Josh & Miranda Wedding

Matt Horine

Weddings • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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Welcome

Seat Everyone

Friends, we have come today at the invitation of Josh and Miranda to share in the joy of their wedding. This outward celebration we shall see and hear is an expression of the inner love and devotion they have in their hearts.

Who gives this woman to be married to this man?

Charge To the Couple

Jesus Christ reminds us that at the beginning the Creator made us male and female, and said, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”

As I’ve counseled Josh and Miranda we’ve discussed many things, all of which could be summed up into what has been called the 4 laws of marriage.

Now this is not an exhaustive list, but one which I believe can be backed up Biblically.

1. Law of Priority:

Gen. 2:24 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife…” There is a shifting going on in this text, a shifting of loyalty, a shifting of priority. Leaving your parents home and rule, and establishing your own. There still is love and respect for your families, but your main priority is to God and secondly, to one another.

Now we prove what has priority in our life by how we live.

Sacrifice

Time

Energy

Your priorities must be guarded. So keep close watch

2. Law of Pursuit:

Gen. 2:24 again, the man “is joined to his wife, or hold’s fast to his wife, and the two are united into one.” Never stop “pursuing” one another. What happens so often in human nature is that we pursue and pursue and pursue, until we finally get what we want. Then laziness sets in. We feel like we don’t need to work at the relationship any more. Absolutely false! Marriage is like muscle tissue – you must keep exercising it.

It has been said that if studying your spouse before marriage were equivalent to a High School Diploma, then in marriage you should continue studying them until you’ve earned a college degree, then a Master’s, then a doctorate. Date one another. Cultivate an atmosphere of continually learning about each other. Never stop pursuing one another.

3. Law of Possession:

We just read from Gen. 2:24 where “the two are united into one.” However, in verses 22-23, we see mans first reaction to meeting this woman. We see Adam meeting Eve for the first time and here is what happens, “Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. ‘At Last!’ the man exclaimed. ‘This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called woman, because she was taken from man.’” Adam’s charge from God before the creation of Eve was to tend the garden, to cultivate it. He was given the responsibility of naming God’s creatures. As he is doing this, God brings Eve to him, she catches his eye, and Adam busts in to song! In fact, what really was happening in Adam’s heart in that moment was that he saw Eve and said, “That’s Mine!”

This law of possession is not one of dominance and control, but one of understanding that, we fit together, that we belong together. This law not only concerns the physical union, but that marriage is a complete union in which all things previously owned and managed individually are now owned jointly. You have to change your vocabulary from “mine” and “yours” to one word: “ours.”

4. Law of Purity:

Gen. 2:25, “Now the man and woman were both naked, but they felt no shame.” Marriage is designed to be a place where nothing is hidden from one another: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. There should be an openness and honesty that comes in marriage. Where nothing should be hidden, and both trust in each other.

Miranda, in Prov. 31 Solomon talks about an “excellent wife…who can find her? They are more precious than jewels.” “She speaks in wisdom, strength and dignity are her clothing, and the heart of her husband trusts in her.”

Now we live in a fallen, broken world. There is shame today. Where Adam and Eve were unashamed at their first encounter, the moment they rebelled against God, shame was ushered in. That perfect marriage was fractured. We stand here today, imperfect people. We stand here today as sinners.

In your marriage mistakes will be made. Feelings will be hurt; pain will be felt. It is the world in which we live. So, understand that your sin will affect the other person and then,

Take responsibility for your own sin and actions.

Seek forgiveness.

Repent.

Grant forgiveness.

And then find hope in this. Rom. 8:1, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” You both profess to be Christians, so you belong to Jesus. You are his possession. You both have been forgiven. You both do not stand condemned, but loved. The greatest hope in life is in Jesus and your marriage should reflect that.

Much of this falls on the husband to lead out in the home.

Josh, lead in the home, not in a domineering or controlling way, but love Miranda.

Josh, in 1 Peter 3 it talks about how the husband is to show honor to his wife as the “weaker vessel.” Meaning you are to treat Miranda like you would treat porcelain. You’re gentle with porcelain, you don’t treat it harshly. Don’t treat Miranda like one of the guys. This is your command from Scripture on how you are to handle your wife.

In our times together we also saw in Ephesians 5, where husbands are told to love their wives, just as Jesus loved the church and gave himself up for her. There has been no greater illustration of love than what Jesus demonstrated for his church. He pursued with relentless ferocity and passion and willingly gave up his life for her, so that all who believe might find eternal life in Jesus! There is no greater weight placed on the husband than the command to love his wife like Jesus loved the church.

Marriage then, is a “commitment to the responsibility of loving.” Where there is no responsibility there is selfishness, and we are told in I Cor 13 that love “does not seek its own.”

