examples of democratic leaders in the bible
In Acts 20:35, we see him say to the elders of the church in Ephesus, "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more . A theophany had taken place in Joshua 5:15: "The commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, "Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." He had God on his side. His God was in control of all things, including the sea. And who would not be afraid in such a storm. Paul was a leader here because people followed him. But Moses brought him to the table of leadership because he was the best person for the job. There are also plenty of real-life examples of leadership in action. The final verses (42-44) tell of the plan of the soldiers to kill the prisoners, of the intervention of the centurion, and the safe arrival on land of all 276 passengers. And He has come forth from death and the grave, to give us new life. They were also able to build a church that met in their home. His sarcasm showed his disdain for those who had forsaken God. These prisoners were (pardon me for this) twice pardoned.. 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. Pauls leadership emerged in a time of crisis, in an hour of need, when no one else seemed to have any answers.565 Functional leadership (as opposed to formal leadership) emerges in times of need. Let us consider just a few: 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. I confess, I am distressed at the ways in which Christians are trying to take control of the political and governmental positions of authority. Paul thought of himself as nothing in the total scheme of things. Paul took bread, and giving thanks to God before all, he began to eat. Would any have heeded Paul or the gospel as seriously as they did, had the trip to Rome gone quickly and smoothly? Sailing past Cilicia and Pamphylia, they landed at Myra in Lycia (verse 5).546 It was here that they had to change ships. 7 Best Democratic Leadership Examples to Know 1. The winds seem to have blown the ship away from the island of Crete. The lives which Paul warned would be lost were those lives which were spared by God, for Pauls sake (see verses 22-24). 11. In 1925 Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first woman to serve as a governor in the United States when she was inaugurated in Wyoming. Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. They had to move quickly now to get off the ship and to swim to shore. If the prisoners were to make it to land, the soldiers would have to release them. An Uncorrupted View of Godly Leadership from Jude, 10 Women in the Bible God Used to Save Lives and Lead Others. Because of his special blessing, he was appointed as one with judicial powers and responsibilities in Joshua 14:6-15. Paul encouragement the passengers to trust God to do all that He promised. Neither Lasea nor Fair Havens is mentioned by any ancient writer, two of the hundred cities of Crete. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1930), III, p. 460. When the ship was far out at sea, and no one knowing how far they might be from land, abandoning ship was no temptation. He would build the walls on faith. I think not. 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. Peter: Leaders recover from failure. Featuring Jen Wilkin, Jennifer Rothschild, Kristi McLelland, and more! While Paul had not lost hope, as had his shipmates, he must have been afraid. Tim Cook became CEO of Apple in 2011. He must live a devout and disciplined life. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Not one soul was lost. Up to this point in time, they had gone a long while without food. "Perhaps he's sleeping and will wake up!" It seems as thought they had left it in the sea, towed along behind, when the storm suddenly came upon them and swamped it. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. He was thoroughly subservient to the will of God, and he was committed to a specific, meaningful mission. Petty criticism wears on the leader. At its heart, leadership for the Christian means loving God, walking in God's ways, acknowledging God's blessing, confessing personal limitations and corporate failures, doing justice, seeking peace and asking God for the gift of . 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. Passing it with considerable difficulty, and apparently not being able to make port there, they finally were able to make port at a place known as Fair Havens,548 which was not far from the city of Lasea, where they could have spent the winter. . When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. Paul had courage in the face of opposition because he had limitless horizons in his mission. Paul had a fair bit of experience with sea travel. [1] It is important to note that he learned leadership principles and faith from his parents (Hebrew 11:23 . (1) A look at leadership. He was generous and that in itself bridges the gaps of selfish and greedy people if God's grace is given the opportunity to be operative. 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). The storm caught the ship in its force, and so they could do nothing but allow the ship to be driven along by it. 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. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning, Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act toward achieving a common goal. Susan Ward. (The term Augustan, i.e., His Imperial Majestys, was a title of honor bestowed on several cohorts of auxiliary troops.) 1. 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. Your family. It will, however, come eventually. 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. 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." 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. By the way, Paul may not have been frightened so much for himself as for the others. If there was ever a time for Christians to emerge as leaders, it is now. I do not agree. Verse Concepts. 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. Paul lived dangerously, in one respect, but no one could have been any safer. Examples of democratic leaders. It is only when all hope is lost that Paul addresses his fellow shipmates.557 Much time had passed, the storm had not diminished, the ship was being constantly mauled by the storm, and the passengers had gone a long time without food. The sovereignty of God is no excuse for careless or reckless living. He was courageous as indicated by the spy scenario in Numbers 13:31. Verse Concepts. A late date for the day of atonement is required also by the time notes of the subsequent journey to Italy. The sovereignty of God will then result in the overthrow of His enemies and in the judgment of the wicked. His previous warning did not take into account the intervention of God, resulting in the escape of every person on board the ship. 