Wedding - Jared and Morgan Hernandez

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SERVICE:

We are going to begin shortly, but I am going to ask each of you to silence or turn off your cell phones

I am also going to ask that you refrain from taking pictures during the ceremony - at the reception, feel free to bombard instagram with your photos, but for the service, lets leave it to the professionals!

Thank you!

GIVING THE BRIDE - ***Audience stands as bride enters

**Who gives this woman to be married?  Jared, please receive your bride. 

WELCOME

We are here this evening to witness the union of Jared Hernandez and Morgan Nilsen in marriage.

What we are about to witness is one of the most sacred moments on earth - where two of God’s children are united together as one cohesive unit.

On behalf of the couple, I would like to thank you for joining them for this special day.

I would also ask that you commit to praying for them and their marriage - that they would be rooted firmly in Christ and that their marriage would display godliness to a watching world.

You may be seated

PRAYER - Matt

INTRODUCTION

When I was a kid, I didn’t like weddings very much.

Probably because I rarely knew the couple that well and I was usually dragged there by my parents.

Since then, my perspective has changed pretty dramatically.

I love weddings and I love officiating weddings because I have the seat closest to the action.

I especially love doing weddings of people that I have known for as long as I have known Jared and Morgan.

I first met Morgan back in 2010 when I came to be one of the pastors at her church, The Sanctuary Fellowship.

I remember she never really had that much to say to me - and honestly, I thought that maybe she didn’t like me that much.

Then she graduated and started in the college ministry.

Week after week, Cammy and I got a bigger picture of who Morgan was and the wisdom that she carried from years of devouring God’s Word.

I had the distinct pleasure of having her on multiple mission trips with our team - to the Rio Grande Valley and all the way to Uganda, multiple times.

In that time, I have watched as the Lord has formed you into a confident young woman - and I am pretty sure that you like me now.

Jared, I really got to know back in 2015 - although for the first 6 months of knowing him, I couldn’t tell him and Jason apart…

In fact, I am positive that I had conversations with Jason where he was posing as Jared...

That messed with my head a little bit - especially when I recounted the conversation with the real Jared later.

There have been countless nights where Jared and some of the other guys hung out at the house until after midnight - just talking about the Lord and about life.

He also has been on several mission trips with me - and some of my favorite memories with him involve hiking through the bush of Uganda hauling a bunch of camera gear.

It has been an absolute pleasure walking alongside him as he figures out what the Lord has for him.

I was talking to Jared this morning, and he reminded me about how they met...

it was after church at my house when he first got to introduce himself to her, but she had caught his eye at church while she was playing violin with the band.

I believe that it was the next Sunday when he leaned over to his mom during service and told her that he was going to marry her.

good call, Jared!

All that being said - I am deeply grateful that you two would allow me this honor to officiate your wedding!

It was great getting to walk through premarital counseling with you both.

I am committed to praying with you and for you as your relationship grows

And, I want you to know that Cammy and I are always available for you as you navigate this thing called marriage.

MESSAGE

Today is a deeply important day, but probably not for the reason that many in this room might be thinking.

For many of you, you may think that today is special because Jared and Morgan are getting married.

because their hopes and dreams are being fulfilled as they are united together as husband and wife.

Or because they have spent countless hours planning every detail and putting all the pieces into place and now we are here.

Or because they have found the ONE they will spend the rest of their life with.

Yes these things are true, but the reality is much bigger

Marriage at its core is not simply about two people, doing life together.

And thank God for that - because if all of this were simply based on Jared and Morgan and what they were going to make out of their marriage, then we would likely be in for disappointment.

This is why the overall divorce rate is about 50%

No, today is special because Jared and Morgan are not coming to the table with their own strengths, gifts, and abilities.

They are coming relying on Christ alone to make this work.

They stand here before you today, declaring that is isn’t going to be by their human effort that their marriage succeeds, but rather by the strength and power of God.

Today is deeply important because we are standing before the Lord of all creation as He unites two of His children together in a covenant that is breakable only by death.

You see - this will not simply be another normal marriage.

This will be a union of Jared and Morgan, with the Holy Spirit as the glue that holds everything together.

Today, we are going to witness a covenant formed that was God’s idea.

Marriage was created by God, for God.

Marriage was created for one man to be united to one woman and for that earthly relationship to display the relationship that Jesus has with His bride, the Church.

Which raises a good question.

HOW do you step into THAT?

The Apostle Paul has deep wisdom for us about this that we can find in the book of Colossians 3:12-17

Colossians 3:12–17 ESV

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

While this passage doesn’t speak directly or exclusively about marriage, there are some deep and abiding truths that we can find which will help us to live out marriage in a way that brings honor to the Lord - AND help us to experience deeper connection with one another.

I want to draw out a three key points:

First, Forgiveness

The first two verses driver hard towards this idea of forgiveness - using words like bearing with one another.

