Acts 27:11-12 (NASBStr)
But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul. Because the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.
Leadership and Decision Making
We finish off the book of Acts today with a very important challenge as to whether we should listen to someone tell us what God says or those who are in the "know", or even the majority opinion. In Acts 27 we see that Paul is being taken to Rome by a centurion named Julius. Julius (in 27:2-12) has a choice to make in regard to sail or not to sail: Does he listen to the captian of the ship (a man who most surely was trusted and would know the sea); or to the majority who thought they should sail; or, to Paul who didn't know much about sailiing but was, by his own testimony, in touch with the God who made the sea. Before we look too deeply into this, it is important to remember the seas and the storms when you are boating. When we live on a boat, we lived by a creed that goes like this: "It is better to be on shore wishing you were at sea than to be a sea and wishing you were on shore" (because of a storm).
This decision for the centurion, Julius, is not an easy one. The professional opinion was to sail. The captain of the boat said, “set sail.” The majority opinion was to sail. But, this prisoner, who was "whacked out on God" says, "if you sail there will be a shipwreck." Here is the dilemma most of us face everyday. Do we listen to the knowledgeable; the total, the majority opinion; or, the radical? Julius had a decision to make. Like most leaders today he went with the knowledgemable and the total. He was unwilling to trust God's Word through God's messenger. Obviously the rest of the story shows the result: Shipwreck. This story is the prefect example of the world around us and their day-to-day choices. God's Word is different. Moses listened to God's Word and walked the nation across the dry floor of the Red Sea. Joshua and Caleb listened to God's Word, opposed the majority opinion and were allowed to enter the promise land. David ignored the "group think" of his brothers and slew the giant with a single stone. Nehemiah didn't bend to peer pressure and stood alone to finish the walls. God is constantly showing that "His ways are not our ways". Why do we constantly end up in shipwrecks? Because we follow the majority opinon and group think! (By the way ... keep reading. Juilus does listen to Paul later and it saves his life and others - see Acts 27:27-32).
Leaders always have a choice to make. Often time the majority opinion is correct and leaders ought to lean into that majority thought. But, when it comes to God’s Word, God’s plan and God’s approach, no mob, no science, no vote, can triumph over obedience to God’s thoughts. Think of Moses being asked to strike the rock in the desert so that water flows from the rock. The majority of the opinion would have been, “No way!” Think of Joshua telling today’s armies to walk around a city seven times so the walls and barriers protecting those inside the city will fall down. The majority would have laughed him to scorn. Imagine the thought of the eleven disciples when Jesus told Peter to step out of the boat and walk on water. If the average church goer was in the boat with Peter today they would have grabbed his garments and told him he was a fool.
Leadership has to make hard decisions. It is easier to go with the flow. Paul did not go with the flow ... of mankind. Paul listened to the voice of the Spirit and spoke truth. That was unpopular. But, it was right!
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