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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Watch Your Mouth! - Part 1
In his sermon on James 3:1-12, "Watch Your Mouth!", Tom Pennington stresses the profound importance of controlling our speech, arguing it's the most troublesome issue we face. He links an unbridled tongue to "worthless religion" (James 1:26), asserting that speech reliably indicates a transformed heart and genuine faith. Pennington presents two compelling reasons for this control. First, "Our tongues condemn us." Teachers face stricter judgment, and Jesus warns that every careless word will be accounted for, potentially leading to condemnation (Matthew 12). For believers, words impact rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3). Second, "Our tongues control us." Mastering the tongue, James suggests, signifies spiritual maturity, enabling self-control in all life areas. Using analogies of a horse's bit and a ship's rudder, Pennington illustrates how a small part can direct the entire entity. He explains that the tongue, though tiny, boasts of controlling and guiding our entire lives, shaping our future actions and spiritual path. Unchecked speech reflects an untransformed heart and actively propels us towards sin, making conscious effort to control our words a vital strategy for pursuing Christ-likeness and overall godliness.
Kept by God: the Perseverance of the Saints
Tom Pennington's sermon, "The Perseverance of the Saints," emphasizes that salvation, from eternal election to eventual glorification, is entirely God's work of grace, ensuring true believers remain secure to the end. This doctrine does not mean believers are immune to sin, nor does it apply to all who merely profess Christ; many claim faith without truly knowing Him. Unlike Roman Catholic or Arminian views, the Reformed perspective teaches that God actively preserves those He genuinely saves. Perseverance involves both God's preservation and the believer's active perseverance in faith. God's divine role is evident in His unbreakable promises: Jesus will lose none the Father gives Him, no one can snatch believers from God's hand, and God will complete the good work He started. The Holy Spirit seals believers as a pledge of their inheritance, and Christ continuously intercedes for them. Biblical warnings about falling away are not meant to imply that true believers can lose salvation. Instead, they serve as divine *means* to ensure believers *will* persevere, prompting diligence in faith and obedience. Just as Paul warned sailors to stay on the ship despite a promise of survival, these warnings encourage genuine believers to remain on the path to heaven.
Drawing Near: The Daily Discipline of Time with God
Pastor Tom Pennington addresses the widespread struggle among Christians to maintain a consistent daily discipline of spending time with God, vital for progressive sanctification. He establishes its biblical priority by referencing Deuteronomy 17, which commanded kings to daily engage with God's law, and highlights the historical practice of godly figures like Martin Luther and the early church's continual devotion to teaching and prayer (Acts 2:42). Scripture, he emphasizes, is a God-given desire for believers (1 Peter 2:2) and is profitable for equipping them for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Practically, Pennington advises scheduling this time as a first morning activity in a quiet, light, and focused location, setting a reasonable duration, and committing to consistency for several months to establish a lasting habit. Essential elements include broad Bible reading, in-depth Bible study with meditation, varied prayer, and music. He suggests an order: a brief prayer, reflection on a Psalm, reading a significant Scripture portion, detailed study of a paragraph, and an extended prayer session. This daily discipline, rather than a spiritual shortcut, is God's primary method for fostering spiritual growth and victory in believers' lives.
Lost & Found: The Biblical Priority of Church Discipline
Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon, "Lost & Found: The Biblical Priority of Church Discipline," highlights the often-neglected practice outlined in Matthew 18:15-20 as a crucial rescue mission for believers caught in sin. He asserts that this "counterintuitive" command must be prioritized over cultural comfort or personal preferences, emphasizing obedience to biblical teaching. Church discipline applies when a professing Christian sins within one's sphere of influence, with exceptions for forgivable personal wrongs, non-clear biblical violations, or the confronter's unrepented sin. The process demands attitudes of genuine love, eagerness to forgive, gentleness, and humility. The four-step process involves: 1) Private confrontation, urging repentance. 2) Private confirmation with one or two witnesses if the initial attempt fails. 3) Public proclamation to the church (via elders) if the individual remains rebellious, prompting collective persuasion. 4) Final excommunication, where unrepentant individuals are treated as unbelievers by the church. This discipline aims to restore the sinning Christian, create shame, deliver them to Satan for the destruction of their flesh (ultimately to save their soul), keep the church pure, and instill a healthy fear of sin among members.
Sanctification: The Process of True Biblical Change - Part 4
Tom Pennington's sermon defines sanctification as God's ongoing work of grace, delivering justified sinners from sin's pollution, renewing them in God's image, and enabling them to live righteously. He contrasts this biblical process with ineffective "homemade remedies" and "crisis moments" for change. Drawing from John 17:17 ("Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth") and Ephesians 4:22-24, Pennington outlines three essential steps: "put off" the old, sinful self; "be renewed in the spirit of your minds"; and "put on" the new, Christ-like self. The "renewal of the mind" is crucial�it's the hinge distinguishing true biblical change from mere self-reformation. This continuous, passive work of the Holy Spirit, occurring through consistent reading, study, and meditation on Scripture, transforms our thinking. Sanctification operates on a "replacement principle": every vice has a corresponding biblical virtue. To overcome a sin (e.g., lying), one must actively replace it with its opposite virtue (truth-telling). Practically, this involves identifying personal vices and their heart-level roots, thoroughly studying Scripture concerning both the vice and its virtue, journaling to understand sin patterns, and creating a concrete plan to "put off" old habits and "put on" new, godly ones.
Lead Us Not Into Temptation
In the tenth and final part of a series on the Lord's Prayer, Pastor Tom Pennington focuses on Matthew 6:13: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." This petition is a fervent prayer for personal holiness. Pennington identifies temptation as the chief enemy, clarifying it as a "solicitation to sin" rather than a divine test. Its three sources are our own sinful flesh, Satan and his demonic forces, and the world's organized system of evil (manifested as the lust of the flesh, eyes, and pride of life). To genuinely pray this petition, believers must cultivate a hatred for sin, a spirit of dependence on God, and a deep longing for holiness. The prayer's negative side asks God for providential protection, preventing us from succumbing to temptations He permits. The positive side, "deliver us from evil," is a plea for God to actively transform us, producing righteousness and the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Practical applications include developing these prerequisite attitudes, identifying and avoiding temptations, and consistently praying for both personal and corporate holiness, using the Lord's Prayer as a daily guide.
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