Church staff
 
Rev David Diller preached about “Internal Affairs,” from Matthew 18:15-20. Matthew’s church emerges amidst the values & organizations of Roman culture & rabbinic Judaism. Since organizations tend to become like others around it, Matthew stresses how loyalty to Jesus sets the church apart from the rest. For example, in 20:24-28 Jesus gives another view of leadership & in 23:1-l2 he levels all ideas of honor, rank, & authority. Chapter 18 is typical of Jesus, full of new ideas for new beginnings with children & “newborns” in the faith, who are to be nurtured & encouraged, not tripped up or exploited. With the “lost sheep,” Jesus says care for individuals takes precedence over shepherding the group. Different ideas, values, & understandings are inevitable when people come together, so Jesus gives a strategy for healing differences in the church family, but lest we transform this strategy into a new legalism, some rigid process to follow, Matthew urges we seek instead God’s will & the presence of Jesus in our midst.