What does this tell us about relationship?

It isn’t easy…

So many people have a fairy tale narrative playing in their minds about what marriage is all about.

You see, the beauty of marriage isn’t summed up in “happily ever after”

The beauty of marriage is displayed when sin and brokenness is met with grace and forgiveness, rather than wrath and retribution.

The beauty of marriage is displayed through compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

I am going to let you in on a little secret…

In order to be given the opportunity to live this out, conflict has to be introduced into the picture.

Those moments of conflict provide the opportunity for your forgiveness to shine.

And what is this forgiveness supposed to look like?

Paul clarifies at the end of v. 13 - as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Let’s dig into this a bit, because it is the key to making all of this work.

We must forgive as He forgave us.

The natural question is how did He forgive us?

He saw our brokenness

He came to live with us, in spite of that brokenness

He gave himself up, by dying a sinners death on a cross as punishment for our brokenness

He rose from the dead on the third day, proving Himself to be stronger than our brokenness

He gave us his own righteousness in exchange for our brokenness

So now, instead of seeing any of our sin and shame, the Lord sees us as completely innocent and cleansed from our sin.

We are welcomed into His family, without strings attached.

And He knows that we are going to blow it again, and again…

Jared, Morgan, your job in this marriage is to die to yourself for the benefit of the other.

There is nothing that you hold against one another, because forgiveness abounds.

Offer forgiveness to one another!

Second, Thankfulness

v. 15-17 mention being thankful in our hearts for others.

See one another as God’s most precious gift - aside from your own salvation.

v. 16 describes the thankfulness that we should have for one another as driving us to sing songs to God because of the other one.

Jared, there should be a song of praise ringing through your heart and soul for Morgan.

She is about to become the bride of your youth, your beloved, your helper, your lover.

Don’t stop singing to God about her - and thank Him often for this amazing woman that He is blessing you with.

Morgan, there should be songs of praise ringing through your heart and soul for Jared.

He is about to become your husband - the one who the Lord has tasked with loving your soul and the one who will spend the rest of his life discovering how beautifully the Lord has wired you. Jared is the one who God is entrusting to lead your family through the minefields of this world.

Don’t stop singing to God about him - and thank the Lord often for this amazing man that He is blessing you with.

Interestingly enough, Paul says all of this right on the heels of the forgiveness piece - which at first glance seems odd.

In essence, it sounds like he is saying - this person is going to make you mad and sin against you, but you need to forgive them.

AND… Be thankful for them.

It is in the moments where we are extending forgiveness that we need to be reminded most about being thankful for our spouse.

You see, in those moments where there has been a fracture in our marriage, experiencing a deep gratitude for the other will be fuel that will drive forgiveness.

It is when we allow bitterness to overrun the thankfulness that forgiveness begins to wane and the drift will begin.

Overflow with thankfulness for one another so that it might fuel forgiveness

Third, - It’s all about HIM.

v. 17 says - whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Listen - your marriage is not all about you…

You are not getting married just to fulfill some deep internal need - and if you are, then that is falling far short of God’s design for marriage.

The purpose of your marriage is to magnify the name of the Lord.

You have an opportunity to share the gospel with everyone around you through your marriage.

You will be able to display how two broken sinners are able to love one another with an other-worldly love that doesn’t quit.

You will be able to help others to see that the grace in your marriage is meant to point to a bigger and more sure grace, found only in the forgiveness of God through Jesus.

Whatever you do - whether in word or deed, do it in the name of Jesus

Whatever you do in your marriage - do it in the name of Jesus.

It’s all about HIM.

Let me clarify something here - this does not mean that you are to forsake any possibility of joy and self-fulfillment in your marriage.

In fact, quite the opposite.

When you make your marriage all about Jesus, then you will experience more joy and self-fulfillment than you would ever hope to experience otherwise.

How is this possible?

Because the Lord is a good, good Father who wants us to experience the joys and satisfaction of relationship - because hey, remember, it points back to Him.

The joy we experience in relationship in marriage is meant to point us to an even better joy, found in the Lord.

As we transition, I want to make this point for your guests…

As we have been talking about the gospel, the love of God, and all of the parallels between earthly marriage and relationship with God, there may be some of you who want to experience God in this way.

What I will say to you is this:

First, the Lord is not interested in rote ritual or religion - He is interested in relationship.

The way I would illustrate this is Jared doesn’t buy Morgan flowers so that she will love him… He buys her flowers because she loves him.

It’s the same way with the Lord - we don’t try to live a certain way so that He will love us, we live that way because He does.

Second, the path to know God is found in Christ alone.

There is no other way to get to heaven, except through a bloody cross where a sinless savior gave up His life and stood in our place.

You do not need me, and you do not need a priest - you just come straight to the Lord.

