Zengotita Wedding

Processional

HAVE EVERYONE STAND FOR BRIDE

Music for SHOULAMETH

“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

Father of the SHOULAMETH responds: “Her Mother and I”

ALEX and SHOULAMETH face each other

Welcome and Opening Remarks

YOU MAY BE SEATED

Welcome

We are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of

SHOULAMETH ASHRAF (Ash-RAF) IBRAHIM to ALEX JOEL ZENGOTITA

Before God and all these Witnesses

Personal Note

Alex

I don’t know if you know ALEX, but he is a bit of a jokester.

He told me once that Marriage would be a walk in the park. I said, you mean like Jurassic Park?

I’ve known ALEX for about 8 years and from the moment I met Him, I knew that I wanted to spend more time with him.

He just has that kind of personality

Though God has had to file off some of the rough edges, the man I see today is a man who is committed to the Lord and loves the Lord and seeks to serve Him

He is also committed to family and i’ve always admitted that about him and his family.

But he is also committed to SHOULAMETH and I know that he will lead her and care for her in the way that God intends.

He certainly will need help, but the Lord is his helper.

I’m just so excited to stand up here today and get to be a part of their wedding ceremony.

The Lord is good and he has been faithful to ALEX through thick and thin, good times and bad

And this will serve ALEX in the years to come as he continues to seek the Lord and His will for their lives.

Shoulameth

I’ve known SHOULAMETH for about 8 months

and I immediately saw the brightness in her face and in her faith

I could see how much she loved the Lord and wanted to follow Him

As I’ve gotten to know her more over the last year it has only confirmed and deepened by respect for her as a strong woman of the Lord.

You truly are a gift of God to ALEX, and to the rest of us.

I am so excited for you two and to get to see where the Lord leads you.

The Meaning of Marriage

Marriage isn’t a MAN-MADE institution it is GOD-MADE.

Marriage goes back to the beginning and is profound because demonstrates the gospel.

Genesis 2 - One Flesh

In the beginning in Genesis 2:21-24 we read.

Genesis 2:21–24 (ESV)

21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.

22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

23 Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

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

What we are celebrating here today is

not ONLY God’s INVENTION but God’s INTENTION

for the man and woman he created.

God created man and woman to be two in one, to become

ONE FLESH — ONE LIFE — ONE FAMILY.

As we all watched SHOULAMETH walk down the aisle,

I am reminded – that God brought her to the man

Praise the Lord - Hallelujah that you FINALLY brought her to ALEX

Notice how God made the women,

I like how one commentator (Matthew Henry) put it:

“The woman was made of a RIB OUT OF THE SIDE of Adam;

not made out of his HEAD to RULE OVER HIM,

nor out of his FEET to be TRAMPLED UPON BY HIM,

but out of his SIDE to be EQUAL WITH HIM,

under his ARM to be PROTECTED,

and near his HEART to be BELOVED.”

B/c Eve came from Adam they began literally as ONE FLESH,

Today ALEX and SHOULAMETH RETURN to ONE FLESH in the MARRIAGE COVENANT.

Gospel Presentation

As good as God is in bringing them into this covenant relationship.

The Bible teaches us there is something much more profound happening in marriage

The covenant of marriage between a husband and wife is a display of the gospel of Jesus and His Church.

Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 5

Ephesians 5:31–32 (ESV)

31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

The Bible tells the love story between God and His people

Between Jesus and His bride the church

In this we find the meaning of marriage.

Many things can make a good marriage:

good communication, common interests, compromise, conflict resolution skills (we’ve worked on all that).

but there is only one thing that can bring marriage to its fullness and intended purpose

and that is the person and work of Jesus.

Marriage is about Gospel

The Gospel is about God’s Love

God’s love is demonstrated through Jesus and his submission and sacrifice through a covenantal love

Christian marriage embodies this covenantal love

through the rhythms of  submission and sacrifice

Jesus taught that greater love has no one than this that they

lay down their life for their friends

Jesus perfectly demonstrated this love for his bride, the church.

