Sermons That Exalt Christ
The preaching of God’s Word is central to the life of the church. Tom's pulpit ministry is dedicated to providing clear, biblical teaching to equip believers, strengthen faith, and exalt Christ.
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The preaching of God's Word is central to worship and of the utmost importance for the sanctification of every believer in Christ.
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The Perfect Son
Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon "The Perfect Son" (John 19:25-27) underscores the profound significance of Passion Week, focusing on Jesus's third saying from the cross: His tender provision for His mother, Mary. Uniquely recorded in John's Gospel, this moment reveals Jesus, amidst excruciating pain and impending death, entrusting Mary to the care of "the disciple whom He loved," John. Pennington outlines the severe circumstances of Jesus's crucifixion, detailing the rapid succession of Jewish and Roman trials. He explains Jesus's choice to appoint John, His cousin, over His own biological brothers, who at that time did not believe in Him. John, as the closest believing male relative, became Mary's designated caregiver. This act, resembling a first-century legal adoption, demonstrates Jesus's unwavering commitment to His earthly duties even amidst His divine mission. The sermon draws three crucial lessons from this incident. First, Jesus's example commands that we, too, must honor and care for our parents, as emphasized in 1 Timothy 5. Second, our inevitable failures in consistently honoring our parents reveal our desperate need for the gospel, as disobedience to parents is a rebellion against God.
The Far Country
The Book of Ruth, lauded as a "perfect story" set during Israel's turbulent period of the judges (c. 1100 BC), serves several purposes. It illustrates the cycle of sin and deliverance through one family's journey, highlights God's faithful remnant, and provides examples of virtue in Ruth and Boaz. Significantly, it introduces the kinsman-redeemer (Boaz as a Christ-figure), demonstrates God's grace for women and even Gentiles (like Ruth, a Moabite), showcases divine providence, establishes King David's lineage, and ultimately points to Jesus Christ. The text begins by analyzing Ruth 1:1-5, depicting desperate national circumstances�a famine in Israel, a divine judgment for their disobedience. Amidst this, Elimelech, Naomi, and their sons Mahlon and Chilion make a disastrous choice, abandoning Bethlehem ("house of bread") for pagan Moab. This move, a violation of God's covenant and trust, leads to tragic divine consequences: Elimelech's early death, followed by both sons, who had also married idolatrous Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Naomi is left utterly bereft and alone in a foreign land, interpreting her plight as God dealing "very bitterly" with her.
Misinterpreting Common Grace - Part 2
Drawing from Romans 2:4-5, this sermon, "Misinterpreting Common Grace (Part 2)," uses the analogy of a plane crash caused by ignored warnings to illustrate how many moral and religious individuals tragically perish by disregarding God's common grace. Pastor Tom Pennington explains that God's common grace encompasses His abundant kindness, tolerance, and patience, all intended to lead people, including the self-righteous, to repentance. However, many underestimate common grace's true value, mistakenly interpreting God's blessings as approval of their unrepentant sin instead of an invitation to turn from it. This culpable ignorance causes them to miss several critical implications: they don't realize common grace's purpose is to prompt repentance, they fail to acknowledge that their refusal to repent stems from their own stubborn and unrepentant heart, and they consequently ignore that they are "storing up wrath" for a future "day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." Every moment God's grace is enjoyed without repentance adds to this accumulated wrath. The only hope and escape from this impending judgment is to repent of sins and believe in Jesus Christ, who absorbed God's wrath on the cross, securing salvation for all who trust in Him.
Misinterpreting Common Grace - Part 1
The text discusses the pervasive misinterpretation of God's "common grace," particularly among those who believe a "good life" in this world signals divine approval for the afterlife. This flawed concept, termed "retribution theology," was widespread in first-century Judaism, directly linking earthly blessings to God's favor and future salvation. Jesus consistently challenged this notion, demonstrating that temporal prosperity does not guarantee entry into heaven. Pastor Tom Pennington highlights that this flawed theology continues today. He explains that Paul, in Romans 2, addresses this misunderstanding, detailing God's "riches of kindness, tolerance, and patience" extended universally to all people, including His enemies, as common grace. This encompasses all temporal blessings and God's restraint from immediate judgment for sin. However, the *purpose* of this common grace is not to imply divine approval or future comfort, but to *lead individuals to repentance* and faith in Christ. Ultimately, God's ability to show common grace without compromising His justice was vindicated by Christ's death on the cross, meaning every good thing sinners enjoy, and every moment of life, is a result of His sacrifice, continually calling them to turn from their rebellion and embrace His reconciliation.
No Excuse, No Escape - Part 2
The text explores God's dual nature as both forgiving and perfectly just, stemming from Exodus 34:5-7. This presents a "riddle": how can God forgive sin yet not leave the guilty unpunished? The solution lies in the absolute necessity of a perfectly innocent substitute to satisfy God's justice in the sinner's place. Old Testament animal sacrifices foreshadowed this, picturing the transfer of guilt and an innocent death, but they merely pointed to the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment, becoming the "guilt offering" (Isaiah 53). His death on the cross bore the sins of humanity, satisfying God's just wrath, enabling God to both uphold His justice and justify sinners who believe. Many, like the self-righteous Jews in Romans 2, misunderstand this foundational truth, presuming their outward morality or religious affiliation grants them exemption from God's judgment. Paul asserts that God's judgment is "according to truth," meaning His justice is perfect and uncompromising. God is omniscient, knowing and remembering every sinful act, thought, and motive. He judges all by one unbending standard: perfect obedience to His Law (James 2:10), allowing no partiality or appeals. God cannot overlook a single sin; His justice demands punishment.
No Excuse, No Escape - Part 1
In his sermon "No Excuse, No Escape (Part 1)" on Romans 2:1-3, Pastor Tom Pennington addresses the prevalent human flaw of judging others for sin while simultaneously committing the same offenses, mistakenly believing this exempts them from God's judgment. He illustrates this hypocrisy with the story of Judge Bryant Cochran, who, despite prosecuting drug crimes, was convicted of planting drugs on an accuser. This "flawed thinking about God's justice" is not new, pervading ancient Judaism and many professing Christians today who rely on their own perceived goodness. Paul's letter to the Romans, particularly Chapter 2, targets those who claim to worship the true God but are "lost in their self-righteousness." Pennington explains that knowing what is sinful and condemning it in others does not provide an escape from God's wrath. As Romans 2:1 states, in judging another, one condemns oneself because "you who judge practice the same things." This applies universally, as a quick review of the Ten Commandments reveals that all have repeatedly broken them, making everyone equally guilty before God, no different from "unbelieving pagans.
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