Colossians 4:17 And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.” NLT.
FOCUS ON YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE
A brother in ministry once said, "It is possible to be in ministry and be lost". That's a truism. One can be a backslider yet preaching and teaching.
There is a tendency to be preaching here and there, jumping from pulpit to pulpit with posters and billboards all over the place yet without a virile walk with the Lord.
Personally, I have experienced this. At a time, I decided between invitations and the strength of my personal walk with God. I chose the latter regardless of honorarium.
You'll eventually lose your ministry If you focus on the ministry more than you focus on the correctness of your life and walk with God. Your life comes first before the ministry.
Your life must be correct for your ministry to be correct.
On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws’(Matthew7:22-23 NLT).
As a preacher, there's a great tendency to be studying scriptures because you want to preach a powerful message not because you want to add value to your spiritual life.
That's a dangerous. A terrain where you pray and study only when you have preaching engagements. At that level, spiritual dryness and burnout is around the corner.
When that old Christian tradition of reading the bible and praying daily for personal growth is no longer there, you're on your way down. You may preach a storm and everywhere is on fire but your own spiritual life is ebbing away gradually.
In a book I read years back, the author said it was discovered that most pastors who had a scandal had abandoned private devotion altogether.
Your spiritual life come first. It is the strength of your daily devotion and fellowship that will impart the people and value to them.
Check the way you live your life. Ensure you're practicing what you preach and lead by example. Are you mortifying the flesh daily or you think you're now above temptation?
Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you( 1 Tim 4:16 NLT).
How is your spiritual life as a preacher? When last did you examine If you're still in the faith? What about your personal bible study&prayer life? Are there secret sins? Examine yourself.