with death, and with the truth of the gospel. If the prisoners were to make it to land, the soldiers would have to release them. There was some level of favoritism going on. And were all in it for the same reasonto fuel the churchs mission of making disciples. 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. 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. Jesus: A leader is a servant first. Unsaved men do not have the answers. The potential gains were minimal, while the potential loss was great. But in addition to his surviving this storm, God promised to spare all the other passengers on board as well, not for their sakes alone, but for Pauls sake. The point was, before you can lead others you have to learn how to lead yourself. 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. We're sorry, an error occurred. 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). I am not certain that anyone ever thought of Paul as the leader, but he did lead and they followed. For our examples, I want to look at leaders that may be a little more obscure. Is there not a kind of parable here? Here is another example of Godly leadership in the Bible that sometimes gets overlooked. In a democracy leaders. Except for Paul, they had all reached the conclusion that the situation was hopeless and that they were doomed. Looking at leadership honestly means looking at the best and the worst. Reminder: You are currently impersonating {{userSessionData.email}}. 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. You can learn valuable and unique lessons on leading the church and furthering the gospel from these men of the Bible. No doubt there were some anxious thoughts racing through the minds of the passengers. Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. Isnt it true that men do those things which they know to be risky, partly for the love of the risk, and often due to some small gain they wish, prompted by a false sense of assurance, and by the hope for some small gain? The short version is that there was a plot to destroy the Jews, and Mordecai got wind of the plot. He left this to God. A democratic leader encourages open conversation and helps their employees set goals, evaluate their own performance and motivates them to grow. 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. (1 Kings 18:27). It did not take long at this time of year for a storm to brew at sea. It seems as though the passengers, including Luke and Paul, were needed to help carry out this operation (see verse 19).556. I would think that Paul would have more reason to be reckless than these seasoned seamen and the centurion, because he was a Christian. They invited Apollos into their home and spent time explaining the truth to him. 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. What are we to make of this dramatic change in Pauls standing before his fellow-shipmates? The following post is adapted from my personal academic coursework. 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. Navigating the challenges and joys of ministry life. If you want to be a godly leader, I encourage you to focus on the qualities that God identifies as necessary in a leader. In fact, it seems that virtually everyone voted against him when the decision was made. Misconceptions about "Real" Leadership vs. Servant Leaders. Verse Concepts. As the song goes, More secure is no one ever, than the loved ones of the Savior. "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. You are the devil's advocate. There is no thus saith the Lord here, but Pauls words were worth heeding. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Pauls safety and deliverance was so certain that it was sufficient for others as well. 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. Pauls Bay is sheltered on the northwest by the island of Salmonetta, which is separated from the Maltese mainland by a narrow channel about a hundred yards wide. 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. They all waited for the morning light. God has given each leader specific gifts. Now they were ready for the days activities. 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. 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. Let me suggest a few characteristics of Pauls leadership in this crisis, which may provide fuel for future thought. Had people ceased eating, in part perhaps, because they thought they were going to die anyway? His church was a murmuring people. 555 From verse 38 we know that all the cargo was not thrown overboard at this time. He has surrounded himself with executives that are experienced and insightful. 15:24; 16: 2-3). 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. His previous warning did not take into account the intervention of God, resulting in the escape of every person on board the ship. Moses. From here on, sailing will not be smooth. If you see shortcomings, those are the areas that you can ask God to help you develop. Godly leadership like this can impact homes, communities, churches, businesses, schools, politics, sports basically every area of life. The Bible is pretty clear about what Godly leadership looks like. . Three days have already passed, and Luke provides us with the description of some incident for each day. Silent team members are specifically asked their opinions to make sure all perspectives are heard. The non-swimmers could wait a little longer, perhaps for the ship to further break up, and then clinging to some piece of floating wreckage, paddle their way to shore. The wise leader will work hard at blinding his or her eyes to the pettiness of church members' criticism. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Beyond this, God is free to act or not to act in any way that He chooses. Your family. The reason this type of leadership was necessary is because they were not just passing out food; they were solving a potentially bigger problem. Paul had a fair bit of experience with sea travel. Paul was spared so that he could go to Rome, and there proclaim the gospel. It is enough to discourage any pastor.
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