How to get people to listen
Want to preach effectively? Want to talk with people in such a way they never forget the message of your conversation, lesson, or sermon? Here’s the key to unlocking deaf ears and putting good news in others’ hearts. This is the roof, the completion of the “house” I talked about in the last post on how to preach effectively.
Everyone is a hero who has not yet ended their story. They are stuck in the dungeon or are fighting monsters in the castle. Your job is to help them see the ending of their story.
Jesus came in the middle of earth’s story when there was no hope in sight. He came to change our story. He came to the captive princess (us, His future bride) and rescued us from the evil master who had been trying to destroy us. His job was to whisk us out of the dungeon and torture of Satan and take us to the Castle in the Sky, the Kingdom of Heaven.
The “gospel” is the good news of this rescue and joyful ending to the story of each human who will believe it. Everyone is going through life trying to have a good ending to their tale of woe and worry. Most think “happily ever after” is just a fairytale and have given up any hope of the better life. Others think they have to be the knight in shining armor who somehow conquers all the evil forces.
Everybody can see their past story. They know how they got trapped in the dungeon of doom; they know the mistakes and evils they did. Usually that backstory is what keeps them enslaved to the enemy today.
You, however, as one who knows Jesus, also know the end to their story.
If you are ever going to speak effectively to people, you have to understand their story and help them finish it. Jesus understood the story of the people He spoke with. They did not all like His conclusion. Many rejected Him because they did not want a hero; they wanted to be the heroes of their own story. Those who see how bad their story is, however, are glad to be rescued.
Specific conversation with a person speaks to where they hurt. Addressing the point of people’s pain and then providing them the solution is the quickest way to reach the hardened heart. The people oppressed by Roman bullies heard something like this: “Come to Me, all you who are overworked and overburdened and I will give you rest. Work alongside Me and learn of Me and you will find that rest and peace-filled life you have always wanted.”
We must share truth with others, but specifically the truth that speaks to their need. If we say things that do not apply to people or they cannot see how it applies, they stop listening. Teach, preach, and converse effectively.
Roger Grohman said when he first started preaching, he noticed how people responded to some messages with clapping, standing, shouting, and rejoicing at what was being said. After listening to many hours of good preaching, he determined the thing that provoked such spontaneous responses in people was application. When the message spoke directly to them, the reacted emotionally and audibly.
Application leads to revelation.
Not only must we speak to their pain, but the metaphor has to apply to their understanding. In Galilee Jesus described shepherding. In Jerusalem He talked more about vineyards. In Syro-Phoenicia, He spoke about dogs as pets. In Israel, he spoke about dogs as rouge scavengers. He used metaphors in keeping with the understanding and interests of His listeners.
There you have it. Next time you speak, teach, or preach, build an enduring message. Here’s some preaching tips my dad taught me from S. G. Norris:
1st. Light a fire. Ask a question or raise an interesting point that speaks directly to the pain or need of the audience. You will usually get direction for this from the Lord in prayer and by being among those to whom you minister.
2nd. Build a bridge. Use a strong metaphor that helps the listener jump from right brain (story) to left brain (analytics). A useful metaphor will move your message forward ten times faster than just giving information for 45 minutes straight. Seek to inspire, not just inform. Ministry is transformation, not just information.
3rd. Use a “for instance.” Tell a story of how Jesus rescued you from sure death in the devil’s dungeon. If you don’t have a personal story on this topic, share someone else’s. Be careful to tell stories that make Jesus, not you, the hero of the story—that will turn off your audience quickly.
4th. Demand action. You are not entertaining. When you finish speaking, the listener should know what next step to take in his or her life. They want to be free. They want their story to end well. Using Scripture, show them what the Lord would have them do next in their journey to freedom with Him.
Please use these next time you speak and them come back here and tell us about how it went!