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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Your Faith: Dead or Alive? - Part 3
Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon "Your Faith: Dead or Alive" from James 2:14-26 asserts that genuine saving faith is invariably accompanied by obedience and good works. He argues this biblical truth, defining a "changed life" for his church, has been dangerously overlooked. Pennington emphasizes James's consistent message: true faith isn't mere intellectual assent but actively transforms one's life, leading to decreasing sin and increasing holiness. He contrasts this with "easy believism," critiquing figures like Charles Ryrie and Zane Hodges who propose a disconnect between faith and works, suggesting true Christians can lack a changed life. Pennington deems this a "weak gospel" with severe implications. To prove historical consistency, he cites early church fathers (Clement, Ignatius, Augustine), Reformation leaders (Luther, Calvin), and later theologians (Spurgeon, Tozer), all affirming that faith without works is dead and true justification results in transformation. Pennington clarifies that Paul and James are not contradictory; Paul opposes salvation by works, while James combats lawlessness, both agreeing that true faith yields good works. The sermon concludes by urging self-examination to discern living, saving faith from dead, damning faith, and advocating for a gospel presentation that immediately emphasizes Christ as both Savior and Lord.
Born Again: The Miracle of Regeneration
Tom Pennington's sermon, "The Miracle of Regeneration," explores this essential theological concept, defining it as a radical, pervasive, and instantaneous act of God that imparts new spiritual life. Regeneration is not self-reformation, the addition of a new spiritual component, or merely perfecting one's fallen nature. Instead, it is necessary because humanity is spiritually blind, inherently fleshly, and powerless to enter God's Kingdom without divine intervention, as highlighted in John 3. Biblical metaphors such as new birth, creation, and resurrection illustrate that individuals are passive in this process; God acts alone, a "monergistic" work. This mysterious yet instantaneous transformation changes every faculty of a person's being�mind, heart, and will�enabling them to understand God's truths. The profound effects of regeneration include a cleansed heart, the ability to see and enter God's Kingdom by faith, a newfound capacity to believe in Christ (preceding saving faith), and the power to obey God, avoid a life of habitual sin, and love others. Ultimately, true regeneration is evidenced by the production of the fruit of the Spirit in one's life, a clear contrast to the "deeds of the flesh," demonstrating a genuine, Spirit-wrought transformation.
Your Faith: Dead or Alive? - Part 2
Pastor Tom Pennington introduces his sermon on James 2:14-26 by comparing those with "dead faith" to flat-earth believers, highlighting how such faith is out of touch with reality. He explains James's distinction between a real, saving faith and a deceiving, dead faith, focusing on an "autopsy of dead faith" with three characteristics. Firstly, dead faith is marked by an empty profession (v.14-17). Simply claiming faith without a consistent pattern of obedience, or "works," is useless, like offering empty blessings to someone in need without providing practical help. Works, in this context, are the attitudes and actions commanded by the Bible that demonstrate a life's true direction. Secondly, dead faith shows a consistent pattern of excuses (v.18). People with dead faith argue that faith and works can be separated or rely solely on internal feelings. James refutes this, stating that works *display* faith; one cannot demonstrate courage without an act of courage, nor true faith without corresponding acts of obedience. Thirdly, dead faith holds biblical orthodoxy without genuine fear (v.19). While it can embrace correct doctrines about God and Christ ("You believe that God is one. You do well."), the sermon emphasizes that "the demons also believe, and shudder.
Your Faith: Dead or Alive? - Part 1
In his sermon "Your Faith: Dead or Live? (Part 1)," Pastor Tom Pennington of Countryside Bible Church delves into James 2:14-26, a passage he identifies as the epistle's most controversial and crucial theological section. Pennington clarifies that James is not contrasting faith and works as methods of salvation, but rather distinguishing between a genuine, living faith that saves, and a deceptive, dead faith that ultimately condemns. Drawing parallels with the "War of the Worlds" broadcast and the pervasive nature of self-deception, Pennington warns against believing one possesses true saving faith when it lacks the evidence of good works. He explains that "works" are not religious activities, but rather a consistent pattern of obedience to God's Word�the opposite of "lawless deeds." True salvation, a gift of God's grace received through faith, invariably produces a transformed life characterized by such good deeds. An "autopsy of dead faith" reveals an "empty profession" of belief that, despite sincere conviction, consistently yields no pattern of obedience. Examples from Matthew, John, and Acts illustrate individuals who professed faith but whose lives demonstrated a fundamental lack of genuine transformation.
The Effectual Call
This sermon by Tom Pennington defines the "effectual call" as a crucial divine act within the "ordo salutis," or order of salvation. He distinguishes it from the "general call," which is the outward, universal proclamation of the gospel that can be rejected. The effectual call, however, is an inward, specific, and efficacious act of God the Father, working through His Word and Spirit, which sovereignly regenerates individuals and makes them willing to respond in saving faith. Key characteristics of this effectual call include its specific nature (not everyone receives it), its inward working (within the mind and heart), and its guaranteed effectiveness, as seen in biblical examples like Lazarus and Lydia. This divine call is also immutable, ensuring that all whom God effectually calls will be justified and ultimately glorified. Believers are called to holiness, fellowship with Christ, freedom, peace with fellow believers, a life of proclamation, perseverance in suffering, and to receive God�s eternal kingdom and glory. Consequently, recipients of this call are urged to live a life worthy of such a profound divine invitation.
No Condemnation - Part 1
This sermon, "James No Condemnation," shifts focus from James to Romans 8:1-4, prompted by James 2:10: "whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." The pastor highlights the neglected role of God's moral law in modern Christianity, asserting its importance in revealing sin and leading individuals to Christ. The Ten Commandments, delivered with divine authority, are presented as comprehensive categories of God's will, demanding not only external conformity but also internal virtue, ultimately summarized by Christ as loving God and neighbor. A true understanding of the law exposes humanity's pervasive sinfulness, far beyond superficial transgressions. This realization reveals two critical problems: the law demands perfect obedience, and its violation incurs eternal death. Therefore, our sole hope lies in Christ, whose death atoned for our law-breaking and whose life provided our necessary righteousness. Romans 8:1-4 declares "no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," meaning no guilty verdict or death sentence for believers. This profound reality is attributed to two factors: our inseparable union with Christ as our representative, and the liberating power of the Holy Spirit through the gospel, freeing us from attempting to earn righteousness by keeping the law.
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