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. Paul need no longer fear, because he knew the outcome of this storm. In a democracy leaders. 547 Ramsay is of the opinion that the ship was a government vessel of which the centurion, as senior officer, was properly in charge. *Indicated Required Field See ourPrivacy Policy. No one followed Paul because he was a man of God, or even because they concluded the God was with him. The potential gains were minimal, while the potential loss was great. If you see shortcomings, those are the areas that you can ask God to help you develop. 2:2). Democratic leadership is an effective leadership style but can sometimes be too slow when fast decisions are needed. And Joshua did so.". Paul accomplishes all this without any formal leadership position or authority. When the ship is grounded and the passengers must swim for their lives, the soldiers plan to kill Paul, along with the other prisoners, to prevent any from escaping. If the relative safety of the passengers was in being on board ship, with Paul, our certain safety is in being in Christ. He has weathered the storm of Gods wrath on the sinner. Gods Word gives us those answers. As a church staff or volunteer ministry leader, you can learn valuable and unique lessons from several biblical characters. Peter, the most well-known disciple of Jesus, denies even . 552 A south wind having blown gently, in marked contrast to the violent northwest wind that they had faced so long. I suspect so. This created a serious problem. Paul knew that he would reach Rome, but he also strongly sensed that the ship and some of its passengers would not. If there were but ten righteous in the city of Sodom, God would have spared the city for the sake of those righteous (Genesis 18:22-33). 31 What then shall we say to these things? He refused to bow to the king and ended up in the lion's den. Bruce writes. Remember, he struck the rock and disobeyed God, but his patience had worn thin. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? (Esther 4:12-14). Order Curriculum, Literature, and Church Supplies, by Brooks Faulkner on Tuesday, September 08, 2015 at 6:00 AM. It has become an untenable situation, a burden no man can bear. There is nothing wrong with a healthy fear of danger. 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. It is as certain as the salvation of His own. 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. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined {to become} conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; 30 and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. Examples of Democratic Leadership More than half of the countries in the world with populations over 500,000 people use a democratic leadership style. The angel of God told Paul not to be afraid, which would indicate that he was afraid. In the early church there was a problem. . Vision Statements of 12 Great Leaders in the Bible At the beginning of the chapter, Paul is the object, the one who is acted upon. Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. If you possess these types of qualifications, would that make you a better leader? What did Paul do to bring about such a change? If God {is} for us, who {is} against us? The Bible is pretty clear about what Godly leadership looks like. To ensure you receive the best experience on Lifeway.com, we use cookies to process information about your visit. It seems as though the passengers, including Luke and Paul, were needed to help carry out this operation (see verse 19).556. Pauls caution is rather interesting. Focus on who you are and allow God to develop you into the leader he has called you to be. Handling the ship in this storm was almost impossible, and any attempt would require an expert crew. 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. Gods power and His sovereign control are no pretext for carelessness or recklessness. 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. He was obscure in comparison to other great Old Testament heroes, but faithfulness separated him from mediocrity. The image of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples in John 13 is a striking one. He would later, on the island, work signs and wonders. Paul and a number of other prisoners were put aboard an Adramyttian ship,542 which was setting sail for ports along the coast of Asia. Because it was a part of Gods sovereign plan, God did purpose to spare Paul and the ships passengers, but in a way that would to some seem only like good luck. The miraculous aspect is seen in Pauls prediction of what happened in complete agreement with all that did happen, even to the minute details. It was Paul who showed caution, warning those in charge of the dangers ahead. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com. Remember this applies whether you are leading one or many. Unsaved men do not have the answers. Whatever God has promised to do, He will do. 564 Would he not have dared to command the soldiers not to kill Paul, but to have allowed the others to be put to death? 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Romans 5:8-10). God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? "He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. Here are seven whose leadership played a significant role in leading the early church and furthering the gospel. Clearly the answer is yes. Not once or twice the world has had to thank the great saints and mystics for providing timely help in moments of crisis when realistic, practical men of affairs were unable to supply it. Bruce, p. 475. How does Pauls safety relate to you? Verses 33-41 report Pauls encouragement, in words and deeds, and the grounding and breaking up of the ship. They followed Paul because he knew where he was going and inspired confidence in others to follow him. They made port in Sidon, a city about 70 miles north of Caesarea. 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). 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. The great leaders of the Bible, men like Joseph, Moses, David, and Daniel, were men who had an impact because they were men of God, men of great skill and ability, and men who God raised up. 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. 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? 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 want to use numbers and influence decisions based upon voting power. 