Sermons That Exalt Christ

How Should We Then Live? - Part 3

How Should We Then Live? - Part 2

Tom Pennington's sermon on Revelation 22:6-21, "How Should We Then Live? (Part 2)," addresses common pitfalls in responding to prophecy: preoccupation with eschatology, using news to interpret scripture, setting dates, ignoring prophecy, refusing to take a position, and satisfying curiosity without personal application. He stresses that Revelation's epilogue calls for specific responses. The sermon outlines three main exhortations. First, worship only the Trinity, resisting idolatrous veneration of angels or human figures, as even Apostle John was tempted. Second, live with expectancy, fostering joyful anticipation of Christ's imminent return and pursuing practical sanctification. Third, be sobered by Revelation's finality. This means recognizing that at Christ's return or death, everyone's spiritual condition and eternal destiny will be unchangeably fixed. The unrepentant will remain enslaved in sin and morally filthy forever, while the righteous will be perfectly holy, unable to sin, embodying God's purpose for them. This understanding should compel immediate repentance for non-believers and profound worship and holy living for Christians, as life is brief and eternal destinies are certain.

How Should We Then Live? - Part 1

The sermon "Revelation How Should We Then Live (Part 1)" explores the Book of Revelation's ultimate question: How should we then live in light of the coming new world? Pastor Tom Pennington emphasizes that Revelation is not merely for curiosity but for moral response, particularly in its epilogue (22:6-21). The central theme of this section is found in the exhortation: "Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." The first exhortation for believers is to accept Revelation's authenticity as divine revelation. This trustworthiness is affirmed by three key witnesses. First, an angel testifies that "these words" are faithful and true, originating from the Lord through a divine process, revealing necessary events that will "soon take place." Second, Jesus Christ Himself declares His quick return and promises blessing to those who obey the book's inspired words. Third, the Apostle John, an eyewitness, confirms he "heard and saw these things." Ultimately, Revelation serves as an urgent invitation for unbelievers to repent and believe in Christ, and a call for believers to live in faithful obedience, anticipating Jesus' imminent Second Coming.

The Eternal City - Part 3

This sermon, based on Revelation 21:9-22:5, corrects the common misconception of heaven as an ethereal realm, emphasizing the biblical truth of a physical, eternal city where believers will reside. Pastor Tom Pennington details the characteristics of this "Eternal City" and its citizens, who are God's "bond-servants" yet treated as friends, family, and co-heirs with Christ. Life in the Eternal City involves five key realities. Citizens will serve God through heartfelt worship, fulfilling work (a blessing, not a curse), and living for His glory, enjoying perfected human activities like eating, learning, and loving relationships. They will "see His face," experiencing the "beatific vision" through Christ's glorified body and God's manifestations. Believers will belong to God, marked by His name, and be like His Son in perfected moral character and glorified, imperishable bodies. They will also delight in God's constant favor and reign with Christ over the new creation. Ultimately, this eternal future promises unending joy, service, and astonishingly, the Lord Himself serving His redeemed.

The Eternal City - Part 2

This text from Revelation 21:9-22:5 describes the Eternal City, the New Jerusalem, a divine and permanent home for believers, contrasting its true eternity with the fall of ancient Rome. This city, whose builder is God, is depicted as a magnificent, perfectly symmetrical cube, like a giant sparkling diamond. Its architectural details include walls of jasper, streets of transparent gold, and gates made of single pearls. God is the city's eternal center in multiple ways. He is its only temple, as His presence and the Lamb's fill the entire city, eliminating the need for a physical structure. God's glory and the Lamb serve as its sole light source, illuminating the city and the entire new earth, making the sun and moon unnecessary. All the glory and honor of the redeemed, representing their eternal work and accomplishments, will be brought into the city and attributed to God. It offers absolute security; its gates never close because no physical or spiritual threat can enter, only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. God is also its only life source, providing the crystal-clear river of life and trees of life, symbolizing eternal sustenance and joy.

The Eternal City - Part 1