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 Guarantee of Answered Prayer - Part 1
Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon on Matthew 7:7-11, "The Guarantee of Answered Prayer," contextualizes these verses within the Sermon on the Mount's section on human relationships (Matthew 7:1-12). Jesus' commands to "ask, seek, and knock" are presented as essential for acquiring the spiritual wisdom and strength needed to navigate complex interactions, such as discerning others' sins and living by the Golden Rule. These commands emphasize persistent, ongoing prayer. "Asking" signifies faith in a personal God and humble acknowledgment of one's needs. "Seeking" implies an intense pursuit of God's help, trusting Him to provide what is truly needed. "Knocking" illustrates tenacious, "shameless" prayer, confident that God, our generous Father, will always respond. Jesus guarantees that "everyone who asks receives," particularly concerning spiritual needs aligned with kingdom realities. Pennington clarifies this is not "name it and claim it" theology. Answered prayer requires several conditions: faith in God's Word and power, asking for God's glory and will (not selfish motives), a spirit of forgiveness towards others, asking in Jesus' name (reflecting His agenda and merits), living in a pattern of obedience to Christ, and aligning with God's sovereign will.
Dead and Buried
Tom Pennington's sermon, "The Memoirs of Peter Dead and Buried," argues that Jesus' burial is an essential, yet often overlooked, component of the gospel message, as vital as His death and resurrection. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 15 and Mark 15, the text elaborates on the burial's significance. It highlights the courageous act of Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy and influential but secretly believing disciple, who risked everything to request Jesus' body from Pilate. Pilate, after verifying Jesus' certain death through a centurion, granted the body. Joseph, joined by Nicodemus, hastily prepared Jesus with linen and 72 pounds of spices, placing Him in a new, rock-hewn tomb sealed by a large stone. Key witnesses, including Mary Magdalene and the mother of Joses, observed the burial's precise location. The sermon stresses that Jesus' burial fulfills Messianic prophecy (Isaiah 53:9), proves His divine innocence, confirms His physical death for sins, signifies His conquest over death, and crucially, identifies the specific tomb that would undeniably be found empty, thereby certifying the resurrection.
Responding to the Sins of Others - Part 3
In his sermon on Matthew 7:1-6, Pastor Tom Pennington discusses how to respond to the sin of others, particularly the antagonism of unbelievers (verse 6). He explains that in ancient biblical culture, "dogs" and "swine" were not beloved pets but vicious, unclean scavengers. "What is holy" and "pearls" represent the precious gospel message of Jesus and His kingdom. Jesus commands His followers not to *continue* to give the gospel message to those who have heard, defiantly rejected, and become openly antagonistic towards Christ and His truth. This is because such individuals will treat the gospel as worthless, trampling it underfoot, and may even turn to persecute the messenger. This instruction balances the Sermon on the Mount's earlier commands (Matthew 7:1-5) for believers to respond to fellow believers with grace and humility, ensuring discernment rather than indiscriminate sharing. Biblical examples, including Jesus's ministry in Nazareth and Paul's missionary journeys, illustrate the practice of moving on when faced with defiant rejection and blasphemy. For unbelievers, the sermon warns that persistent rejection of the gospel has a limit to God's patience and will ultimately lead to judgment.
Responding to the Sins of Others - Part 2
Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon on Matthew 7:1-6, "Responding to the Sin of Others," explores Jesus' command "Do not judge." He clarifies that this directive doesn't forbid all forms of judgment, such as civil law, church discipline, or confronting false teaching. Instead, it prohibits a harsh, critical, and judgmental spirit prevalent in the world, which must not characterize Christ's disciples. Jesus teaches that believers must respond to the sins of others with grace (vv. 1-2). He warns that God will apply the same measure of judgment to us that we apply to others, meaning a harsh spirit invites divine discipline, while a gracious spirit reflects true salvation. Furthermore, responding to sin requires humility (vv. 3-5). The vivid imagery of a "speck" in a brother's eye versus a "log" in one's own highlights how pride makes us quick to notice minor faults in others while remaining blind to our own significant sins, leading to hypocrisy. True humility, Jesus explains, demands accepting this diagnosis of hypocrisy and diligently removing the "log" from one's own eye first. This involves deep self-examination: sitting in judgment on one's own sins, confessing them, and actively committing to turn from them and pursue obedience.
Responding to the Sins of Others - Part 1
The sermon on Matthew 7:1-6 clarifies Jesus' command "Do not judge," a frequently misused scripture. Pastor Tom Pennington explains that Jesus is not prohibiting human courts, church discipline, or the confrontation of false teachers, as these are scripturally supported. Instead, Jesus condemns a "harsh, critical, judgmental spirit" that focuses on others' minor flaws while excusing one's own significant sins, illustrated by the "log and speck" analogy. This critical spirit, often manifested internally or online, is contrary to the disciple's life. Jesus intends for believers to respond to others' sins with grace, mirroring the mercy they've received from God. The passage warns that God will judge us by the same standard we apply to others, highlighting that mercy begets mercy. A graceless, judgmental spirit is a sin in itself and suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of God's boundless grace. To apply this teaching, believers should recognize judgmentalism as sin, believe the best in others, cultivate a forgiving and gentle spirit, and profoundly acknowledge their own sinfulness, which ultimately drives them back to the cross for God's indispensable grace.
Mastering Materialism - Part 6
Pastor Tom Pennington introduces Allen Frances' book, "Saving Normal," which critiques psychiatry's over-medicalization of normal life and the over-prescription of drugs for "the worried well." Pennington argues that while medication can mask symptoms, Jesus' teachings offer the true solution for worry and anxiety. Referencing Matthew 6:25-34, he explains Jesus' command not to worry, a root cause of materialism. Jesus provides three reasons: God's character (He cares for His creation), kingdom priorities (seek God's kingdom first, and needs will be met), and simple logic from verse 34: "Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Worry, encompassing the entire future, is sinful as it's self-destructive, a display of unbelief, and often based on untruths. Tomorrow isn't our responsibility; God's providence manages it. We are to live in today by addressing current troubles, praying about future concerns, and taking necessary present actions for legitimate future needs, trusting God's daily grace and care.
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