Graham and Nina Wedding
Notes
Transcript
Col 3 1-4, 12-17
Col 3 1-4, 12-17
Opener
Well - this is an exciting day isn’t it.
Shall we give them a clap - what a great celebration marriage is.
It’s also an exciting day for me!
I get to be the the first person now Graham and Nina are marred to give them some marriage advise!
Here is some of the wedding advicse I’ve heard or been given over the years.
Hold your toungue,
Always look busy or you soon will be
you spend the first 7 years of marriage wishing you could eat you wife and the next 7 years wishing you had - it was his 14th anniversary when he told me this - and he’d planned a rather romatic evening out, so I think he was joking.
look up funny wedding adise
Perhpas they can be sumarised by..
Look lovingly into each others eyes everyday.
But the bibles advise for marriage is a little different.
IN fact this is the Bible’s advise for everything in life and it’s very interesting, and very different to all that our world says..
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Not on earthly things
Not on earthly things
Graham, Nina - you are going to very much enjoy much of married life. You’ll enjoy each others attention, celebrating togetehr, eating togetehr, holidays. Talking and planing, dreaming and scheming, laughing and playing. YOu’ll enjoy God’s creation together as you walk and talk through life.
All wonderful things, and all right to enjoy.
BUt rmeeber in those times that these things are not where true love and happiness dwell. They are not the meaning and fullness of life.
They are earthly things - and as good as they are - there is something much better.
IN fact if they are the only things to live for - then it’s not suprosing that when hard times come along,
When arguements or illness, worry or sin appear, - they can easliy tip the sea saw the wrong way - and we want out rather than in to our wedding vows, realtionships - and even life itself.
Set our minds on earthly things - and and life is a hard fight for love, always int ha balccen, always on the egde of an abyss - alwasy stressful and frought - even in the good times - for we’re worried aboutthe bad to come!
But there is aa far better way to live and love.
Do not .set your minds on earthly things
Set your minds
On things above
On things above
Setting your minds on things above is not a new age mystical ‘empty your mind’ / rise above meditation - the bible tells us what it means
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Above is where Christ is. If each day in your marrie dlife togetehr to wake up, and look up - you will start each day as Christ Jesus intended you to.
YOu wil look up and be reminded that the pain you casued, or endured the day before was dealt with already by Jesus.
That is why v 3 is true for the Christain
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Died to what is the obvious question?
Died to what awaits us if we only live by earthly things.
What awaits is God’s right judgement against our sin - against our life lived for self - rather than for the creator God who gave is life.
But in Christ - who died himself on the cross at Easter - he offers to take the death and judgement we deserve before God on himself,
and exchange give us forgiveness - grace - unconditional and extraordinary love!
Wake up - and look up - for both of you have recieved the most precious gift in all of life - salavtion in Christ Jesus our lord who is above.
On the high days together - as good as they will be - lving know we have eteernal life with Christ - secured by his death in our place and his resurection to new life and rule - is better.
It is love that cannot be equalled by good experiences or romantic gestures - enjoy those things, but keep your minds set on JEsus above - and you will love each other more than is possible by those who don’t know Jesus.
The Bible’s Advice - God’s marriage advice to you both is,
Wake up - look up - set your minds on things above - ono your wonderful Lord Jesus.
Then Nina when you look lovingly over to Graham and see him dribberling on the pillow - you’re smile for Jesus loves you both.
For those of us here - this is true as well for us - but only if we repent and belive in the death and resurection of Jesus in our place - to take away the sin of the world.
It’s a wonderful offer. Nothing in this life can come close to such an offer - all else will leave us wanting,
swaying up and down on that sea-saw between love and hate, good and bad, fun and frustrtaion - and ultimately - there is no avoidinging the final end of life and facing the God who we have ignored on earth.
But - set you minds on things above - repent of your sin and accept the incredible love, grace and mercy of Jesus - and theat sea saw catapults us into the air where we fix our gaze on the beauty of Jesus.
Things above.
This new perspective on life changes everything - but it’s not just phylisophical - this is real and physical - it affects not just our thoughts - but also our bodies.
We are dead to what we where before - and now new life.
The bible describes it as having a new wardrobe.
IN the verses we missed out we;re told to take off all the things we’ve died to - the things we’ve been forgiven and freed from by Jesus. Of course we wont be perfect until Christ Jesus returns - but we should practice leaving those cloths in the bin.
But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
Graham and Nina - these would be some great verse to read regualliry on your own, and togther - remind yourslevs of the clothes you have put in the bin - and aim to leave them there!
But we’re not left naked - we’re give a new wardrobe
And that is what we’ll focus on finally.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Grahma and Nina - you are loved by God - chose you to be holy by the work of Jesus.
So loved that your new wardrobe looks unsurpsingly like the wardrobe Jesus dressed himself from each day..
Compassion, kindness, humi.....(FININSH)
Notcie how all of them are other person focused....
And