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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Creation in Six Days
Countryside Bible Church is initiating a sermon series on its "distinctives," core biblical beliefs that differentiate it within contemporary Christian culture. The first distinctive discussed is "Creation in Six Days," where Pastor Tom Pennington emphasizes the church's firm adherence to the historic Christian doctrine of *creatio ex nihilo*�God creating everything from nothing in six literal, consecutive 24-hour days. This long-held view by early church fathers, reformers, and puritans for 1700 years is contrasted with modern theories. The sermon explicitly rejects attempts to reconcile Genesis with evolutionary science, such as the gap, pictorial day, day-age, and literary framework theories. The church affirms that God personally created all things by divine command, immediately forming distinct "kinds" that reproduce after their own, and that this occurred relatively recently (thousands of years ago, not billions), supported by Genesis genealogies and thorough linguistic analysis of the Hebrew word for "day." Denying this literal creation account, the pastor warns, fundamentally undermines the integrity of the entire Bible, opening the door to allegorizing other passages and ultimately attacking the reliability of all Scripture, including the gospel itself, as many crucial doctrines and New Testament teachings (including Christ's own words) are rooted in a historical Genesis.
Beloved of God
Tom Pennington�s sermon, "Why Romans Matters," explores the profound significance of Paul's opening greeting in Romans 1:1-7, highlighting three key reasons for the letter's enduring importance. First, it matters because Paul, an apostle of Christ, wrote it, making its content divinely authoritative. Second, Romans is crucial as it unveils the gospel of God�the good news concerning His Son, Jesus Christ, confirmed by His powerful resurrection, which brings about the obedience of faith among all people. Finally, the letter�s relevance lies in its intended audience. While addressed to specific first-century Roman churches, it speaks to all true believers across time who share common spiritual characteristics. These include being effectually called by God to belong to Jesus Christ, being recipients of God's unique, eternal, adopting love�a sovereign choice not based on human merit, but as intense as His love for Christ�and being definitively set apart as "saints," consecrated to God's service. Paul concludes his greeting by praying for "grace and peace" from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, emphasizing God's undeserved goodness and ongoing blessings, all flowing through Christ�s redemptive work.
Called by God
This sermon on Romans 1:6-7 by Tom Pennington highlights the significance of Paul's letter due to its author, its central theme (the gospel), and especially its intended audience. Paul wrote to a diverse group of early believers in Rome, predominantly Gentiles, whose faith originated from converts at Pentecost and navigated challenges like the expulsion of Jews under Emperor Claudius, shaping the church's unique composition. Beyond this historical context, the message emphasizes a shared spiritual identity with these Roman Christians, who are described as "the called of Jesus Christ," "beloved of God," and "called as saints." The core teaching focuses on the "effectual call"�God's sovereign, powerful, and irresistible act of drawing chosen individuals to Himself through the gospel message, fundamentally distinct from the general invitation to believe. As highlighted in John 6:44, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him," illustrating that God initiates and enables genuine faith, transforming desires and leading to salvation. This humbling truth underscores that our salvation is not based on our works but entirely on God's grace, leading believers to live lives worthy of Him and proclaim His excellencies to others.
The Obedience of Faith
This sermon on Romans 1:5 introduces "the obedience of faith" by contrasting a rejected presidential pardon with God's sovereign call to salvation, which demands acceptance. Paul�s letter emphasizes that the gospel originates from God, is confirmed by Scripture, and centers on Jesus Christ�His divine and human nature, and His vindication through resurrection. The core of the gospel, according to Paul, demands a response: "the obedience of faith." This phrase means that faith is an initial act of obedience to God's command to believe, and critically, genuine saving faith *always* produces a consistent life pattern of obedience to Christ. This obedience is presented as the "pulse" or vital sign of spiritual life, not the means of earning salvation. If there is no discernible pattern of obedience, genuine faith is absent. Beyond the personal response, the sermon highlights that the gospel is God's universal message for "all the Gentiles" or nations. This calls believers to engage in global missions and personal evangelism, reflecting God's ancient plan to reach all peoples.
But God!
This sermon, departing from a study of Romans, delves into Ephesians 2:1-10 to underscore that "salvation is entirely a work of God from beginning to end." It first paints a bleak picture of humanity's pre-conversion state (Ephesians 2:1-3): we were spiritually dead, enslaved by our trespasses and sins, conformed to the world and the devil, driven by our fleshly desires, and ultimately, "children of wrath." This condition highlights our utter helplessness and inability to rescue ourselves or contribute to our salvation. However, the sermon pivots on the powerful phrase "But God" (Ephesians 2:4), which introduces four crucial lessons about salvation. First, salvation is a **divine initiative**; God always seeks out lost sinners. Second, it's a **sovereign act**, a "monergistic" work where God alone effects our rescue, making human effort futile. Third, it represents a **comprehensive rescue**, delivering us from spiritual death, sin, enslavement, and most importantly, from God�s just wrath. Finally, "But God" ensures **future certainty**, guaranteeing that God, who began the work of salvation, will faithfully complete it to His glory. This profound truth of God's complete and costly rescue in Christ is what believers celebrate.
Concerning His Son
The sermon centers on the pivotal question, "Who do you say Jesus is?" and highlights that Paul's letter to the Romans presents the gospel as good news fundamentally about Jesus Christ. This gospel, originating from God and confirmed by Old Testament prophecies, is inextricably linked to God's Son. Jesus possesses a divine nature, being the eternal Son of God, fully equal to the Father, with the Holy Spirit completing the Trinity�all integral to the gospel. Concurrently, He embodies a human nature, born as a descendant of David "according to the flesh," fulfilling Messianic prophecies through both Joseph and Mary, thus establishing Him as the unique God-man. His ultimate vindication came through His powerful resurrection, which "declared" Him the Son of God, acting as His coronation from humiliation to exaltation, solidifying His divine authority. His identity as "Jesus Christ our Lord" encompasses His role as human savior, anointed Messiah, and sovereign Master. Genuine salvation necessitates believing in this complete biblical truth of Jesus�His preexistence, incarnation, atoning death, resurrection, and coronation�and submitting to Him as Lord, for a faith not centered on Christ is not true Christianity.
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