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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A Virtual Tour of the Reformation
This "Virtual Tour of the Reformation," delivered on its 500th anniversary, highlights the movement as a recovery of biblical truth from the "darkness" of medieval Roman Catholicism, symbolized by the motto "post tenebras lux" (after darkness, light). Pastor Tom Pennington identifies the Reformation's core as the Five Solas: Sola Scriptura, Solus Christus, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, and Soli Deo Gloria, which answered fundamental questions about church authority and salvation. The ultimate hero, he asserts, is Jesus Christ building His church. The sermon traces the Reformation's foundations through pre-Reformers like Peter Waldo, John Wycliffe, and Jan Hus, who championed Scripture's accessibility and authority. It then explores the main streams: Martin Luther in Germany, John Calvin in Geneva, and Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland. Luther's personal struggle led to his understanding of justification by faith, the posting of the 95 Theses, his excommunication, and his pivotal German Bible translation, which influenced William Tyndale's English Bible. Calvin, a second-generation Reformer, wrote the *Institutes* and directed the creation of the influential Geneva Bible. Zwingli, a contemporary of Luther, independently advocated for reform in Zurich through verse-by-verse biblical preaching.
Sin Is Not Your Master - Part 5
In "Romans Sin Is Not Your Master (Part 5)," Tom Pennington critiques non-biblical approaches to sin like monasticism and asceticism, arguing these man-made efforts, such as living as hermits or on columns, are futile and "of no value against fleshly indulgence," as sin resides within. Instead, the sermon grounds the solution in Romans 6, asserting that Christians have received a spiritual "Emancipation Proclamation" from sin's mastery. Through union with Christ at salvation, believers have died to sin's reign, dominion, and slavery. The "old self" was crucified with Christ, rendering the body of sin ineffective. Just as Christ was permanently raised from the dead, believers are spiritually raised to walk in a new, permanent life *now*. This radical heart change means that an ongoing, unrepentant pattern of sin is incompatible with true Christianity. Christ died to sin once for all and now lives to God; similarly, believers have permanently died to the realm of sin and death and now "live forever to God," with sin dethroned from its kingly power.
Sin Is Not Your Master - Part 4
Pastor Tom Pennington critiques the common, flawed view of salvation as a human decision leading to moral self-reliance, arguing it contradicts Scripture. He emphasizes that true salvation requires regeneration�a miraculous, divine act of God imparting new spiritual life. This "spiritual heart transplant" (Ezekiel 36) or "new birth" (John 3) is a radical, instantaneous transformation, not mere reformation. At regeneration, the "old self" (enslaved to sin) is crucified with Christ, dying and being replaced by an entirely new person in Christ. This means believers are no longer slaves to sin, though they still contend with "the flesh"�their unredeemed humanness. This struggle is a "mop-up operation" against a defeated enemy, not a war between two equal natures. Understanding this radical change is crucial: it provides the best evidence of true salvation and forms the foundation for all Christian growth and holiness. Like slaves freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, Christians must grasp their spiritual emancipation from sin's mastery to live in its freedom.
Sin Is Not Your Master - Part 3
Pastor Tom Pennington's sermon on Romans 6:1-14 emphasizes that believers are no longer slaves to sin, refuting the idea of continuing in sin. He clarifies that "dying to sin" means dying to its *reign* at salvation, a radical change in our relationship with sin. Pennington argues this "death" to sin occurs through the **baptism of the Holy Spirit**, not water baptism. He debunks the idea of water baptism as salvific or merely a sign in this context, citing scriptural reasons. Instead, the Spirit's baptism immerses us into Christ's body, creating an unbreakable union. This union means we were "baptized into His death" and "buried with Him," signifying the finality of our old self. Crucially, we were also "raised with Him to walk in newness of life," becoming a "new creation" in Christ. Key lessons: foundational knowledge of these truths is paramount for overcoming sin. True Christians cannot perpetually live in unrepentant sin; God will discipline them or even take their lives. Sustained unrepentant sin, if unchecked, signals one was never truly saved. Union with Christ provides security, ensuring grace reigns and leads to increasing righteousness, transforming us into new creations.
Q & A
Pastor Tom Pennington's Q&A session addressed diverse theological and practical inquiries. He clarified that God, not Satan, is sovereign over all things, including adversity, citing Job and 2 Chronicles to emphasize divine control and offer comfort. On Old Testament atonement, Pennington explained that sacrifices were symbolic, accepted by faith as types prefiguring Christ's ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice, which truly atoned for sin. Regarding biblical interpretation, he attributed variations in Old Testament quotes in the New Testament to translation from Hebrew to Greek and the apostles' Spirit-inspired commentary, which affirmed the principle of Bible translation. The canonicity of Hebrews, despite its unknown author, was explained by the early church's acceptance of books written by or under the authority of an apostle. Pennington also defined his "leaky dispensationalism," affirming that Israel is distinct from the Church and has a future in God's plan. He provided guidance on evangelism, advising a compassionate approach with cult members, focusing on authority, Christ's identity, and the true gospel, while for postmodern skeptics, challenging the notion that all beliefs are equally valid by asserting objective truth.
Sin Is Not Your Master - Part 2
Tom Pennington's sermon on Romans 6:1-14 addresses the crucial question: "Can a believer continue to sin after salvation?" Paul's emphatic answer is "absolutely not!" because Christians have "died to sin." This foundational statement is key to living a holy life and understanding Christian security. Pennington clarifies what "dying to sin" does not mean, refuting common misinterpretations such as becoming entirely insensitive to sin (Wesleyan perfectionism), finding a "secret" to instant victory, or simply dying daily to sin. It also doesn't exclusively refer to freedom from sin's guilt and penalty, or merely the act of renouncing sin at repentance. Instead, "we died to sin" signifies a radical, one-time event at conversion: a fundamental change of "realms" or "kingdoms." Before Christ, sin *reigned*, dominating and enslaving individuals. At salvation, believers are transferred into a new kingdom where *grace reigns*. This means we died to sin's *reign*, *dominion*, and *slavery*. While sin's *presence* remains in believers, its *mastery* is definitively broken. This truth has profound implications for all: non-Christians remain slaves to sin, desperately needing Christ's liberating power. For genuine believers, sin is now an anomaly, not a characterizing pattern, demonstrating that grace is actively producing increasing righteousness in their lives.
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