And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? (Esther 4:12-14). He is the author ofThe Pursuit of Purpose which will help you understand how God leads you into his will. 33 Who will bring a charge against Gods elect? Even running under the shelter of a small island (Clauda, verse 16), they could hardly get the ships dingy on board. Third, the port where they were anchored was not as ideal for wintering as some other ports, which were not that far away. 36 Just as it is written, For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house (1 Corinthians 16:19). Did Paul pray for their meal, as well as his own? God has given each leader specific gifts. 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. Thus, the sailors continually took soundings, measuring the depth below them, so that they could discern, far in advance, their approach to land (which would be indicated by progressively diminishing depths). What was required for this situation was Godly leadership. 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. This harbour would protect them for a time from the winds. The most memorable aspect of effective leadership of a pastor is when he has survived the polarities of differing opinions and modeled having each side respect the other's. 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. Whether by divine revelation, intuition, or by learning of their plans from some human source, Paul became aware of their intentions. Photo Credit: Sparrowstock. Moses. Here are 12 examples of inspiring leaders in the Bible who teach us what a great leader could and should be as well as how leaders should carry themselves. Pay attention to the type of men they chose to handle this problem. This is influence and leadership in action. Several factors contributed to the decision to sail on. Myra lies due north from Alexandria, and its bay is well calculated to shelter a windbound ship. Bruce quoting J. Smith, Voyage, pp. Peter, the most well-known disciple of Jesus, denies even . Our world, like that ship of Pauls, was headed for destruction. Since leadership happens inside and outside the church, these examples are good wherever you lead. What did Paul do to bring about such a change? Those who could swim should jump first, and make their way to shore. They had to move quickly now to get off the ship and to swim to shore. 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? He was thoroughly subservient to the will of God, and he was committed to a specific, meaningful mission. All 276 passengers were saved. Gods mission for Paul was to go to Rome and there to preach the gospel. Verses 33-41 report Pauls encouragement, in words and deeds, and the grounding and breaking up of the ship. They were not men who manipulated people or their circumstances in order to further their own power or position. And who would not be afraid in such a storm. 2:2). It was simpler, it seems, to forbid them from killing any of them. The centurion did not seem to be concerned with any of the prisoners, except one Paul. This necessitated sailing close to the coast of Cyprus, which, to some degree, sheltered them from the contrary winds (verse 4). Paul did not seek to sanctify his words by giving them any spiritual flavor. If Paul had been right before, and his words had come to pass, he had even more important words to speak now, not from his own perception or judgment, but from the God whom he served. And so Paul was correct, though not speaking at the moment with prophetic inspiration, authority, or inerrancy. That sounds like leadership to me. They may have the power, but they do not have the trust. With renewed strength, the passengers set about lightening the ship by throwing the remainder of the cargo the cargo of wheat overboard. It was still late at night, too dark to try to make shore until it was light. In fact, it seems that virtually everyone voted against him when the decision was made. While it is great to learn from others, you dont have to try to be like others. In every effective leader's life, there is a time for love, but also a time for courage. Salem Media Group. Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 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. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, let her not send her husband away. There was some level of favoritism going on. How does Pauls safety relate to you? One of the most outstanding examples of leadership in the Bible is the example of Moses. In verses 27-29, Luke describes the ships approach to some body of land. The precise status of Julius is difficult to determine: from the authority which he assumed when once (from Myra onward) he found himself on board a ship of the Alexandrian grain fleet, it might be inferred that he was a frumentarius, an officer charged with supervising the transport of grain (frumentum) to Rome. Bruce p. 477. Unsaved men do not have the answers. Resilience may be the cornerstone of effective leadership. Free shipping on books, Bibles, gifts, VBS, and church supplies of $50 or more. In a democracy leaders. Most leadership gurus define leadership as 'influence'. Here are seven whose leadership played a significant role in leading the early church and furthering the gospel. Examples of Democratic Leadership More than half of the countries in the world with populations over 500,000 people use a democratic leadership style. Priscilla and Aquila were hospitable. 1. It is not surprising, though, that he would take the advice of the ships captain and its pilot as being more expert. The centurion respected and trusted Paul a great deal, as can be seen by his previous dealings with him (see verse 3). 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. 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. {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). Some call it a tough mind and a tender heart. These prisoners were (pardon me for this) twice pardoned.. For some, your leadership responsibilities are limited to yourself and your home. The death penalty is certainly one possibility. Paul was a leader here because people followed him. An elder must live a blameless life. Others decided Paul and the other prisoners should set sail, and so Paul and they were turned over to Julius. Second, the majority of those who voted on this issue favored going further. Doing so would be certain death, for the larger vessel offered more protection, so long as it held together. Mordecais words influenced Esther to take an action that she would have otherwise not taken. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. The approaching land brought a new temptation to the sailors, who better than anyone else knew they were coming upon land.559. Beyond this, God is free to act or not to act in any way that He chooses. God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? The ship ran aground on a reef, where it would be broken up by the action of the still raging waves. Pauls influence was not the result of his political maneuverings, but mens response to his personal competence. Remember this applies whether you are leading one or many. 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). Sweden, the Philippines, Indonesia, South Korea, and the Netherlands are a few others. God does not jump through our hoops and thus Paul never presumed that he had Gods power on tap to use when and how he chose. A centurion of the Augustan cohort by the name of Julius543 was placed in charge of the prisoners. Looking back on these words would demonstrate that this was indeed prophecy. My guess is that he had skills the like of which Moses himself admired, perhaps even envied. Vision Statements of 12 Great Leaders in the Bible Few managers or politicians understand that. 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. I see leadership held out to men and women as a prize, rather than as a humbling responsibility. The need is great. Smith suggests that the mainyard is meant; an immense spar, probably as long as the ship, which would require the united efforts of passengers and crews to launch overboard. Bruce p. 486. 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. 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. Paul took bread, and giving thanks to God before all, he began to eat. 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. 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. Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. 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. I am not certain that anyone ever thought of Paul as the leader, but he did lead and they followed. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. Because of one prisoner on board that ship, all the other passengers were spared. But we can still have hope, even when we are afraid. "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. Petty criticism wears on the leader. Verse Concepts. 543 The centurion Julius, into whose custody he was delivered, belonged (we are told) to the Augustan Cohort. Some things dont change. Flee to safety today. He had the courage to speak to the evils of his day. While Paul had not lost hope, as had his shipmates, he must have been afraid. What the ships crew intended to do was a cowardly thing. Nevertheless, they decided to press on to a better harbor. He left this to God. Today's nomenclature calls it tough love.
