Focal Point

Dave Drewry: Today on Focal Point with Pastor Mike Fabarez.

Pastor Mike Fabarez: The Christian life is not about the here and now. We're preparing for something better, and it's somewhere else. You realize that, right? Forget the plastic Christianity that wants to take all your pains and say, "Well, really, these are the blessings in disguise." No, they're not. They're really not. They're tests of my faith. Trials come, tears come, but I've got to be patient.

Dave Drewry: Have you ever lost patience with God? Maybe there's a prayer you've been waiting for God to answer or a promise from God that remains unfulfilled. The real question is, can God be trusted to keep his word? Today on Focal Point, Mike Fabarez says the answer can be found in the example of Abraham because the God who was faithful then is the same God who's just as faithful now. Pastor Mike calls the message "Abraham: A Fascinating Template of Promises and Faith."

Pastor Mike Fabarez: What you need to know, as you turn to Hebrews chapter six, if you haven't already, is that this is an emphasis on God's dealing with Abraham. Is God reliable? Is he faithful to his promises? Is God going to be a God who delivers and comes through? And the example of Abraham is brought up. Note the way, for instance, God swears that he's going to keep his promise. Middle of verse 13: God swore by himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and I will give you many descendants," an oft-repeated promise from God to Abraham. So after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

So turn with me, if you would, to the story of Abraham, beginning in the bottom of Genesis chapter 11. Abraham is lauded as a great godly man among Christians. He's lauded as a great man of faith among Jews. He's even lauded as a wonderful and great prophet, second only to Muhammad in the Quran. It seems like all the religious people who've ever intersected the text of Scripture think, "Wow, now there's a great man."

It's important to recognize that when we meet him in the text of Scripture, the only thing great about Abram is the greatness of the irony of his name. He is not at all great. We find out his name is Abram. That's his name. Now, in Hebrew, Abram means great father. Great father. And in a culture and in an ancient time in ancient Mesopotamia where few things meant more than your progeny and your lineage and the people that you are raising in your clan and your family, Abraham was a real dramatic failure.

Not only did he not have children, but his name was great father and no one had ever called him that because he was married to, if you'd look down in verse number 30, to Sarah, and Sarah was barren. Now, begin chapter 12, verse number one. Here comes the promise. Yahweh had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you."

Does that sound a little bit like Christ coming to the shores of the Sea of Galilee, pointing his finger in the chest of some Galilean fisherman and saying, "Leave your nets and come and follow me"? Abram was 75 years old when he set out from Haran. Now, this is an amazing statement for a 75-year-old man who's married to an infertile wife and he's being told by God, "You're going to be great."

He doesn't pick him because he's a wonderful leader of a great clan and you seem to do well with lots of kids and grandkids around you. You seem like a fantastic leader of a future nation. I pick you. It's for no reason. It's important for us, just like Abram, to embrace, number one—these are long points, but they're worth getting down, I believe—the hard-to-believe grace in God's promises. We need to embrace the hard-to-believe grace in God's promises.

God makes promise after promise after promise and even changes his name in the middle of this narrative from great father, Abram—that's what it means, great father—to Abraham, father of a great nation. And again, he's building on a promise. He makes an oath of that promise, but there's no sign of fulfillment yet. As a matter of fact, we go quite a few chapters before he even has his first child, let alone grandchildren or great-grandchildren.

Keep your finger here if you would, and turn with me to Ephesians chapter two. Look at verse number one. All of you throughout all of Asia Minor who are trusting in Christ, you need to recognize this. You were dead in your transgressions and sin. It says you lived, but it was a kind of living that really wasn't living at all. It was a living where you followed the ways of the world, verse two, and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit that's now at work in those who are disobedient. And from God's perspective, you're dead.

You're nothing from God's perspective to warrant his love. But look at verse number four. But because of his great love for us, if you stopped right there, you'd say, "Well, now, why?" Why would God love people who are following their own way and are from his perspective spiritually dead? It doesn't give us an explanation. Much like the mystery of Abraham. Why would God choose Abraham? I don't know. He just did. In his sovereign choice, he set his love and his covenant promise on Abraham.

