Many pastors are destroyed because they allow little things to enter into their lives that later become snares and traps. The preacher's word should be his bond. He needs to be morally clean, pure in his motives, chaste in his speech, discreet in his behavior, and honest in his work ethic.
These traits do not emerge from a legalistic list of do's and don'ts. Rather, from a Christ-like character for which behavior that is intrinsically wrong becomes repugnant. It does not matter how far ahead in a race a man is; if he stops running, he will lose the race. If a preacher desires to end his ministry well, he must possess personal integrity, and that integrity must cover all areas of his life.
If you cannot be faithful in the secret things, if you cannot be faithful in the small things, God can't use you. If you are looking for a cheap way, an easy way, a lazy way to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, forget it!
*This question and answer were extracted from "Love Worth Finding: The Life of Adrian Rogers and His Philosophy of Preaching.”
