Untitled Sermon (7)

Huweliks Formulier – Henry & Chene

Datum: 15 Februarie 2025

Teksgedeelte: 1 Korinthiërs 13:4-8

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Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today, in the presence of God, and before this congregation, to join together, Henry and Chene, in the holy estate of marriage. The apostle Paul commanded that marriage should at all times, and by all people, be approached in a reverent manner. Therefore, it ought not to be entered into lightly or inadvisedly, but thoughtfully and reverntly, duly considering the cause for which it was ordained.

Marriage, as a holy estate instituted by God, must be held in complete honour. So God’s Word declares; “26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground”, Genesis 1:26-28. God also said; “18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him”, Genesis 2:18. And after God created the helper for the man, the man said; “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh”.

It is therefore clear that marriage was called into being and blessed by the Creator Himself as a divine institution for all mankind. Marriage has its origin in the wisdom and love of God, and serves to uphold social law and order, while providing a basis of truth and holiness for all generations. Marriage is therefore at the basis of all social life and works, towards peace and hapiness for the people and the country.

We learn from the history, of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, that He hallowed a marriage feast with His gracious presence, and performed His first miracle there. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul declared that marriage signifies the mystical union between the bride of Christ, His Church, and Christ Himself. Because marriage has been instituted and sanctified, in such as exalted manner, it is the duty of everyone who enters into it, to do so in all humility and modesty and in the fear of the Lord, realising that the sublime function of married life, is to strive towards inner unity one with another, a unity which can become reality only in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, marriage is a sacred and joyous covenant, which should be entered into reverently. Husband and wife, should give to each other companionship, comfort, and support in times of prosperity as well as in times of adversity. Marriage has been guarded and esteemed through the ages for the stability, and happiness it brings to the individual, the family, and the community. Therefore, the uniting of two individuals, from two separate families and backgrounds, to establish a new family, is an important and memorable event.

For us, attached as we are to Henryand Chene, by special bonds and affections, the uniting of these two people in heart, body, and mind is an occasion of great significance, which we can all celebrate.

Let us now humbly give our attention to the instruction of the Word of God, in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

Paul writes; “4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away”.

In these verse, and specifically verses 4-5, we get the most comprehensive biblical description of the fullness of love. Paul shines love through a prism and we see 15 of its colors and hues, the spectrum of love. Beloved, love is active, not abstract or passive. It does not simply feel patient, it practices patience. It does not simply have kind feelings, it does kind things. It does not simply recognize the truth, it rejoices in the truth. Love is fully love only when it acts. The following is written in 1 John 3:18; “18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth”.

Now, the purpose of Paul’s prism is not to give a technical analysis of love, but rather to break it down into smaller parts, so that we may more easily understand and apply its full, rich meaning. As with all of God’s Word, we cannot truly begin to understand love, until we begin to apply it in our lives. Paul’s primary purpose here is not simply to instruct the Corinthians, but to change their living habits. He wanted them carefully and honestly to measure their lives against those characteristics of love. To change the metaphor, Paul is painting a portrait of love, and Jesus Christ is sitting for the portrait. He lived out in perfection all of these virtues of love. This beautiful picture of love is a portrait of Him.

Beloved, due to our limited time this afternoon, it is impossible to go throught every quality of love that Paul has givin us in this text. Therefore, I would like to highlight fourof these qualities, to give to Henry and Chene as a cornerstone for their life together. The first quality we get from Paul, is that Love is Patient.

1. Love is Patient.

Henry and Chene, this is very important, because there will be days, that you will be stressed out. Sometimes you will be frustrated. And sometimes you might want to give harsh criticism when your spouse does something foolish or hurtful. You see, love’s patience is the ability to be inconvenienced or taken advantage of by a person over and over again and yet not be upset or angry. Patience never retaliates.

