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Holy Trinity Anglican Orthodox Church
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Orientation |
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Philippians
3:17 Twenty-third
Sunday after Trinity October
26, 2008 We hear much about “orientation” these days. Most of it is said concerning things I would rather not discuss. Ultimately there are only two possible orientations in life. Either we are oriented towards God or we are oriented away from Him. We all know about using a compass. We know how to orient it so that the face shows North, South, East and West. So if we are 800 miles out to sea trying to reach Norfolk, and we need to take a course of due west, at 270 degrees an error of even one degree will cause us to miss our port. If you use a protractor to draw a straight line from the center to a given point at say 97 degrees, You can only do this if you go to 97 degrees. No other point on the protractor will get your line to go to that point. If I want to walk a straight line to that door I can’t start walking in this direction. I must orient myself, and subsequently walk in the direction of the door. The Bible in Philippians 3 is talking about life orientation. The first orientation it tells us of is an orientation towards God. It doesn’t use many words to describe this orientation, but the words it uses are powerful. It says, “be followers of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.” “Me” in this passage is the Apostle Paul. Paul was definitely oriented toward God. He said in Phil. 3;7-8. “For me to live is Christ.” These were not empty words. He proved their truth many times, suffering beating, stoning, shipwreck, imprisonment, and finally execution for the “crime” of being a Christian. Is Paul the example, the pattern of faith you follow? The other orientation is any direction that takes you away from the one orientation towards God. If you go 97.5 degrees, you will miss the mark on 97 degrees. If you go 96.5 degrees, you will miss it. You will almost get it. You will certainly get closer to it than you would if you drew you line at 150 degrees, but you will still miss it. Now let me ask a very important question. Agrippa said to Paul, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. What is a person who is almost a Christian? An unbeliever. Where is the soul that almost makes it to Heaven? What is the orientation of a person who is almost oriented toward God? Philippians gives us some signs that tell us when people are not oriented toward God. First, their god is their bellies. What a graphic word picture of the life orientation of some people. This means they are oriented toward the gratification of their sensual desires and worldly pleasures. Their motto is, “Eat, drink, and be merry.” “Live for today.” “I’m worth it.” “Sex, drugs, rock and roll.” Second, their glory is in their shame. In other words, they glory in things they should be ashamed of. We all know people who glory in their sin. They boast about their wickedness. God have mercy upon them. The Bible has a few words of warning to these people. It says they are enemies of the cross of Christ. How can this be? Because they are not trusting Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Because they are not concerned about God as their God. They mind earthly things. They are enemies of God. Second, their end is destruction. They are in destruction even while they live in this world. They have nothing to give life meaning or hope. They are adrift in a sea of meaninglessness. Nothing matters. When, in Wonderland, Alice asked the Cheshire cat which way to go, he said that depends on where you want to “get to.” Alice didn’t care where she went, so he said, “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.” That is the way most people go through life today. Meaning and purpose have been taken from them so all choices are equal, which means, ultimately, they don’t matter. The joy of life has been destroyed for them. Worse, these people are bound for ultimate destruction. People really believe they can lives as enemies of God, breaking His commandments, failing to seek or love Him, failing to honor Him as their God, and still be welcomed into Heaven at the end of their days. It is simply not possible. The end of those who are not oriented toward God is destruction. Unless, you turn from your sin like the Prodigal Son, unless you turn to the Father and say, I have sinned against You and am unworthy to be called Your son, unless you call upon Christ, the Fatted Calf, sacrificed for your sins, and given to feed your soul on the mercy and grace of God, your end is destruction. But to those who come to Him, and it must be His way, not ours, to them He says, welcome. Enter into My rest. O, God, our God, by Thy grace and power orient our lives towards Thee. In the name of Christ. Amen. The Rev. Dr. R. Dennis Campbell, Vicar, Holy Trinity Anglican Church,
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