Today I ask you Josh and Miranda - are you here to make this “commitment of responsibility to love” before God and these witnesses?

Prayer

Father, for the joy of this occasion we thank you. For the significance of this wedding day we thank you. For this important moment in an ever growing relationship we thank you. For your presence here and now and for your presence at all times, we thank you. God, grant them everything they need, that they may increase in their knowledge of You throughout their life together. May the good news of the gospel so saturate their marriage that they become a reflection to the world of the love of Jesus for all. Empower Josh by the Holy Spirit to love and lead Miranda as Jesus loved the church. Empower Miranda by the Holy Spirit to respect Josh and to be the wife that speaks in wisdom, where strength and dignity are her clothing. In Christ's holy name. Amen.

Declaration of Intent

Josh, will you have Miranda to be your wedded wife? To live together in the covenant of faith, hope, and love according to the intention of God for your lives together in Jesus Christ? Will you listen to her inner most thoughts, be considerate and tender in your care of her, and stand by her faithfully in sickness and in health and preferring her above all others? Will you accept full responsibility for her every necessity for as long as you both shall live? If so, answer “I do”

Miranda, will you have Josh to be your wedded husband? To live together in the covenant of faith, hope, and love according to the intention of God for your lives together in Jesus Christ? Will you listen to his inner most thoughts, be considerate and tender in your care of him, and stand by him faithfully in sickness and in health and preferring him above all others? Will you accept full responsibility for his every necessity for as long as you both shall live? If so, answer “I do”

Exhortation to Bride and Groom

You’re entering into this marriage hand in hand; hand in hand you step out in faith. The hand you freely give to each other is both the strongest and the most tender part of your body. In the years ahead you will need both strength and tenderness. Be firm in your commitment. Don't let your grip become weak. And yet, be flexible as you go through change. Don't let your hold become intolerable. Strength and tenderness, firm commitment and flexibility, of such is a marriage made, hand in hand:

Also remember that you don't walk this path alone. Don't be afraid to reach out to others when together you face difficulty. Other hands are there: friends, family, and the church. To accept an outreached hand is not an admission of failure, but an act of faith. For behind us, underneath us, around us all are the outstretched arms of God. It is into his hand, the hands of God in Jesus Christ, that, above all else, we commit this union of husband and wife

Now, will you please join hands and, to each other, express your vows of love and devotion.

Marriage Vows:

Josh will you repeat this vow to Miranda saying after me:

I Josh, take you Miranda to be my wife / to have and to hold, from this day forward / for better, for worse / for richer, for poorer / in sickness and in health / to love and to cherish/ until we are separated by death / as God is my witness, I give you my promise.

Miranda, will you repeat this vow to Josh, saying after me:

I Miranda, take you Josh to be my husband / to have and to hold, from this day forward / for better, for worse / for richer, for poorer / in sickness and in health / to love and to cherish/ until we are separated by death / as God is my witness, I give you my promise.

Explanation of Rings

The Bible tells us what love is, what love is like and what love does: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through ever circumstance.”

The Bible clearly reveals that true and lasting joy comes from putting the other first, rather than oneself.

Having this kind of love in your hearts, you have chosen to exchange rings as the sign and seal of the vows you are making today. May I have the rings?

Though small in size, these rings are very large in significance.

Made of precious metal, they remind us that love is not cheap or common; indeed, love may cost us dearly. Made in a circle, their design tells us that love must never come to an end; we must keep it continuous. As you wear these rings, may they be constant reminders of these glad promises you are making today.

Exchange of Rings

Josh, will you take your ring and place it on the third finger of Miranda’s left hand, and repeat after me this promise, saying:

“With this ring / I seal my promise / to be your faithful and loving husband / as God is my witness.”

Miranda, will you take your ring and place it on the third finger of Josh’s left hand, and repeat after me this promise, saying:

“With this ring / I seal my promise / to be your faithful and loving wife / as God is my witness.”

Prayer

Father, we ask that Your love for Josh and Miranda would be above to overshadow them, beneath them so they would be upheld, before them so they would be guided, behind them so they would be protected, close beside and within them to make them able for all things. And may their faithfulness be rewarded with the joy and peace found in Jesus which the world cannot give -- neither can it take away. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who is to receive all the glory now and forever. Amen.

Pronouncement of Marriage

You have come before us and before God and have expressed your desire to be husband and wife. You have shown your love and affection by joining hands, have made promises of faith and devotion, each to the other, and have sealed these promises by the giving and receiving of rings.

I therefore pronounce that you are husband and wife. May God bless you and keep you and give you His peace.

And what God has joined together, let man not separate.

Josh, you may kiss your bride.

Step Aside

Dear friends, may I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Josh Marten.

Josh & Miranda will dismiss by rows - then head to reception.