Trusting the Coach

Introduction

I can remember the name of every coach I ever had. I played on numerous football, basketball and baseball teams and was quite fortunate to have coaches that I could trust and impacted my life in some way long after the season ended. Coaches are important. In fact, I believe that a great coach can take average athletes that are willing to learn and make them a team that wins and competes on the highest of levels! The key is trusting the coach. If those same athletes do not trust the coach, they will be a team that is constantly defeated. To prove this theory, I reached out to several friend that are coaches. I simply asked them this question: Why is trusting the coach so important?

Their responses were incredible.

“When the players trust me and the plan, we’re able to move more quickly.” Coach Bill Torgerson, Watauga High Women’s Basketball

“I think trusting the coach is key because ultimately the coach has the game plan and if you’re doubting or undermining the game plan, the team will never come together and be all that it needs to be.” Coach Kim Pryor, Watauga High School Volleyball.

“It is important for a player to trust the their coach because they know the coach has the best interest of the team at the forefront of their decisions.” Coach Dustin Kerley, Watauga County Schools Athletic Director.

“Trust has to be earned…it’s what we do everyday that defines us, not just a scoreboard a dozen times a year! A coach will leave a lasting impression on young (people) and trust is a must!” Coach Steve Patton, College Football, Division II National Coach of the Year, 2-time Big South Coach of the Year.

Interestingly, each one of these coaches and others that I talked with, all said that building relationships was key to building trust. Without the relationship, trust does not exist.

What does that have to do with us? Well, if we want to stay in the game, we have to trust the coach. Who is our coach?

By definition, a coach is “a person who trains an athlete or a team.” It also means to give instruction or advice. A teacher would certainly have a similar meaning.

Ultimately, if we want to stay in the game, we need training and instruction. As a Christian, you and I can get training and instruction from preachers and Bible teachers. However, the best training and instruction we can get comes directly from God the Father, the Author of Teaching. I want to show you from Scripture two separate passages that help us see this better. The first passage is from the oldest book in the Bible, the Book of Job. Job has had everything taken from him in a test to see if he would denounce God. Several friends have encouraged him to do so, but he has refused and has remain faithful. The Bible says that Job “was righteous in his own eyes” and this infuriated a man named Elihu. He was led by the Spirit of God to counter some things that Job has said. In doing so, we see Elihu telling Job a thing or two about God. Then in Job 36 we see these truths:

Job 36:22–26 NIV84

22 “God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him? 23 Who has prescribed his ways for him, or said to him, ‘You have done wrong’? 24 Remember to extol his work, which men have praised in song. 25 All mankind has seen it; men gaze on it from afar. 26 How great is God—beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out.

Elihu is basically saying, “There is no one greater than our God.”

Fast forward from the oldest book in the Bible to the Gospel of John, we see Jesus teaching His disciples. He had just finished washing the feet of His disciples. Jesus said, in John 13:12-17

John 13:12–17 NIV84

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

If you and I are going to stay in the game, we need to trust what Jesus has done and trust the dependence we can have in God the Father.

Trusting the Dependence

The Certainty Presented

We see no doubt in what Elihu said to Job. The certainty presented is that “God is exalted in His power.” We also see in John, Jesus declares that He is both Teacher and Lord.

The Confidence Provided

The Confidence provided comes with a question that Elihu asks which cannot be answered, “Who is a teacher like Him?”

Jesus tells the disciples that He has set an example for them to follow.

The Craving Proclaimed

The craving proclaimed is in the command to “remember to extol His work.” In other words, be sure to give credit where credit is due! God’s plan always comes with direction. We need be sure we are trusting in direction.

Trusting the Direction

Trusting the direction is believing wholeheartedly the answer to this question: Will our God ever fail you?

1 Chronicles 28:20

1 Chronicles 28:20 NIV84

20 David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.

The work for the service of the temple of the Lord will never be finished on this earth as there will always be work to be done to draw people to God. More importantly, God will not fail you.

The Map of the Way

God gives us directions. He provides a map of the way. Just like a coach, God has a game plan for our lives and He revealed it through His Son, Jesus. The disciples called Him Teacher and Lord. John 13:13

John 13:13 NIV84

13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.

He demonstrated to them the map of the way and the method of winning.

The Method of Winning

How did He do that? As Teacher and Lord, He washed their feet. He demonstrated servanthood and shared with them what to do. John 13:14-15

John 13:14–15 NIV84

14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

When you trust the direction, you have decided that God’s way is best. It becomes a matter of the want.

The Matter of the Want

Isaiah 48:17 NIV84

17 This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.

Trusting the Dedication

Thanks be to God that we can trust Him and His ways. He is dedicated to us, so we can trust His dedication.

Each of the coaches I talked with made mention of the coaches dedication and experience. They have be trained to know how to get the best out of their athletes. These coaches believed the call they have received.

Believing the Call

We can too! These coaches previously mentioned believed that they have been called to help teams win in the games played and more importantly in life. In washing the feet, Jesus showed His disciples true servanthood. Can you imagine, the Son of God, washing the nastiness of one’s feet? What an example to build the cause!

Building the Cause

John 13:17 NIV84

17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Knowledge leads to blessing. The blessing comes from building on the foundation that has been laid. Jesus as teacher and coach, shows us that by washing the feet of His disciples, He is placing value on them. How do you think the disciples felt when He did that to them? Jesus recognized the worth of those being washed. He gave them value. He did it with comfort and care. As He cleansed them, He pointed them to salvation. He also reminds them that even the dirtiest of dirty can be made clean.

Backing through Confidence

That is some good coaching and teaching! He is trusting the dedication and backing through confidence.

1 John 4:17 NIV84

17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.

The coach coaches the game so the team can win. Our Lord teaches us and simultaneously coaches us to be delivered from the bondage of sin and cleanses us to be holy and acceptable to God the Father.

Trusting the Deliverance

We must trust the deliverance that Jesus gave us through the cross. In fact, the cross washed us and cleansed us from the dirty stains of sin.

Theologian Bruce Milne wrote, “If He act thus, stooping in humility to serve us by washing us through His cross, how much more ought we be ready to wash the feet of even the lowest and meanest of His followers?”

The Undeniable Release

The deliverance we get is undeniable release from the bondage of sin.

The Unusual Rescue

The deliverance we get is the unusual rescue from the depths of hell.

The Ultimate Redemption

The ultimate redemption is abundant and eternal life.

Conclusion

If you want to stay in the game, do what your coach tells you to do. Don’t argue, don’t criticize, don’t doubt, doubt deny. It may be a poor analogy, but understand this, the oldest book in the Bible declares there is no other teacher like our God. The heart of the Gospels tell us that Jesus was indeed our Teacher and Lord. Make the Lord Jesus your Teacher, your Coach, your Instructor, you Guide, your Lord, and stay in the game.