If your brother sins against you...

Click (or right click 'save as') HERE to listen to one of the best sermons I've heard in a while. It is by my friend Andrew Katay, of MoMA fame, on Matthew 18:15-20. Andrew is the rector of Christ Church Inner West Anglican Community in Sydney.

Here is Matthew 18:15-20:

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Andrew deals with at least these three questions:

• How am I to handle sin Christianity? (He mentions some sub-Christian ways of dealing with sin.) The answer, in case you were wondering, is to cut it out.
  
• How do I distinguish between psychological sins (which need forbearance), and actual sin (which needs repentance). This is a great distinction.
  
• How do I reconcile with someone who has wronged me?

If anyone is in a tough relationship issue right now, I urge you to listen. It may change your life.

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Pic on Flickr by Crowolf.