If we ask Him to save us, then He stands in our place, and the Lord looks on us and sees the perfection of His Son.

No stains, no sins, no condemnation.

Third, It takes a village to raise a spiritual child.

Get in Christian community.

I cannot recommend a church more highly than I recommend The Sanctuary Fellowship in Richmond.

If you don’t live near there, then talk to people and find a Jesus loving, mission focused church.

Fourth and finally, if you came to know Jesus at this wedding, or because of the influence that Jared and Morgan have had on you, please tell them that!

I can guarantee that it will be one of the big highlights of the day for them.

VOWS - Jared first - Morgan Second

At this time, Jared and Morgan are going to exchange their vows.

These are the promises that they are making to one another.

With the Lord’s strength, they will live faithfully with one another and thereby bring glory to the Father.

Jared, Morgan, If this is the type of love that you are committing to, then I will ask that you commit yourself to the Lord and to one another and to the life-long covenant of this marriage through the sharing of vows.

We will begin with Jared.

I, Jared/Morgan, --  take you, Morgan/Jared, -- to be my lawfully wedded (husband/wife), -- my constant friend, -- my faithful partner -- and my love -- from this day forward. -- In the presence of God, -- our family and friends, -- I offer you -- my solemn vow -- to be your faithful partner -- in sickness and in health, -- in good times and in bad, --  in joy and in sorrow. -- I promise -- to love you unconditionally, -- to support you in your goals, -- to honor and respect you, -- to laugh with you -- and cry with you, -- and to cherish you -- for as long as we both shall live.

BLESSING OF THE RINGS

Jared and Morgan are exchanging rings as a symbol of the covenant that they have made. Although small, these rings are made of precious metals and are in a perfect circle to signify the preciousness and ongoing nature of your covenant. The rings do not make you any more or less married, they are simply a reminder to you of the covenant promise that you have made to God and each other.

EXCHANGE RINGS

Jared place Morgan’s ring onto her ring finger of her left hand

Morgan place Jared’s ring onto his ring finger of his left hand.

“I offer you this ring -- as a symbol of my vow -- and my promise -- to love you unconditionally -- for the rest of our lives. -- Wear it to remind yourself -- of the covenant -- that we have made today -- before the Lord -- and our friends and family.

Marital Charge

Before we close, I want to give you a marital charge or exhortation

Together, Keep Christ at the very core of who you are as a married couple.

It is for His glory that you are standing here today.

Your marriage is not about your happiness or your fulfillment - it is for the Lord’s glory.

If you are devoted to HIS glory, He will bring fulfillment and happiness.

But not as this world brings fulfillment and happiness.

it will be a fulfillment and happiness that will be based on HIM that doesn’t fade.

Jared, my charge to you, as the husband, and the Biblical head of your household is this:

Discover how to be a servant leader to Morgan, and one day to your children.

Fight to become the Christ-centered shepherd/pastor of the little flock that the Lord entrusts you with.

Be the one who is most concerned with providing your family with fertile soil in which to grow in the Lord - making biblical community, worship, and service a priority and not an afterthought.

Spend the rest of your life trying to find out how you can better love your bride and elevate her.

At the end of the day, the buck stops with you.

When the Lord wants answers about the spiritual condition of your family, He will come to you - not Morgan.

This is a heavy load to carry, and dare I say, and impossible load to carry on your own.

You will need to rely on the strength of the Lord, and the fellowship of Christian community which will empower you to glorify Him in this role.

Morgan, my charge to you, as the wife is this:

You are becoming Jared’s biblical helper as described in Ephesians 5.

You will be the most uniquely gifted person on the planet to help Jared as he seeks to live out the will of the Lord.

Jared’s leadership is designed to operate at its best when you are functioning as his biggest supporter, advisor, counselor, lover, and friend.

Resist the temptation to get out in front of his leadership but also fight the urge to stay quiet when you know you need to speak up - but do so with respect and love.

While the Lord comes to Jared to get answers about the Spiritual condition of your family, He holds you accountable for being the best helper you can be - and thus bring glory and honor to God.

Guard Jared’s heart and lean on the Lord to give you the wisdom required to fulfill your calling as his bride.

CLOSING COMMENTS

now we come to the fun part… Jared, you got that kisser ready?

By the power entrusted to me by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I now pronounce you, husband and wife, Jared you may kiss your bride.

PRESENTATION OF THE BRIDE AND GROOM **Audience Stands**

Would you please stand - May I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jared Hernandez.

INVITATION TO RECEPTION

On behalf of Jared and Morgan, I want to invite everyone to a reception immediately following.

When I dismiss you, please proceed to the backyard so we can get the room flipped for the reception

If you would like, you may grab a drink at the bar on the way out

If you are immediate family, I would ask that you remain here for pictures when everyone else dismisses

That way there will be proof that you actually showed up to their wedding.

Thank you again, you are dismissed.