If you don't feel the same way, you don't understand grace. Because of his great love, keep reading, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions. Now, here's the phrase to underline: it is by grace that you've been saved. The point of the choice of you being a part of the body of Christ is parallel to the promise God makes to Abraham. It is unwarranted.

And I know sometimes as Christians, from a very human perspective, we can start to think, "I'm a Christian because I was smarter than the next guy who couldn't figure out he needed the gospel." And that's not what the Bible teaches at all. And he says to folks, even though you're dead, verse four, because of my great love, my mercy, verse five, I'm going to make you alive in Christ.

And God, who raised Christ up, is going to raise us up and seat us, verse six says, in heavenly places. Verse seven, in order that in the coming ages, he might show the incomparable riches of his grace. Compare that statement to the promise of Abraham. Abraham, you're 75 years old, you've got no kids, but you are going to be the father of a great nation and you're going to occupy this great land that I'm going to take you to.

And anybody who attacks that land and attacks you, I'm going to turn my mind against and I'm going to put my hand out there and I'm not going to bless them. As a matter of fact, if they curse you, I'm going to curse them. All of that future by and by. And he's going, "I don't even have a kid yet." Spiritually dead people. God places his love on them. He quickens them, if you will, raises them up to a place of spiritual awareness to God, grants them the ability to understand that God is God.

They become alive in Christ. And the Bible here says one day in the coming ages, it's going to be an incredible experience for you, having the grace of God showered on your life. Future salvation, verse number eight, the famous words from Sunday school: "It is all by grace that you've been saved through faith. It is not of yourself. All of this is a gift of God. It is not by works. It's not because you did a lot of great things. It's not because of your reputation or your resume so that no one can boast."

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do. He's got an agenda for us. Great. But the point is you got here by a pure, gracious, sovereign choice. We need to embrace that. If for some reason you think it's because of your intelligence, your spiritual insight, your sensitivity, your hunger for God that got you here, we don't understand the Bible.

God is a God who makes incredible promises to people who are spiritually dead. He brings them to life and he brings them into the family. God sets his love and his promises on us. What does he expect from us? He wants us to trust him. Trust that God has made a decision that is in his plan and we embrace it. All we can do is believe it. And the Bible says if we believe it, we're right in the center of God's will.

One more passage before we leave the New Testament. Go to Romans chapter three with me, please. A text that is so helpful for us in tying together the trust of Abraham and the salvation of New Covenant people. He says this in verse number 20, Romans chapter three, verse 20: that no one's going to be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law. No one's going to be embraced, no one's going to be said, "Well, this guy's on my team, this guy gets to go to heaven because he's done what the law says."

Rather, through the law, here's what we become conscious of: we get conscious of sin. We recognize we can't get into God's team by merit. Verse 21: but here's the good news. A righteousness from God apart from the law, apart from keeping the rules, it's been made known to which, by the way, the law and the prophets testify. And I can say clearly that in one early part of the law, it's called Genesis chapter 11 and 12, God started to make it really clear.

It's not because of Abraham's righteous deeds. We don't know anything about Abraham other than that he's a cultural failure. That's all we know. And just like that, the Bible says here, a righteousness is coming from God that comes through, look at verse 22, faith. Faith in Christ Jesus from our perspective to all who believe. There's no difference because we've all sinned and we all fall short of the glory of God.

We're all in the discard pile. We're all in the sin pile. We're all in the loser pile. But the Bible says we can be freely justified by grace through the redemption that comes by Christ. God presents Christ as the sacrifice of atonement and through trusting in what he's done, through just believing the promise of Christ in what Christ has accomplished for us, the Bible says we're in, we're declared righteous.

He did it, middle of verse 25, to demonstrate his justice because in his forbearance, he'd left sins committed beforehand unpunished. He did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, and so to be the just and the one who justifies those who by faith in Christ have put their trust in him. Where, then, is the boasting, verse 27? Well, look how smart we were. No. Look how good we were. No. It's excluded. On what principle? On observing the rules? No, but on faith.

We maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not also the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there's only one God who will justify the circumcised, the Jewish people, by faith and the uncircumcised, the Gentiles, through the same faith. Do we then nullify the law by this faith? No, not at all. We uphold the law. The law's good. It taught us of our sin.

Chapter four, verse one: what then shall we say Abraham, our forefather, what did he discover in this matter? Well, in fact, it's the same way with him. Because if he was justified by works, he could stand around and boast about it. But we realize there was nothing on his resume that made God choose him, not before God. What does Scripture say? The Bible says this: Abraham believed God, and God then put all this righteousness on him. He credited it to him as righteousness. Just believe my promise. That's all you've got to do. Trust him.

That trust is a gift from God. He grants it to us. And I'll tell you what, if you think you got here by your own good deeds, I guarantee you when you stub your spiritual toe and you trip into sin this week, you're going to sit back and you're going to doubt God and you're going to doubt his promises because you don't get it. We've got to get into this thing by pure grace, and we hang on to our position in Christ because of the promise of God, a unilateral covenant that he will save those who trust him. That's the gospel.

Embrace the hard-to-believe grace that's situated in the promises of God. The big ones that the book of Hebrews is concerned about, demonstrated by template and example in the life of Abraham. Well, back to Genesis chapter 12. Genesis chapter 12, the promise comes: you're going to be a great nation, I'm going to bless you, I'm going to take care of the land, I'm going to give you a place that is sprawling and you're going to fill it with people like sand on the seashore.

Well, look what happens. We don't even get out of the 12th chapter of Genesis. Look at verse number 10. I mean, this is not a mistake that we go from this grand and huge promise to this, verse number 10: "Now there was a famine in the land." What? Wait a minute. You just said I'm following you, I'm trusting you, I'm going to go your way, I embrace your promise by faith. And the text says the next thing for you, Abraham, famine.

So Abraham has to run down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. It was bad. And as a matter of fact, I went through and I just chronicled from chapter 12 till chapter 21 when God finally gives him his child, which by the way, the promise comes at age 75, the promise isn't delivered until age 100. We can read that in six chapters. But to live those 25 years with a promise and every year you're getting older and more wrinkly and more arthritic, you're struggling with this.

I chronicled the problems in Abraham's life. You can skim your eyes through this. Look what happens next, verses 11 and following. He has that little problem with Pharaoh and Sarah, his hot-looking wife. Remember that? Trouble. Chapter 13, skim your eyes through chapter 13. This is the my-greedy-nephew-Lot problem, the land swap problem. He has another problem in chapter 14. It's the Lot-is-captured-now-I-got-to-go-fight-to-get-him-back problem.

Chapter 16. This is a disaster. We're getting tired of waiting for God's deliverance on the promise, so maybe the housekeeper would make a good mother for our child problem. That wasn't a good deal. And I just hit the highlights. Bottom line is Abraham's never going to stand up and preach a prosperity gospel to his friends about, "Hey, if you follow God, it's going to be great."

As a matter of fact, at every turn in Abraham's life, all we read is one challenge after the next. And it starts with, "I'm going to make you a great nation, follow me." Okay, I'll follow you. Great. Next verse, famine in the land. So scoot on down to Egypt and then, oh, by the way, you're going to have a lot of trouble there. And sure enough, he did. Guess what? The truth of Jesus's promise comes true time and time again. And that is, in this world, you will have tribulation.

Don't think that the promise of God to bring you into the kingdom, to seat you in heavenly places, to march you into a place where everything is made right means that somehow between here and there the journey's going to be easy. The journey for Abraham is hard, and that's what makes him a great template of faith for us. Because even when he wavered, even when he lied about his wife, calling his wife a sister, the half-truth trying to get around the Abimelech and Pharaoh problem, even in all of that, we recognize it was all predicated and instigated by trials, problems, famine, heartache, unanswered prayer.

So when you're sitting around thinking, "Wow, God isn't answering my prayer, I'm having trouble, there's problems in my family, my bank account's not overflowing, the doctor says I'm sick, I lost my job, I've been falsely accused," whatever your problem is, just remember you're right in the middle of the example of faith in the life of Abraham. It's exactly where he lived, chapter after chapter. But what undergirded his life, which is what the writer of Hebrews is going to get to in chapter 11, is he still trusted God.

Isn't that the challenge? Number two: we need to prepare to be patient. To be patient as God delays fulfillment. Here's the thing. God is going to give me a great and perfect life. It just isn't going to be right now. The question is, are you going to trust God and still believe his promises amidst the fact that he's not fulfilling them right now? Can you imagine waiting 25 years? You're way past the registry at Babies "R" Us at 75.

Nobody in there but an occasional grandpa, great-grandpa. And Abraham had chalked it up to, "I'm not going to have a kid." And God says, "No, yeah you will." 76th birthday. "Yeah, you will. Still going to have a kid." 77th birthday. "Yeah, you're still going to have a kid." 78th. "Yep, still going to have a child." 79th. "God, are you going to do this?" "Yes, I'm going to do this. Great nation, a lot of people, a lot of kids." Birthday 80. Birthday 81. Birthday 82. Around 97, I'm thinking it's not going to happen, right?

I'm about giving up. Decorated the baby's room, but now you got your computer set up in there. There's no baby coming. And God said, "Yeah, I'm going to do it, just not right now." Has God done that in your life too? "I'm going to bless you." Wow, you're going to bless me? And remember that, that was true of Abraham. It wasn't just that one day you'll have a kid. The promise in chapter 12 was "I will bless you." God's promised the same for us.

And I'm thinking, wow, the blessings seem delayed. The blessings come in strange packages. God, these blessings hurt. Yeah, because they're not the blessings I'm talking about. And don't let people try to twist it. The Christian life is not about the here and now. We're preparing for something better, and it's somewhere else. You realize that, right? Forget the craziness, the plastic Christianity that wants to take all your pains and say, "Well, really, these are the blessings in disguise."

No, they're not. They're really not. They're tests of my faith. They're exams to see whether or not I'm going to come out of this and say God is still good even though I'm hurting right now. They're tests, but they're not the blessings. God is going to shower on me blessings in a place called the Kingdom of God, ultimately the New Jerusalem, and that'll be great. When he shows me the new digs in the New Jerusalem and says, "All of this is for you, come enter into the joy prepared for you before the foundation of the world," that's going to be the blessings, see?

Right now we're having trouble. Can we manage those with a good attitude? We'd better. God told us to. That's what faith does. Faith bolsters up my attitude. What does verse 15 say? Abraham received the promise after what? Waiting how? Patiently. That's the thing. And I'll tell you this, if Abraham's reading those words this morning or this afternoon with us, he's going, "Well, it wasn't all the time." Because you know what, it wasn't all the time for him.

But overall, undergirding his bad and difficult trials was the fact that he still said, "But God's going to come through. I think God's still going to come through. I still trust him. He's going to fulfill his promises." Patience. That's the key. I know this is a sub-sermon, this is totally bad homiletics, but let me give you four things real quick that'll help you cultivate patience in the midst of this wait, okay? Four things.

Love Christ more. You printed it on your reception napkins. First Corinthians 13:4: "Love is," what? "Patient." First thing on the list. See, if I really love Christ, I'll wait for him. Does that sound weird? I'll wait for him. I'll learn to be patient. The more I love Christ, the more my patience grows about him coming through on the promise. And I'm thinking birthday 97, I'm starting to get frustrated with God, and yet he had to continue to love God. And the more he loved God, the more patient he could be in waiting for God to do what he said he would do.

Secondly, ask Christ for help. Jot the reference down: Revelation chapter one, verse number nine. John said as he sits exiled on an island in Patmos, he says this: "I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and the patient endurance that are ours in Jesus Christ." What's the point? I know there's something about me reaching out to Christ and saying, "I am struggling with my faith. God, I need your patience."

I've got to love him more, I've got to ask him more. Thirdly, I've got to get more involved with other Christians. Second Corinthians chapter one, verse six. Paul said, "If we were distressed, it's for your comfort and salvation, and if we're comforted, it's for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer." Is that a tongue-twister? What? Got to read it slow.

