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 Lord is My Shepherd
The sermon begins a series on Psalm 23, highlighting its profound yet often underappreciated richness, comparing it to a valuable sapphire mistaken for a common rock. Authored by David, the psalm�s universal applicability stems from its lack of a specific historical context, making it relevant to every Christian across all circumstances. Its core theme is "Because Yahweh is our Shepherd King, He will always care for us," articulated through David�s three affirmations of trust: "I shall not want," "I will fear no evil," and "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Unpacking "The LORD is my shepherd," the sermon explains "LORD" as Yahweh�God's personal, self-existent name, signifying His sovereignty, compassion, grace, and justice. "Is" denotes His constant, current presence, while "my" emphasizes a deeply personal, individual relationship. "Shepherd" describes God's comprehensive care as a guide, provider, protector, and healer, also connecting to the ancient concept of a benevolent "Shepherd King" who is both powerful and caring. Ultimately, Jesus Christ is presented as the perfect fulfillment of this role, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep.
A Case for Cessationism - Part 2
Countryside Bible Church teaches cessationism, asserting that miraculous spiritual gifts like tongues, prophecy, and healing ceased after the first-century Church. This distinctive emphasizes the absolute sufficiency of the Word of God. Pastor Tom Pennington provides seven biblical arguments for this position. First, miracles historically confirmed divinely appointed messengers, a role completed with the Apostles and the closing of new revelation. Second, the gift of apostleship was temporary, ending when its specific qualifications could no longer be met. Third, the Church is built on the *teaching* of the Apostles and foundational New Testament prophets, whose revelatory work is now complete. Fourth, contemporary claims of miraculous gifts (e.g., ecstatic tongues, fallible prophecy, unverified healings) bear almost no resemblance to the New Testament gifts, which were always clear, immediate, and infallible. Fifth, church history, both within the New Testament era and throughout subsequent centuries, demonstrates a consistent decline and cessation of these gifts among leading Christian thinkers. Sixth, the completed canon of Scripture provides everything necessary for life and godliness, making additional revelation redundant. Finally, modern Charismatic practices often disregard the strict New Testament rules for exercising such gifts, suggesting these are not genuine works of the Spirit.
Q & A
Pastor Tom Pennington held a Q&A session, addressing various theological and practical questions. On divorce, he clarified that while God hates it, biblical exceptions exist for infidelity or an unbelieving spouse�s departure; unbiblical divorce is considered adultery, but grace allows for repentance. Regarding Israel, he stated that its current national status isn't a direct fulfillment of end-times prophecy, and believers should focus on being witnesses rather than predicting specific "times or epochs." He explained that salvation is a monergistic work of God, but sanctification (growing in holiness) is synergistic: believers must "work out their salvation" through obedience and effort, as God simultaneously works within them to change their will and capacity to obey. In the Millennium, Jew and Gentile believers will be unified as "one new man" in Christ, with distinctions not clearly defined. Taking the Mark of the Beast is not an unpardonable sin, as God continues to save people during the Tribulation.
Mighty to Save!
The sermon, "Mighty to Save!" from Mark 5:1-20, questions if Jesus can change the "worst sinner," affirming that no one is beyond His power. It first illustrates sin and Satan's enslaving power through the demon-possessed Gerasene man�violent, self-destructive, living among tombs, and beyond human control. This man's dire condition symbolizes humanity's spiritual slavery to sin, which, though varying in degree, is equally hopeless without Christ. Next, Jesus's saving power is revealed. A "legion" of demons inhabiting the man acknowledges Jesus as "Son of the Most High God." Jesus casts them into a nearby herd of 2,000 pigs, which drown, demonstrating His absolute authority over evil and profound value for human life over material loss. Responses to this miracle differ significantly. The local populace, frightened by Jesus's power and the disruption to their livelihoods, implore Him to leave, unwilling to accept the costly changes His presence demands. Conversely, the newly freed man, desiring to stay with Jesus, is instead commissioned to evangelize his own people, proclaiming "what great things the Lord has done for you and how He had mercy on you.
A Case for Cessationism - Part 1
Pastor Tom Pennington outlines his church's distinctive position of cessationism, asserting that miraculous spiritual gifts like tongues, prophecy, and healing are no longer normatively given by the Holy Spirit today. He contrasts this with continuationism, the belief that these gifts persist or have been restored in the modern charismatic movement. Pennington critiques the charismatic movement's questionable historical origins, noting that a significant portion of its global adherents embrace false gospels (like the Prosperity Gospel) or reject fundamental Christian doctrines. He clarifies that cessationism does not deny God's ongoing miraculous work or His ability to intervene, but rather holds that the *regular distribution* of specific spiritual gifts ceased after the Apostolic Age. Pennington refutes common continuationist arguments before presenting two key biblical cases for cessationism. First, miracles historically served a unique purpose: to authenticate God's divinely appointed messengers (like Moses, prophets, Jesus, and the Apostles) and validate new divine revelation. These miracle-working periods were brief and ceased once the revelation was complete. Second, the gift of apostleship, a temporary office requiring a witness to the resurrected Christ, personal appointment, and the ability to perform miracles, demonstrably ceased.
The Sufficiency of Scripture
Countryside Bible Church's distinctive firmly upholds the complete sufficiency of Scripture for spiritual life and sanctification, rejecting the integration of secular psychology. Pastor Tom Pennington details how evangelicalism, influenced by figures like Clyde Narramore and later Minirth-Meier, began incorporating psychology in the mid-20th century, based on the belief that "all truth is God's truth" and that the Bible alone is insufficient for complex human problems. The church denies that secular psychology provides a more accurate understanding of human issues or plays any legitimate role in a believer's sanctification. Detrimental effects of this integration include redefining sin as sickness, reclassifying sinners as victims, outsourcing pastoral counseling, applying secular therapies to spiritual problems, over-relying on psychotropic drugs, and proliferating self-help materials and secular-style support groups. While acknowledging a limited descriptive role for psychology and a medical role for psychiatry in treating *organic* issues, psychotropic drugs are seen only as behavior management, not solutions for spiritual problems. Countryside affirms that man's problems are either physical, spiritual, or a combination, with spiritual problems rooted in sin. The Holy Spirit effects true spiritual change *only* through the understanding, application, and obedience of God's Word.
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