This is the podcast of the sermon I preached on September 4, 2011, titled The Reconciling Community. The podcast is also on iTunes (search for Chuck Warnock under iTunes Podcasts at the iTunes Store).
This sermon is based on Matthew 18:15-20, and explores the idea of reconciliation within the community of the followers of Jesus. I hope you find it helpful.
The word Trinity never appears in Scripture, and yet the whole arc of the Bible bends toward this deep wonder: God is not solitary. God is relational. God is love.
The same Spirit that reversed Babel, fulfilled ancient promises, and launched the early church is still moving today - creating understanding where there's confusion, building bridges where there are walls, and reminding us that we're all part of one magnificent, ongoing story.
Most of us grew up thinking Christianity was about following Jesus – being good, following rules, trying our best to live like he did. But here, Jesus reveals something deeper. He's inviting us into the family circle, into the very heart of divine love itself.
By the time the Spirit reroutes Paul to Macedonia, Lydia has already turned from the Roman gods of her city and aligned herself with the One God of Israel. So when Paul spoke of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, Lydia took the next step in the path she was already walking.