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 Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory
This sermon concludes a study of the Lord�s Prayer, focusing on its doxological ending: �For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.� Pastor Tom Pennington notes that while the conclusion's presence in original manuscripts is debated, its concepts are deeply biblical, appearing in other Scriptures like Revelation and 1 Chronicles. Its inclusion in early Christian practice likely stemmed from Jewish prayer traditions. Pennington argues that this conclusion is vital for several reasons. Firstly, it ensures that praise is a crucial part of our prayers. Secondly, the word "for" indicates that we are providing arguments to God for why He should answer our prayers, arguments based solely on His inherent character, not our worthiness. Thirdly, it encourages us to pray by affirming not only God's willingness (from the preface) but also His unlimited ability to act. The doxology provides three core arguments for God to answer: 1. **"Yours is the kingdom"**: God alone holds the sovereign right to rule, meaning nothing we bring before Him is outside His authority or control. 2. **"Yours is the power"**: God alone possesses unlimited power to accomplish whatever He decides; nothing is too difficult for Him. 3.
The Crucifixion
The text details the crucifixion of Jesus, highlighting its profound nature as not merely capital punishment but a process of public humiliation and degradation, often referred to as "The Tree of Shame." Despite countless crucifixions by Rome, the gospels offer the most comprehensive accounts, revealing God's paradoxical wisdom in using such a despicable act for redemption. Jesus' journey to Golgotha, the "Place of a Skull," was short but grueling. After being mocked and brutalized, he collapsed under the crossbeam, leading to Simon of Cyrene being conscripted to carry it, an event that likely led Simon and his family to faith and illustrated Christ's substitutionary role. Jesus refused an anesthetic drink, choosing to bear the full agony of sin with clear senses. The crucifixion was a slow, excruciating death, typically by asphyxiation, with nails driven through the wrists. Soldiers gambled for Jesus' garments, fulfilling Psalm 22:18. The inscription above his head, "THE KING OF THE JEWS," served as Pilate's jab at Jewish leaders but was divinely intended to proclaim Jesus' true identity and innocence.
Lead Us Not Into Temptation - Part 2
Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon on Matthew 6:13, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," frames it as a prayer for personal holiness, illustrating temptation's power with the Jose Rivera story. Temptation, defined as an internal solicitation to sin, originates from three sources: our unredeemed flesh, the world's evil system (lust of flesh, eyes, pride), and direct satanic attacks. The petition "Lead us not into temptation" asks God to providentially protect us from sin-inducing circumstances, strengthen us to endure temptation, and even use our struggles for good by revealing our sinfulness and dependence on Him. God permits temptation for His sovereign purposes, though He never directly tempts. "Deliver us from evil" is a prayer for both present sanctification (gradual, increasing holiness by loosening Satan's influence) and future glorification (complete deliverance from sin's presence). Victory over temptation is found in Christ, who, though tempted, never sinned, died to free us, and intercedes for our holiness. Practically, cultivate a hatred for sin, desire holiness, depend on God, ask for divine protection, avoid tempting situations, and study God's Word. This daily prayer expresses profound dependence on God for spiritual victory and ultimate Christ-likeness.
The Soldiers' Game
The text details humanity's persistent hatred for righteousness, which reached its peak with Jesus. From early in His ministry, enemies plotted His death, and Jesus had to escape multiple attempts on His life. His trials saw escalating abuse, with the author suggesting two distinct beatings: a lighter scourging by Pilate to gain sympathy (John 19), followed by the brutal "verberatio" (Matthew 27, Mark 15) that preceded crucifixion. During this period, soldiers subjected Jesus to a cruel game of mockery. They stripped Him, dressed Him in a scarlet robe (representing royal purple) and a crown of thorns, hailed Him as "King of the Jews," spat on Him, beat His head with a reed, and bowed in sarcastic worship. This abuse served several theological purposes: it perfectly fulfilled Jesus' own prophecies (Mark 10) and Old Testament messianic predictions (Isaiah 50), graphically illustrated humanity's inherent hatred and rejection of God, was a direct part of Jesus' suffering for sin (Isaiah 53), and profoundly demonstrated mankind's rejection of His rightful authority and kingship. Despite their cruel intent, the soldiers' actions inadvertently acknowledged Jesus' true identity as King.
Lead Us Not Into Temptation - Part 1
The sermon, "Lead Us Not Into Temptation, Part 1," on Matthew 6:13, emphasizes temptation as an unavoidable reality for believers, even as they pursue holiness. The sixth petition of the Lord's Prayer�"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"�is presented as a prayer for personal holiness and preservation from future sin, distinguishing it from merely seeking past forgiveness. The speaker clarifies that "temptation" in this context refers to an internal solicitation to sin, not a divine test. He identifies three key sources. First, our "flesh" represents our internal enemy, encompassing inherent cravings for forbidden things. Second, "the world" signifies an organized system of evil, established by Satan, which promotes values contrary to God through cultural mindsets like materialism and pride. Third, "the devil" is the ultimate adversary and a direct source of temptation, using his forces to induce sin, pride, anger, and denial of faith, as exemplified by figures like David, Job, and Peter. Recognizing humanity's spiritual weakness, the sermon stresses that we cannot resist these combined forces�the flesh, the world, and the devil�alone.
For God So Loved the World
This sermon clarifies the true meaning of Easter, emphasizing that it centers on the gospel as found in John 3:16. Drawing from Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, it establishes humanity's inability to achieve salvation through personal effort, underscoring the necessity of God's intervention. The message unpacks John 3:16, starting with the "cause of the mission": God's profound, eternal, and intense love for all humanity. In response to foreknown sin, God "gave His only begotten Son," which is the "heart of the mission." This refers to Christ's incarnation�God becoming human�and His crucifixion and resurrection, being "lifted up" to pay for sins and secure exaltation. The "goal of the mission" is that "whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." "Belief" is illustrated by the Israelites looking in faith at the bronze serpent, signifying a complete repudiation of self-salvation and sole trust in Jesus. Believers are promised freedom from condemnation and receive a *quality* of "eternal life" (life of the coming age) that begins immediately through knowing God. Conversely, those who do not believe are "judged already" and remain under God's wrath, often due to a love for their own sin rather than a lack of evidence.
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