Grayson Casey and Lily Mae Cox Wedding

Bridal Processon

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

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**Who gives this woman?  **Do you give your blessing upon their Union as husband and wife? **Do you now release Lily Mae from the watch care of your family to establish her own home with Grayson as her husband?  **Do you commit to pray for them as their marriage grows? ** Grayson, please receive your bride. 

WELCOME

We are here this afternoon to witness the union of Grayson Casey and Lily Mae Cox in marriage.

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.

As you can see, this is not your normal wedding ceremony - or at least not the normal seating layout.

You are arranged in a circle around Grayson and Lily Mae, but maybe not for the reason that you might think.

They are not the focal point of the day - although they look great.

Jesus is the focal point, and the most honored guest today.

To set the tone, we are going to open up our time in worship of him.

Would you remain standing as we open in Worship of Him.

There are words inside the program order that you received when you walked in.

Worship

Jesus paid it all

All Glory be to Christ

It is Well

Prayer

Close time of worship in Prayer

Thank the Lord for His grace

Thank the Lord for Grayson and Lily Mae

Ask the Lord to use their marriage for His purposes, and not just their own.

You may be seated

INTRODUCTION

I am excited to be here today - especially given the couple standing in front of me.

I have had the pleasure of being one of their pastors for the past few years.

In that time, I have been blessed to have Lily Mae in my Missional Community Group and have been blessed by both Lily Mae and Grayson as they have led our church into worship.

If you are here, then you already know what tremendous people both of them are as individuals.

It is because of this that I am excited to see the synergy that happens when you two operate as one cohesive unit.

So, let me first thank you two for allowing me to be here and to play this role in your wedding.

MESSAGE

It is easy to turn a wedding into a fairy tale come true.

Two people, perfect for one another, stars in their eyes in love, say “I Do” and then walk off through a whirlwind of bubbles or sparklers, get into a car and drive off into the sunset.

The reality is that marriage is ultimately about GRACE.

Grace, very simply put, is the unmerited favor of God - we are given what we do not deserve.

Today, the Lord is giving Grayson to Lily Mae and Lily Mae to Grayson.

They do not deserve one another - this is the unbelievable, extravagant, and awe-inspiring grace of God.

The grace that the Lord is giving to Grayson and Lily Mae today is a snapshot of an infinitely more impactful grace - the grace of salvation.

Grayson, Lily Mae, your marriage, at it’s core, is to be a reflection of the saving grace that you have experienced through Jesus.

Much like the moon can only reflect the light that the sun has given it, your marriage is meant to reflect the grace that the Lord has given both of you in salvation.

You reflect this grace to those around you, one day to your children, and most importantly to one another.

This happens by rooting your marriage firmly and resolutely to the person and work of Jesus Christ.

But how do we do this?

The Preeminence of Christ

Colossians 1:15–17 (ESV)

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

This is one of the great Christological passages of the Bible - where we are given these huge truths about Jesus that should blow us away!

And it is easy to look at these things and apply them to the big cosmological issues - the existence of evil or the meaning of human life and why we are here.

But the beautiful thing about this passage and others is that it also speaks to the very personal and very precious things in our life.

There is much to learn about life and today, for our purposes, much we can learn about marriage from this passage.

I want to draw your attention to three quick points.

By Him

For Him

In Him

1. BY Him

Your marriage was created BY Him

This is a special moment, where God takes two of His children and makes them one.

In Ephesians 2 Paul says that we are the workmanship of God

Literally - in the Greek, His Poiema - His poem

In marriage, the Lord takes his poetry, the two of you, and puts you together to form a new song.

this is unique to the two of you, and will never be duplicated again in this life.

you should remember that When the Lord creates something, he does so wonderfully.

Not By us

It is not by your strength that this union is being formed… it’s by His.

If you are sitting here thinking that this is just another wedding, I want to help you understand something.

Right now, the Lord is establishing the strongest union between two human beings that we know on this earth.

There is no other relationship on this earth that carries the weight that marriage does, not even the relationship between parent and child.

This one trumps them all.

In Ephesians 5, Paul calls this a profound mystery when a man and woman come together as one flesh.

God is doing something supremely special that doesn’t happen in any other way.

When those hard days of marriage come, and they will come, you must remember that God is the one who made this, and because of this, it will be sustained by HIS grace and not by your work.

2. FOR Him

Your marriage was created FOR Him

To be created FOR God refers to the result of that initial action of creation.

This is the quintessential question of “WHY are you married?”.

Not for us

Most people reduce marriage to being exclusively for the benefit of the parties involved.

