Sermon: Shalom (Global Restoration I)

God is building an empire, but not in the way we see it. As lovers of history will attest, there is this interesting academic effect where we begin to notice that no hegemonic power has a wholly innocent resume. Expansion, stabilization, and prosperity in a finite world, come at the cost of others. It is the natural order of things. This is where God's restoration of the world is different. As our God is not finite, He is not limited to the same pitfalls and requirements to reign through resource dominance and coercion which means He ushers in a world restored through the peace (Shabbat) first seen in the beginnings of Genesis. Christ does this repeatedly throughout His ministry: connecting the concepts of His sovereign nature with His nature of peace. It is what gives us confidence which rises beyond contention and worldly squabbles, allowing us to unite in a bond which is higher than our circumstances or culture.