Advent 2024 – Promises #1 – Study Questions
God Crushes Sin (Hope)
Genesis 3:15 & John 3:16-17 (CGS#1)
INTRODUCTION: Advent is a season where we take time to both remember the coming and birth of Jesus and look forward to his second coming. In this, it is a season of paradoxical postures. To simply look back only treats God’s intervention with a sense of nostalgia. It is as if he had once worked on man’s behalf, and we are to simply plug on through this broken existence forever. And, to only look forward is to treat the second coming of Jesus with a naive hope. Why? Because we look forward without remembering all of the ways God has fulfilled his promises and so we can look forward with a confident hope. If we don’t look back, our forward hope is nothing more than a wish without substance. That is why we purposely and actively remember during Advent.
One of the first promises that God made, was to offer redemption and wholeness. It was in the face of Adam and Eve’s sin and rebellion that God purposed to redeem and save. He will do this not by constructing a system where Adam and Eve earn salvation through their good moral works or financial offerings. Instead, God will take it upon himself to deliver salvation for them. And, in his goodness, this offer of deliverance is for all people, that by faith none would have to perish. God doing for us what we desperately need is the foundation of Christian hope.
Hope, in the biblical view is not a wish or a fleeting desire that would be nice if it could be true. Instead, it is the conviction that it is going to be okay. Not because you or I are strong enough to make it okay. We know that we aren’t. Or, at least, we should by now. I mean, let’s be honest, how many presidential elections have we all lived through? Every time, promises are made that are never kept. Some promises are made that could never even be fulfilled. Please hear me clearly, I think civic policies are important because they impact people. And people are important to God, so we should institute good policies. But even the best of those policies will never bring us lasting and permanent hope. That is what our hearts long for. That is what God promised in Genesis 3:15. The one who would crush the head of the serpent that brought destruction and chaos to God’s good world. Jesus is the one who brings lasting hope. He is the prince of peace. Jesus will come just as God promised. And Jesus will bring a light that the darkness could not and cannot overcome. No matter how grim life seems, with God, we never lack for hope. In Advent, we remember that, when everything was hopeless, God stepped in.
GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. What is a word that you see often (like hope) during this time of the year? How does that word take on special meaning for you in this season?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage(s). It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions.
- What did you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the passage this week? How does it encourage you? How does it sharpen you?
- If you ran into someone in a hallway, and they asked you, “What is hope?” How would you answer them? How would you define hope for them?
- What does it mean to you that we have been set free from the power of sin? How should that truth inform your everyday life?
- How have you seen God show up and be faithful in your suffering or in difficult times?
- The season of Advent is both a season of remembering and anticipation. Over the next month, spend some time in your day to do both. This could be in the morning, over lunch, or in the evening. Take 10-15 minutes and consider the following questions: (Also – You can talk about these with your group.)
- How have I enjoyed God today or in the last 24hrs?
- What am I learning about God?
- What is something that I am trusting God for?
- What is one fruit of the Spirit that I desire to grow in? (cf. Gal. 5:22)