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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Just a Carpenter? The Deadly Danger of Familiarity - Part 1
In his sermon "Just a Carpenter? The Deadly Danger of Familiarity" from Mark 6:1-6, Pastor Tom Pennington warns against the spiritual peril of becoming overly accustomed to sacred things. He illustrates this by recalling how constant exposure to wonders, like Roman ruins or natural beauty, can lead to indifference. This concept is then applied to Jesus's return to Nazareth, his hometown. The people of Nazareth were astonished by Jesus's teaching and miracles but struggled to reconcile them with their earthly knowledge of him as "the carpenter," Mary's son, and brother to James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. Their intimate familiarity led them to question the source of his wisdom and power, ultimately causing them to "take offense at Him." This exemplifies the proverb "familiarity breeds contempt," as their close acquaintance became a stumbling block to belief, hardening their hearts against the truth. Pennington emphasizes that mere exposure to Jesus and the Gospel, even growing up in church, doesn't guarantee saving faith. Instead, familiarity can make Jesus seem ordinary, leading to spiritual indifference or outright rejection. He urges listeners not to let familiarity diminish Jesus's extraordinary nature as God's unique Son, who alone holds power and truth.
How to Pursue Sexual Purity - Part 2
This sermon, "How To Pursue Sexual Purity," highlights that Christians, though freed from sin's slavery by Christ (as exemplified by Augustine), must still actively battle sexual temptation. Ephesians 5 calls believers to "walk as children of Light" by adopting God's absolute standard of purity�no hint of immorality, impurity, or lust. Six essential biblical strategies are provided: 1. **Develop thanksgiving:** This counters covetousness and lust, which are forms of idolatry stemming from ingratitude (Romans 1). 2. **Properly use Scripture:** Wield God's Word like a sword to expose temptation's lies and reveal sin's destructive consequences (Proverbs). 3. **Pray for help:** Seek God's strength during temptation, asking not to succumb, as Christ taught (Luke 22). 4. **Run from sin:** Flee tempting situations, avoid triggers, and radically cut off all access, making no provision for the flesh (1 Corinthians 6, Matthew 5). 5. **Rehearse consequences:** Consistently recall sin's tragic long-term outcomes, not its fleeting pleasure (2 Samuel, Proverbs). 6. **Enjoy married love:** Married individuals should find joy in their spouse as a divine safeguard; unmarried individuals lacking self-control should pursue marriage (1 Corinthians 7). Crucially, these strategies are effective only when pursued by looking to Christ alone.
Lord of Life, Destroyer of Death - Part 2
The sermon on Mark 5:21-43 vividly portrays Jesus as the "Lord of Life, Destroyer of Death," showcasing His unparalleled sovereignty over disease and death. The narrative focuses on two "hopeless cases" that find radical hope in Him. The first involves Jairus, a synagogue official, whose twelve-year-old daughter is at death's door. As Jesus responds to his plea, a woman, suffering from a debilitating hemorrhage for twelve years, approaches Him. Having exhausted all other options, she discreetly touches Jesus' cloak, believing it will heal her. Instantly cured, she is called out by Jesus, who affirms her genuine faith, calling her "Daughter," and declaring she is "saved" (sozo), signifying both her physical healing and spiritual salvation. This highlights the personal and comprehensive nature of faith in Christ. While this interaction occurs, Jairus receives tragic news: his daughter has died. Jesus immediately strengthens him with the command, "Do not be afraid any longer, only believe." Arriving at Jairus's house, filled with professional mourners, Jesus calmly states the child is "asleep," indicating death's temporary state under His authority. He then takes the girl's hand and commands, "Talitha kum!" (Little girl, get up!), and she is instantly resurrected.
Lord of Life, Destroyer of Death - Part 1
This sermon on Mark 5:21-43, "Lord of Life, Destroyer of Death," begins by noting humanity's shared fate of death and the desperate need for a Savior. It introduces two individuals facing seemingly hopeless circumstances: Jairus, a prominent synagogue official whose 12-year-old daughter is at death's door, and an anonymous woman who has suffered a chronic, incurable hemorrhage for twelve years, rendering her an outcast and financially ruined. Their interwoven stories demonstrate Jesus's ultimate authority. The delay in Jesus's journey to Jairus's home, caused by the woman's faith-filled touch and subsequent healing, allows Jairus's daughter to die. This allows Jesus to perform a resurrection, proving His power over death itself, not just disease. This narrative directly counters critics who questioned His identity. The text draws several spiritual lessons: God shows no partiality, ministering equally to the influential Jairus and the anonymous, ritually unclean woman. It illustrates how God prepares hearts for faith through various paths�sudden intervention, crisis revealing existing knowledge, or prolonged suffering leading to utter desperation. Ultimately, both individuals display saving faith: rooted in personal need, expressed through self-denial and a willingness to risk everything, and placing complete, exclusive confidence in Christ alone.
How to Pursue Sexual Purity - Part 1
Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon on pursuing sexual purity, based on Ephesians 5, begins by illustrating humanity's pre-Christ bondage to sin with the story of Raynald, a man imprisoned by his own appetites. In Christ, believers are freed and called to "walk as children of Light," adopting God's absolute standard for purity: "not even a hint" of sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness (lust), filthy talk, silly talk, or coarse jesting. This zero-tolerance approach is critical, as sexual sin, like a drug or cancer, escalates and metastasizes if any room is given. Christ's purity is the ultimate standard to pursue. The sermon then debunks common, ineffective human strategies for achieving purity. These "wrong means" include compromising with temptation, practicing legalism through man-made rules (which only awaken the flesh), seeking isolation (as sin originates from within), hoping for sudden miraculous deliverance (sanctification is a lifelong war), believing marriage eradicates all lust, focusing solely on one sin rather than holistic spiritual maturity, and shifting blame for one's actions. These approaches are ultimately useless. Instead, a crucial biblical means introduced is "giving of thanks.
God's Standard of Sexual Purity
Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon on Ephesians 5:3-4 urges Christians to adopt God's standard of sexual purity, a topic often culturally avoided but directly addressed in Scripture. He argues that "walking as children of Light" (Ephesians 5:8) necessitates a life of moral and sexual purity, a lifelong battle made possible by God's grace and instruction. The first crucial strategy is embracing God's explicit standard against six sins, categorized into actions, thoughts, and speech. Sexual sins of action include "immorality" (Greek *porneia*, encompassing all illicit sexual intercourse like premarital sex, adultery, and homosexuality) and "impurity" (uncleanness, covering other perversions and misuses of sexuality). Sexual sins of thought, or "covetousness," refer to any sexual desire for someone other than one's spouse, including lustful looking, pornography, and craving relationships outside marriage. Finally, sexual sins of speech comprise "filthiness" (obscene talk), "silly talk" (crude sexual humor), and "coarse jesting" (witty sexual innuendo). These are forbidden because speech both reveals and directs the heart toward sin, and Paul insists there should "not even be a hint" of these among believers. Acknowledging our inability to perfectly meet this high standard, the sermon concludes by emphasizing the importance of justification.
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