Thursday, March 28

JESUS THE GREAT COACH

Jesus is the great coach, builder and architect of our lives.  Where religion seeks to oppress and steal true freedom, Jesus seeks to bring life, nurture life and empower your future. Jesus BELIEVES in you – He IS a Believer!

A few thoughts on how Jesus acts as your great coach:

  1. HE COMES ALONGSIDE

When 2 disciples were walking home to Emmaus troubled about their life and their future Jesus came alongside them and began to make some things clear – the Bible says “their hearts burned within them”.  That is they felt strength, excitement and truth.

When the disciples had been fishing all night – Jesus came alongside
When they were in a storm – Jesus came alongside
When the woman was caught in adultery – Jesus came alongside

He still comes alongside us today, by His Holy Spirit:

John 16:7 NKJV Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the HELPER will not COME TO YOU; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

That word ‘helper’, in Greek, is  parakletos, meaning ‘called alongside to help’

Jesus comes alongside you every moment of every day for every thing.

He is there when a family member wasn’t
He is there when your colleague let you down
He is there when your car broke down
He is there in that big business deal
He will be there …

When I stand on the sidelines of a game which my son is playing in – he smiles with confidence.  It’s amazing what we will do with a hand on a shoulder, or knowing a certain person is in the room.  Jesus is your ultimate coach, He comes alongside.

2.  HE EQUIPS

If you feel ill equipped to do what God has called you to do (which is always beyond our natural capability) you are in good company:

Noah didn’t feel ready to build the Ark
Moses didn’t feel ready to lead Israelites – yet had anointing to match task
Paul felt least amongst Apostles – released within weeks of getting saved
Even Jesus didn’t do anything before He was filled with the Spirit and power

But he gave Samson hair, He gave Moses a stick, He gave Peter a breakfast (before he was restored and sent out)…

When I started getting into leadership, I would get ideas – when I read the bible, when I pastored people, when I had decisions to make – you could call it wisdom.

God has given you a gift, that may even seem ordinary (like a stick to Moses, or an idea), but in His hands it is extraordinary – you are equipped!

Ephesians 4:8 NIV This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and GAVE GIFTS to his people.”

3.    HE EMPOWERS

To empower means:

  1. To give someone authority or power to do something: “he was empowered to sign on her behalf”
  2. To enable someone to do something.

If around Jesus long enough you realise He believes you can do some extraordinary things – He releases you with authority to do it & enables you to.

When my youngest son comes to me to help him with his Meccano I can easily get carried away and take over the building process.  He hates that.  What he loves is when I say “you hold the bolt while I tighten the nut”.

We actually like the thrill of Jesus believing in us & achieving something – we don’t want Him to do it all for us, but we need His enabling – His hands on ours.  The great coach is offering a partnership.

He is the power in the partnership :  …Christ the POWER OF GOD… (1 Corinthians 1:24)

He empowers us by sending the Holy Spirit:

Acts 1:8 NKJV “you shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and YOU SHALL BE witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Walk in His power today!