The soldiers were thus acting to save themselves, as well as the rest on board. He was nicknamed "son of encouragement" (Acts 4:36). They cut loose the anchors, which set the ship free, as wind and waves propelled it toward land. Examples of democratic leaders. Paul was a leader here because people followed him. The lives which Paul warned would be lost were those lives which were spared by God, for Pauls sake (see verses 22-24). Free shipping on books, Bibles, gifts, VBS, and church supplies of $50 or more. Luke now passes over the details of a number of the days that followed, indicating only that many days passed, and that the storm continued to abuse the ship and to terrify its passengers. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. If the leader becomes a wimp, he will lose his leadership role. And who would not be afraid in such a storm. Titus would be a good place to start, and there are other scriptures as well. Nevertheless, they decided to press on to a better harbor. Every passenger made it safely to shore. 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. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. He was going to survive. The sovereignty of God will then result in the overthrow of His enemies and in the judgment of the wicked. Effective leaders have the courage to speak even when it is unpopular to speak because they speak the truth with love. 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). And were all in it for the same reasonto fuel the churchs mission of making disciples. A friend of mine, Jonathan Leath, wrote a book he titled You Only Lead One (YOLO). For our examples, I want to look at leaders that may be a little more obscure. Pauls faith and his courage were contagious. There are many different styles and forms of leadership. These people saw first hand the hope of the gospel in Paul, when all hope was lost. What can we learn about leadership, which can benefit others, and can promote the gospel? These are questions that we shall seek to answer in our study of Acts chapter 27. The time which had been lost, due to unfavorable winds, made it evident that they would not be able to reach Rome, not without wintering at some port, and finishing the journey in the Spring.550 The only question now was where they would winter, and whether or not they would press on to some more favorable port. Paul lived dangerously, in one respect, but no one could have been any safer. He believed in himself, but he believed in something bigger than himself, namely, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified," (1 Cor. Pastor Appreciation Month and Pastor Appreciation Day are great opportunities every October to show how much you care for your pastor and church leaders. Focus on who you are and allow God to develop you into the leader he has called you to be. Whatever dangers might arise, He will protect His people, in accordance with His purposes and promises. He must live a devout and disciplined life. 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? It was drifting wherever the storm carried it. He did not claim to have a certain (prophetic) knowledge of what was going to happen. 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. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com. It was a coasting vessel, which was to call at various ports of the province of Asia; at one of these Julius knew he would find a ship, preferably a grain ship, bound for Italy. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 477. Discouraged by the disapproval of Jesus, yet blessed by the warmth and affection of Jesus. 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. The otherstwo hundred and seventy-six in allfollowed his example. 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. Moses. Progress was slow, due to wind conditions. It opens to the East and Southeast, but is not fit to winter in. Christianity is not a fair weather religion. Their safety was relative, however. In other words, your leadership style should be authentic to you. Tim Cook, for example, hires people who challenge and inspire him. In spite of Pauls words of encouragement, the passengers had still not eaten. *Indicated Required Field See ourPrivacy Policy. Whatever God has promised to do, He will do. [1] It is important to note that he learned leadership principles and faith from his parents (Hebrew 11:23 . When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately (Acts 18:26). Dwight Eisenhower (1890-1969) - The 34th President of the U.S. Eisenhower was the Supreme Command of NATO before he served two terms as the U.S. President. 562 St. Julius and the others did not seem to look upon Paul in religious or spiritual terms, but only in terms of practical and proven ability and knowledge. Great leaders wash their people's feet. Democratic leadership is an effective leadership style but can sometimes be too slow when fast decisions are needed. In so doing, the sailors would not only be abandoning ship, they would be abandoning all the passengers on board ship, leaving them helpless. Too often, I hear leadership spoken of as a place of status, rather than a place of service. 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 1:9). Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. With renewed strength, the passengers set about lightening the ship by throwing the remainder of the cargo the cargo of wheat overboard. When you study closely, you will discover these examples of leadership in the Bible can help you address all of lifes situations. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. As peoples personalities are different, so are the leadership styles. 1. It is enough to discourage any pastor. That sounds like leadership to me. 1 Peter 5:3. 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. Here is a list of famous examples of democratic leaders: Dwight Eisenhower, The 34th U.S. President Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple Larry Page, Co-founder of Google Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter Read more about these Famous examples of democratic leadership and feel inspired. This centurion was to develop a deep respect for Paul, so that he would extend considerable liberties to him, take seriously his advice, and make every effort to protect 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. . Simply put, Paul warned those making the decision about whether or not to press on that continuing on was not wise. It was too late in the sailing season to travel on to Rome by sea. The decision that faced these sailors is not an uncommon one, even in our day. How does Pauls safety relate to you? 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. How can Paul, a prisoner, emerge as the leader on board a ship, while in the midst of a storm? Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house (1 Corinthians 16:19). 