"If we're distressed," Paul said, "ultimately we're learning to comfort you. It's for your comfort. And if we're comforted, you know what, it's ultimately for your comfort. We're learning to comfort you, and when we comfort you as brothers and sisters in Christ, it produces in you patient endurance of the same suffering that we suffer." I've got to get involved and let people know the struggles that I struggle with because when I share mine with them and they share theirs with mine and together we try to draw close to Christ, to love Christ more and ask Christ for more help, then all of a sudden my interaction with those Christians, guess what it does for me? It develops, according to Scripture, Second Corinthians 1:6, more patient endurance. And that's what we need.

Fourthly, just jot down Luke chapter 12. We need to do more ministry. Jesus told parables about the fact that if you want to wait patiently for the return of Christ, get busy serving the King. If you get busy serving the King, guess what? You'll stay on track. And the coming of Christ, your mind and your heart will be set with a patient endurance and a tenacity that you won't have if you sit around and say, "Well, I don't know, he's coming back a long time from now, so I don't have to do much."

The point is if you have the imminent return of Christ in your mind, you'll get to work in doing the work of the church. And if you get to work in doing the work of the church, the Bible says you'll be okay. You won't sit around and struggle with patience. Love Christ more, ask for more help from Christ, get more involved with other Christians, get busy in ministry. Be patient. He's doing it the old-fashioned way.

Dave Drewry: This is Focal Point, and you're hearing a teaching from pastor and Bible teacher Mike Fabarez called "Abraham: A Fascinating Template of Promises and Faith." To revisit or share this lesson, just go online to focalpointradio.org. You know, certain biblical themes deserve more attention than others. Grasping God's promises stands near the top of essential knowledge for Christians. Well, that's exactly why we're offering Herbert Lockyer's definitive volume, "All the Promises of the Bible."

This guide identifies every promise God makes throughout Scripture, arranging them thematically and demonstrating their application to modern believers. Lockyer examines commitments regarding direction, consolation, empowerment, everlasting life, and numerous other areas. Looking for hope amid difficulties, wisdom for choices, or a richer grasp of God's dependability? Well, this book shows how Scripture addresses your situation through guarantees that remain unshakable.

Request your copy of "All the Promises of the Bible" when you donate today by calling us at 888-320-5885, or donate online at focalpointradio.org, or send your donation by mail by writing to Focal Point, Post Office Box 2850, Laguna Hills, California 92654. And here's an announcement you'll definitely want to hear. Pastor Mike has information about a special trip coming up this fall.

Pastor Mike Fabarez: Thanks, Dave. I'd like to invite you to join me September 19th through the 26th, 2026, on a Christian cruise through New England and Canada. We'll sail Holland America's Zuiderdam, known for its elegance and exceptional hospitality, to historic cities like Boston, Halifax, and Quebec City. We'll gather for devotional times in God's word, followed by thought-provoking Bible teaching throughout our journey.

Grammy-winning musicians Keith and Kristyn Getty will lead us in worship. You'll enjoy the stunning autumn landscapes as we explore charming coastal villages, all while building friendships with like-minded believers. It's a unique opportunity to deepen your faith and see some of the most beautiful scenery on the Eastern Seaboard. Space is limited, so don't wait to sign up. Secure your cabin today at focalpointradio.org.

Dave Drewry: I'm your host, Dave Drewry. And tomorrow we'll join Pastor Mike Fabarez for a Q&A session about profanity and the pulpit. Is it ever all right for pastors to use foul language? Well, find out Friday on Focal Point.

Pastor Mike Fabarez: Pastor Mike here. Ever wish you could corner your pastor and challenge him with your toughest questions about the Bible, about faith? Well, now you can. Send me your questions. Head on over to focalpointradio.org and click on "Ask Pastor Mike," or send me a note on facebook.com/pastormike or twitter.com/pastormike. I can't wait to hear from you.

Dave Drewry: Today's program was produced and sponsored by Focal Point Ministries.