Advent - A New Humanity: Week 3
Opening Prayer:
Lord God,
You are the Author of life, Creator of us all.
At Advent we remember how You came to us in Jesus,
Giving us the gift of new life and showing us what this new life - a true human life - is meant to look like.
Thank You for the new life You make real in us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Key Scripture:
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:26-38
So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.
1 Corinthians 15:45-49
Today is week three of our Advent series; Advent — when we take the time to pause and reflect on the coming of Jesus into the world. If you missed Sunday’s talk you can catch up below: (Looking for the text summary? You can find that here).
Discussion Guide: A New Humanity
Sermon Theme: Steve explains how the arrival of Jesus invites us into a "new humanity"—a life formed by the Spirit rather than the patterns of the world.
I. Ice Breaker: The "Spirit" of Christmas
Discuss: When people talk about "getting into the spirit of Christmas," what does that usually look like in our culture?
Reflect: How would you describe the difference between the "holiday spirit" and the Holy Spirit?
II. Group Discussion
Part 1: The Need for a New Humanity
Steve suggests that despite all our technological advancements and self-help gurus, we are still facing a crisis of "man’s inhumanity to man."
Question: Some writers imagine a future where humans use technology (AI, genetic engineering) to overcome death and limitations. Why is technology or "upgrading" humanity ultimately insufficient to solve our deepest problems?
Question: We often turn to self-help to "fix" ourselves (e.g., The 7 Habits or social media influencers). While these can be good, Steve argues they often rely on "personality techniques" or "manipulation." What is the difference between "self-improvement" and the "new birth" Jesus offers?
Part 2: The Grand Miracle
C.S. Lewis calls the Incarnation "the Grand Miracle"—God becoming a human being to bring us back to God.
Question: Jesus is described not just as the Son of God, but as the "Second Adam"—a new start for the human race. How does seeing Jesus as the "prototype" for a new way of being human change how we view our own potential for change?
Part 3: Formation vs. Conformation
We are constantly being shaped by the world around us. In the sermon Steve says: "If we are not consciously being formed by Jesus we are unconsciously being formed by someone or something else."
Question: In what ways do you feel the world trying to "form" you right now (e.g., anxiety, consumerism, polarization)?
Question: Romans 12:2 calls us to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind." What does it practically look like to "test and approve God's will" in your daily life this week?
Practices:
Individual Practice: Be Born in Us Today
Steve closes the message with the line from O Little Town of Bethlehem: "Cast out our sin and enter in; be born in us today."
Practice: This week, start your mornings with a simple "breathing prayer" to invite the Holy Spirit to take deeper root in you each day.
Inhale: "Spirit of the Living God..."
Exhale: "...be born in me today." Steve asks, "Who are you following?" and notes that if we aren't intentionally formed by Jesus, we are unintentionally formed by something else.
Goal: Consciously invite the Holy Spirit to shape your reactions, decisions, and interactions before the pressures of the day begin.
Communal Practice: Walking to a Different Drumbeat
Steve emphasizes that we cannot change the world alone; we need the family of God. The "new humanity" is a community that is caring, concerned for the vulnerable, the refugee, and the marginalized.
Practice: As a group, identify one way to "walk to a different drumbeat" this Advent.
Instead of "splashing out" on more consumption, pool a small portion of what you might have spent on a luxury and use it to support a local "vulnerable" group.
Commit to one specific act of counter-cultural kindness that pushes back against the "survival of the fittest" mentality.