Paul said that patience was a characteristic of his own heart, and should characterize every Christian. The supreme example of patience, of course, is God Himself. It is God’s patient love that prevents the world from being destroyed. It is His patience and long-suffering that allows time for men to be saved. As He was dying on the cross, rejected by those He had come to save, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing”, the words in Luke 23:34.

Since Adam and Eve first disobeyed Him, God has been continually wronged and rejected by those He made in His own image. He was rejected and scorned by His chosen people, through whom he gave the revelation of His Word, “the oracles of God” (Rom. 3:2). Yet through the thousands of years, the eternal God has been eternally long-suffering. If the holy Creator is so infinitely patient with His rebellious creatures, how much more should His unholy creatures be patient with each other? A second quality that I would like to emphasize, is that Love is Not Jealous.

2. Love is Not Jealous.

Love and jealousy are mutually exclusive. Where one is, the other cannot be. Shakespeare called jealousy the “green sickness”. It also has been called “the enemy of honor” and “the sorrow of fools.” Jesus referred to it as “an evil eye” in Matthew 20:15. Jealousy, or envy, has two forms. One form says, “I want what someone else has.” If they have a better car than we do, we want it. If they are praised for something they do, we want the same or more for ourselves. That sort of jealousy is bad enough. A worse kind says, “I wish they didn’t have what they have”. The second sort of jealousy is more than selfish; it is desiring evil for someone else. It is jealousy on the deepest, most corrupt, and destructive level. And if we are not careful, this will have a disasteorus impact in your marriage.

One of the hardest battles a Christian must fight is against jealousy. Especially married Christian couples. There is always someone who is a little better or who is potentially a little better than you are. We all face the temptation to jealousy when someone else does something better than we do. The first reaction of the flesh is to wish that person ill. Jealousy is not a moderate or harmless sin. It was Eve’s jealousy of God, sparked by her pride, to which Satan successfully appealed. She wanted to be like God, to have what He has and to know what He knows. Jealousy was an integral part of that first great sin, from which all other sin has descended. The next sin mentioned in Genesis is murder, caused by Cain’s jealousy of Abel. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery because of jealousy. Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den because of the jealousy of his fellow officials in Babylon. Jealousy caused the elder brother to resent the father’s attention to the prodigal son. And there are many more biblical illustrations of the same kind.

In stark contrast to the many accounts of jealousy in Scripture is the story of Jonathan’s love for David. David not only was a greater and more popular warrior than Jonathan but was a threat to the throne that Jonathan normally would have inherited. Yet we are told of nothing but Jonathan’s great respect and love for his friend David, for whom he would willingly have sacrificed not only the throne but his life. “He loved him [David] as he loved his own life” (1 Sam. 20:17). Jonathan’s father, Saul, lost his throne and his blessing because of his jealousy, primarily of David. Jonathan willingly forsook the throne and received a greater blessing, because he would have nothing of jealousy. As a married couple, it is crucial that you protect your heart from jealousy. Sometimes we try to make ourselves look better than we really are. We may even criticize our partner to make us feel better about ourselves. Our competitive spirit may get the best of us, & we try to prove that we are better, smarter, more professional, more talented than our partner. Such selfish behavior in a marriage will prove to be unproductive, even destructive.

May I suggest an alternative that is much more worthwhile & enjoyable? Be proud of each other, build each other up, learn to praise the unique gifts of your life’s partner.

3. Love Does Not take into Account a wrong suffered.

Take into account, is a bookkeeping term that means to calculate or reckon, as when figuring an entry in a ledger. The purpose of the entry is to make a permanent record that can be consulted whenever needed. In business that practice is necessary, but in personal matters it is not only unnecessary but harmful. Keeping track of things done against us, or each other, is a sure way to unhappiness, our own and that of those on whom we keep records.

The same Greek word is used often in the New Testament to represent the pardoning act of God for those who trust in Jesus Christ. “Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account” (Rom. 4:8). “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Cor. 5:19). You see, once sin is placed under the blood of Christ there is no more record of it. It is blotted out, it is actually “wiped away”. In God’s heavenly record the only entry after the names of His redeemed is “righteous,” because we are counted righteous in Christ. Christ’s righteousness is placed to our credit. No other record exists.

