Luke and Kennedy Wedding

Larry Johnson

Wedding • Sermon • Submitted 3 days ago • Presented 7 days ago

Proverbs 3:5–7

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Handout

Walter Reese: Please Rise for the reception of the bride

Walter Reese: Who gives this bride away

Intro:

We have gathered together to celebrate a commitment of love, a commitment that Luke & Kennedy believe to be under the leadership of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Let us ask our Heavenly Father to bless this special occasion.

Prayer:

Dear Lord We come into your presence with Thanksgiving and praise. We bless you for the assurance of your guidance in our lives. We praise you for the awareness that you care about every endeavor of our lives, especially our relationships that lead to Christian marriage. Bless then, this special occasion as Luke & Kennedy come before you, their family, and friends to link their lives together in this ceremony of commitment. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen

Scripture Reading: Pastor Hankins

Song: Cori Johnson

Message to the Bride and Groom

As apart of my agreement to do the service for Luke & Kennedy I assign them to pick out a life scripture that will served to ground them and guide them during the duration of their marriage. Luke and Kennedy picked Proverbs 3:5-7

Proverbs 3:5–8 CSB

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 8 This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones.

Choices, Choices, Choices. Should I marry this person, How many children should we have, Should we home school, private or public, Who will take care of our family in case of emergency, Should I take this job or shouldn’t I. He/She is getting on my nerves should I stay or should a leave! It would be so nice if God spoke audible and told us what decision to make, but he does not talk in this way. He has left us with some principles and several can be found in this text.

Principle #1: Do rely on God

Proverbs 3:5 CSB

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;

(EXP)(5) Solomon tells his son. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. The way Solomon phrased this verse let’s us know it’s possible to trust God partially. Humanity is made up of three essential things factors.

Intellect

Emotion

Volition(Will or Choice) or agency

One could trust the Lord with the Intellect and their emotion but not their will. Your will is the stubborn one. Your will is the one which keeps you from saying “I am sorry please forgive me” even you know intellectually you are wrong. When Solomon tells you to Trust in the Lord he is telling you trust the Lord in all three parts of your being. (Intellect, Emotion & Will)

Principle #2: Do not Rely on yourself

(EXP)(5b) “and do not rely on your own understanding” Luke and Kennedy this tells us something critical. There is something about our makeup that limits our abilities. We are finite beings. We are limited in our understanding. Plus we were born with a nature that runs away from God rather than towards him. This make it hard to discern right from wrong sometimes.

Due to our human limitations it is imperative that you have a source of information that you can “rely” or lean on.

That word “rely” means “lean” or “rest on” it literally carries the idea of allowing weight of your body to lean or rest in the strength of God. When you see a beautiful couch don’t forget the couch is held together by a wooden frame. God’s wisdom should be the wooden frame of your marriage, not human understanding.

Luke & Kennedy this does not mean you don’t use your brain to navigate the world as a married couple it simple means you need to constantly consult God to make sure your decision align with his will for your life. You consult God because of your limitations.

Principle #3: Do recognize God

Proverbs 3:6 CSB

6 in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.

(EXP)(6) “in your ways know him” The NASB says “in all your ways acknowledge him” this carries the idea of keeping God at the center of your lives. There should be no one more important to either of you than Yahweh! To acknowledge him is too praise him for his greatness, his power, his providence, and provision. Paul tells us “in all things give thanks” When you have a tough decision to make recognize God wants to be involved. He is an opinion and an answer to every decision.

After these three principles Solomon inserts a promise: “and he will make your paths straight” This is a conditional promise. Once you meet the condition he promises to make your path straight.

What are the conditions?

Do Rely on him, Do not lean on your own understanding, and Do recognize him

Principle #4: Do not be proud

Proverbs 3:7 CSB

7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

(EXP)(7) Luke & Kennedy this is a command to remain humble and not proud. Pride is the killer of humility. As humans we are capable of some really assume things. We have accomplished a lot educationally, structurally, Nationally, and Globally but none of these things has any spiritual value without God. This is warning. Satan is a master at getting people to chase things that ultimately don’t matter. In your life you learn things from your study of the word, from your pastor, from your time in prayer, from each other, from your children, from your extended family, from your friends and from your enemies. Don’t be too proud to learn. You don’t have all the answer you need other’s to become the person and couple God made you to be.

