I’ve been reading through the book of Hebrews lately. I preached a message in Mangaia using this book as a reference, and I recently used this book for our Bible Class at Tereora College this week, writes Paul Kauri, lead pastor at The Arepua Gateway Assembly of God Church.

In chapter 11, referred to by many preachers, as ‘The Hall of Faith’ the writer lists an impressive wall of names who are forever remembered for their faith. I have read this chapter many times over the years, but something stood out for me this week, it was;

1. Who was on the list.
2. Who was not.

1. Who was on the List

We may not be too surprised to see Abraham and Sarah’s name, or Noah and Enoch and Moses and King David. But Barak is on this list – he’s the one who wouldn’t go out to war unless Deborah the prophetess went with him, and by faith Israel had the victory.

Then there’s Rahab, her profession would leave some families somewhat embarrassed, however, her faith saved her family and she is included in the genealogy of Jesus.

Then there’s Jephthah. He made a thoughtless vow which led to him sacrificing his only daughter and yet by faith he too won the victory for Israel.

• Who was not

Looking at this list, there were two names I thought should have made it into this Hall of Faith, I mean, if Barak, Rahab and Jephthah made it, then where were these two?

I presumed King Saul would have made the list, given he was the first King of Israel, but he is omitted from this list. And of all the Kings who reigned over Israel, surely King Solomon, the wisest man of all, who took Israel to her peak, surely he should have been on this list, but he was not either.

So I re-looked at how Saul and Solomon’s story ended, which may have been the reason for their exclusion.

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish

King Saul was God’s chosen man. He started well and with much fervour serving the Lord, He was anointed and empowered by God and lead Israel well in the beginning, but he became jealous of the very guy who was adding to his victory count (David), and by the end of his reign He consults a witch to find out the Word of The LORD, then ultimately took his own life! Very tragic.

In 1Kings 11 we read this account of King Solomon.

4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. 1Kings 11:4-5

This must be one of, if not the most, saddest accounts of scripture, given who the text is referring to.

Solomon is always referred to as the wisest man who ever lived, yet his finish was worse than King Saul’s.

He finished his reign by building high places for the god’s of his wives and he worshipped those idols in his later years.

With both these men we see an alarming warning for us today. If someone like Solomon, who was much wiser with more anointing can fall, then we ought to take heed lest we think we are immune to the subtly, slippery slope of sin.

I’ve now been in full-time ministry for over 30 years and the number of people who once confessed Christ as Lord, but now deny him, is more than I care to think of. I’ve observed at least two mistakes that even the most passionate Christian can fall into.

The First is What We Focus On

When we take our eyes off Jesus and focus on something else, the slip begins. Peter learned this when he stepped off the boat onto the water toward Jesus. It was when he took his eyes off Jesus and saw the wind and the waves that he began to sink.

It can be just as subtle for us today. When our devotion is on our church, our culture, our career, even our family, instead of Jesus, then we’re on the slippery slope.

When the very ministry he called us to, becomes our joy, replacing the joy of the Lord, then it is not the Joy we have in the Lord that is sustaining us, but rather, the joy of what we’re doing that drives us.

Even the very blessings of God can become an idol when we take our eyes off Jesus. We are best to keep our eyes on Him, making Him the reason for all we are and do.

Let’s take heed of Hebrews 12:

 “Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus the Author and Finisher of faith!” Heb 12:1 – 2

The second is what we ignore

Just as concerning as the first mistake, are those who ignore guarding their heart from the little offences, little comments made, the time when they forgot about you, when they laughed at you, when they don’t call you, those little things which grow into huge offences and before you know it your prickly, judgemental even bitter from the hurts inflicted on you by others.

Someone once said, ‘the longer you live the more scars you have from life’. That’s true but it’s also what you do with that pain that will make you bitter or better … the outcome is up to you; you decide.

When we don't guard your heart from the issues mentioned above, it affects whatever spring is coming out of us, with the issues that are in us, and everyone can taste it.

Proverbs 4:23 reminds us; Above all else guard your heart, for it is the well spring of life.

We guard our hearts from offences and unforgiveness and the only way to do this, is to forgive those who have trespassed against us – live healed and forgive people.

I see Christians who still go through the motions of prayer, reading their Bible and regular attendance and contribution to church, yet because they have ignored the offences they hold, their hearts have grown calluses, and their sensitivity toward others and the Holy Spirit has been dulled.

They have no grace for others, no life in the important disciplines listed above.

This type of Christian living is simply being religious, when the heart is not healed from offences cause.

When we ignore these issues, convincing ourselves that they’re just too small to give any attention to, or if we just persevere with an “Onward Christian Soldier” attitude hoping the issue will not have any effect on our hearts, then we are deceiving ourselves.

Ignoring an issue doesn’t solve it, it just gives it time to grow. I write this from my own experience, and I praise God that He loved me too much to let me stay stuck.

If you see yourself in either of these two mistakes, then repent and fix your eyes on Jesus.

Let Him be the motivation and reason for all you do. Live healed and forgive others, if not for their sakes then for yours and your families.

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus.