God Is The Witness

Wedding for Michael and Kristin Tuley

September 16, 2006

2:00 p.m.

Opening Prayer

Did you know that Jesus liked to go to weddings? In fact, His very first miracle was performed at a wedding celebration. Just as Jesus was invited to that first century celebration, let’s invite Him right now to be the central figure in this ceremony. Let’s pray…

Welcome and Personal Comments

Welcome to the wedding celebration of Michael and Kristin! Thank you for coming today to show your support and commitment to this young couple. My name is Brian. I’m one of the pastors here at PBC. I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Michael and Kristin through our premarital sessions over the past couple months. I can stand before you this afternoon and tell you that as far as I can tell, they are ready to get married! They completed some tough assignments and are looking forward to living their married lives under the leadership of Jesus Christ.

Question to Kristin’s Dad

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

A. “Her mother and I do.”

Malachi 2:14-15

Someone has said that there are really four rings that a couple shares when they get married:

• The engagement ring

• The wedding ring

• Suffer-ring

• Endure-ring

The first two are relatively easy to put it on. I want to focus on the final two because most couples want to take these rings off when hard times come, and they will. These truths from Malachi 2:14-15 can help keep your rings on tightly even when things are not easy…because there will be times of suffering and enduring.

The LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth… she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.

Has not [the LORD] made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.

Message

I’d like to draw out five principles from this passage that will help you have an enduring marriage. Marriage has its roots in the dust of creation. It’s not some romantic illusion but is grounded in the dust of our origin.

1. God is the witness to your vows: “…the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth…” Michael and Kristin, you are vowing to be forever faithful to each other and you are doing so in the presence of God Almighty. It’s as if God is giving expert eyewitness testimony, “I will hear what you are going to promise and I confirm it. Your marriage will not just be recorded by the County Clerk, I’ll have the record in heaven.” Don’t enter it lightly. Ecclesiastes 5:4 says, “When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.”

2. Your spouse is your partner: “…though she is your partner…” Genesis 2:18: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” This word “helper” refers to a partner or companion. Literally, in Hebrew it means, “one who answers to, or corresponds to, one like himself, one who speaks his language.” You two are partners. You are not better than your wife or better than your husband. You are in partnership.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 say, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

• Marriage provides support. “If one falls down, the other can help him up.”

• Marriage provides soothing. “They will keep warm.”

• Marriage provides safety. “Two can defend themselves.”

• Marriage provides strength. “A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

3. Marriage is a binding covenant of commitment: “the wife of your marriage covenant.” There are nearly 300 references to the word “covenant” in the Bible. A covenant was an exclusive, solemn and binding mutual agreement between two parties.

In God’s eyes, marriage is a covenant of committed companionship. As we learned in our premarital sessions: “Love is an unconditional commitment to an imperfect person.”

The fourth foundation is that God wants you to be soul mates, not just roommates.

4. God’s intention is for intimate oneness: “Has not the Lord made them one?” In order to fully understand this phrase, we need to go back to Genesis 2:24: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” In order for oneness to be established two things have to take place.