You might not catch that title….but I’m banking on the fact that since it has the word “gospel” in it, and that’s a buzzword, you’ve clicked here anyways.
Allow me to explain the title before I show you something in Scripture that I’m confident will prod your heart to worship.
A couple of years ago Jarrod Dyson, the speedy centerfielder for the KC Royals, scored the game winning run by tagging up on a pop up to the shortstop. If you don’t understand baseball just know that in order to do something like this you have to be crazy fast. Dyson is crazy fast.
When being interviewed after the game, Dyson quipped, “That what speed do”. And it stuck. Now every time Dyson uses his legs to wreak havoc in a game—the announcers will inevitably say “that what speed do”.
Jarrod Dyson has the speed to change a game. In the same way, times infinity, the gospel changes things. Don’t believe me look at this.
That’s What Fear Do
In Genesis 3 we read the history-altering story of Adam and Eve. The first couple eat of the forbidden fruit and immediately they are naked and ashamed. The beauty of Genesis 1 and 2 is shattered in a moment.
As soon as their eyes are opened to their sinfulness they sewed for themselves some fig leaf underpants. But they knew that wasn’t enough because in verse 8 when they heard the sound of the Lord walking in the Garden they tried to hide from him in the woods.
So get this picture in your mind. You sin. You feel the weight of guilt. You are exposed and you are afraid. Then somebody says, “It’s the Lord”. Your immediate response is to run into the woods and hide from him.
That’s what fear does.
That’s What Gospel Do
In John 21 we read the story of Peter and the other disciples fishing. Now this story takes place after Peter has denied Jesus. He’s sinned against the Lord just like Adam and Eve did. And the Lord caught his eye and Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Now here in John 21, Peter is going back to life as normal. This is his version of hanging out in the garden in the cool of the day. And somebody—this case John—says, “It’s the Lord”. Remember the response of our first couple to a similar situation. And now read this:
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. (John 21:8)”
Peter is so overwhelmed with emotion that he does the silly thing of putting on his clothes in order to jump into the water. He doesn’t run away from Jesus, instead he—in a very undignified manner—runs towards Jesus.
That is what the gospel does.
It takes guilty sinners and turns them into undignified worshippers of Jesus.
I close with these thoughts from Richard Baxter:
And resist also all humiliation and grief, that do not, immediately or remotely, tend to help your love. A religion that tendeth but to grief, and terminateth in grief, and goeth no further, hath too much in it of the malice of the enemy, to be of God. No tears are desirable, but those that tend to clear the eyes from the filth of sin, that they may see the better the loveliness of God. (Baxter, A Christian Directory, 125)
When Peter wept bitterly he wept tears that cleared his eyes from the filth of sin and stirred up his heart to love God.
That’s what gospel do.
