Sermon: I Bid You Shalom (Final Sermon)

St. Paul’s Anglican Church – August 4, 2019

Salutations:

To Rev. Ant thank you for the opportunity to share with St. Paul’s

To my husband and bestie Isaac in his absence and to my side kick Zahria-Jade who is here with me today.

To my Dad, my Mom and John, and Nana Adams and all my family and friends that came out today to support me. 

To everyone assembled here today - the Lord be with you!

May we bow our heads in prayer: Pray

Sermon Topic:  I Bid You Shalom

Movement 1:      Sermon Introduction

As some of you may be aware, I have fallen in love with Biblical Hebrew.  This affair started on the first day of Ancient Hebrew 101 when my professor sang the first chapter of Genesis, the creation story to us.  It was absolutely beautiful and ethereal. I fell completely in love.  Unfortunately, Biblical Hebrew is not returning my affection and I have the grades to prove it.  However, like most in love I will continue to pursue it.  Please pray for me.

I am making a distinction between Biblical Hebrew and Modern Hebrew because they are not one in the same language;

Biblical Hebrew is a now dead language and was a part of a family of languages spoken by the ancient near easterners which included such languages as, Arabic, Aramaic, Phoenician and Akkadian.  The Torah and the Old Testament, are written in what is referred to as Ancient or Biblical Hebrew apart from the books of Daniel and Ezra which are written in Aramaic,

Modern Hebrew is a revised version of the original language which was revived around the 18^th or 19^th century and is currently the official language of Israel. 

To give you a scope of the difference between the two.  Biblical Hebrew has approximately 8,000 words were Modern Hebrew spans over 100,000 words.  The English language, by comparison, currently has over 172,000 words in common usage.

Biblical Hebrew does not offer a word for word translation like Spanish or some of the other languages we are familiar with and I’m sure our inhouse linguist, Ruth, will agree that it is more of an art than a science to translate the Hebrew language and capture the essence of what the ancient Near Easterners where trying to share with us about this amazing God they encountered.

Movement 2:      Defining Shalom

This brings me to my sermon topic – I Bid You Shalom!

The word Shalom is used as a salutation by Jewish people as a greeting however its origins speak to a Godly concept or state of contentment or fulfillment.    

Shalom is a Biblical Hebrew word that when translated into English we try to confine it to mean peace, but it means so much more.

A proper definition of the word Shalom would convey peace as well as harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility.

Let us look at each word individually:

1.  Peace - Inner peace refers to a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress. Being "at peace" is considered by many to be healthy and the opposite of being stressed or anxious.

2.  Harmony – the absence of pride and contention and the ability to come into unity with God and those within our community such as neighbors, co-workers, family and church family. 

3.  Wholeness – the state of being unbroken or undamaged. 

4.  Completeness – the state or condition of having all the necessary or appropriate parts.

5.  Prosperity – successful in material terms; flourishing financially in wealth and success.

6.  Welfare – the health, happiness, and fortunes of a person or group.

7.  Tranquility - the quality or state of being tranquil; calm.

So, when you are greeted with the term Shalom the person is actually speaking a powerful blessing over you.  They are praying for, intending for, wishing for, and wanting for you and yours to be full and rich, content and satisfied in God.

Such a powerful concept.  That our heavenly father has made a way, open doors, cleared paths for each and everyone of us to live in this place of contentedness.  Where all of our emotional, spiritual and physical needs are met, healed and supplied.  So complete in fact is the blessing that we have no need to covet of our neighbor. 

Movement 3:  How Is It Attained?

Ok so how do we get it?  Where is it found?

In today’s New Testament reading of Colossians the 3 Chpt. Verses 1-11 I believe we see a pathway to attaining Shalom.

Since we have already established that Shalom is a concept in God it is logical to believe that Shalom’s intangible location is in God.  In order to access the things of God you must be a part of God’s family.

Step One: Salvation

The Book of Colossians is a letter written by Paul to the Church of Colossae.  This is a body of believers to whom Paul is addressing.  The issue of Christ as being Savior and Lord is a settled issue for them be it by way of confirmation / salvation this is a body of people who have confessed Jesus. 

Step Two:  Something Has To Change or in this case two things.

1.  Perspective

2.  Behavior

Albert Einstein says, and I quote “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” End quote.

And

My contribution is, “If we want something to change, we must change something.” End quote.

1.  A Change of Perspective

The first thing that has to change is our perspective.  Our POV or the lens through which we view the world.  How we view the world shapes our thoughts and ideas and direction for living.  Paul in verses one and two make it clear that in order to obtain what God has for us we must align our thinking with Christ.

Paul says in verse 1 and 2

Quoting the Message Bible:

^1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.

2.  A Change in Behavior

Just as perspective is like a road map for where you are going behavior can be a tie or tether that holds you back from experiencing the fullness of God. 

God is Holy.  We all know that.  If you have spent any time in church you have heard that statement however I believe some of its meaning is being lost on us.   

The Bible teaches that God is a holy God. The idea behind the concept of holiness is "separation." It comes from a word meaning "to separate or cut off." God is separate, or cut off, from everything that is sinful.

So, when God is asking us in verses 5-8 to put away sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever we feel like whenever we feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts our fancy it is not because He wants us have a boring life.  It’s because He is inviting us to come closer to Him.  God is attempting to give us what we have asked of Him however in order to draw neigh to God we must also become Holy.  Separated from the world and consecrated to God. Meaning we are prepared to shake off the things of the world which has the fruit of death to gain change, peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility. 

Shake off death to gain Shalom.

Movement 4: Conclusion

So, to my family and friends and included in friends are you the members of St. Paul’s Church who thought it not robbery to not only encourage Zahria-Jade and I but love us as well. As my daughter and I prepare to return to our lives in Georgia please know that you have greatly blessed us.  You will be forever in my prayers. 

May your desire for peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility push you to change and bring you into the presence of the Almighty God.  The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  The I Am That I Am .  The Soverign Lord and Our Savior.

Family, I bid you Shalom.