Sermon Ideas for
Martin Luther King Sunday
Martin Luther King Sunday
Well Done Pastor!
Let's assume that the DVD was shown several times before MLK Sunday. Your
congregation took the invitation cards you made available and invited
everybody they could think of. It is now Martin Luther King Sunday and you look
out over a sea of new faces of every color. NOW WHAT?
As Pastor, you now have one of the greatest opportunities you have had in
years. God forbid that the people that came should fail to hear the Gospel in
clarity and power.
Since Jesus called us to be "fishers of men" we can apply the art of fishing to
this situation. When a person goes fishing, the first thing they do (if they want to
catch fish!) is to see what bait is naturally there. If the fish are eating flies, he
will use a lure that looks like a fly. If they are eating minnows he will use a
minnow type lure. In this way he doesn't scare away fish by using an unnatural
presentation.
In the same way your sermon should begin by what is happening there
naturally. People are there to honor Dr. King and to worship together. You can
begin by sharing things about his dream and how they are fulfilling that dream
by coming together. It is a happy occasion and the Spirit of love, unity and
brotherhood can be felt by all.
Many preachers could stop right there, but by God's grace you can go further.
To catch fish it is not enough to bring the fish into the same pond. You need to
set the hook and get them into the boat!
There are many ways to turn that corner skillfully, but all will center around one
truth: That God has called us to be not only of one accord socially, but also
spiritually.
There are many scriptures you can preach from that will bring this out:
Revelation 5:9 (King James Version)
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals
thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation;
1 Peter 2:9-10 (King James Version)
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God:
which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
John 17:21-23 (King James Version)
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one
in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me
I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that
they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and
hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
From these and other scriptures we can see that God has called us to be one
spiritually. It is then natural to progress to the point of: How do we become
one spiritually?
It is then that you can bring out "You must be born again". Faith in Jesus
sacrifice on the cross can do a miracle in our spirits where we are "Born of
God". We are then made true brothers and sisters. Related by birth. Made to
drink of one Spirit. Baptised into one body. This relationship is eternal and
greater than our natural culture and ethnicity.
At this point you can then close by giving people an opportunity to be
"Born into God's family". You can lead them in a sinners prayer where they
stand or give an altar call as a step of faith. You could have the people that
invited them come and stand with them. Be ready with some plan for follow up.
There are many other sermons you could preach but make sure they end with
giving people a chance to be born again into the family of God.
May Our Lord richly bless you and your Church family's efforts this Martin
Luther King Sunday. Wouldn't it be great if your Church doubled in size every
year on Martin Luther King Day?
Let's assume that the DVD was shown several times before MLK Sunday. Your
congregation took the invitation cards you made available and invited
everybody they could think of. It is now Martin Luther King Sunday and you look
out over a sea of new faces of every color. NOW WHAT?
As Pastor, you now have one of the greatest opportunities you have had in
years. God forbid that the people that came should fail to hear the Gospel in
clarity and power.
Since Jesus called us to be "fishers of men" we can apply the art of fishing to
this situation. When a person goes fishing, the first thing they do (if they want to
catch fish!) is to see what bait is naturally there. If the fish are eating flies, he
will use a lure that looks like a fly. If they are eating minnows he will use a
minnow type lure. In this way he doesn't scare away fish by using an unnatural
presentation.
In the same way your sermon should begin by what is happening there
naturally. People are there to honor Dr. King and to worship together. You can
begin by sharing things about his dream and how they are fulfilling that dream
by coming together. It is a happy occasion and the Spirit of love, unity and
brotherhood can be felt by all.
Many preachers could stop right there, but by God's grace you can go further.
To catch fish it is not enough to bring the fish into the same pond. You need to
set the hook and get them into the boat!
There are many ways to turn that corner skillfully, but all will center around one
truth: That God has called us to be not only of one accord socially, but also
spiritually.
There are many scriptures you can preach from that will bring this out:
Revelation 5:9 (King James Version)
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals
thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred,
and tongue, and people, and nation;
1 Peter 2:9-10 (King James Version)
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye
should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God:
which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
John 17:21-23 (King James Version)
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one
in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me
I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that
they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and
hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
From these and other scriptures we can see that God has called us to be one
spiritually. It is then natural to progress to the point of: How do we become
one spiritually?
It is then that you can bring out "You must be born again". Faith in Jesus
sacrifice on the cross can do a miracle in our spirits where we are "Born of
God". We are then made true brothers and sisters. Related by birth. Made to
drink of one Spirit. Baptised into one body. This relationship is eternal and
greater than our natural culture and ethnicity.
At this point you can then close by giving people an opportunity to be
"Born into God's family". You can lead them in a sinners prayer where they
stand or give an altar call as a step of faith. You could have the people that
invited them come and stand with them. Be ready with some plan for follow up.
There are many other sermons you could preach but make sure they end with
giving people a chance to be born again into the family of God.
May Our Lord richly bless you and your Church family's efforts this Martin
Luther King Sunday. Wouldn't it be great if your Church doubled in size every
year on Martin Luther King Day?
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