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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The Canon: Why These Sixty-Six Books - Part 4
This sermon argues that the New Testament canon was established by the intrinsic, apostolic authority of its books, not by later church councils. Contrary to modern challenges like the Jefferson Bible, these books were accepted immediately. Just as Old Testament prophets were authenticated through Moses, Jesus pre-authenticated His apostles as official representatives. He promised them the Holy Spirit would guide their memory and disclose truth (John 14-16) and empowered them with miracles (Acts, 2 Corinthians). Books were included if written directly by an apostle (e.g., Matthew, John, Peter, Paul, and James, who was acknowledged as an apostle), or under an apostle's direct authority. Mark wrote under Peter, Luke and Acts under Paul (Paul even called Luke's writing "Scripture" in 1 Timothy 5:18). Jude, brother of the apostle James, and Hebrews, closely associated with Paul, also gained acceptance this way. Early church worship services read "memoirs of the apostles" alongside Old Testament prophets, confirming their immediate, divine authority. The New Testament books are binding because they convey the words of Christ through His chosen and authorized messengers.
The Real Passion of the Christ
In a 2004 sermon, Pastor Tom Pennington addressed the widespread discussion surrounding Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," urging his congregation to evaluate it from a biblical perspective. He identified several potential benefits, including the film's ability to confront unbelievers with part of the gospel, encourage believers to share their faith, and prompt deeper contemplation of Christ's death and its centrality. However, he emphasized that any true spiritual benefit comes from God's Word and Spirit, not merely the visual experience. Pennington then outlined numerous inherent dangers. He cautioned against mistaking the film's interpretation for infallible Scripture, allowing visual images of Christ to become objects of worship, or believing that a cinematic "experience" is necessary or superior to God's revelation in a book. He warned that focusing solely on human suffering could neglect the crucial divine transaction of God's wrath poured on Christ. Most significantly, he feared the film could dangerously blur distinctions between biblical Christianity and false religions, especially Roman Catholicism (as espoused by Gibson), thereby undermining the foundational doctrine of justification by faith in Christ alone.
The Canon: Why These Sixty-Six Books - Part 3
The text explores the canon of Scripture, specifically addressing the Apocrypha�14 books written between 200 B.C. and 100 A.D., primarily in Greek, found in the Septuagint but absent from the Hebrew Old Testament. Acknowledging a renewed evangelical interest, the speaker firmly argues against their inclusion in the biblical canon. Key reasons against the Apocrypha's canonicity include their own internal statements implying a cessation of prophecy, the universal rejection by Jewish tradition (attested by Josephus and the Talmud), and the complete absence of authoritative citations by Jesus or New Testament writers, despite their frequent use of the Septuagint. Jesus himself affirmed the Jewish canon, implicitly excluding these books. Furthermore, a thorough review of church history reveals that early Christian lists and influential figures like Jerome, and even popes before the Reformation, regarded the Apocrypha as valuable for edification but not as divinely inspired or canonical. It was only at the Roman Catholic Council of Trent in 1546 that these books were officially decreed canonical, largely for doctrinal expediency, such as supporting purgatory. Consequently, the Apocrypha are human writings, lacking divine inspiration and authority, and should not be considered part of God's inerrant Word.
The Canon: Why These Sixty-Six Books - Part 2
This sermon explores the canon of Scripture, addressing why only 66 books are included and how to discern divine revelation from false claims. The speaker reviews the meaning of "canon" as both a list of inspired books and a standard for belief. He then delves into the biblical criteria for the Old Testament canon. Moses was unequivocally established as God's spokesperson, with God commanding him to write the Pentateuch, which the people witnessed and accepted as God's Word. Moses also predicted that God would raise other prophets "like him." These true prophets would be distinguished by God speaking through them and by their messages adhering to two crucial criteria: their predictions would always come true, and their doctrine would always align with previous revelation. Additionally, God sometimes authenticated them with miracles. Prophets like Joshua and Samuel, meeting these established criteria, added their divinely inspired writings to Moses' original "Book of the Law." This continuous chain of authenticated prophets and their immediately accepted writings led to the universal acceptance of the Old Testament canon, as endorsed by Christ and settled centuries before his birth.
The Reason We Live - Part 4
In a sermon on Philippians 1:18b-26, Pastor Tom Pennington contrasts Paul's people-focused devotion with the isolated life of Saint Barsanuphius, highlighting that for Paul, living for God meant living for people. This sermon, part of a series on the Christian's reasons for living, focuses on Paul's third ambition: to bring others to delight in Christ. Paul expresses confidence he will remain alive and continue ministering to the Philippians for two main goals. The *immediate goal* is their "progress and joy in the faith." Progress involves advancing in spiritual maturity through knowledge and practice of biblical truth, while joy stems from a settled conviction in God's absolute sovereignty, regardless of circumstances. True Christians, like Paul, cannot live in spiritual isolation but must be concerned for others' growth. The *ultimate goal* of Paul's ministry, as stated in verse 26, is for the Philippians' "proud confidence" or "boasting" to "abound in Christ Jesus." This biblical concept of boasting means placing complete trust and reliance in something, then glorying in it. Paul distinguishes between boasting in oneself (one's achievements or credentials), which is antithetical to being in Christ, and boasting solely in Jesus Christ.
The Canon: Why These Sixty-Six Books - Part 1
Pastor Tom Pennington's message, "The Canon: Why These Sixty-Six Books (Part 1)," addresses the critical question of identifying God's authoritative word, illustrated by anecdotes of individuals claiming new divine revelations. He defines "canon" as the list of books inspired by God, serving as the *sole* rule for belief and practice�a distinction from Roman Catholic theology. The Old Testament canon was accepted by early Christians and validated by Christ. As heresies like Marcion's emerged, the church developed criteria such as apostolicity, orthodoxy, and universal acceptance for New Testament books. While early church councils eventually affirmed the 27 New Testament books, the speaker stresses that true canonicity isn't merely human consensus but divine certification. He explains the Jewish Old Testament canon (Law, Prophets, Writings) was settled by Ezra's time (400 BC) and endorsed by Christ. The foundational argument for its authority stems from God's unmistakable designation of Moses as His unique mouthpiece at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19, Numbers 12), making his writings undeniably divine and forming the bedrock for the entire Old Testament canon.
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