Principle #5: Do fear God and run from Evil

(EXP)(v.7b) Revere-to feel deep respect for, and admiration. Solomon tells his boy that the secret to a holy life, is the recognition that we serve a mighty, holy, awesome, terrible(KJV) God. He is God that causes waters to recede and mountains to quake. Luke and Kennedy we must not ever lose this internal high degree of respect for God. In our efforts to relate to God don’t bring him down so low you forget he can turn the sun off like a light.

(7) In this clause Solomon is letting us know the deep seated reason people fall into sins. It’s because they begin to see God as a common thing rather than unique. When I saw the ocean for the first time it took my breath away, but after seeing it several times it can become mundane or normal. Don’t let God become normal in your marriage. Keep him in high regard and it will keep you from Evil.

Notice he said “run” from Evil. This tells you that in order to keep wickedness from your relationship it will require intentional actions. No marriage becomes healthy and holy without work from both of you. Running from something implies that something is chasing you. The only way you can keep avoiding evil is with constant fear of the Lord and intentionally denying the flesh.

This portion of scripture then ends with another promise in Proverbs 3:8

Proverbs 3:8 CSB

8 This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones.

(EXP)(8) There is very simple explanation of this text. When you do things God’s way it’s good for your Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual health. This is not to say your life is going to be easy. But there is a comfort in knowing you are pleasing the King of all Kings. It is comfort in knowing you are resting in the bosom of the Lord. The primary reason for people’s stress is “lack of Hope” when you are in Christ the victory is already yours. You simple have to walk in it.

Luke and Kennedy do you want healing in your body and strength in your bones? Do you want physical, emotional, and spiritual vigor in your life?

Follow these principles:

To those in the audience here to celebrate this couple you are not primarily guest you are witnesses. Hold them accountable to this message.

This charge I gave to Luke and Kennedy was about making godly choices. To the congregation the most important choice you can make in your life is to entrust your life to Christ. (Gospel Message)

Luke and Kennedy it is time for your dedicate yourselves to one another in the repeating of your vows.

Vows:

Minster: Will you please face each other and join hands

The Man Vows

Luke would you repeat after me: I, Luke, take you, Kennedy, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward. To care for and to encourage in both good times and bad. I promise to live for Christ and with you in the full awareness of trust and love, and with this commitment I pledge to you my love.

The Woman Vows

Kennedy would you repeat after me: I, Kennedy, take you, Luke, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward. To care for and to encourage in both good times and bad. I promise to live for Christ and with you in the full awareness of trust and love, and with this commitment I pledge to you my love.

Rings:

These rings are symbols of your commitment of love. They are made of gold, expressing the purity which should always be in your marriage. They are formed in circles, expressing the unending dimension of your love and the eternal love of God. Share these rings now in the full awareness of Christ’s love in you and through you.

Luke, would you place this ring on Kennedy’s third finger and left hand? Would you hold it there and repeat after me:

Kennedy, I give this ring, as a visible token of my love, and I give it to you as my own life.

Kennedy, would you place this ring on Luke’s third finger and left hand? Would you hold it there and repeat after me:

Luke, I give this ring, as a visible token of my love, and I give it to you, as my own life.

Prayer over the vows:

Minister: Let us pray: O Lord, you who love Luke and Kennedy. Teach them to know your loving way, that their love may be like your’s. As their love grows in your image, grant them the grace, wisdom and compassion to show others your love. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the highest expression of your love for us. Amen.

Communion

At this time both Luke and Kennedy would like to celebrate their new union but taking communion together. Communion one of two ordinaces that the Lord has asked us to do. Communion is a time for us to celebrate and remember the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. We will reading from Luke 22:14-20

Luke 22:14–20 CSB

14 When the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 Then he said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

At this time we will have a Poem read by Sister Cassandra Hankins the mother of the groom.

Poem

Presentation of the Bride & Groom:

Having spoken words of testimony and commitment as to your love, one for the other, I, by the authority of the state of Michigan and by the commission of God and Christ as a minister of the gospel, declare and proclaim that Gary Luke, and you Kennedy are now husband and wife. Now What God has joined together in this love, let no man ever attempt to break or destroy.