News, Information, Affirmation, and Commendation
King knew his context, developed a mantra, offered winsome challenge, and employed metaphors.
The preaching of Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t merely inspire a congregation, which would be no small task; it inspired a massive movement. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assert that King’s preaching was the primary, if not sole, initiator of social transformation in America through the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s
This message appears as a chapter in Thinking. Loving. Doing: A Call to Glorify God with Heart & Mind (https://amzn.to/2IW0gMR). It highlighted the importance of loving the people to whom he preaches. He mentioned seven questions that he asks himself in preparing to preach.
1. Am I worried about what people think of my message or what God thinks? (Teach with fear.)
2. Do I genuinely love these people? (Teach with love.)
3. Am I accurately presenting this passage? (Teach with accuracy.)
4. Am I depending on the Holy Spirit’s power or my own cleverness? (Teach with power.)
5. Have I applied this message to my own life? (Teach with integrity.)
6. Will this message draw attention to me or to God? (Teach with humility.)
7. Do the people really need this message? (Teach with urgency.)
Francis Chan (website: FrancisChan.org) is an author and church leader, formerly the pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California. Chan has authored several books, including Crazy Love and Forgotten God. He is also the founder of Eternity Bible College and sits on the board of directors of Children’s Hunger Fund and World Impact. Francis lives in California with his wife, Lisa, and their four children.
