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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2022-11-27

Love as a Sign of Life - Part 2

This sermon, "Love as a Sign of Life (Part 2)," from 1 John 3:11-24, establishes that love for fellow believers is a fundamental evidence of possessing eternal life. Analogizing spiritual rebirth to immigration from one country to another, the text explains that Christians have passed from spiritual death into eternal life, and this transformation is consistently evidenced by their love for "the brethren." According to 1 John 3:14, "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren," signifying that true love is a characteristic pattern, not an occasional act, reflecting a new, unselfish nature. Conversely, the absence of this genuine love, manifesting as hatred, is a clear indicator of spiritual death. The speaker emphasizes 1 John 3:15, arguing there's no neutral ground between love and hate in God's moral law, which is primarily positive, requiring perfect love for God and neighbor. Therefore, consistently hating a brother is deemed equivalent to being a murderer in one's heart, violating God's internal command against murder. A person characterized by such hatred, regardless of their claims, does not have eternal life.

1 John
Tom Pennington
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1 John
2022
2022-11-20

A Thanksgiving Parable

Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon, "A Thanksgiving Parable," explores Luke 17:11-19, highlighting Jesus' healing of ten lepers. As Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem, ten men suffering from incurable leprosy called out for mercy. Jesus, without touching them, instructed them to show themselves to the priests�a requirement for those already healed. As they obeyed, all ten were miraculously and instantly cleansed of their disease. However, only one, a Samaritan, turned back. He loudly glorified God, prostrated himself at Jesus' feet in worship, and expressed profound gratitude, acknowledging Jesus as the divine source of his healing. Jesus expressed disappointment that the other nine did not return to give glory to God, implying their ingratitude for the physical blessing. To the thankful Samaritan, Jesus declared, "Your faith has made you well," using a Greek word signifying spiritual salvation, not merely physical healing. The sermon draws two key lessons: Firstly, the unregenerate heart is inherently ungrateful for God's physical blessings, often taking them for granted without acknowledging their divine source. Secondly, the redeemed heart is characterized by worship and deep gratitude to Jesus Christ for both physical and, crucially, spiritual gifts like wisdom, righteousness, and eternal salvation.

Tom Pennington
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Thanksgiving Sermons
2022
2022-11-13

Love as a Sign of Life - Part 1

This sermon on 1 John 3:11-24 explores "Love as a Sign of Life," emphasizing love for God's people as a vital test of eternal life for genuine believers. The central theme is that true Christians are marked by genuine love for one another, a fundamental command heard from the beginning of the gospel. This love is not optional but evidence of salvation, flowing from God's prior love for us. In contrast, love is fundamentally absent from an unbeliever's heart. While the world may speak of love, its affections are often superficial or self-serving. Unbelievers, like Cain, are characterized by hatred, especially towards the righteous. Cain murdered Abel because his own deeds were evil, and Abel's righteousness implicitly condemned him, sparking envy, anger, and eventually, a brutal act of hatred. This antagonism is a general principle: the "world" of unregenerate people hates genuine believers because their righteous lives expose sin and reflect the world's hatred for Christ. The message concludes with a crucial application: a test and an assurance. If one is consistently driven by self-interest, anger, and hatred, particularly towards those close to them, they resemble Cain and are not genuine Christians, needing to seek Christ's mercy.

1 John
Tom Pennington
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1 John
2022
2022-11-13

Antichrist - Part 1

The sermon "Revelation Antichrist (Part 1)" explores Revelation 13:1-10, introducing the Antichrist as the ultimate human embodiment of evil, controlled by Satan. This figure, also called "the man of lawlessness" and "the beast," will rise during the future seven-year tribulation, surpassing all previous evil rulers in history. Empowered directly by Satan, the Antichrist will experience a meteoric rise to global political dominance. His empire, depicted with ten horns and seven heads, will blend the speed of a leopard, the ferocity of a bear, and the consuming power of a lion, representing the accumulated wickedness of past world powers. He will declare himself divine, using blasphemous names. A key part of his deception involves a counterfeit death and miraculous resurrection � a "fatal wound" that is healed � intended to mimic Christ and garner worldwide worship for himself and Satan. This deception will captivate and enslave those who have rejected the truth of the gospel. The sermon concludes with the assurance that Jesus Christ will ultimately destroy the Antichrist with a mere word, establishing His eternal kingdom, underscoring the vital importance of faith in the true Messiah.

Tom Pennington
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Revelation
2022
2022-11-06

Researching Your Spiritual Ancestry - Part 2

Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon "1 John Researching Your Spiritual Ancestry (Part 2)" uses the analogy of paternity tests to introduce 1 John's role in providing "tests of eternal life," specifically focusing on obedience as evidence of spiritual paternity. He explains that 1 John 3:7-10 reveals one's spiritual father through habitual conduct: practicing righteousness signifies a child of God, while practicing sin indicates being a child of the devil. Pennington clarifies that "No one who is born of God practices sin" does not imply sinless perfection or that believers never sin. Instead, it means true Christians do not live in a *habitual pattern* of sin, nor do they possess the *capacity* for such a lifestyle. This is because "His seed"�the divine principle of life, implanted by the Holy Spirit through the gospel�abides in them, causing a fundamental transformation and an inherent drive towards God's ways (Ezekiel 36). Sin becomes an abnormal "aberration," not the defining characteristic of their life. The text emphasizes that this test of righteousness, coupled with love for fellow believers, makes one's spiritual paternity "obvious.

1 John
Tom Pennington
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1 John
2022
2022-10-30

Researching Your Spiritual Ancestry - Part 1

Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon "Researching Your Spiritual Ancestry (Part 1)," based on 1 John 3:7-10, asserts that every individual is either a child of God or a child of the devil, and this spiritual lineage is definitively proven by one's habitual conduct. He first warns against a "lethal deception" prevalent in various forms (like Gnosticism, easy believism, or pop Christianity) that claims one can be righteous without consistently practicing righteousness, thereby condoning a life of ongoing sin. Pennington debunks the lies that salvation is earned by good deeds or external appearance, emphasizing that true righteousness requires a changed heart. The "Biblical correction" states that habitually practicing righteousness is not how one *becomes* righteous, but rather the undeniable evidence of an already righteous heart and a new birth in Christ. Conversely, habitually practicing sin reveals one to be "of the devil," whose nature and work are characterized by sin, lies, and destruction. Jesus, the Son of God, appeared specifically to destroy the works of the devil�first, by saving His people from the guilt, penalty, and power of sin through His death on the cross, and second, by eternally judging those who remain unrepentant in their sin.

1 John
Tom Pennington
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1 John
2022

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