Gospel Driven Wedding Ceremony
Dakota Community Church
June 2013
All Rise - Bride enters.
Welcoming Statement & Prayer of Blessing:
Dear family and friends we have come together today at the invitation of Groom and Bride to share in the joy of their wedding.
This celebration is the culminating public expression, of the love and devotion that has been growing in their hearts since the Lord first brought them into each others lives in Month of Year.
Today they declare before God and the whole world that they are committed to each other for life; and today we all ask God to bless that commitment and to provide the grace and strength they will need in order to see it through.
The Bible teaches us in Genesis 2:24 that in the beginning God made us male and female, and He said,
“... a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
God loved us and created us to love Him and each another. Of all the wonderful relationships known to man, Father and son, mother and daughter, brother and sister, closest friendship; He chose marriage as the relationship that best exemplifies the union between Christ and the church. Marriage then, is a sacred union, born in the heart of God.
Groom and Bride come today desiring to be united in this sacred relationship.
Let Us Pray - Blessing
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for this wonderful day and for this joyous occasion.
Thank you for the gift of love and for the institution of marriage.
Thank you Lord for the gospel, for the redeeming of lost sinners like us, and for the Holy Spirit who lives in us to lead and guide and comfort, to encourage and strengthen and to transform us.
All of this is to Your glory and to Your glory alone.
I ask today Father that you would open eyes, ears, and hearts to the truth of Your Word. Grant repentance and the forgiveness of sin, be lifted up and glorified even in this, a wedding ceremony; and draw people to yourself in saving faith as only You can.
LORD, love has been Your richest and greatest gift to the world as demonstrated in the cross of Christ and You chose the love between a man and woman which matures into marriage as the best example of your relationship to the Church.
Today we celebrate that love.
May your blessing be on this wedding ceremony.
Protect, guide, and bless Groom and Bride in their marriage. Surround them and us with Your love now and always.
Amen.
Declaration of Intent - Giving of the Bride
Who gives this woman in marriage?
(Her mother and I do) Groom receive your bride and step forward.
Time of Worship - In Christ Alone & How Great the Father's Love
Guest Reader - