Focal Point

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

Pastor Mike Fabarez: You'll be no good for Christ. I guarantee you'll be a fruitless person. You will have very little impact on this world until you can say in your heart of hearts, "I'm sure. I know where I'm going. I know why. I know what I believe. I know why I believe it. I'm on my way to living with God." It'll change our lives, it'll change our relationship, it'll change our ministries. Let's be sure.

Dave Drewy: Without confidence, certain actions become impossible. We'll never sit in a chair if we're not confident it can hold us up. We'll never follow a tour guide if we're not sure he knows where he's going. More importantly, we'll never enjoy a vibrant faith if we're not certain of what Jesus promised.

Today on Focal Point, Mike Fabarez concludes our miniseries, When God Makes a Promise. We'll end this confidence-building study with a look back at the ministry of Jesus and his pledge and his historic assurances. Well, now here's Pastor Mike.

Pastor Mike Fabarez: Let's turn to John chapter 14. Some very familiar words that most of us learned as little kids if you grew up in church or Sunday school. That whole ministry of his life is going to lead up to this week, and he's about to go there. And here's what he says about it. John chapter 14. Do you remember these verses? Verse number one.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust also in me. Can you see that? I don't want you to be doubt, I don't want you to be driven and tossed, I want you to be solid, confident, and firm about your future, about yourselves, and where you stand with me. Trust in God, trust in me.

In my father's house are many rooms. I know that little inner sanctum in the temple and in the tabernacle. It was pretty small and it looked like it just had room for one. But where God really lives, there's a lot of place for people to live. In my father's house, there are many dwelling places where things are the way they ought to be in the presence of the holy God, the dwelling place of God. If it weren't so, I would have told you.

I am going there, look at this, behind the veil, to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am. Where's that? In the presence of God and live with God. Where is Christ right now? Living in the presence of God. Where are we going to be? One day we hope to be in Revelation 21, living where the dwelling place of God is among men and everything that's wrong is made right.

I am going to prepare that way for you. How's that work? The high priestly work of Christ. What is that? For him to give himself as the sacrifice and then to take his righteousness and clothe us in that. He becomes the scapegoat, if you will, and he takes sin out of the way, and he clothes us in his meritorious righteousness. Not because we earn it, but because it is now credited to us. He earned it and now gives it to us.

And then he says, "You know what? I'm going to come back and pull you right into the living room of God behind the curtain." Man, that's a picture of Yom Kippur right there. The way that he was providing was his life. My future depends on his past. We ought to become experts in the ministry and life of Christ. What did he do? What did he claim to do? What was this all about?

And the more we learn it, the more it becomes the anchor of our soul. As we look back on the historical work of Christ, our assurance beyond just a promise, it's a real tangible life. God has provided some tangible assurances that if we trust in him and ride in on his coattails, we'll get to live behind the veil. Let's look at a few of those at Hebrews chapter 6 and let's think through this.

The metaphor is rich. It's like an anchor that goes into the temple into the holy of holies. And there I'm confident that I'll get to live behind the veil because he went before us and like John 14, where he is, one day he's going to come back and take me where he is and I get to live behind the veil too. He's entered in there on our behalf. He's become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

Now, the difference between Christ and the high priest of Leviticus 16 and every generation thereafter was that Christ, according to the book of Hebrews as we'll see, was sinless. He could walk in not on the symbolic sacrifice of an animal; he was perfect and holy. He walks in on his own merit because he's God.

Jot this down and then we'll ask some questions. What we need to do is ask some questions about this. Let's just logically make sense of this behind-the-veil ministry of Christ. Number two on your outline, ask questions like letter A: Did Jesus really have access to the Father?

If I'm going to follow on the coattails of Christ into a place where I get to live in the dwelling of God where he's going to do something to me that's going to make me worthy and adequate to live there, I need to make sure that he's got access there. I need someone who is holy. So I gotta figure this out. Does he really have affinity and access and oneness with the Father?

He's still in John 14, look at the next verse. He just said he's the way, the truth, and the life. Take a look at this. Verse 7. Jesus goes on and he says, "If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well." Just look at that statement. Philip, don't you know that I and the Father are one? You want to know if I got access behind the veil and I can go and prepare a place for you in my Father's house? And I've been there and if it weren't so I would have told you because I've lived back there until I came to Earth.

If we want our confidence sure, we better look at the historical record and think through this concept of the miraculous and the claims of Christ and what he's done because he's hanging his qualifications on the miracles that he did in verse 11. And they weren't done in a corner, they weren't done in a back room, and they weren't migraine headaches that he was healing. They were tangible, verifiable miracles.

Secondly, we need to ask this question if we start thinking, okay, Christ has access behind the veil, he is one with the Father, he is perfect, he can live behind the veil, and now I'm going to ask the question as it relates to the logic of redemption, letter B: Would Jesus really sacrifice himself for me? Would he do that? Does that even make any sense?

What makes sense is he creates people, Genesis chapter 1. He tells us about the great place they're living, Genesis chapter 2. Genesis chapter 3 they decide to rebel and sin. Genesis chapter 4 he zaps the world and it's dead. It's a really short Bible, paperback version. That makes sense to me.

Does he do that? No. As a matter of fact, by the end of Genesis 3, he's talking about a redemptive plan that's going to come through the woman one day to redeem these people, to crush the head of the snake. And even as my mind responds to the innate knowledge of God and the universe, I start to recognize there's something true about God that is revealed in nature, it's revealed in holy scripture, it's revealed to me that makes complete sense that God would reach down and save people like me and like you. Sinful people that don't deserve it because that's the way that God works.

There are two attributes of God. We can combine them into one if you want, but let's just separate them by words. God is loving and God is gracious. God ceases to be God if he's neither one of those things. And he wants to demonstrate it to the utmost. We are objects of his mercy so that he can demonstrate to everyone trophies of his grace, that he is a God who is loving and gracious. And therefore, redemption makes sense.

Why would Jesus bring us to a place that where he is we can be also? How come? Because God is loving. First John 4, you know the passage. We sang it in Awana after memorizing John 14:1. We sang John 4. Remember 4:7 and 8? Remember the song? Beloved, let us love one another. Let us love one another. Why? For love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God and knows God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. Beloved, let us love one another.

John said that because he said we ought to be somehow reflecting the pale reflection of God's love because God is love. And in the chapter before it in First John 3:16, which is a good parallel to John 3:16, First John 3:16 said this: No greater love has anyone than this, that a man would lay down his life for his friends. This is how we know the love of God. Not that we loved him, but that he loved us and that he laid down his life. He sent his one and only son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

There's no greater expression of God's love. God shows his attributes to the utmost and he created a scenario by which he could demonstrate his attribute of love in the most supreme and extreme way in that he would redeem sinful people. Do we deserve it? No. As a matter of fact, that is one of the biggest myths of 21st-century evangelical Christianity and that is that somehow we sit around thinking, "Well, we're kind of likable. We're not perfect, but you know, we're kind of cute."

There's nothing in us according to scripture. Here's a great passage to jot down: Job 25 verses 1 through 6. Bildad, do you remember him? He came in to talk to Job and he calls all mankind maggots. He's a whole earth, all of us are maggots. If the stars and the moon aren't pure and bright in his sight, how much less are we? Can the son of man be perceived as righteous in the eyes of a holy God? Bildad says, "No, it doesn't make any sense. Of course not."

The whole thing about redemption is God is demonstrating through a very dark backdrop the precious nature of his grace. And so it makes sense that Jesus would come and he would reach out and extend his hand to us and say, "Hey, trust in God and trust also in me. Because in my Father's house, there's lots of dwelling places. If it weren't so I would have told you, but it's true. You trust in me, you trust in my Father. Here's the thing: I'm going to take you there."

I'm going to go there and prepare a place for you. The whole process of the cross, I'm going to get behind the veil, I'm going to come back one day, I'm going to take you to be with me, that where I am you can be also. Revelation 21, live behind the veil. Now the dwelling place of God is among men. Does it make sense that he would do this for me? Yes. It makes sense because God is a God of grace. It doesn't make sense because we don't deserve it. It's all about grace. As Romans 3 says, we are justified freely by his grace. He looked for the opportunity, he created the opportunity for him to demonstrate it to the fullest.

Ask the question: Did he really have access to the Father? If he's going to bring me behind the veil, he's got to have access there. Why would he do it? Well, because he's loving and gracious. Third question I think we should ask, which is probably the most pertinent, particularly for the person who's stumbling around waiting for some assurance from history. We gotta ask this question: Was there any proof of his success?

What does the Bible have to say about the work of Christ on the cross? If that is really the opening up of a way into the Holy of Holies to live with God, not just relationally here and now, but physically one day in a place where things are the way they ought to be, then what's the proof that it really worked? Romans chapter 1. Let's turn there for just a quick second. Paul is writing to the Roman Church and he mentions in the first six verses all three of the things that the New Testament writers over and over preach about.

They preach about these things that should prove to us in our hearts as we examine them that the work of Christ on the cross was acceptable to the Father and that we have a place in the eternal kingdom living behind the veil where things are the way they're supposed to be. Romans chapter 1. Paul says, "I, Paul, servant of Christ Jesus," Romans 1:1, "called to be an apostle," one who is sent, "set apart for the gospel of God." And he starts talking about the gospel. Verse 2. The gospel he promised beforehand, which is kind of a bit of a miracle for us because we can't even figure out foretelling the weather.

We can't figure out what's going to happen. But according to Isaiah 44, God should have no problem with that. God tries to prove his divinity to the nation of Israel by saying, "Hey, who else can foretell the future? I'm doing it all the time through my prophets." And he says this: Hey, the whole redemptive plan, it was foretold, promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his son. Then he gives one example: who was as to his human nature a descendant of David.

I guess you could be that. You've got a one in twelve chance, I suppose, of being of the tribe of Judah. Well, you know the story. Micah 5:2, what city he'd be born in, what tribe he would be from, what kind of life he would lead, what kinds of things he would say, the kind of death he would die, Psalm 22, the kind of resurrection that would take place, Isaiah 53. And we go on and on and on. The Scripture went and talked about the coming of this one who would live this kind of life, be born of this tribe, do these things.

That kind of predictive prophecy, here's the big clincher, is not found in any other religious book or religious system in the world. No one else calls it like that. You've gotta study predictive prophecy. Even Kaiser's book, The Messiah in the Old Testament, everybody should read that. What did the Old Testament expect the Messiah to be? What was Jesus? Wow, they seem to match perfectly. How does that work? Predictive prophecy. We ought to be sure that Christ accomplished it because he was the fulfillment of predictive prophecy. Jesus said, "I didn't come to abolish the law. I came to fulfill it." So watch my life carefully.

Verse 4. You still in Romans 1? And who through the spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead. Any proof of his success? Well, there was Old Testament predictive prophecy that he fulfilled. There was then this little thing called the physical resurrection from the dead. That was a pretty neat trick.

The Bible says this: If the wages of sin is death, if the wages of doing wrong is the punishment of death, then we ought to see Christ if he's going to fix this thing called sin and send it away and clothe people in righteousness, we ought to see that he has the ability to take death and get rid of it, to destroy the enemy of death. Now, he could have waited. The resurrection could have been a 2,000-year thing. But it was a three-day thing so that he could verify for us why. Because he wants us to be strongly encouraged about our future.

He rose from the dead. If you haven't studied that from every angle, I don't know how you want to explain this away, skeptic, but you've gotta study that. Did he rise from the dead? What is the evidence? What about the eyewitnesses? How did this work? What about these people when they were pressed with their testimony? We preach on this a hundred times, but we've got to examine that. If Jesus really rose from the dead, that's a big deal. Because he said, "You kill me, I'm going to rise from the dead."

Why? Because that was in keeping with Isaiah 53 and the rest of scripture about a redemptive servant who would come and redeem the people. Was there any proof of his success? Did he really provide us a way? Well, he fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. His resurrection was a pretty big deal. Which, by the way, isn't it interesting in Matthew 27? We talked about the weird thing of the temple curtain ripping when Jesus cried out and gave up his spirit. Remember that?

Do you know what the next verse said? Right after that text after the temple curtain was ripped, it said there was a great earthquake. He said and people who were dead in Jerusalem came out of their tombs and walked around in the city. Can you imagine that? I mean, that's just a kind of a little side note. Oh yeah, and by the way, all those people were resurrected. He dies and the minute he dies, a bunch of dead people come out of their tombs. What was that? What's going on? Hey, what's happening here? Jesus died. I didn't know that. I've been dead for a few days, I've been dead for a week.

These people who trusted in Christ who had died, probably during the ministry of Christ, were popping out of their graves. It makes total sense. If he took away the sin problem, he's got to take away the death problem. And he did it with tokens not only of people in Jerusalem, but they guarded him with Roman soldiers and a big fat rock, and he walks out of there three days later and leads this victorious team who used to be a cowering team of fishermen. Now they're a powerful team leading a church in Jerusalem that grows to 5,000 people and they're willing to die for it. And the eleven apostles, they did. With the exception of John, they all got beheaded, skewered, burned at the stake, crucified upside down, you know the stories.

Why? Because these guys were changed. Which brings me to the third thing. Was there any proof? Yeah, look at the next verse. He says in verse number 5, through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. Now, that's an interesting phrase. I trust in Christ, the great high priest who's providing a way for me to relate to God one day perfectly in the new Jerusalem. And the Bible says what comes from that if I trust in him? Obedience. There is a natural following, a connection.

The sine qua non: real faith. What comes with that? Obedience comes with that. People are changed. As a matter of fact, he then looks at the Romans and he says, "And you also are from among those who are called to belong to Christ Jesus." Lives are changed. That reminds me, and you might want to mark it in the margin of your Bible: Second Corinthians 5:17. If any man's in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things pass away, new things come. Why? Because God changes lives.

