A major difference between Viet Nam and the Gulf War, says one writer, was the amount of military might hurled against the enemy. In Viet Nam the U. S. chose, apparently, to fight with one hand tied behind its back. After the Viet Nam fiasco, however, the generals who planned Desert Storm amassed enough firepower to guarantee victory.
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 Paul describes ministry in terms of war. The apostle mentions weapons that have divine power to demolish strongholds of sin. He aims to take every thought captive to Christ. Preaching is war, according to Paul—war on the evil that bludgeons our hearers. The gospel prevails when preachers follow the doctrine of overwhelming force.
At Lake Shore Assembly of God, I have pursued for several years the vision that we follow Christ together in community. Unfortunately, a few sermons a year challenging people to be more devoted to one another will not overcome the massive cultural forces, from television to the ethos of self-seeking, that erode community. Instead I must wage war on every front, on every occasion possible.
Preaching is a war to undertake with overwhelming force.
I was fascinated by the all-encompassing strategy of the coalition forces during the Gulf War. Long before the invasion, pilots dropped leaflets from airplanes to the enemy soldiers, urging them to surrender. Guerrilla squads slipped behind Iraqi lines to sabotage roads and communications. Day after day aircraft dropped megatons of bombs. Cruise missiles knocked out radar stations. The military dismantled Iraqi defenses piece by strategic piece, and when the ground offensive finally began, the Iraqi army collapsed in days.
Preaching must likewise attack on all fronts. Here are three strategic areas I target:
Beliefs:
Beliefs determine how we live. As I have thought prayerfully about how to foster community, I have listed more than a dozen biblical beliefs that if adopted cause us to be more inclined to pursue a lifestyle of full involvement in our church. If people believe, for example, that selfishness and individualism bring happiness, they will shun commitments to the church. On the other hand, if they truly believe God created them for loving relationships, they will more readily follow Jesus in committed fellowship with others. Like a general in a desert tent, I must study the map of cultural myths that thwart biblical community, explode them one by one, and replace them with biblical beliefs.
Values:
Values, such as love or authenticity, are the ideals important to us. I have listed a dozen primary values and a host of secondary values related to community. I preach to undermine the antivalues that undercut community—such as autonomy and cynicism (I must name and define antivalues because people usually don’t realize they are in their grip). In their place I build an appreciation for community values such as togetherness, trust, and acceptance.
Behaviors:
I must link beliefs and values to conduct so that people really get the point; that is, live them out. Therefore I have listed about 25 actions that characterize community, and I mention them when even remotely relevant: help someone move into his new home or invite new people in church to your house for a spaghetti feast.
I can address beliefs, values, and behaviors directly or indirectly, as the main subject of a sermon or as a subpoint, as illustration or application (or, yes, digression) of a sermon.
For preaching to make beneficial change nearly inevitable, follow the doctrine of overwhelming force.
Craig Brian Larson is pastor of Lake Shore Assembly of God in Chicago, Illinois.
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