Below are some very crucial 'Would You Rather' questions I believe every preacher and would-be preachers must answer sincerely and review regularly. Your answers to these questions (per time) will define (or re-define) your focus in ministry, and determine how far you will go with God. Colossians 4: 17- " And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it"...
In other words, dear Man of God; dear Woman of God, see that you do the work which the Lord has given you to do. May God find us dependable. Now, the Questions:
Would you rather keep your reputation or the Anointing?
1 Samuel 15:30- Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God. Note Saul's expressions: My people (REPUTATION); Thy God (ANOINTING). Saul preferred his reputation above the anointing. 2 Samuel 6:14-16- "And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart" Unlike Saul, when David was before the Lord, he cared less about his reputation, and this made a whole lot of difference. Don't strive to build a reputation for yourself; go all the way for the anointing, and the anointing becomes your reputation!
Would you rather make more money or more disciples?
Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)- "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Is your ministry just another business venture in town, or an outworking of a God-given mandate? We were not commanded to go and make some money, we were commanded to go and make disciples!
Would you rather offend the government or God?
In this 21st century where nations now have Government policies that tend to put preachers in a tight spot, we need to remember these words of our Lord Jesus in Luke 12:4-5 - "And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him" The three Hebrew boys in the third book of Daniel have shown us a perfect example.
Would you rather please the people or God?
1 Samuel 15:24- "And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice" You owe your allegiance to God, not the people, because you were called by God, not by the people. What Saul did in the scripture above cost him not only the Kingdom, but also his anointing. It was an error that even his generations after him didn't recover from... Beware!
Would you rather appear with glamour or Glory
1 Samuel 16:7- "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" When you stand before God's people, what do they see- your designer wares and oratory prowess? Or maybe some pulpit gymnastics? These are not bad in themselves, but they are mere paraphernalia... The Glory of God is the real substance that should glow around you always. Don't just be a vibrant preacher, be an Anointed preacher; don't just have a lot of style, have a lot of substance too!
Would you rather obey for fame or Faithfulness?
2 Samuel 18:21-23, 29-30- "Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran. Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready? But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi. And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was. And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. And he turned aside, and stood still" Why are you running this race? Is it so that you can also be seen? So that you can carve a niche for yourself? Or so that you can make a name for yourself? Are you running as an Ahimaaz or as a Cushi? Are you in this race for fame or for faithfulness? Fame might eventually be part of the package, but it should NEVER be the goal!
Would you rather stay faithful to the calling or to the Caller?
How would you feel if your spouse says he/she has remained married to you just because of the children? Very happy, I suppose. Definitely not! Being a Man of God is not, and will never be a substitute for being a Child of God. Don't do ministry at the expense of your personal relationship and intimacy with God- Stay true to the call, but remain faithful to the One who called you!
Would you rather populate your pews or Heaven?
John 6: 65-69 - "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life..And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God" Jesus didn't pioneer a seeker-friendly movement. He laid the foundation for a discipleship movement... John 8:31- "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed". The seeker-friendly movement is a cankerworm that has eaten deep into many so called Churches today. I will never cease to wonder how seeker-friendly preachers will fair when we all appear at the Judgment sit of Christ.
Would you rather go to hell or Heaven?
It seems so absurd to ask preachers this question, but it's such a critical and fundamental detail that must not be overlooked. Don't miss heaven for anyone's sake; don't lose your reward for anything... There are a lot of traps in ministry, be extremely careful! Always remember James' admonition in James 3:1, "Do not all be teachers, my brothers, because we teachers will be judged more hardly than others" Shalom!