The Coachable Christian

The Coachable Christian
Proverbs 3:7-8
September 5, 2021 

Introduction

ILLUS – “Coachable moment” experiences in college football.

1. In the Bible, there is a lot of encouragement to be coachable/teachable.
2. Why is there such encouragement to be teachable/coachable in the Bible?
3. Because those who are coachable and teachable get wiser and God wants His people to be wise and live their lives wisely.
4. Tonight, during our time together, we will discover the character qualities of a coachable person. As we do, it is my prayer that we will not only know what these character qualities are but seek to apply them to our lives, to be Coachable Christians.

Proverbs 3:7-8, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

Transition – The first characteristic of someone who is Coachable is. . .

I.  Coachable Christians are Humble

A.  One’s attitude reveals one’s heart.

1. There is a true humility about them and their response, their attitude in coachable moments proves it.
2. Proverbs 3:7 says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.”
3. This proverb is telling us that those who are humble are people who:
   a. Fear the Lord, meaning they are people who acknowledge God in all their ways, in every aspect of their life!
   b. They do not act like they know it all. You don’t hear them say, “I know. . . I know!”
   c. They are aware of their weaknesses and conscious of blind spots.
   d. They own up to their failures.
   e. They consider others more highly than themselves.

Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”

          f. They are slow to speak and quick to listen.

James 1:19, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”

ILLUS – Olympic Athletes

One of the best female high jumpers in the 2021 Olympics, Vashti Cunningham.
After executing EVERY jump, she went right over to her coach.

• While her coach was speaking to her she wouldn’t say a word. She simply listened and hung on every word of her coach’s encouragement, his correction, his specific instruction, and the strategy for her next jump.
• The process jump after jump:
• Return to her coach, humbly listen to his every word, then execute the jump. . . and so on.
  NOTE: Not only did she listen to her coach’s encouragement, his correction/adjustment, and his instruction/strategy but she went out each time and then executed the next jump as best as she could according to his leading!

APPL – You see, Proverbs is telling us that humble people are always learning and becoming wiser because they are open to correction.

Everybody is ignorant, just on different subjects.
We do not have time in life to learn everything from personal experience.
So it is wiser to learn from the experience of others.
By doing so, you will save yourself a lot of unnecessary grief.

B.  One’s coachable heart reveals maturity and brings unity to the Body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-13, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

1. Humility and maturity go hand in hand.
2. Humility flows from the heart of a mature Christian.
3. Therefore, a mature Christian will be a humble Christian.

ILLUS – UW vs USC Game Result. The importance of being coachable for the purpose of greater unity in vision in the Body of Christ.

II. Coachable Christians Actively Seek Wise Counsel

A.  They ask for feedback even when it is not offered.

Proverbs 4:7-9, 14, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Cherish her (wisdom), and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.”

1. Maybe you know someone who desperately seeks counsel while in “crisis-mode” but fails to pursue wisdom when things are going well.
2. The Bible calls that person foolish (Proverbs 1:7).
3. Those who pursue wisdom do the following:
   a.  They look to God’s Word as the final authority and memorize Bible verses(and then meditate on them) to store up wisdom for the future.

2 Timothy 3:16-17, “ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

         b. Take notes when there is a message.
         c.  Look for godly mentors to help them grow in the things of God and in life.
         d.  Ask others for help when needed.

     4.  Proverbs also speaks of those who are the opposite of “humble” and choose not to seek/pursue wisdom.

Proverbs 26:12, “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

B.  They learn from the right teachers.

1. Proverbs says that fools breed folly and the wise impart wisdom.
2. Discern who does and does not teach wisdom in their words and actions.

Proverbs 13:20, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

Proverbs 11:14, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”

C.  They receive correction as a blessing.

1. I have personally had moments where my natural reaction to correction is to get defensive, but it shouldn’t be. We should welcome correction and seek to grow from it.
2. This goes for positive rebuke and even unruly criticism; receiving either is a chance for us to examine ourselves and grow.
3. A Good Practice – if we receive an unfair criticism that is 95% wrong, our duty is to own up to our 5% that is right by repenting (when necessary) and seeking to grow from it.

Proverbs 15:31, “The ear that listens to life-giving reproof (correction) will dwell among the wise.”

Proverbs 17:10, “A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool.”

Proverbs 15:32, “Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.”

Proverbs 12:1, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.”

Hebrews 12:7-11 speaks of how God disciplines those He loves and often uses others as instruments to correct His children so they grow to maturity in Christ.
Our God’s Fatherly correction is reserved for His children. Therefore, our hearts should rejoice at correction as evidence of adoption as His sons and daughters.

CONCLUSION

APPL – Coachable -vs- not Coachable?

How do you handle coaching/teaching and correction. . . with humility and obedience or with pride and defiance? At the core, what is your attitude / “heart-response” in moments when you are being coached/corrected?

Call To Action – The challenge to be coachable is a call to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.