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That said, after testing this idea with our Worship comm.
and Elder team I preached what I believe to be one of MLK's most powerful
sermons last year: “Love your enemies”. This message was as fresh as it was
when it was preached at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church on Nov. 17, 1957 and challenged
SMC on Jan. 20, 2025. If you wish to watch it on our youtube channel -sermon
starts at minute 24... CLICK HERE TO WATCH
This experience was excellent for me but I wondered how it
would be heard. To my surprise I got all positive feedback. And building on
that I plan to bring another message by MLK on Jan.11. 2026. Yes, I know it's a week before MLK day but why not celebrate early! The message “Our
God is Able” is a master piece of preaching. King proclaims the truth of God’s
power to do anything-yet also his own personal struggle with fear almost crushing his
faith. If you have ever questioned God ability to help and/or keep you-this is
a message for you.
I will take some liberties to edit it for length and relevance to our context but most of the message remains as it was. The illustrations and applications are vivid. His language is both eloquent and down to earth. It should never be forgotten that King was first and foremost a preacher. His identity as preacher was essential to his mission. King himself said as much when he said:
“[In] the quiet
recesses of my heart, I am fundamentally a clergyman, a Baptist preacher. This
is my being and my heritage, for I am also the son of a Baptist preacher, the
grandson of a Baptist preacher and the great-grandson of a Baptist preacher.”
Before preaching “The Man Who Was a Fool” at a Chicago church in 1967, he clarifies his calling like this:
“I did not come to Mount Pisgah to give a civil rights
address; I have to do a lot of that ... But before I was a civil rights leader,
I was a preacher of the gospel. This was my first calling and it still remains
my greatest commitment. You know, actually all that I do in civil rights I do
because I consider it a part of my ministry. I have no other ambitions in life
but to achieve excellence in the Christian ministry. I don’t plan to run for
any political office. I don’t plan to do anything but remain a preacher.”
Martin was a trained and ordained pastor who served 2
different churches. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from
Morehouse College, a Bachelor of Divinity from Crozer Theological Seminary, and
a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Systematic Theology from Boston University.
At 7 years old Martin was baptized May 3, 1936 at Ebenezer
Baptist Church where his dad pastored and was ordained as a minister there at
age 19. After completing his education he pastored Dexter Avenue Baptist Church
in Montgomery, Alabama from 1954 to 1959. Then he returned to his home church
again and served as co-pastor with his dad, Martin Luther King, Sr.*, from 1960
until his death in 1968.
Come and hear this next message, that will be in my voice,
from the pen of MLK**, but ultimately inspired, as all Gospel messages are, by
the Holy Spirit.
I welcome your feedback as always and pray you are blessed
by this new way of hearing God’s Word.
*To my utter amazement I learned that before his death in
1984, at age 84 MLK Sr. not only endured the 1968 assassination of MLK Jr-his
oldest son, but also his next son’s death in a mysterious drowning accident in
1969. Then in 1974 his wife was shot and killed while playing the organ in the
worship service at their church. He pastored the Ebenezer Baptist Church from
1931 to 1975. That is faithfulness.
** original manuscript available on request
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