Often times in ministry, we must serve an audience and bring hope and encouragement to a lost generation, preaching the gospel and yearning to see souls saved and character regenerated. Our zeal will further drive us to do even more to see more results and innovate with new tools and methods so that more souls will come to receive ministrations . Our services are more intelligently packaged; our messages more pragmatic and relevant … and soon we see the results … a successful ministry in attendance, music, effective outreaches, jam-packed halls of people singing praises to God.  So…what could possible ever go wrong?

A market profiling of the values and needs of the perceived target audience has a major effect on the strategy of a venture and its offerings.   A premise that the target audience are the souls, congregation inside or the lost outside  waiting to be saved cause us to adjust and align our ministry services – making them shorter, our music – making them trendier and  more exciting, our church halls – making them more contemporary: all to reach out to more.  Eventually we must preach and deliver what will retain this overwhelming crowd that keep coming … and contrive more entertainment and performance menu options to hold their attention and relieve their thirsts.  But what is the real issue? Who should be the target audience of our ministry? Why did the men of God of old pray and fast for 40 days before they began anything – even as Jesus Christ did.  Indeed, today God is no more the target audience for many.  This is a subtle and dangerous trap.  God will not play second fiddle nor will He be available to be used for healings and to supply miracles.  He must reign completely, totally, majestically and absolutely. He must be sought for, cultivated, enthroned and fully and reverentially worshipped or simply observe from afar.  He will not be ridiculed as a prop for another seven-steps-to-this-and-that seminar.

The one person that must be profiled is God.  The needs and values that must be understood and catered for and preached and taught are those of God.  The person that must be comfortable is God.  The one person we must be certain has not left when everyone else leaves is God.  We need therefore to hear more of God, pray for His divine visitation and learn from His word.  We want to know more of Enoch, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Daniel and others with a record of a long walk with God – how did they do it?  Why do some people walk with God and others do not? We also note that absolutely no one has ever seen or walked with God and ever been bored.  It is completely impossible to see God and be remotely distracted talk less of bored – ask Isaiah, Ezekiel or Moses….they needed no special lights, marketing publicists, choirs, comedians, choreographers and oratory to sustain their conversations with God.  There is only one who declares is one and has seen the father – our Lord Jesus Christ…we need His Holy Spirit as our friend to guide and lead us.

John 14:9John 14:9
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?  

WP-Bible plugin … he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then , Show us the Father?

God is the target audience of all true ministries. When God meets with a people – His glory is unmistakeable and His presence cannot be ignored or confused for something else.  Again ask Ezekiel or Isaiah.  People in darkness are drawn to light and His glory.  Troubles vanish and sick hearts are cured.  We literarily have to plead to people to go home for they cannot imagine what else to do but remain in the embrace of glory.  My prayer is that His glory comes down again so that I have nothing to minister anymore as God visibly takes over. I pray that day comes soon for you too. I discover that the ministry had little to do with me in the first place.  It was God’s and He says who will I send?  Who will go for me where I want him to go?  I tremble before I can answer…for I am not Isaiah …yet.

What about the souls and the lost? What do they bring to the table apart from corrupted and depraved values and the stench of decaying flesh for they are long dead and need resuscitation that I cannot give?  The patient cannot write the prescription –even a dead one.  Not the minister but God must be present to administer the solutions otherwise the poor minister contrives all sorts of remedies and well-baked thoughts. There is a lot, I dare say,  to borrow these days from information technology, science, business management, philosophy, Hollywood, MTV and (God forbid) even the Occult – as the trapped godless Saul (the king of Israel) eventually ventured.

The large or small congregation (without God) becomes a trap.  Both minister and the ministered  have to keep innovating more performances …eventually all are misused by the devil who finds this the best terrain for his own devastating operations.  Or worse, the minister is exhausted and can no more raise new schemes for inadequate cash, cannot maintain growth or the competition next door does a better job of marketing his now disenchanted flock who have become accustomed to his fare but need a more enervating “fix”.  The minister loses the mega-church he (thinks) he has laboured for and wonders why everything did not work out. The congregation (who he targeted and made comfortable and excited) are absolutely scandalised to know that they actually are dead and cannot hear anything but the noise of the drums and the guitar and favourite soloist or songstress  ( sorry …worship leaders).  They never heard that there is a voice that wakes the dead.  The problem? Ichabod … meaning the glory has departed …or was never present.

When we see God as our target and primary audience, our marketing is simplified. We have one major customer…one major person to study completely…God.  The study of God becomes a lifelong effort and not a stint at a seminary or a one week retreat or convention/ program. Our study and walk with God becomes a culture …our new lifestyle. It causes an outflow that reaches out in a different manner as people encounter the glow, joy and love of God and other attributes through us.

Can we market and bring the people better than God who said in John 12[32]  And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. ?

Every consultant knows that the first step is to ask the target audience.  What does the target audience want and need to be pleased and remain comfortable?  We find the answer in His word.  Expository preaching of Christ and the complete word of God must therefore return to centre stage as this is where God is best revealed.  We have had enough of the theatrics, motivational declarations, pragmatism and toying with the emotions of the weak.  What does God say in His word?  It is time to hear the complete word of God again.  We need to be wounded and made alive by His truths. God help me to please you.

Amos 3[3]  Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

I Peter 1[15]  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16]  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

God will come when He is in agreement with the completeness of preaching, reverence of manner of worship and appropriateness of environment designed for Him.  God will come where He is loved and His truth is exalted. No need for gimmicks.  Instead spend more time finding out about God and worshiping Him. God wants to visit His people again. There is a different revival.  When God shows up, we cannot but stand in awe … and all things are possible.

Bode Ososami releases his 3rd book published by Authorhouse in early December –The Majesty of God. This book delves into the glory of God and takes a glimpse into the majestic throne room to reveal a greatness that is often misrepresented due to limitation of words to describe the indescribable or completely obscured by deliberate attempts to introduce God as the old comical wise man high up somewhere – weary, exhausted and increasingly outwitted by the modern mind.