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. How can Paul, a prisoner, emerge as the leader on board a ship, while in the midst of a storm? 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. Proud member 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). The prisoners (at least the dangerous or violent ones) may have been in chains. He has also just released his new book The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. When this happens, there will be no protection for the lost. Salem Media Group. By the end of this time, all hope had been lost, either of the storm abating, or of any rescue. This problem would require the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit, which is foundational to Godly leadership. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to {obtain} an inheritance {which is} imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 543 The centurion Julius, into whose custody he was delivered, belonged (we are told) to the Augustan Cohort. Pauls influence was not the result of his political maneuverings, but mens response to his personal competence. Priscilla and Aquila are an example of Godly leadership that was displayed or exhibited in a married couple. The Fast is the day of atonement (Yom Kippur), which falls on Tishri 10. 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 . Whether you realize it or not, we are all called to lead. Paul accomplishes all this without any formal leadership position or authority. Pauls leadership enhanced the preaching of the gospel. Since leadership is important, how does Godly leadership fit into the equation? He was not a sailor; in fact he was not even a paying passenger. The wise leader will work hard at blinding his or her eyes to the pettiness of church members' criticism. One more detail about the future was revealed by Paul: the ship must run aground on a certain, but unnamed, island. They just happened to run aground at the place where two seas met.562 It seems that the action of the water created some kind of sandbar or shallows, on which the ship stuck fast. 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. In verses 27-29, Luke describes the ships approach to some body of land. Here is another example of Godly leadership in the Bible that sometimes gets overlooked. The ship would be lost, but not one of the passengers would perish. 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. All 276 passengers were saved. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. But there was a problem. Paul reminded his shipmates that they should have listened to him sooner. When the outcome is known, and the One who determines it is both faithful and sovereign (in control), the danger of harm is removed, along with the need for fear. Their troubles to this point would seem insignificant compared to what was soon to come. They cut loose the anchors, which set the ship free, as wind and waves propelled it toward land. This was a Jewish couple who were deported from Rome. 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. The danger in which they found themselves was unnecessary. It was needlessly endangering others that Paul was trying to avoid. 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. An elder must live a blameless life. 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. Resilience may be the cornerstone of effective leadership. 4. 556 The following day, a more drastic measure was necessary: the spare gear had to go if the ship was to have any chance of surviving. In other words, your leadership style should be authentic to you. It was only some forty miles to Lutro. Robertson, p. 461. Pauls skillfulness and leadership gave the gospel a credibility it would not have otherwise have had in the eyes of these people. But Paul did not presume to have God on tap and thus to be able to perform some miracle any time his wished. A church leader is a manager of Gods household, so he must live a blameless life. There is no thus saith the Lord here, but Pauls words were worth heeding. I take it that this was a form of democratic rule. Pay attention to the type of men they chose to handle this problem. They boarded this ship and set sail. The hour is hopeless. He had had enough. It opens to the East and Southeast, but is not fit to winter in. They all waited for the morning light. Nobody said it would be easy. Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. "I have appointed you as a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth" (Acts 13:47). Gods promise was fulfilled, just as Paul had said He would. The grounding of the ship, some distance from shore, and then its breaking up poses another threat, which all survive. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. This proposal pleased the whole group. Some things dont change. They were now well into the dangerous season; as Luke notes, even the Fast had now gone by. He believed in himself, but he believed in something bigger than himself, namely, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified," (1 Cor. 551 Although there almost certainly would have been some loss of life, apart from divine intervention. Priscilla and Aquila are an example of Godly leadership that was displayed or exhibited in a married couple. It was his responsibility to persuade her to use the position she had to make a difference. This necessitated sailing close to the coast of Cyprus, which, to some degree, sheltered them from the contrary winds (verse 4). She had entered the election the previous year following the death of her husband, the incumbent governor who was campaigning for a second term. Brooks Faulkner previously served as the senior pastoral ministry specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. This was a Jewish couple who were deported from Rome. How this decision would be regretted, and soon! Because of its size and cargo, it required deeper water. 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. Doing so would be certain death, for the larger vessel offered more protection, so long as it held together. This was probably due to seasickness, and perhaps to the difficulty of cooking under such circumstances. He did not claim to have a certain (prophetic) knowledge of what was going to happen. The centurion respected and trusted Paul a great deal, as can be seen by his previous dealings with him (see verse 3). All in all, it would be best to wait out the storm at sea. Where is your God, he asked. He sold his land and gave it to the church treasury. 1 Timothy 4:12. He was not an "out front" kind of person, but rather stayed in the background as a fan and supporter of Paul. 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).
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