SHALOM

SHALOM Peace Absence of conflict Presence of wholeness, flourishing, and fullness The way the world is meant to be “[Shalom is] the webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight…” - John Calvin

GENESIS 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

THE BEGINNING The Blueprint for Shalom Humans are made in the image of God Deuteronomy 32:4 Psalm 145:9 Psalm 103:13 Humans have been given a job to do Humans have been created for community

GENESIS 1:28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

GENESIS 2:15-17 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

GENESIS 3:1-6 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast… he said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.”

GENESIS 3:1-6 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate.

THE BREAKDOWN The Consequences of Sin Spiritual Breakdown Creational Breakdown Structural Breakdown Relational Breakdown Individual Breakdown

GENESIS 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.”

COLOSSIANS 1:19-20 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace [shalom] by the blood of his cross.”

TENSION ALREADY NOT YET Jesus has already made peace by his blood We have not yet experienced the fullness of that peace in our world Jesus has already defeated death by his own death and resurrection Our world has not yet experienced the end of death We wait patiently for Jesus to return Jesus is coming back to establish shalom Christians are already adopted by God We are not yet face to face with God Jesus has already done all that is needed to restore creation In the new creation, all things will be made new

SEEKING SHALOM TODAY How has sin led to a breakdown of shalom in your life? • Spiritual • Creational • Structural • Relational • Individual How do you, driven by the gospel, pursue shalom in those areas? “Re-weaving shalom means to sacrificially thread, lace, and press your time, goods, power, and resources into the lives and needs of others.” - Timothy Keller