WEBVTT 00:00:00.910 --> 00:00:09.089 Glory to Jesus Christ. This past Thursday, we 00:00:09.089 --> 00:00:13.109 celebrated the feast of St. Vladimir, the Prince 00:00:13.109 --> 00:00:17.629 of Kiev, equal to the Apostles. And under his 00:00:17.629 --> 00:00:23.350 direction, all of Russia changed from one worldview, 00:00:23.769 --> 00:00:29.780 paganism, to a different worldview. Orthodox 00:00:29.780 --> 00:00:35.500 Christianity. This was a major change, a joyous 00:00:35.500 --> 00:00:39.460 change for the Russian people, and it impacted 00:00:39.460 --> 00:00:44.539 their lives greatly for how we view the world 00:00:44.539 --> 00:00:50.920 impacts how we live and what we do in our daily 00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:54.659 lives. Each of us needs to ask this question 00:00:54.659 --> 00:01:01.259 of ourselves. What is my worldview. Is it an 00:01:01.259 --> 00:01:05.400 orthodox worldview, or is it something different? 00:01:06.379 --> 00:01:11.439 This Sunday, we also honor the fathers of the 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:18.000 first six ecumenical councils. Why? Why would 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:22.920 we honor them? Because these six councils, guided 00:01:22.920 --> 00:01:26.879 by the Holy Spirit, helped the church to maintain 00:01:27.879 --> 00:01:33.000 What is that Orthodox Christian worldview? They 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:36.680 did not change it at these councils. They preserved 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:41.819 it from certain heresies of their day, as every 00:01:41.819 --> 00:01:46.739 time has its own heresy. For where does the Orthodox 00:01:46.739 --> 00:01:51.099 Christian worldview originate? Well, it comes 00:01:51.099 --> 00:01:55.799 from God. It comes from Father, Son, Holy Spirit. 00:01:56.760 --> 00:02:01.859 the creator of all things, and it is the ultimate 00:02:01.859 --> 00:02:05.560 source of truth. It comes from God, and it is 00:02:05.560 --> 00:02:09.340 given to us. It is revealed to us. It reveals 00:02:09.340 --> 00:02:13.340 to us the nature of our humanity and the purpose 00:02:13.340 --> 00:02:18.659 of our creation. The fathers of the first six 00:02:18.659 --> 00:02:23.259 ecumenical councils saw the heretical teachings 00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:28.569 of their day. and exposed their falsehoods and 00:02:28.569 --> 00:02:32.650 maintained that truth which has been given to 00:02:32.650 --> 00:02:36.129 us from the beginning of the church and from 00:02:36.129 --> 00:02:42.430 before that. Today, the culture around us and 00:02:42.430 --> 00:02:47.629 the prevailing worldview of this age has grown 00:02:47.629 --> 00:02:51.770 farther and farther away from the teachings of 00:02:51.770 --> 00:02:56.180 the church. and of our Orthodox worldview. In 00:02:56.180 --> 00:03:00.039 fact, in some ways, the modern American worldview 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:05.159 directly clashes and contradicts the teachings 00:03:05.159 --> 00:03:08.479 of the Church and the Orthodox Christian worldview. 00:03:09.770 --> 00:03:13.090 It is no wonder that many of us have felt this 00:03:13.090 --> 00:03:16.550 tension of how our Christian faith is pulling 00:03:16.550 --> 00:03:20.870 us to think and believe and act in one way, and 00:03:20.870 --> 00:03:24.030 the world is pulling us to think and act in a 00:03:24.030 --> 00:03:29.550 different way. This is no small matter. The choices 00:03:29.550 --> 00:03:33.689 that we make significantly impact our own lives 00:03:33.689 --> 00:03:37.870 and the lives of those around us, those that 00:03:37.870 --> 00:03:45.110 we love. Faith must direct those choices. Faith 00:03:45.110 --> 00:03:50.289 in God, faith in the church, faith in the ecumenical 00:03:50.289 --> 00:03:54.490 councils, faith in God's love, his grace, his 00:03:54.490 --> 00:03:59.569 mercy, his forgiveness, his call to us to salvation, 00:03:59.830 --> 00:04:03.610 faith in God's plan for our sanctification