They see marriage as being meant to fulfill a certain need or desire that the individuals have.

Thus marriage was created not for God, but for them.

There is a fundamental flaw in this thinking - because we must ask the question…

What happens in those moments where needs are not met and desires are not fulfilled?

If marriage is FOR us, then in moments like these we give ourselves license to walk away from the marriage entirely.

But, if marriage is not ultimately for us, but rather for Him, then there is meaning that transcends our own comfort, needs, and desires.

This is not to say that the Lord does not intend to meet your needs and desires through your spouse — because He does more often than we know — it is just not the ultimate goal of your marriage.

I contend that you will actually find MORE satisfaction in your marriage this way, because you will not be putting the burden of your happiness on your spouse, but rather on the Lord.

It would be foolish for me to get upset with my hammer when it is unable to cut a 2x4 In half

It wasn’t meant to do so.

in the same way, it would be foolish for you to get upset with one another for not being able to bring ultimate meaning and fulfillment to your life.

they weren’t meant to do so

Your marriage is not meant to be the thing that meets all of your needs and your spouse is not supposed to be the source of your happiness.

Your marriage was meant to point you to a perfect fulfillment that you can find in Christ.

but like a hammer, when used as it’s meant to be used, your marriage will not only accomplish great things, but will bring much joy in the process.

your marriage is not FOR you and your ultimate fulfillment, it is FOR God and His purpose.

3. IN Him

Your marriage is held together IN Him

This is not to say that you bear no responsibility for your marriage holding together… you absolutely do.

You need to devote yourselves to a lifetime of discovery of one another and a lifetime of seeking out enrichment for your marriage.

You must rage against the stagnation that the enemy seeks to bring into your marriage.

But it will ultimately be a perfect God who holds two imperfect beings together here.

This covenant is one meant to be broken only by death.

Over the past several months in premarital counseling, we have talked at length about this.

I hope that you always remember that it is not your own strength or will power that will keep this covenant solid.

It’s the mighty hand of the Lord.

Grace

WHY is God so passionate about this?

It goes back to the grace piece we talked about at the beginning

Marriage is meant to reflect the grace that we find in relationship with the Lord - and it SHOULD be the safest human institution in the world.

You will have moments in your marriage when you discover something about each other that is disappointing.

In Christian marriage, the answer to these disappointing discoveries is grace.

In 1 Peter 4, we see the apostle Peter write these words:

1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

No doubt, Peter had his betrayal and denial of Jesus in mind when He wrote these words.

Peter had experienced the healing love of Christ first hand, after Jesus forgave him and restored him to ministry even after his great failure and denial of Christ.

In your marriage, the answer to sin, should not be shame, but rather love.

it is the grace of love that says “I love you in spite of your sin”

It will be the love of Christ that triumphs over your own sin and the love of one another in the face of that sin Which will make your marriage the safest place on earth for both of you.

a marriage filled with grace is a marriage that will go the distance.

Your marriage was created BY God - so that it would be built upon Grace

Your marriage was created FOR God - so that His grace could be seen by a watching world.

Your marriage is held together IN God - his grace moving powerfully through you towards one another.

VOWS - Grayson first - Lily Mae Second

At this time, Grayson and Lily Mae are going to exchange vows.

Vows are the promises that they are making to one another

They will ultimately rely on the power of the Holy Spirit living in them to empower them to not say these words as a promise to one another, but to embody them.

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

Grayson, we will start with you.

I, Grayson/Lily Mae, --  take you, Lily Mae/Grayson, -- 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

Grayson and Lily Mae 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

Grayson, please place Lily Mae’s ring onto her ring finger of her left hand

Lily Mae, please place Grayson’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 as a reminder -- 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.

Remember that your marriage is not primarily 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.

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

Discover how to be a servant leader to Lily Mae, 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 Lily Mae.

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.

Lily Mae, my charge to you, as the wife is this:

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

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

Grayson’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 Grayson 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 Grayson’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…

By the power entrusted to me by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I now pronounce you, husband and wife, Grayson 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. Grayson Casey

INVITATION TO RECEPTION

On behalf of Grayson and Lily Mae, I want to invite everyone to a reception immediately following but before you go, I have a few quick instructions

First, if you are physically able, we are going to ask that you carry your chair to the tables at the other end of the room.

If you are unable, one of the groomsmen will carry it for you.

If you are family, please stick close by for pictures when everyone else dismisses

Before we dismiss, I would like to pray for our dinner.

PRAY

Thank you again, you are dismissed.