He submitted his life’s purpose to another’s will,

God the father

and he perfectly sacrificed himself for the love of his life,

his people even when they did not deserve it.

He fulfilled God’s covenantal promise to love a people for himself.

Romans 5:8 (ESV) 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The church responds in trusting and loving submission to Jesus who gave himself for her.

These rhythms of submission, sacrifice through  covenantal love

will be lived out in the marriage of ALEX and SHOULAMETH.

1. Submitting to One Another

The first thing we see is that

A Marriage thrives when both are submitting to one another,

not out of duty,

or personal gain,

but out of deep reverence and love for god.

Ephesians 5:21 (ESV) 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

This is only possible because of our love for God.

2. Sacrificial Leadership

Jesus is the picture of the husband

in that ALEX is called to lovingly lay down his life for the sake of his bride

Ephesians 5:25–28 (ESV)

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

ALEX, you are called to:

Love SHOULAMETH,

Cherish her, nourish her, lead her, wash her with the Word of God

ALEX, you cannot do this on your own but will need to submit to Jesus

Jesus will teach and empower You

to be a loving, responsible, sacrificial husband, in the LORD

3. Willingly Submission & Respect

the church is a picture of a the wife

in willing submission to sacrificial leadership.

Ephesians 5:22–33 (ESV)

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.

24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands…33 and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

SHOULAMETH, you are called to follow your husband's sacrificial leadership and to respect him in the LORD

SHOULAMETH, you cannot do this on her own but will need to submit to Jesus

Jesus will teach and empower you

to be a loving, respecting, sacrificial wife willing to submit to her husband as to the lord.

both to submit to God’s pattern for marriage because of Christ’s great love for them.

4. Grace and Forgiveness

ALEX will sin against SHOULAMETH and SHOULAMETH will sin against ALEX

There will be

delightful times & difficult times

joyful times sad times

exhilarating & debilitating

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV) 1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

Through it all, Jesus can and will hold this marriage together because

Jesus takes care of sin

Jesus heals wounds

Jesus empowers through his spirit

Jesus promises to never leave us.

I’m reminded of a beautiful image of this in the book of

Zechariah 3:3–4 (ESV)

3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.”

Isaiah 1:18 (ESV)

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:

though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

This is the image that ALEX and SHOULAMETH will need to remember for each other.

when they sin,

when they hurt one another,

when they mess up,

Christ has freed them from both the

condemnation of sin and the stain of sin

He forgives them & cleanses them

This will allow them to approach each other with grace and forgiveness.

SHOULAMETH will not have to hold sin against ALEX,

nor ALEX against SHOULAMETH,

because all sin has been held against Christ on the Cross

In this way marriage demonstrates gospel lived out.

in inexplicable ways,

ALEX will be able to forgive SHOULAMETH and

SHOULAMETH will be able to forgive ALEX,

because Jesus offers forgiveness to us all.

5. Covenantal Love

Finally, we see that marriage is a covenant modeled after the New Covenant.

A covenant is a promise that cannot be broken.

God has covenanted to be in relationship with us through Jesus.

God’s covenant is eternal and unbroken.

Similarly, Marriage is eternal and unbroken

it’s a promise to be faithful and together as one

no matter what may come

no matter the cost.

God demonstrates his unyielding commitment to us through Jesus and brings us to himself.

Jesus relentlessly pursues our hearts and thus models this

and will empower ALEX and SHOULAMETH to relentlessly pursue each other’s hearts

no matter the circumstance

Closing

Christian marriage is a display and demonstration of the gospel

Jesus demonstrates through his life, death and resurrection through his love for the church

meaning of submission and sacrifice in a covenantal relationship.

