(upbeat music) On Monday, we looked at humor. In what ways is a humorous personality a liability? That was APJ 1813. The answer there was that humor can be stewarded well. The key is developing sober-mindedness, an awareness that doesn't abolish humor, but puts humor in its place and protects things that are greater and more glorious.

To be sober-minded, as we saw, is to cultivate a demeanor that corresponds to the weight of the great things of life, which means we must avoid being obsessed with humor to the point that we become incapable of serious moments and just allergic to them to the point that we become quick to break serious moments with injected humor.

In other words, we must learn to tremble before God. This word is especially relevant to the tone of our Sunday gatherings together, and that brings us to today. In the presence of God, everything trembles. Everything trembles. The earth trembles, according to Psalm 114.7. Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.

The psalmist trembles in Psalm 119.120. My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments. Indeed, the one who trembles at God's word, that person, that person catches God's attention, according to what he tells us in Isaiah 66.2. But this is the one to whom I will look, he who is humble and contrite in spirit and who trembles at my word.

And in the New Testament, Paul calls us in Philippians 2.12, Christians, to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. So why do Christians tremble? Here's Pastor John to explain from a 2005 sermon. - Here's Revelation 19.15. From his mouth comes a sharp sword. Now this is describing Jesus at his second coming.

From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. Now that last sentence is exceedingly terrible. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

Just make four observations. Number one, God is Almighty. We are not dealing here with a mere president of the United States, the mere premier of China. We're dealing here with the person whose power includes all the power of the political realm and all the power of the electromagnetic realm and all the power of the atomic realm and all the power of the gravitational pull of the biggest stars in the universe and all the power that upholds the universe by the word of his might.

We are dealing here with what's called Almighty, omnipotence, absolute sovereignty, and he is angry. Second observation is that this Almighty God is about to pour out his wrath. So he is a God of love, the Bible is clear about that, and he is also a God of justice and holiness and wrath.

The Bible is very clear about that. We need to know God as he is, not as we make him up to be. And the third observation is that this wrath is full of fury, the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. It's not a cool opposition. It's not emotionally indifferent.

It is a furiously angry wrath. And the fourth observation, and it's the most terrible, is that it is like Christ treading a winepress in which the unbelieving are under his feet and their blood flows like wine from the winepress. That's the image of the beloved apostle John, among others.

And my point today is this should produce a certain appropriate emotional response in us. Psalm 114, verse seven, "Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob." Psalm 119, verse 120, "My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments." That's a very godly man talking.

Isaiah 66, two, "This is the one to whom I will look, he who is humble," this is God talking, "This is the one to whom I will look, he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." God's countenance shines with favorable grace upon trembling people.

Or here's the New Testament testimony that we should all heed. Philippians chapter two, verse 12, "Therefore, my beloved, as you have all ways obeyed, so now, not only in my presence, but much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling." To all believers, the Bible says, get on the road that leads to life, and if necessary, cut off your hands to stay there, gouge out your eyes to stay there.

This is war all the way to heaven, and as you go, let there be fear and trembling upon this road. This is not something you grow out of as you get more mature as a Christian. Oh, maybe you start afraid, and then later on, there's no fear and trembling.

This is something that immature Christians must necessarily grow into, not something you grow out of. To which you should perhaps respond, "But doesn't the Bible teach fear not? Dozens of places, doesn't it say, 'Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, I am your God.'" So, what are you saying about the fear not passages if you're calling us to experience normal Christianity as fear and trembling?

What's fear not mean? It means two things. Number one, it means fear God, not man, and number two, it means don't fear God as your enemy, fear Him as one who was your enemy, and who is very great. Let me give you a text for each of those. Fear God, not man, Matthew 10, 28.

"Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Here's the way I would put it. Fear distrusting God. Don't fear displeasing man. Let it be a terrifying prospect to you to distrust your God.

But don't let it be at all a terrifying prospect to you to displease your enemy who might cut off your head. That's all they can do is cut off your head. But God, after the head has been cut off, can cast the soul into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear distrusting God.

Fear turning away from God. Isaiah 8, 12 put it this way. This is a paradoxical verse. "Do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread of them. But the Lord of hosts, let Him be your fear. Let Him be your dread, and He will become a sanctuary." It's like when Karsten visited Dick Teagan at age six, my son, and there was this big German shepherd who met him eye to eye in the doorway at age six.

And he was very much afraid. And Dick said, "Don't be afraid, she's very friendly." We sent Karsten to the car to get something we'd forgotten. And he went trotting out to the car, and this dog comes loping up behind him with a deep rumble in his voice. It did not look like this dog was safe.

And Dick hollered out to Karsten, "Oh, Karsten, better not run away from her. She doesn't like people to run away from her." And I took mental note, "That's going into a sermon." (congregation laughing) Because that's exactly the way God is. He's a very friendly God. He just doesn't like people to run away from Him.

And He will lope after you with a deep rumble in His voice. And if you don't heed that rumble and turn and hug His neck, you're gonna be history forever. - Powerful illustration. Piper goes on to apply holy trembling to corporate worship, and then to parenting, and then to evangelism.

He does all this in the sermon, "The Present Effects of Trembling at the Wrath of God," preached on March 6, 2005. It's available online at desiringgod.org in its entirety. Well, if you have a sermon clip to share, email me. Give me your name, hometown, the sermon title, the timestamp of where the clip happens in the audio, and make a note of what stands out to you.

Put the word clip in the subject line of an email and send it to me at askpastorjohn@desiringgod.org. It's an email address, askpastorjohn@desiringgod.org. Well, we're back on Friday with another Bible question, I believe, I think it's this one, I might be wrong. But we know that God tests us. That's clear in James 1, 3 to 4, and in 1 Peter 1, 7.

But does God tempt us? James 1, 13 says no, God never tempts us. But what's the difference between being tested by God and being tempted by God? A great question. I'm your host, Tony Reike, and we are rejoined in studio with Pastor John when we return on Friday. We'll see you then.

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