Wedding Sermon

I. Reading of Text

We come today to honor God through the marriage of _______ and ________. Today is a day of celebration, for in this beautiful symbol of marriage, the love of God is clearly on display. As we seek to honor God through this ceremony, let us seek to understand what love looks like. I would like to read from

Philippians 2:3–11 ESV

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

II. Application of text

As two people become one through marriage, there is a giving up of the old you and now there is a new you. The love that we have for one another must be the same kind of love that Christ had for his people.

In order to give one’s old self up, you must be willing to “count the other person more significant than yourself.” Love is shown when you give up your “own interests” and seek the other’s interest.”

You see when Jesus came, he did not seek to dominate over the people forcing them to do what he wanted, instead he humbled himself as a servant and showed by his works what kind of love he had for others. In the same way, it is important that we humble ourselves in our relationship with one another and choose to submit to the other person’s needs before our own.

Although Jesus came in the form of man, he also came in the form of God. And God shows his love through demonstration.

How will you demonstrate your love to your husband? How will you demonstrate your love to your wife?

Jesus humbled himself to the point of death on the cross. He died for the people he loved. How far are you willing to go for this person? As John says in his letter,

1 John 3:16 ESV

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

There will be many times in the marriage when you selfishly want to dominate. You will want your needs met. And being sinful people we may fall short sometimes. But remember always that true love is not receiving, but instead is giving.

God’s gift to us is eternal life.

This marriage is a gift of a new life together. Seek to honor each other through this marriage, for a marriage that does this will ultimately honor God.

What is the purpose of marriage? It is ultimately in order to give glory to God. God created man and found he had no one suitable for him. God formed woman from man and so it says,

Genesis 2:24 ESV

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Is a body against itself? No. It functions together as a single unit. If you are to become one flesh, then that means each person’s desires must be in accord with one another. If both people seek to honor the other, this will happen naturally.

Is it not a beautiful picture what Christ has done for us? He helped us when we could not help ourselves. He loved us when we should not have been loved. He died a sinner’s death for a sinful people. He did all this because of his very nature. As both man and God he had a deep and profound love that transcends all other love.

Let us let the marriage today seek to honor God through the demonstration of the kind of love God has shown to us. _____________ give yourself to ____________ in all that you do. Seek to put her first in all things. Every decision that is made, every problem that may arise, whatever may happen, put her first. __________ submit yourself to __________ in a way that puts his needs above your own. If both of these things happen, truly we will see a picture of God’s love for us.

Finally, let us seek to come together in one flesh to please God. Through our marriage, as we demonstrate God’s love, we give testimony to who God is. He is honored through our honoring of one another. For one day every knee will bow and tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Therefore, let us begin now by submitting to one another in love.