Attempt to Heal Every Broken Relationship - Mack Tomlinson

If you know of any relationship

that is not currently right,

you are to endeavor yourself to mend it.

You are.

You're the one that's supposed to fix it.

If we won't, if I know

that something's wrong in a relationship

and I'm like a horse or a mule

that Psalm 32 says don't be that way -

don't be stubborn and refuse -

if I know something's wrong

and I won't fix it,

then I should stop

expecting God to speak to me;

I should stop reading books;

I should stop talking about missions;

I should stop all the talk

and first get things right

before I pursue anymore.

If God's shown me something

and I don't walk in the light of it -

I don't obey what He's shown me -

why should He say anymore to me?

Why if He puts a finger on me

about a relationship

and I know it's got to be right -

I know for sure

if John Dees and I -

which we've never had any of this -

but if we had a dilemma
in our relationship

and we both knew something
wasn't right between us -

I had hurt him, I had sinned against him,

or the other way around,

and we both knew we were going to

see each other today for the first time,

I promise you,

he would be coming to me,

I'd be coming to him

and we would get it right

before we started singing, wouldn't we?

How easy it is to come into church

and a relationship not be right

and then we want to sing the songs of God.

If you come to worship

and you come to bring
your gift to the altar

and there remember that your brother

has ought against you,

stop your singing, stop your worship.

Go get it right and then come

and offer your gift.

How about it?

Is every relationship right?

You ought not to go to bed tonight

without making sure of it

because your bones might start rotting

and your strength might start drying up

like the heat of the summer.

If you keep silent about it -

it seems like we heard that not long ago.

You see, what happens is -

here's what we do.

There's a problem in a relationship

and we begin to rationalize and justify

and make mental excuses.

"Well, it will take care of itself."

No, it won't.

"Well, it will create more problems

than it will solve if I go to him."

No, it won't.

"Well, it's just going to
have to be that way."

No, it doesn't.

"Well, there's been too much time passed."

No, there hasn't.

"Well, there's too many
differences between us."

No, there are not.

Maybe I've left out your excuse,

but still the answer is

it is always right, always right,

to make things right.

It is always wrong to leave a relationship

damaged somehow.

And the reason some true Christians

won't get relationships right -

I think there's three major reasons.

Number one, it's too scary.

It's scary to go to someone

and say, brother,

I think there's been something between us.

It isn't right.

I'm sorry. I don't want
that to be that way.

It's scary to do that, isn't it?

It is.

It's fearful.

It's way outside some people's
comfort zones to do that.

It scares people to
initiate making things right.

Secondly, it's too painful to go

and to say, listen,

we've not been right in our relationship.

It's too painful for some people.

Thirdly, some people are just too proud.

They want to leave it on the other person.

The other person may not
even know there's a problem.

And you've wronged them,

and you feel like you've
sinned against them,

or you feel legitimately
that they did wrong you,

but you're too proud to go.

Too scared, too painful, too proud.

And so you leave it undone.

Listen, things undealt with

will only do damage down the road.

To hear the remainder of the sermon,

search for "Every Relationship Right."