Wedding of Chet and Hannah

Prayer:

"Please be seated and join me in prayer"

In our Lord and Savior Jesus said: “In the original creation, God made male and female to be together. Because of this, a man leaves father and mother, and in marriage he becomes one flesh with a woman—no longer two individuals, but forming a new unity. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate His art by cutting them apart. “ ( Message)

Lord thank you for this opportunity to join Chet and Hannah in this ceremony, and witness their pledging life long commitment to one another. We ask that you would be at work here now during this ceremony and continually in their marriage for the rest of their lives. We pray that their love for each other would be a picture of your love for humanity, and ask your blessing on them and that they may be a blessing to everyone they interact with. In your name Lord Jesus, Amen.

Solo:

Congregational Hymn: Great is Thy Faithfulness

Message:

It is my great pleasure to perform this ceremony today uniting the lives of Hannah and Chet in marriage covenant. During this following time prior to the vows and exchanging of rings I am going to do three things; speak on faithfulness defining the term and context in Christianity, explain the story of the gospel, and finally give instructions for marriage from the book of Ephesians.

Faithfulness –

The Hebrew word translated as faithfulness in differing contexts of scripture is also translated as steadfast, trustworthy, true, sure, certain, loving kindness, actively as to cleave, or to hold fast. It is defined as “maintaining allegiance; showing a strong sense of duty or conscientiousness. It is used in reference to carrying or caring for a child, as a supporting activity and intimate relationship, with the qualities of firmness and stability.”

In a physical sense this word is used of pillars that provide support for doors.

So it is a relational, firm word evoking trust and dependence.

God’s faithfulness –

Biblically God’s faithfulness can be defined as His “determined loyalty to a gracious covenant.” There is a strong link throughout scripture between faithfulness and steadfast love. Faithfulness is one of the chef characteristics of God as He describes himself, as in “Then the Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: Yahweh—Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.”

Exodus 34:6–7 HCSB

Then the Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: Yahweh—Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.

Exodus 34:6-7

So God is faithful and that faithfulness is expressed relationally involving human interaction.

Human faithfulness –

God’s intimate relational faithfulness is not one sided, it demands/invokes human response. In it says “Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commands.”

9 Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commands.”

And if you read through the story of the Bible from open to close you will see this relationship played out time and again, and how God’s constant faithfulness is where we find our hope and strength to respond and persevere in this relationship. God’s faithfulness enables and inspires our faithfulness.

Gospel

At the heart of the Christian life is what we often refer to as the gospel. The word gospel means good news and this good news is the story of God creating humanity for relationship with Him and all that came to pass afterwards. This story is explained through the entirety of the Bible and it’s all about relationship with God. It can be explained in four parts: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. It starts out in Genesis where God created humanity in His image and they existed in perfect relationship with God and in marriage with each other. Then in we have the explanation of sin being introduced which broke relationships between God and man and between all human relationships.

Now our natural tendency is to love our selves over God and others. However in the midst of the consequences of sin being explained by God, He promised though humanity broke it He would fix it. The truth is Jesus is nothing new when we come to the New Testament, Jesus was the plan from the very beginning, we all need Him, and salvation was made possible through His work. How do we receive this gift of salvation? As it says in the proper response to the Gospel is to repent of our sin, believe in Jesus, be baptized, and receive His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then begins the lifelong work of changing our character to resemble the character of Jesus, the way God intended us to relate to Him in creation. So the gospel explains God’s original intentions in creation, how sin corrupted that plan, and how He rescued us, bringing us back into communion with Him.

Now let us move on to our main focus today, marriage, specifically between Chet and Hannah.