Jesus empowers through his holy spirit the

Romans 11:33,36 (ESV)

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

call to respond

Charge

ALEX, sometimes you will not want to sacrifice your life for SHOULAMETH because she is being selfish.

SHOULAMETH sometimes you will not want to follow ALEX because he is being stubborn and not listening to you.

in these moments, be reminded that

ALEX you do not sacrifice your life because of SHOULAMETH attitude,

nor are you able to,

but only because of Christ's sacrificial love for you.

SHOULAMETH you do not submit to ALEX because ALEX is perfect

nor are you able to,

but because you are fully submitted

out of love to your perfect Lord and Savior, Jesus.

Covenanting with God

In this ALEX and SHOULAMETH are not just covenanting with each other,

but also with God as

Ecclesiastes 4:12 (ESV) 12 ...a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

God’s intention and purpose for ALEX and SHOULAMETH as one

will be more fully realized than it ever could have apart.

Together they will become a powerful witness for God’s grace in the world

As a witness of the love between Christ and His Church

and a display of his gospel at work

For that I am grateful/thankful.

call to respond

Vows

SHOULAMETH AND ALEX have chosen to exchange vows as a public witness before God and all of these witnesses

Share personal vows

ALEX

SHOULAMETH

Exchange of Rings

As a depiction of their vows, ALEX and SHOULAMETH have chosen to exchange rings.

GIVE RINGS TO GROOM

The Ring

The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity.

It is an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond.

It represents a deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul.

(ALEX will hand SHOULAMETH his ring)

Groom

ALEX, do you take this woman to be your wife,

and do you pledge your faith to her,

in all love and honor, in all duty and service,

in all faith and tenderness,

to live with her,

and cherish her,

according to the ordinance of God,

in the holy bond of marriage?"

ALEX - “I Do”

You may place a ring on the finger of your Bride and REPEAT AFTER ME:

“I ALEX,

take you SHOULAMETH

to be my wedded wife.

according to God's holy ordinance,

and in the presence of God

And these witnesses

SHOULAMETH, I give you this ring

as a symbol

of my love

and faithfulness to you

with all that I am

and all that I have.

Bride

SHOULAMETH,

do you take this man to be your husband,

and do you pledge your faith to him,

in all love and honor,

in all duty and service,

in all faith and tenderness,

to live with him,

and cherish him,

according to the ordinance of God,

in the holy bond of marriage?" 

SHOULAMETH  - “I DO”

SHOULAMETH, you may place a ring on the finger of your groom and REPEAT AFTER ME:

“I SHOULAMETH, take you ALEX

to be my wedded husband.

according to God's holy ordinance,

and in the presence of God

And these witnesses

ALEX, I give you this ring

as a symbol

of my love

and faithfulness to you

with all that I am

and all that I have.

Communion

B/C Christ is central to marriage

Meaning of Communion

ALEX and SHOULAMETH will demonstrate that today by taking communion together for the first time

Prayer

Please join me in a prayer as we remember Jesus and pray for His blessing over ALEX and SHOULAMETH.

FATHER, I thank you for your grace and kindness towards ALEX and SHOULAMETH. 

I am thankful that in Your timing You have brought them together before you.

I pray a blessing over their marriage and that you would work powerfully through them to bless the many others they will be in community with. 

Thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ and His Spirit that makes all things possible. 

We pray this in your name JESUS and by your SPIRIT.  AMEN.

Pronouncement & Kiss

By the authority given to me as a minister of the Gospel and in the presence of all these witnesses and before God

I now pronounce you husband and wife.

ALEX, you may now kiss your BRIDE

Introduction

I am pleased to introduce to you for the very first time,

MR. AND MRS. ALEX & SHOULAMETH ZENGOTITA

MOVE OUT OF WAY FOR PICTURES

Reception Invitation

If your immediate family please join the bridal party for photos

The families of ALEX and SHOULAMETH would like to invite to a

Cocktail hour in the garden

Which will be followed by a reception 5:30