1 00:00:01,100 --> 00:00:02,839 Charles Leiter - 2 00:00:02,839 --> 00:00:05,104 this undoubtedly is in one of his books, 3 00:00:05,104 --> 00:00:07,016 but I just remember him telling me 4 00:00:07,016 --> 00:00:10,553 about how Mona visited 5 00:00:10,553 --> 00:00:14,477 some of these Welsh folks 6 00:00:14,477 --> 00:00:18,831 where Martyn Lloyd-Jones used to vacation. 7 00:00:18,831 --> 00:00:23,115 And they lived in this farm. 8 00:00:23,115 --> 00:00:28,195 They got their power from water 9 00:00:28,195 --> 00:00:31,597 that flowed off the mountain 10 00:00:31,597 --> 00:00:33,729 and turned a generator. 11 00:00:33,729 --> 00:00:35,040 They got their power, 12 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,162 but sometimes their power would go out. 13 00:00:37,162 --> 00:00:39,583 What would happen? 14 00:00:39,583 --> 00:00:44,369 Well, limbs and garbage 15 00:00:44,369 --> 00:00:46,225 would collect in there. 16 00:00:46,225 --> 00:00:47,723 And right before the generator 17 00:00:47,723 --> 00:00:48,988 was a screen, 18 00:00:48,988 --> 00:00:51,016 and so this stuff would come down 19 00:00:51,016 --> 00:00:53,288 pushed by the torrent of water 20 00:00:53,288 --> 00:00:58,058 and it would collect there on this grating. 21 00:00:58,058 --> 00:01:01,658 And if it impeded the flow? 22 00:01:01,658 --> 00:01:03,819 No power. No electricity. 23 00:01:03,819 --> 00:01:07,829 No flow beyond that point. 24 00:01:07,829 --> 00:01:11,181 And so they'd have to go out and pull the stuff off. 25 00:01:11,181 --> 00:01:12,794 Charles talks about that 26 00:01:12,794 --> 00:01:15,041 as being a good illustration 27 00:01:15,041 --> 00:01:16,613 of the Christian life - 28 00:01:16,613 --> 00:01:21,416 keeping those channels open. 29 00:01:21,416 --> 00:01:24,889 There's things that clog the screen. 30 00:01:24,889 --> 00:01:27,365 Putting ourselves in an optimal position 31 00:01:27,365 --> 00:01:31,036 to be visited by the Lord. 32 00:01:31,036 --> 00:01:33,465 Perhaps there's things in your life 33 00:01:33,465 --> 00:01:35,876 that you know they're impeding the flow; 34 00:01:35,876 --> 00:01:37,232 they're grieving the Spirit; 35 00:01:37,232 --> 00:01:41,781 they're quenching the Spirit. 36 00:01:41,781 --> 00:01:43,206 James just this morning 37 00:01:43,206 --> 00:01:45,739 was telling me about a covenant - 38 00:01:45,739 --> 00:01:47,839 reminding me - he'd told me before, 39 00:01:47,839 --> 00:01:50,862 that he made concerning 40 00:01:50,862 --> 00:01:53,376 a certain thing in his life. 41 00:01:53,376 --> 00:01:54,934 Brother Craig just the other day 42 00:01:54,934 --> 00:01:57,022 was talking about earlier back in January 43 00:01:57,022 --> 00:01:59,551 just making a determination about something. 44 00:01:59,551 --> 00:02:01,148 You know, some of us - 45 00:02:01,148 --> 00:02:02,821 and I've been at those points - 46 00:02:02,821 --> 00:02:05,448 where it's just like you get aggravated with something 47 00:02:05,448 --> 00:02:06,904 and you recognize it's impeded 48 00:02:06,904 --> 00:02:09,610 your Christian life long enough. 49 00:02:09,610 --> 00:02:11,086 And you say no more! 50 00:02:11,086 --> 00:02:12,653 I don't want that anymore! 51 00:02:12,653 --> 00:02:14,135 Lord, I'm done with it. 52 00:02:14,135 --> 00:02:16,531 For good. 53 00:02:16,531 --> 00:02:18,388 You want to be careful 54 00:02:18,388 --> 00:02:21,436 when you begin to make vows before the Lord. 55 00:02:21,436 --> 00:02:23,558 Be careful. 56 00:02:23,558 --> 00:02:26,250 But I know that. 57 00:02:26,250 --> 00:02:31,269 I know that inner feeling 58 00:02:31,269 --> 00:02:34,022 when you've had it with something 59 00:02:34,022 --> 00:02:38,637 that has been a distraction to you for too long. 60 00:02:38,637 --> 00:02:41,194 What is it? What's impeding? 61 00:02:41,194 --> 00:02:43,131 See, we want to put ourselves 62 00:02:43,131 --> 00:02:48,647 in the place where God is 63 00:02:48,647 --> 00:02:50,839 most likely to break through. 64 00:02:50,839 --> 00:02:53,895 We don't want to be grieving Him. 65 00:02:53,895 --> 00:02:57,854 We want to try to comprehend the love of Christ. 66 00:02:57,854 --> 00:03:01,988 Get the distractions out. 67 00:03:01,988 --> 00:03:04,498 If you really want to climb this mountain, 68 00:03:04,498 --> 00:03:08,259 because this is what will fuel everything - 69 00:03:08,259 --> 00:03:11,325 you're rooted and grounded in this love. 70 00:03:11,325 --> 00:03:13,763 You're overcome by this. 71 00:03:13,763 --> 00:03:15,939 I remember years ago when I preached on this, 72 00:03:15,939 --> 00:03:18,199 and I think I got this actually from something 73 00:03:18,199 --> 00:03:19,559 John Piper said. 74 00:03:19,559 --> 00:03:21,125 But you know, when you're filled 75 00:03:21,125 --> 00:03:22,612 with the fullness of God 76 00:03:22,612 --> 00:03:25,182 and you're overwhelmed by the love of Christ for you, 77 00:03:25,182 --> 00:03:28,339 you don't easily go out 78 00:03:28,339 --> 00:03:31,431 and have sex with your neighbor's wife. 79 00:03:31,431 --> 00:03:33,875 That might be an exaggerated way to put it, 80 00:03:33,875 --> 00:03:35,937 but you get the reality. 81 00:03:35,937 --> 00:03:38,111 You don't easily go have an argument 82 00:03:38,111 --> 00:03:39,244 with your own wife. 83 00:03:39,244 --> 00:03:43,563 You don't easily just go off into sin. 84 00:03:43,563 --> 00:03:46,068 Because there is something about the love of Christ 85 00:03:46,068 --> 00:03:49,110 that is compelling and constraining. 86 00:03:49,110 --> 00:03:51,427 It constrains us. 87 00:03:51,427 --> 00:03:54,878 It's hard to be melted by the kind of love 88 00:03:54,878 --> 00:03:57,559 we're going to look at in the weeks ahead 89 00:03:57,559 --> 00:03:59,023 and then just to say, 90 00:03:59,023 --> 00:04:01,829 you know, I think I'm going to go get drunk. 91 00:04:01,829 --> 00:04:04,653 Or, well, that's nice, but after all, 92 00:04:04,653 --> 00:04:08,275 "Lord of the Rings" is better than that. 93 00:04:08,275 --> 00:04:11,629 You don't do that. 94 00:04:11,629 --> 00:04:19,620 This love of Christ has an influence.