I know you can blame people's change on a lot of little methods or AA or whatever, but you do know there is an entire contingent in this world whose lives have been changed and I bet we could bring these people up here behind this microphone right here to talk about how their lives were radically and permanently changed because they put their faith in Christ. That's tangible external evidence. It happened in the first century and it's happening today.

Did he really accomplish this for us? Absolutely. I know we platformed off of Hebrews 6 and forgive me for that, but let's go back to Hebrews and I want to show you after he discusses the high priesthood, the Melchizedekian priesthood, the temple service, he gets to chapter 10. Just before this long list of heroes of faith in chapter 11 and look at what he says as he sums up this whole argument in chapter 10.

Hebrews chapter 10. He's gone to great lengths to make us certain. By the time he gets to chapter 10, he says, "Therefore," verse 19, Hebrews 10:19, "since we have confidence to enter the most holy place," the place where God is, "by," not the blood of bulls and goats, "but by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body.

And since we have a great high priest over the house of God, then you know what we should do? Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our heart sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." There's some transformed lives for you. Then what do we do? "Let us hold unswervingly," I love that English word, unswervingly to the hope that we profess for he who promised is faithful. He's not going to break this promise.

Let us consider how we can spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing. Let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching. The more we look around, the more we see we are closer to God bringing this whole consummation of the ages to the forefront.

We ought to be so excited about living behind the veil. We're closer now to it than we've ever been. And God says he's going to bring you to a place where everything is right. And what he's telling us to do is be sure about it. Because you'll be no good for Christ. I guarantee you'll be a fruitless person. You will have very little impact on this world until you can say in your heart of hearts, "I'm sure. I'm confident. I know where I'm going. I know why. I know what I believe. I know why I believe it. I'm on my way to living with God."

That's critical. That's first-step stuff. And I hope through this series maybe just stepping back and saying, "Why should we believe all this?" at least get a little glimpse of that. It'll change our lives, it'll change our relationship, it'll change our ministries. Let's be sure. And let's pray.

God, your heart revealed in this text has been so positive that you hope for us to be greatly encouraged, to have a hope that is like an anchor for our soul, for our lives, one that is firm and secure. God, it is your hope that we would be filled with a confident assurance of faith. Not because we're crossing our fingers and wishing for something, but because we know intimately the ministry of Jesus Christ.

We understand the historicity of the accounts. We know something of what the miracles were all about and how and why they happened. We see the God who made the rules breaking the rules to prove to us that he is the King, the Lord of heaven and earth and that he can make the sea stop its waves. He can take people that have bodies that are damaged and messed up and he can fix them.

God, you did that to show us that Jesus Christ is God. Has the credentials. And because you are a loving and gracious God, he has a reason to bring us into a place of relationship with him that he might bring us into the holy city, the New Jerusalem behind the veil where the dwelling place of God is.

God, I just pray that our hearts through just even contemplating these topics and these truths in the last hour would really be encouraged so that our lives might be fruitful and productive. Because God, if we're sitting around just kind of trying this out, sampling it, we're not going to be any good. We're not going to be useful. We're really not going to make a difference.

God, I know it's important for us to research and some people may be on the fence, but for those of us that claim to be followers of Christ, let us be so certain about these issues that our hearts are just on fire to do whatever it is you'd like us to do in this world. That we don't equivocate, we are not doubting, we're not tossed here and there by the wind of every doctrine and teaching, but we're firm and solid on what your word says. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Dave Drewy: A confident life begins with the assurance of Jesus' work and ministry. This is Focal Point, and you're listening to a study in the Book of Hebrews with Pastor Mike Fabarez. You can hear the complete four-part study about When God Makes a Promise when you go online to focalpointradio.org.

Focal Point is a listener-supported nonprofit radio ministry with one aim: bringing the truth of scripture to people who need it with clarity and conviction. And right now, when you come alongside us with a gift of any amount, we'll send you a book titled The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament by Edmund Clowney.

From Genesis to Malachi, Clowney shows how every thread points forward to Jesus. Whether you're looking to strengthen your personal Bible reading or simply want a richer grasp of how the whole of scripture holds together, this is the kind of book that stays with you long after you've finished it. Request The Unfolding Mystery when you support Focal Point with a gift today. Call 888-320-5885 or donate online at focalpointradio.org. Now, Pastor Mike has something special to share with us.

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 Zaandam, 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 Drewy: I'm Dave Drewy. Join us tomorrow for an insightful lesson answering the question, "Why don't we have priests?" See how Christ changed everything Wednesday on Focal Point with Mike Fabarez.

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