Keep the Channels of Love Open - Tim Conway

If we would expect God to visit us, we need to be sure and keep the channels of love open for Him. We can't let the channels be clogged up with sin or things that grieve the Holy Spirit. Whatever it is in our lives that may be keeping us from walking closer with God and knowing the love of Christ, let us be done with it!

→ Excerpt taken from the full sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3xLbfsQgRM

→ View on I'll Be Honest: https://illbehonest.com/keep-the-channels-of-love-open

Charles Leiter -

this undoubtedly is in one of his books,

but I just remember him telling me

about how Mona visited

some of these Welsh folks

where Martyn Lloyd-Jones used to vacation.

And they lived in this farm.

They got their power from water

that flowed off the mountain

and turned a generator.

They got their power,

but sometimes their power would go out.

What would happen?

Well, limbs and garbage

would collect in there.

And right before the generator

was a screen,

and so this stuff would come down

pushed by the torrent of water

and it would collect
there on this grating.

And if it impeded the flow?

No power. No electricity.

No flow beyond that point.

And so they'd have to go
out and pull the stuff off.

Charles talks about that

as being a good illustration

of the Christian life -

keeping those channels open.

There's things that clog the screen.

Putting ourselves in an optimal position

to be visited by the Lord.

Perhaps there's things in your life

that you know they're impeding the flow;

they're grieving the Spirit;

they're quenching the Spirit.

James just this morning

was telling me about a covenant -

reminding me - he'd told me before,

that he made concerning

a certain thing in his life.

Brother Craig just the other day

was talking about earlier back in January

just making a determination
about something.

You know, some of us -

and I've been at those points -

where it's just like you get
aggravated with something

and you recognize it's impeded

your Christian life long enough.

And you say no more!

I don't want that anymore!

Lord, I'm done with it.

For good.

You want to be careful

when you begin to make
vows before the Lord.

Be careful.

But I know that.

I know that inner feeling

when you've had it with something

that has been a distraction
to you for too long.

What is it? What's impeding?

See, we want to put ourselves

in the place where God is

most likely to break through.

We don't want to be grieving Him.

We want to try to
comprehend the love of Christ.

Get the distractions out.

If you really want to climb this mountain,

because this is what
will fuel everything -

you're rooted and grounded in this love.

You're overcome by this.

I remember years ago
when I preached on this,

and I think I got this
actually from something

John Piper said.

But you know, when you're filled

with the fullness of God

and you're overwhelmed
by the love of Christ for you,

you don't easily go out

and have sex with your neighbor's wife.

That might be an
exaggerated way to put it,

but you get the reality.

You don't easily go have an argument

with your own wife.

You don't easily just go off into sin.

Because there is something
about the love of Christ

that is compelling and constraining.

It constrains us.

It's hard to be melted by the kind of love

we're going to look at in the weeks ahead

and then just to say,

you know, I think I'm
going to go get drunk.

Or, well, that's nice, but after all,

"Lord of the Rings" is better than that.

You don't do that.

This love of Christ has an influence.