"But when a feeble man, sprung from the dust, speaks in the name of God, we give the best proof of our piety and obedience, by listening with docility to his servant, though not in any respect our superior." John Calvin, Institutes, Chapter 3
If a man stands before a church and preaches himself as transparent as the podium behind which he occasionally paces by, we deem him a humble servant of God. He tattled on himself and told us the very worst about himself. This, we say, is humility.
But if a man stands before a church and preaches his God as opaque as the leather hymnal before you, we deem him an arrogant, self-righteous servant of self-delusion. He rattled on and on about God without any reference to his daily life. This, we say, is arrogance.
Preachers do their hearers no favors by proclaiming loudly their personal failures and whispering sporadically the glory of God. God demonstrates His power by using feeble men to preach His strength. When this is done, the feebleness of the man is obvious. Just as obvious, if not more so, then spending 20 minutes confessing one's feebleness. Feebleness is demonstrated best by elevating and depending upon and assuming God's strength and authority above all other interests. Bringing this to light reduces the preacher to nothing but a mouth and elevates God's Word to more than just personal application or appreciation.
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