The Conscience of the State
Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from Pastor Charles Tapp’s sermon, delivered June 16, 2018 at Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church in Takoma Park, Maryland. It is reprinted here with permission.
This has been an interesting week. These are interesting times in which we live in our world, in our nation, in our country. As we come here together today, to commune at the Lord’s table I cannot ignore some 2,700 children that are being put away in our own concentration camps while their parents go through a process of documentation. That troubles me. What troubles me even more is that the church is quiet. It reminds me of a quote of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who said that the church must be reminded that it is neither the master nor the slave of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. We are to be the critic and never its tool. Then he ends by saying that if the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club.
Where are we church?
Are we content just to do church? Or, are we going to determine to be the church?
Jesus was killed because he was the head of the church. Let us not forget his first sermon. Luke 4. How he came to set the captives free. My prayer is that the church will wake up. When I say church, I’m talking about me, I’m talking about you.
Watch: Pastor Charles Tapp’s Sermon, June 16, 2018 (sermon begins at 47:10)
Charles A. Tapp is senior pastor at Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Image: Video still.
We invite you to join our community through conversation by commenting below. We ask that you engage in courteous and respectful discourse. You can view our full commenting policy by clicking here.
