Tony Evans — Men Need The Church (Pt. 1)

Here is another example of setting up the elements of a simple allusion by Tony Evans.  He is a MASTER at doing this.

Link Back: The Original Article On — Simple Quick & Easy Allusions

What is important to any speaker who masters this is the choice of the specific elements of the allusion.

In this “illustration” Tony Evans sets up (BY THOUGHTFUL CREATIVE PURPOSEFUL DESIGN) the elements he wants to CAPTURE for the very point(s) he is making!

Link to Clip of Evan’s Message which contains this transcription

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Announcer: “Now a final illustration to wrap up today’s lesson”

Evans:  The central position on a football team is the quarterback.

He is the central position —

the most valued position

the highest paid position  — because he is the leader.

He is the leader — he calls the play.

He rallies the troops — because he’s leader

Now different quarterbacks have different personalities

Some of the big rah–rah guys.

Others are not rah guys but —  they know how to take care of business —

[Because he’s the quarterback. — Let me tell you something else quarterbacks got to be able do (alternate version)]

— hut one, hut two, hut three

he gets the ball

he fades back

and all of a sudden he is under attack

the linemen are coming after him

and there’s linebackers or defensive backs who are blitzing him

some will be coming that he can see

others all will be coming on his blind side — that he cannot see.

He should do his best

to avoid being tackled

to avoid being thrown down

he should do his best — but

sometimes he can’t get away.

sometimes he can’t run far enough or fast enough

He’s under too much attack

But because he is the leader

He must be willing to take the hit.

He must be willing to get sacked

He must be willing to be thrown behind the line of scrimmage

He must know that they’re all going to be times —  it’s going to get a rough back there.

But hey — you’re the leader —  take the hit.

And when you get hit — don’t fumble the ball – cause that’s what you been taught to do.

Don’t tell me you want to be the quarterback and you’re not willing to take the hit.

 

Do you see how the elements which Evans purposefully picks out, along with the words he uses are able to CAPTURE & DRIVE the application!

Words such as . . . .

• Central position / valued position
• Leader
• Under attack
• by . . . linemen / linebackers / defensive backs
• blitzing
• some he can see
• some he can’t see
• sacked / rough back there
• take the hit!  — or don’t be the “leader” / quarterback!

 

Now you can “run” with what Evans does in his allusion . . . .

• Drive the allusions further than Evans and make it your own
• Add on to some of the allusion ( working your way down the field / rely on your teammates to do what you can’t do / patiently work your way / )
• Use the allusion earlier (Tony Evans uses it at the very end of the message).  Use it earlier so you can then grab some of those words and images throughout and then again at the end  — in your conclusion!
•  Try another sport that works differently — soccer / tennis partners / basketball

 

Run with this great imagery / illustration

Let’s give it a try — Here goes!

You see, there are going to be times when you as a leader, as a husband, as a father, you are going to see the attack coming, those situations and events coming which want to take you out.

At other times, you will be blind-sided.  You hope is in your spouse, or the strength of your children over the years, or a pastor, and/or the grace and kindness of the Lord to keep you from getting sacked.

There will times when you will lose ground and tackled behind the line of scrimmage – but that’s part of being the leader.  You will lose some ground that you gained a year ago or years ago — but now is the time to step forward and regain that ground.

When those times come where you must take the hit — you take it and get back up and dust yourself off — and let the other team members of the family see that this is what a leader does if they are going to be the leader.