That is the sort of record love keeps of wrongs done against it. No wrong is ever recorded for later reference. Love forgives. Someone once suggested that love does not forgive and forget, but rather remembers and still forgives. Resentment is careful to keep books, which it reads and rereads, hoping for a chance to get even. Love keeps no books, because it has no place for resentment or grudges. Fourthly, Love Endures All Things.

4. Love Endures All Things.

Every hardship and every suffering has to be endured in order to hold fast.

Love holds fast to those it loves. It endures all things at all costs. It stands against overwhelming opposition and refuses to stop bearing or stop believing or stop hoping. Love will not stop loving.

Stephen lovingly bore the ridicule and rejection of those to whom he witnessed. Their taunts would not make him stop believing they would believe, and their stones would not make him stop hoping they would be saved. He died praying, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” (Acts 7:60). Like his Lord, he loved to the end even the unloving enemies who put him to death. His love endured. In other words, love never gives up. It hangs in. It holds on. You can count on it. This is the type of love you are to have for one another - love that can be trusted.

I conclude.

Love bears what otherwise is unbearable; it believes what otherwise is unbelievable; it hopes in what otherwise is hopeless; and it endures when anything less than love would give up. After love bears it believes. After it believes it hopes. After it hopes it endures. There is no “after” for endurance, for endurance is the unending climax of love. And may this be true in your married life as husband and wife.

My prayer for the two of you is that you will continue to grow in love - love for one another, love for God, & love for your neighbor. If you do this, you will not only have a blessed marriage, you will have a blessed life.

Amen.

Henry and Chene, you are about to make a promise to one another. Today, this promise, the vows, these are beautiful words representing even more beautiful intentions. As you will find, as you live these vows over the years, investing your time and your love, as well as your commitment to one another, that the happy times will be twice as joyous, because there will be someone to share your joy with. And, when life gets tough, it will be only half as bad, because there will be someone by your side, that helps to carry the burden. We all face challenges in life, and believe me, two is better than one. Henry and Chene, will be no different, but they have their love for one another.

Henry and Chene, please face one another.

Henry, repeat after me. Before God and these witnesses, I Henry, take Cheneto be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death – this is my solemn vow.

Chene, repeat after me. Before God and these witnesses, I Chene, take Henryto be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death – this is my solemn vow.

Henry, do you have a symbol of your vow? [Henry shows the ring]

And Chene, do you have a symbol of your vow? [Chene shows the ring]

The wedding ring is a symbol of unity, a circle unbroken, without beginning or end. It is a seal of the vows Henry and Chene have made to one another. May this ring be the symbol of your unchanging and pure love for one another.

Let us pray;

Bless O God these rings, which Chene and Henry who give them and who wear them, may ever abide in peace, living in unity, love, and happiness for the rest of their lives. AMEN.

Henry, please take Chene’s left hand and repeat after me.

Chene, I give you this ring, as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. As God is my witness, with this ring I thee wed.

Chene, please take Henry’s left hand and repeat after me.

Henry, I give you this ring, as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. As God is my witness, with this ring I thee wed.

On your solemn pledge, sealed by the giving and receiving of a ring, I declare that Henry and Chene, here present have been lawfully married, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And, I exhort you to remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ; “Whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder”.

Henry, you may now kiss your bride!

Let us pray.

Grant O Lord, that Henry and Chene, may dwell together in unity, and love, all the days of their life. We ask Lord, that you bless them with health, prosperity, and peace. Strengthen them to obey and serve You that when the joys and sorrows, and all the good and evil, of this passing world are ended, they may inherit your promises and share in your eternal glory. AMEN.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; The Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace”. Numbers 6:24

It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Henry and Chene Moore!