555 From verse 38 we know that all the cargo was not thrown overboard at this time. Bruce writes. What are some examples of democratic leadership? He is the author ofThe Pursuit of Purpose which will help you understand how God leads you into his will. Here is another example of Godly leadership in the Bible that sometimes gets overlooked. In all of this God protected Paul. Since this was not an ideal place to spend the winter, and sailing conditions looked favorable at the moment, they decided to press on to a more accommodating port. They did not know exactly where they were and they could not recognize anything familiar about the land, but they did resolve to run the ship aground in a bay which they could see ahead. Salem Media Group. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company [photolithoprinted], 1966), p. 191, quoting Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and Roman Citizen, p. 319. Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all . The short version is that there was a plot to destroy the Jews, and Mordecai got wind of the plot. As a church staff or volunteer ministry leader, you can learn valuable and unique lessons from several biblical characters. 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. Paul's leadership emerges on board the ship, on which he was headed toward Rome. "I have appointed you as a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth" (Acts 13:47). Few managers or politicians understand that. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? (Esther 4:12-14). When Daniel was living in captivity in Babylon, he was obedient to the point of losing his life if necessary. Pauls leadership was not viewed as spiritual leadership by those on board the ship. 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. 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. A centurion of the Augustan cohort by the name of Julius543 was placed in charge of the prisoners. 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. (3) The Sovereignty of God and the Ultimate Peril of the Lost. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Verses 14-20: A Sudden Storm and Lost Hope, Verses 21-26: Pauls Night Visitation and Words of Encouragement, Verses 30-32: Sailors Stopped From Abandoning Ship, Verses 33-41: Pauls Encouragement and the Ships Grounding, Verses 42-44: Prisoners and Passengers Spared From Death. I believe leadership must be positive influence . (The term Augustan, i.e., His Imperial Majestys, was a title of honor bestowed on several cohorts of auxiliary troops.) They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them (Acts 6:3-6). It has become an untenable situation, a burden no man can bear. "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. "Perhaps he's sleeping and will wake up!" Priscilla and Aquila are an example of Godly leadership that was displayed or exhibited in a married couple. 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. The wise leader will work hard at blinding his or her eyes to the pettiness of church members' criticism. 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. By the way, Paul may not have been frightened so much for himself as for the others. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For Pauls sake, all the passengers on board his ship were spared from the storm. It did not take long at this time of year for a storm to brew at sea. The approaching land brought a new temptation to the sailors, who better than anyone else knew they were coming upon land.559. God has given each leader specific gifts. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. Thus, he did not expect a miracle, nor did he even ask for one. Paul was not striving to be a leader here, but simply trying to be of help. Pauls leadership enhanced the preaching of the gospel. There is nothing wrong with a healthy fear of danger. This necessitated sailing close to the coast of Cyprus, which, to some degree, sheltered them from the contrary winds (verse 4). They invited Apollos into their home and spent time explaining the truth to him. The storm threatens not only the life of Paul, but also the lives of all on board his ship. There is no place safer than the place of obedience to the Word of God. Democratic leadership style fosters high job satisfaction and productivity because followers are involved in decision making. In fact, it seems that virtually everyone voted against him when the decision was made. This created a serious problem. He doesn't mince words when he calls them "a brood of vipers.". A true leader has to be brutally honest with all those he comes in contact with. But today, we want to focus on a . So, says Luke, they lowered the instrument, not being more specific perhaps because he did not know, or did not remember, the technical name for whatever it was that was lowered. Paul had courage in the face of opposition because he had limitless horizons in his mission. The storms of your life may not have been sent your way to destroy you, but to turn you to Gods salvation. Here are some examples of their leadership. The amount of talking by the leader is another clue. For others it extends beyond the walls of your home possibly into your community, your job, or even your ministry. Their objective was to work with two groups of people from different cultures and make sure one did not feel slighted over the other. Because of his special blessing, he was appointed as one with judicial powers and responsibilities in Joshua 14:6-15. The smaller boat, was much more easily handled, and would have been the logical choice when trying to make shore, especially in such circumstances. He had the courage to speak to the evils of his day. In a democracy leaders. But Pauls concern here was not for himself, but for others. Sailing past Cilicia and Pamphylia, they landed at Myra in Lycia (verse 5).546 It was here that they had to change ships. 557 This is not to suggest that Paul now emerged because he knew that this was the low-point of his fellow-passengers, but because the night before the angel of God had appeared to him. The question was where the ship would make port for the winter. 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). What grace was made evident in this storm! 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? I see leadership held out to men and women as a prize, rather than as a humbling responsibility. 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 following post is adapted from my personal academic coursework. Vision Statements of 12 Great Leaders in the Bible 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:28-39). 31 What then shall we say to these things? Other words for democratic leadership Pauls influence was not the result of his political maneuverings, but mens response to his personal competence. Think of it. In the sea of Adria (en toi Hadriai). The Fast is the day of atonement (Yom Kippur), which falls on Tishri 10. Here are three unique leaders who serve as great examples of democratic leadership: Abraham Lincoln President Lincoln took office understanding his decisions over the next four years would determine the fate of the United States.