People still talk like this, but we don't preach like this anymore...

For some time now, I’ve been studying the practice of reading and preaching the Scriptures across the history of the church.  Recently, I’ve been focusing on the Reformation.  As part of that study, I came across this gem from John Calvin’s sermon on Deuteronomy 5:11 on the 3rd commandment: 

I ask you, do not men today give themselves license to speak of God’s name at their own fancy? And when they start arguing about Holy Scripture over a glass of wine in a tavern or at their tables, is there any question of humbling themselves and of knowing their ignorance and their infirmity and begging God to give his Holy Spirit so that his secrets may be dealt with by us s they should be? No; those arguments are mere mockery. By this we see well enough- and more than enough- that today there is very little religion in the world. We see how some make a game of Holy Scripture, drawing it into jesting proverbs… Others will discourse in flights of fancy, ‘Why is this? And why is that?’ And when one comes to the high mysteries of God, if they annoy us, we would like all that abolished… So then let us understand that God recommends to us the honor and the authority of His Word. As if he said that we must receive in all humility everything contained in Holy Scripture, making ourselves teachable to what is contained in it. Yes, and although that might be contrary to our sense and we could wish that God had spoken in another way, we must always do Him this honor of taking all our senses captive and saying, ‘Lord, we are your disciples; we receive peaceably what it has pleased you to teach us, knowing that it is for our profit and salvation.’ Without exception, then, let everything contained in Holy Scripture be received with reverence; and when it is a question of the holy mysteries of God, let us not judge them according to our understanding; and if things do not seem to us to be good and proper, let us keep a tight reign on ourselves, and let God always have his way and His Word complete freedom.

Wow.  Um, I need to repent.  I need grace from Jesus to know a more profound humility and reverence for God’s Holy Word.  I need to be humbled and enthralled that the Holy God would graciously condescend to let a body of dust like me get the merest glimpse of the grand designs and glory of my Creator.  How about you? 

People still talk like this, but we don’t preach like this anymore.  Perhaps that should change.  Perhaps the gospel would have greater impact in our lives if we were less the center of our reflections and the glory and honor of God began to take their rightful place in our lives- as the very reason we exist in the first place.  May the Spirit of holiness and grace do such a work in us preachers and in all our listeners that conversation like this would disappear, and preaching like this would reappear.