There was duck named Ringo who lived in a park in Toronto. There was a pond there. People would sometimes throw soda-cans in the park and into the pond. Ringo was trying to stick his beak into a can and he got the pull tab stuck around his beak. He couldn't get it off and he couldn't open his mouth. As a result, he was starving to death. So he became a project for the people of Toronto to try to help poor Ringo.
They tried everything they could do to catch that duck. But they couldn't catch him. He didn't know people were trying to help him. And he was starving to death. They actually went so far as to get a canon that shoots a net. And shot a net that covered the whole pond. Yet he got away.
Then they hired a skin-diver to swim around the pond and swim up to Ringo and grab him. But Ringo knew what size ducks were. Then they tried to allure him with food - bread and corn. But all that did was draw hundreds of seagulls. Finally, they got Canada's champion duck caller. And he got the attention of every duck in the pond but Ringo.
They never could help Ringo. He just couldn't understand that all those attempts were not designed to frighten him but to free him from his problem. You deal with man on the same terms. He is hopelessly blinded to the truth about God. But he doesn't know that. And when you approach him with the Gospel, he thinks you're trying to take something away from him. That you're trying to hurt him. He thinks that you're trying to make things impossible for him. When all you want to do is take the "tab off his beak" so he can solve his problem.
There is a lot of information but very little truth in a man's mind. Paul said, They are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. That's why we must rely on the Holy Spirit to do His work through our faithful delivery of His truth...in His grip.
Romans 3:11
Coach's tip - Never make room on the shelf for the trophy until you have it in your hand.
Wits End - What's Going Into Your Head?