Welcome to Ulladulla 2024

Theme: Knowing and being a friend of God

Isaiah11:9

They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

Knowledge means more than head knowledge – it is a knowing of experience. Knowledge of God  comes from God revealing himself primarily in Israel’s history. And this true knowledge of God changes us. To really know God means we would not be part of anything that harms  or destroys God’s good purpose for humans upon this earth.

Let’s see how God revealed himself to Israel. They were given God’s name. This name was revealed in his word and deeds in their history. God’s name stands for his character.

Exodus 34:5-6

Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD.  And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,”

This verse has been described as the little credo of the Bible which is filled to its fullness by Jesus.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

We could define glory as the revealed beauty of God’s perfections. We will study these qualities more closely.

One of the most fundamental insights of God seen in Jesus is that he is a friendly God.

John 15:15

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

And Jesus called his disciples friends. Their hearts burned within them as they walked with Jesus on the way to Emmaus.

But this was also true for the father of the faithful

James 2:23

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

What does it mean to have a world filled with the knowledge of a friendly God. Not just in the future but in our lives today?

Lets look at that future a bit more.

Acts 3:21

Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

A major prophet we have already referred to, Isaiah, also wrote more about this in:

Isaiah 35:8-9

And a highway will be there;
    it will be called the Way of Holiness;
    it will be for those who walk on that Way.

But notice this reality about God’s future:

The unclean will not journey on it;
    wicked fools will not go about on it.
No lion will be there,
    nor any ravenous beast;
    they will not be found there.

No one or thing that harms or destroys will be there. The name of God also involves this truth in:

Exodus 34:7

maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Evil ultimately will not have a future in God’s kingdom. There is no compromise. This a part of our hope for the future Jesus will bring to this earth. We could say we are following Jesus into God’s future.

Isaiah 35:9

But only the redeemed will walk there

While this excludes any who harm or destroy,  we will see that our hope for all is centred on God’s nearness with all humanity now. As Paul said:   

‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’

This truth about human existence,  fills us with hope for all people.