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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Me? A Saint? A Study of Definitive Sanctification
This sermon by Tom Pennington explores definitive or positional sanctification, an event occurring at the moment of a believer's salvation. Contrasting with the Roman Catholic process of earning sainthood, Pennington emphasizes that every genuine believer is instantly a "saint"�a holy one set apart by God. This sanctification is distinct from progressive (ongoing) or ultimate (future) sanctification. Biblical arguments for this truth include the consistent labeling of believers as "saints," scriptural references to believers "having been sanctified" as a past event, and the declaration that believers have "died to sin" through union with Christ. Definitive sanctification involves three key elements: believers are set apart from sin unto God (like a special possession), the dominion and mastery of sin over their lives is broken, and they are granted a new ability and desire to obey God and pursue righteousness. The practical implication, highlighted in Romans 6, is foundational for pursuing holiness. Paul argues that because believers have died to sin with Christ and been raised to new life, they are commanded to "consider" themselves dead to sin and alive to God, and to "present" their bodies as instruments of righteousness.
Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part 2
The speaker identifies widespread confusion about prayer, exemplified by "emerging church" practices like the labyrinth. He emphasizes that despite common ignorance, Scripture, particularly Matthew 6:5-15 (the Lord's Prayer), clearly teaches how to pray. This sermon focuses on two wrong motives for prayer. First, seeking a reputation with others, as hypocrites do by praying publicly to be seen. Jesus warns against loving attention for self-promotion, urging private prayer in an "inner room" to the Father who sees in secret, promising His reward. Second, seeking to gain merit with God through "meaningless repetition" or "babbling," mistakenly believing many words obligate God to listen. This is seen in practices like the prophets of Baal or modern prayer wheels. Jesus clarifies that God hears prayers not due to our efforts, but by His grace, through Christ, who makes us acceptable. Prayer doesn't change God's immutable plan but changes *us*, aligning us with His eternal purpose. Our motives should be to cooperate with God's sovereign plan through our requests and to express our absolute dependence on Him for everything. The depth of our humility is reflected in what we bring to God in prayer.
Lord, Teach Us To Pray - Part 1
In "Lord, Teach Us to Pray (Part 1)," Tom Pennington initiates a New Year's focus on prayer, noting that despite God's ever-attentive ear, most Christians pray very little. He dismisses common excuses like lack of time, feeling, focus, or visible results as superficial. Instead, Pennington identifies the true reasons for prayerlessness: a failure to grasp prayer's immense importance, a lack of diligence in disciplined practice and meditation on God's Word, and fundamentally, simple disobedience to clear biblical commands. Drawing insights from Luke 11:1, he highlights four implications from Jesus' prayer life: prayer was crucial to Christ's earthly ministry, it requires deliberate time, it does not come naturally to us, and it is a learnable skill. Jesus consistently modeled a life immersed in prayer, demonstrating its necessity even for the "perfect man." The sermon anticipates an upcoming study of the Disciples' Prayer (Matthew 6, Luke 11) to teach believers *how* to pray effectively. Pennington urges listeners to make a New Year's resolution to commit to daily, deliberate prayer at set times, acknowledging that this spiritual discipline ultimately benefits the individual by fostering dependence on God.
A House of Clay
Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon, "A House of Clay," delves into the profound question of why Jesus Christ had to become fully human, drawing extensively from the book of Hebrews. He identifies four key reasons for the incarnation. First, **Revelation**: Jesus came to perfectly reveal God's nature and character to humanity and to deliver God's ultimate truth through the Gospel. As the "radiance of God's glory" and "exact representation of His nature," Christ made the unseen God comprehensible. Second, **Salvation**: His humanity was crucial for accomplishing salvation. Jesus conquered death itself, rendering Satan powerless, thereby freeing humanity from the fear of death. He also became the propitiation for sins, satisfying God's wrath by dying as a substitute for humankind. Third, **Illustration**: Jesus illustrated a godly life, serving as the "pioneer and perfecter of faith." He blazed a trail of total dependence on God, providing a perfect example for believers to follow. Finally, **Association**: By becoming human, Jesus could fully associate with us. He became our merciful and faithful High Priest, capable of sympathizing with our weaknesses and temptations because He experienced them (yet without sin).
The Mission
Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon "The Mission" emphasizes Jesus's true purpose amidst contemporary Christmas debates. He outlines four key aspects of Christ's coming. First, Jesus came to reach God's chosen people, Israel. His interaction with the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15) illustrates this initial focus, showcasing God's grace even beyond Israel and highlighting faithfulness in one's assigned sphere. Second, Christ came to preach the Gospel (Mark 1). Miracles supported His core message: "repent and believe in the gospel," calling sinners to God. Proclamation, not entertainment, remains the church's central mission. Third, Jesus came to create conflict (Matthew 10). While offering peace with God, His message inevitably divides people, even families, between believers and non-believers. This division tests ultimate loyalty, which must be to Christ above all earthly ties. Finally, and most crucially, Jesus came to save the lost (Luke 19:10). The Zaccheus narrative highlights His purpose "to seek and to save that which was lost" by giving "His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45)�a substitutionary sacrifice. This salvation is available to all who repent and believe. As followers, we are sent on this same mission: to declare the gospel, serve others, and remain loyal to Christ, whatever the cost.
Your Faith: Dead or Alive? - Part 4
This sermon on James 2:14-26 distinguishes between two kinds of faith: a "deceiving dead faith" and a "real living faith." Dead faith is characterized by an empty profession, excuses for disobedience, and mere intellectual assent without genuine fear of God. Living faith, conversely, is saving and inevitably produces good works. The speaker addresses the perceived contradiction between James and Paul, explaining they fought different battles. Paul opposed works-based salvation (works don't justify), while James countered antinomianism, asserting that true faith *always* results in obedience. Both use "justify" to mean "declared righteous," but James emphasizes how faith is vindicated through action. Abraham's offering of Isaac, decades after his initial justification by faith, exemplified how works "perfected" his faith, demonstrating its genuineness. Similarly, Rahab, a Gentile prostitute, proved her saving faith through risky obedience. Works are the fruit and evidence of true faith, not its cause. James concludes that "just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." Genuine faith is active, producing a pattern of decreasing sin and increasing righteousness, reflecting undivided allegiance to Christ. A faith that is "alone"�unaccompanied by a life of obedience�is a dead, damning impostor.
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