St. Paul's Lockport Sermons

We have the certainty that just as the members of the body go wherever the head of the body goes, so wherever Christ goes there go His believers in who sleep in Him. On that funeral day we can and will mourn the parting. The Christian remembers – this believer is truly in a better place in every way than he was here on earth. This Christian is closer to God than she has ever been. This believer is eternal joy, peace, and free from all sin, shame, and sadness. The Christian can think – I know this and hold to this confidently, because my Lord Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead, and He does not abandon His own. This is our great confidence!

So the Christian life is faith – it is trust. We must trust that Jesus did complete everything necessary for our salvation on the cross. We must hold it is true and know that nothing we do could please God any more than that. We must hold to that truth and know that to sin is to break faith. To hold to this trust, to cling to it, is to take hold of the kingdom of heaven.

If we read a little further in the epistle to St. Timothy that we read today, we can see that Paul, under arrest, has been almost completely left alone. Demas has abandoned Paul for the love of the world. Crescens and Titus have other work to do. Paul says, “Only Luke is with me.” Of all who could bring Paul any help or assistance, only faithful Luke remains. Luke not related to Paul by blood, not even a Jew – but held together in the bond of Christian brotherhood. Luke is a physician and evangelist, helping Paul, in humble service to the continuing work of Jesus Christ through His church.

Guest sermon by Rev. Roger Mullet

The difference between Jesus and the Pharisees, between our religion and all others, is the question Jesus asks. What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He? The Christ, who is both the Son of David and David’s Lord, must be God and man. The Christ is the true Son of God. Everything centers around Jesus as the true Lord.

The Pharisees cared very much about appearance. When they invited Jesus to dine on the Sabbath, they wanted to watch his appearance, check His every move. Their goal was to see if there was some flaw in Him that they could perceive and pounce on. For all of us, that would be a terrifying prospect, your every move being watched. But Jesus, in perfect humility, does not care about his appearance before the Pharisees at all. He just does what His Father wills. He does what is right.

You have a Lord in Jesus Christ who knows and feels your sorrows. He has perfect compassion for you. Our Psalm today tells us that “weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” In Christ, weeping is only temporary, but His compassion never ceases. He proved this even going to His own death as an act of compassion for sinners. His life, the perfect life of love, was lived to save the lost and bring healing to those in need.

The book of Deuteronomy is Moses' final sermon to the Israelites before they cross over to the promised land. His message to them is DO NOT FORGET. If there is any point in confirmation, it is to remind us - do not forget!

All of our lessons today point to the Christian life as a way. A way can be a road or a path. It is something that is continually traveled. Jesus calls himself the way, the truth, and the life. There is the true way of life in Jesus Christ, and there is the way of death. Solomon, in Proverbs, tells his son to walk in the way of wisdom, that he has been led in right paths. To walk in the way of wisdom is to “take firm hold of instruction and do not let go.” David in Psalm 119 today says “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” To leave the way is to “wander from Your commandments.”

How do I live a truly Christian life?

For anyone who cares about Christ and what He teaches, this is the essential question.