Rooted Christmas Party Sermon

Introduction: The Word is a Gift

Reminder: Invite Rooted to Journey on 1/4 for the worship night

Tonight I want to take time to think about and remember a great gift of God that we have: His Word

Its greater than any other gift we could possibly get under the tree

It is the very thing that we need to build our ministry off of.

Hebrews 4:12 ESV

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

God’s Word Must be Central in all that we do:

Summarized like this:

P - Preach the Word

R - Read the Word

P - Pray the Word

S - Sing the Word

S - See the Word

Preach the Word

The word “preach” or “preaching” appears 77 times in the New Testament.

2 Timothy 4:1–4 ESV

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

We must be committed, as a ministry, to the preaching of God’s word.

Romans 10:14 ESV

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Read the Word

1 Timothy 4:13 ESV

13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.

At some point in every Rooted gathering the Word of God should be read out-loud publically

Hebrews 4:12 ESV

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Psalm 119:105 ESV

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Pray the Word

We should pray in truth with prayers centered around the truth of Scripture

Psalm 91:1–2 ESV

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Sing the Word

Paul Commands us to sing together

Colossians 3:16 ESV

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Everything we sing needs to be Biblically accurate - Jesus gives us a simple formula for this:

John 4:23–24 ESV

23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

We must sing only what is true about God because he is Holy

We learn things about God through what we sing

See the Word

Acts 2:42–47 ESV

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

This is seen through the community that we have together

How we care for each other, how we treat each other, how we confront each other.

If I don’t stop you from hurting your life with sin and bad decisions, do I really love you?

As we take on the task of evangelism, we need to be sure that we are caring for each other within the group as well, not just those outside of it.

Seeing the Word is most evident and clearly seen during baptism and communion