and 00:04:03.610 --> 00:04:06.770 his plan for us in eternity, the redemption of 00:04:06.770 --> 00:04:11.930 our souls. Well, today's gospel reading shows 00:04:11.930 --> 00:04:16.069 us clearly where such faith leads. The Roman 00:04:16.069 --> 00:04:20.329 centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant, and 00:04:20.329 --> 00:04:24.129 Jesus said he would go to him and heal him. But 00:04:24.129 --> 00:04:28.970 the centurion answered, Lord, I am not worthy 00:04:28.970 --> 00:04:33.029 that you should come under my roof, but only 00:04:33.029 --> 00:04:38.269 speak a word and my servant will be healed. And 00:04:38.269 --> 00:04:43.019 so it happened. And Jesus said of this, Assuredly, 00:04:43.019 --> 00:04:47.680 I say to you, I have not found such great faith, 00:04:47.819 --> 00:04:53.199 not even in Israel. May we have that same strong 00:04:53.199 --> 00:05:00.860 faith given to us through the church. What God 00:05:00.860 --> 00:05:03.480 has revealed to us as true through the ages, 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:08.040 may we have that faith in that as well. Many 00:05:08.040 --> 00:05:11.699 of us stumble. and sometimes we fall because 00:05:11.699 --> 00:05:16.259 of our own pride, and we think we know better 00:05:16.259 --> 00:05:21.980 than God knows. We think we can make a better 00:05:21.980 --> 00:05:25.540 choice based on what people in the world around 00:05:25.540 --> 00:05:30.259 us are saying than what God has given us as commandments. 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:36.399 And then we are surprised when things don't work 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:40.230 out correctly. Perhaps they don't work out correctly 00:05:40.230 --> 00:05:46.069 because we had the wrong worldview. Even in this 00:05:46.069 --> 00:05:50.389 failure, though, even when we fail to walk in 00:05:50.389 --> 00:05:53.850 God's truth and love and forgiveness, his mercy 00:05:53.850 --> 00:05:59.509 and his grace are there. All he needs and wants 00:05:59.509 --> 00:06:03.829 of us is to come humbly before him and repent 00:06:03.829 --> 00:06:08.319 of the thoughts. The words and the deeds that 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:11.939 we have committed are of our lack of faith and 00:06:11.939 --> 00:06:15.240 to begin walking in faith. We need to repent. 00:06:15.339 --> 00:06:18.600 We need to return to the Lord in humility and 00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:22.899 commit ourselves to love Christ by keeping his 00:06:22.899 --> 00:06:27.779 commandments. Saint Tikhon of Zedonk says this, 00:06:30.620 --> 00:06:34.199 cleanses the heart of the believer from everything 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:37.959 that pertains to the world, that is, from attachment 00:06:37.959 --> 00:06:44.879 to honor, glory, wealth, and pleasure, and from 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:49.639 every sinful habit. Won't you choose to walk 00:06:49.639 --> 00:06:53.600 in faith? Won't you choose to live the Orthodox 00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:58.600 worldview? in your life to make choices based 00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:02.860 on the truths given us from God. This is a solid 00:07:02.860 --> 00:07:07.240 foundation established through the ages, given 00:07:07.240 --> 00:07:13.879 to us. Or, you have another choice, the ever 00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:17.899 -changing wave and whirlpool of worldly ways 00:07:17.899 --> 00:07:21.920 which are ever, ever different and changing depending 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:27.139 on what age you live in. Trust in the Lord with 00:07:27.139 --> 00:07:30.839 all of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. 00:07:31.100 --> 00:07:35.379 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will 00:07:35.379 --> 00:07:39.459 direct your paths. May the Lord bless you as 00:07:39.459 --> 00:07:42.660 you walk in faith. Glory to Jesus Christ.