Untitled Sermon

Prelude

Processional (4 bridesmaids; groomsmen at front; 3 flower girls; no ring bearer)

Presentation of Bride

Who gives this woman to be with this man?

Call to Worship

Our Lord Jesus Christ, said: “From the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So, they are no longer two, but one flesh.” (Mark 10:6-8).

Let us open in prayer before we witness the marriage of Devon and Nicole.

[PRAYER]—give thanks for the couple, give thanks for the wedding, pray for God’s blessing on the couple, pray for God’s blessing on the marriage.

Preface

We have come together in the sight of God and in the presence of this congregation to join together this man and this woman in marriage, which is an honorable state of life, instituted in the beginning by God himself.

Christ adorned and beautified marriage with his presence at the wedding in Cana of Galilee in which he performed his first sign that revealed his glory. Scripture demands that we all should hold marriage in honor.

Therefore, marriage is not to be entered into lightly or unadvisedly, but prayerfully, with careful thought, and with reverence for God.

Charge

Devon and Nicole, today you are presenting yourselves before this congregation to declare your intention of uniting your lives voluntarily for the service of God and man. You are making a double dedication: to each other in a union that will last the remaining years of your lives, and to God, that he may make you his dual instrument for the accomplishment of his purpose. Accomplishing this purpose in life will require you both to appreciate each other’s abilities and virtues, it will require forgiveness of each other’s faults, and an unfailing devotion to each other’s welfare and constant development. There must be on your part a united consent to the purpose of God as he progressively reveals it to you in his word and by his spirit, and an unhesitating acceptance by faith of the challenges that are set before you.

I charge you, first of all to consider your promise to each other and to remember that this promise is made in the presence of a God who remembers your promises and holds you accountable for them.

I admonish you to remember that each of you are objects of Jesus’ love and redemption and you should each be valued accordingly. Neither should be neglected by the other or belittled by each other. Esteem each other as God’s gift for companionship, comfort, and joy.

I encourage you to share willingly your joys and worries, your success and your struggles and whichever may prevail, cling closely to each other, that if you must suffer defeat, you would be united in strength; and if you are victorious, you would be united in joy.

I charge you to make your home a place of refuge from the storms of life, not only for yourselves, but also for those who may be your guests. Let it be a haven for the weary, a source of uplifting for the discouraged, and a convincing testimony in a cynical world.

In short, recognize Jesus as the head of your house, the ruler of your destinies, and the object of your deepest affection. If you do, he will confirm and bless your marriage by his guidance and fill you both with his peace.

I charge you to love each other, to support each other, and to serve God with sincere hearts and determined wills until your mutual service for him is complete.

Consent

Devon, will you have Nicole as your wife, to live together as God has ordained, in the holy state of matrimony? Will you love her, cherish her, in sickness and in health, and. Forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

If so, say I will.

Nicole, will you have Devon as your husband, to live together as God has ordained, in the holy state of matrimony? Will you love him, obey him, honor, and protect him, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

If so, say I will.

Brief Message

Now, normally during this portion of a wedding, the pastor would go into a sermon and the whole congregation would usually silently groan to themselves because we all recognize that today is about the couple and not about pastor that’s speaking. Because of this reason, I’ve chosen to keep this intentionally brief and as focused on Scripture as I possibly can and I’ve chosen for this to not be a message per say, but some advice that will help you (and really anyone listening) with their marriages and will even help with your regular, non-romantic relationships.

In Ephesians 3:14-21, Paul has just finished a doctrinal treatise about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how the Gospel covers the sins of any who would believe, regardless of race or socio-economic background and before Paul starts jumping into real practical encouragement in how the Gospel should influence their church, he says this prayer and I want to pull some bits of the prayer to utilize as practical advicee for you and your marriage.

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I. Paul in Ephesians 3:16 asks God to strengthen the Ephesians with power through his Spirit in the inner being.

a. Which is a bit of a mouthful to say, but the point isn’t so much in the strengthening that Paul is requesting, but the result of what happens because of the strengthening.

b. He asks for the strengthening in order for Christ to dwell in their hearts through faith—this isn’t referring to the initial indwelling of the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation, but rather the idea of Jesus making a home in your heart

c. This is the idea of Jesus Christ being the dominant factor in your attitudes, your conduct, and your lives--Everything about you as individuals needs to be about Jesus Christ, which in turn will make everything about you as a couple about Jesus Christ.

d. Put another way, as individuals put a premium on your spiritual lives and as a couple, put a premium on your spiritual life together—learn to love Jesus as a couple.

II. Doing so will enable you to be rooted and grounded in love and doing so will enable you to begin to comprehend just how much Jesus loves you

a. And while you will on this side of eternity, you’ll never quite understand just how much Jesus loves you, beginning to understand

b. Will change the way you interact with other people and it will change the way you interact particularly with each other.

c. Knowing how much Jesus loves you, will keep you humble, keep you repentant, and keep you willing to forgive one another

d. Knowing how much Jesus loves you, will encourage you to grow in your love for each other and your love for others.

e. And as you grow in your love for others, grow in your love for each other, and grow in your love for God—you will be filled with all the fullness of God.

III. Finally, as Paul wraps up this prayer, he makes this statement, “Now to him who is able to do more than we ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever!”

a. And my final point this evening is wrapped up in this sentence—God is able to do more than you can ever ask, so . . .

b. Learn to depend on him for everything—when you guys have arguments, when work is tough, when you struggle financially, or when you have to reschedule an important event and change locations with short notice, depend on him.

c. And depend on him, when life is fantastic—when everything works out exactly how you planned it to, when you’re on vacation, when you have children, and when you eventually have grandchildren—depend on him.

IV. Put simply, as you take this step to join your lives together, (1) Put a premium on Jesus, learn to love him as individuals and as a couple; (2) meditate daily on the love of Jesus for you—as you meditate on his love daily, you will rejoice in your salvation and you will be rooted and grounded in his love. This will keep you humble, keep you repentant, and it will keep you always willing to forgive one another. And (3) Depend on Jesus all the time.

V. In doing these three things, you will continue to grow in your love for Jesus, you will continue to grow in your love for each other, and you will continue to grow in your love for those around you and God will bless your marriage.

Vows

Devon and Nicole chose to utilize traditional wedding vows in hopes that those of you in the congregation that are married can remember your own vows to your significant others.

Devon, please repeat after me:

“I, Devon, take you, Nicole, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and I health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.”

Nicole, please repeat after me:

I, Nicole, take you, Devon, to be my wedded 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.”

Rings – Do you have the rings?

Let’s Pray – “Lord, bless these rings, that as Devon and Nicole wear them, they may abide in you and continue in your favor until their lives shall end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Devon, please repeat after me:

“Nicole, this ring I give you, in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love.”

Nicole, please repeat after me:

“Devon, this ring I give you, in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love.”

Unity Element

Pronouncement

Forasmuch as Devon and Nicole have consented together in holy wedlock and have witnessed the same before God and this people and have pledged their faith to each other and have declared the same by the giving and receiving of rings:

It is therefore, my privilege, by the power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and ultimately by Almighty God, to pronounce you husband and wife.

You may kiss your bride.

Introduction as Bride and Groom

Ladies and Gentlemen, for the first time, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Devon Kipp!

Announcement