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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Overcoming the Lust of the Eyes
Pastor Tom Pennington examines Jesus' third temptation in Matthew 4:8-10, where Satan offers Him all the world's kingdoms and their glory in exchange for worship. This temptation, reminiscent of the Faust legend, targets the "lust of the eyes"�a desire for personal prosperity, position, and power, bypassing God's ordained path of suffering. While Jesus was destined to rule these kingdoms, Satan proposed a shortcut, seeking an acknowledgment of his temporary dominion over the world. For believers, this temptation manifests as coveting wealth, pursuing it through unbiblical means (e.g., dishonesty, sacrificing spiritual priorities), trusting in riches, or taking undue credit for success, all of which constitute idolatry. Jesus decisively rebuffed Satan with Scripture, quoting Deuteronomy 6:13, "You shall worship the LORD your God, and serve Him only," emphasizing exclusive devotion to God alone. Jesus' perfect resistance provides both a pattern for believers to overcome temptation through God's Word and, more significantly, demonstrates His flawless obedience. This unblemished life qualifies Him as our perfect substitute, forming the foundation for our justification and showcasing His complete triumph over sin and temptation.
Overcoming the Boastful Pride of Life
Pastor Tom Pennington�s sermon, �Power Over Temptation,� examines Christ�s second temptation from Matthew 4:5-7, focusing on overcoming the �boastful pride of life��or self-promotion. He explains that while human temptations spring from sinful cravings, Jesus was tempted through His normal, God-given desires, demonstrating His sinless power and providing a pattern for believers. Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple, a highly visible spot, and tempted Him to jump, quoting Psalm 91. This was not just about testing God's power, but a subtle appeal to self-promotion�to publicly prove His Messiahship to the crowds and seize personal glory outside of God's chosen timing and method. Jesus rebuffed Satan by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16: �You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.� This teaches us not to presume upon God or seek our own glory apart from His will. For believers, the constant temptation to self-promotion perverts our God-given desire to glorify Him into seeking personal recognition. To overcome this, we must remember two things: we are created to promote God�s glory, not our own, and if God chooses to exalt us for His glory, He will do so in His own way and time.
How to Pray for This Church - Part 1
Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon, "Ephesians How to Pray for This Church (Part 1)," examines Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 as a model for Christian prayer. He contrasts the devout but distanced prayer of the Jewish people at the Western Wall with the direct access Christians have to God through Christ. Pennington outlines three foundational principles for effective prayer, drawing from Paul's example. First, **pray according to revelation**; our prayers should be prompted and guided by God's Word rather than solely by our circumstances, allowing Scripture to shape our requests and understanding. Second, **pray with humility**. Paul "bows his knees," signifying deep reverence, submission, and homage to God as the sovereign King, emphasizing an attitude of awe and respect, not casual familiarity. Third, **pray according to God's character**, embracing His attributes: His immense greatness, His loving Fatherhood (through adoption), His unlimited power over all creation, His inherent goodness and generosity, and the limitless riches of His glory. Understanding these aspects allows believers to make audacious requests, trusting God's abundant provision and perfect wisdom. The sermon concludes by urging believers to commit to daily prayer, recognizing it as an essential command for spiritual life, not an option.
God's Great Secret - Part 3
In "Ephesians God's Great Secret (Part 3)," Pastor Tom Pennington contrasts human plans, which often have unintended consequences, with God's perfect eternal plan, which yields only wonderful results. This sermon focuses on the practical implications for believers now that God's "mystery" � His divine secret, once hidden but now revealed through Christ and the church � has been made known. Pennington outlines four key results. First, believers gain the privilege of *free speech before God*. Through Christ and faith, we can approach God in prayer and, in the future, stand in His literal presence with boldness, speaking openly without fear of reprisal. Second, we have *confident access to God*. This means an assured right to enter His presence, whether in current prayer or future physical encounter. These two privileges are granted not by merit, but "in Christ" and "through faith in Him." Third, believers receive *assurance of purpose in our trials*. Paul's tribulations, and even Christ's suffering, illustrate that hardship is often part of God's plan, intended for our good and His glory, challenging the notion that God's plan always involves external prosperity. Finally, the sermon stresses the *responsibility of the church as our great priority*.
Overcoming the Lust of the Flesh
Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon on Jesus's temptation highlights its dual purpose: demonstrating Christ's power and providing a pattern for believers. The three recorded temptations in Matthew and Luke are presented as divinely selected, representing the root causes of all sin, which ultimately stem from three core sinful cravings: the "lust of the flesh," "lust of the eyes," and "boastful pride of life" (1 John 2:16). These are perversions of God-given desires. Crucially, Jesus had no internal sinful cravings; His temptations were external, appealing to *normal* human desires. The first temptation, to turn stones into bread, addressed the "lust of the flesh"�sinfully craving bodily satisfaction outside God's will. This occurs through excess, ungodly means, against God's design, or when desire becomes idolatry. Jesus's response, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 ("Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God"), teaches profound lessons. It affirms Scripture's authority, God's sovereignty and provision, and His intent in allowing deprivation: to humble, test, and instruct. The central truth is that our souls are more important than our bodies.
God's Great Secret - Part 2
In "God's Great Secret (Part 2)" from Ephesians 3:1-13, Pastor Tom Pennington emphasizes that history has a divine purpose, unlike secular views of meaninglessness. He explains that a biblical "mystery" is a divine secret God once concealed but has now revealed. This mystery centers on Christ�an immeasurable treasure�and His work of uniting Jews and Gentiles into one body, the Church. The Apostle Paul, chosen despite his profound humility, was divinely empowered to broadcast this message: preaching the "unfathomable riches of Christ" to Gentiles and illuminating the Church's pivotal role. God's ultimate purpose in revealing this secret is to display His "manifold wisdom" through the Church to angelic beings, thereby fulfilling His eternal plan, which is centered on the exaltation of Jesus Christ. This underscores the Church's centrality to the gospel and its position as the focal point of world history, where ordinary believers' lives display God's glory for all intelligent creation to witness.
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