Marriage Instructions

Today we are gathered here as witnesses of the decision Chet and Hannah have made to join together as a family for the rest of their lives. Falling in or out of love is not something that happens to us, but a choice we make, because our love is not predicated by how we feel, but by the covenant promise we make. Love is not merely a feeling but a choice put to action. Our actions are not to be determined by our emotions or desires, but our choices, empowered by the Holy Spirit, are to guide our affections. True love is a choice, and that is so much more romantic than an accidental affection that may change determined by circumstances. Our challenge then is to choose to persist and fight for loving committed relationships. As Christians we are called to die to self and live to serve, following the example of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

This decision is a commitment made before God, and friends and family for life, and it is going to be hard. Hard, because we are joining two imperfect people together. Yes it’s going to be hard, but hard is not impossible. In fact this union is possible in the way God designed it because He also gave us the gift of His Holy Spirit to empower us to love and cherish one another in a way that brings Him glory, and reveals His love for humanity.

Today I am going to read from . The primary message for marriage is in verses 22-33, but to give context and a better explanation I will first summarize verses 15-21. There Paul is describing to the Ephesians how to live consistently in their Christian life. He told them to live intentionally and with wisdom, and by the power of the Holy Spirit. To be “filled with the Spirit” means to be guided and empowered by the Spirit in our mind, emotions, and will. And by the power of the Spirit his instructions were to praise God with their words to one another, give thanks to God in every situation they find themselves, and for everyone in their community to submit to one another.

So just to make that clear He said be intentional and wise, but that’s not enough. You can’t do this life on your own strength or wisdom you need to depend on the power of God, specifically the gifting of His Spirit, in order to live how you were intended to.

Now in verses 21 thru 33 we have God’s word spoken thru Paul on how God intended husband and wife to live out their commitment to one another. Paul wrote “Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.

22–24 (Look at Hannah) Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

25–28 (Look at Chet) Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage.

29–33 No one abuses his own body, does he? No, he feeds and pampers it. That’s how Christ treats us, the church, since we are part of his body. And this is why a man leaves father and mother and cherishes his wife. No longer two, they become “one flesh.” Message

Chet and Hannah today you are declaring you have found your sole mate, indeed this is true and the finding of this person is ultimately a choice you make. Now live out that love as I just described in . Treat each other as the soul mate that you are, be faithful to this covenant you are making now between each other and God. Each day that you wake may you thank God for the gift of this person standing next to you, and show that thanks in your actions of love for the rest of your lives.

Vows:

Now will you face each other and join hands as you exchange these wedding vows.

“Chet, will you take Hannah, whom you hold by the hand, as your lawful wedded wife? Will you promise to love her tenderly, comfort her in times of sorrow, honor, trust, and serve her in sickness and in health, in adversity, and prosperity, and to be true and loyal to her, confess your mistakes to her and forgive her of hers, as long as you both shall live?

(Chet says “I will”)

“Hannah, will you take Chet, whom you hold by the hand, as your lawful wedded husband? Will you promise to love him tenderly, comfort him in times of sorrow, honor, trust, and serve him in sickness and in health, in adversity, and prosperity, and to be true and loyal to him, confess your mistakes to him and forgive him of his, as long as you both shall live?

(Hannah says “I will”)

Rings:

“Now each of you brings a ring as a sign and token of your love for each other.” (rings given to pastor who holds out to the groom)

“Chet, please take your ring and place it on the ring finger of Hannahs left hand. Hold it there for a moment and look Hannah in the eyes, keeping in mind the vows you just made to her and repeat these words after me:

“May this ring/ be a reminder/ To you and to me / Of the life long commitment/ of love and devotion/ I now pledge / This day to you.”

“Now Hannah, please take your ring and place it on the ring finger of Chet’s left hand. Hold it there for a moment and look Chet in the eyes, keeping in mind the vows you just made to him and repeat these words after me:

“May this ring/ be a reminder/ To you and to me / Of the life long commitment/ of love and devotion/ I now pledge / This day to you.”

(The couple then holds hands and faces the pastor.)

Let these rings, mark the purity, the value, and the constancy of true wedded love. Let them be now and for the rest of your lives a twofold seal of the vows you have taken here before your God and family and friends.

Pronouncement of Marriage:

Chet and Hannah, upon your solemn vows that you have made here today, and upon your sacred pledge to love one another for the rest of your lives, in accordance with the laws of God and the state of Illinois, it gives me great delight to pronounce you husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Chet you may now kiss your bride. (Have them face the crowd)

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Chet and Hannah Kupchella.