Isaiah 66:18-33; Hebrews 12:4-29; Luke 13:22-30
A popular model for risk management in business is referred to as “SWOT,” in which the “T” stands for Threats. The challenge of assessing threats is that some are known and others are not. Dealing with known threats is rather straightforward. But how does one deal with something that is unknown? One approach is to divide the unknown threats into two categories: known unknowns and unknown unknowns. While there’s little one can do about the unknown unknowns, processing the possibilities of threats from past experiences, current trends, the failures of others, etc. can go a long way toward mitigating the risks of known unknowns.Spiritually speaking, we encounter known unknowns every day in the people who may or may not believe in Jesus and who may or may not be receptive to hearing the Gospel. We don’t have tools to measure whether a person has faith and we don’t have any techniques that will ensure that they will be open to the Gospel. When we speak God’s Word we face unknown reactions and consequences. Understanding the spectrum of possible reactions (i.e., the known unknowns) prepares us for responding to the ones that we end up encountering. These known unknowns won’t be resolved until the Last Day when people come before Jesus to be judged. Instead of using SWOT to sort things out, the Lord will look into the hearts of those gathered before Him. He tells us what will happen on that day when He says that “some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” In so many words, Jesus is explaining the known unknowns of Judgment Day. Through Isaiah God’s Word declares that “I know their works and their thoughts,” but when people stand before Him in their own righteousness He will send them away saying “I do not know you.” The known unknowns will be sent to everlasting destruction where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
What a difference faith makes! There is nothing unknown about us and nothing unknown for us when it comes to facing God’s judgment when we “come to Mount Zion and to the city of the Living God” to be welcomed by the Savior who knows and loves us and who has secured our future as “the mediator of a new covenant” with His blood — the very covenant through which He has brought us life and forgiveness, secured a place with Him forever, and removed all of the threats against us, known and unknown.
Click to listen to the sermon "Known and Unknown" (or right-click to download the MP3 file).
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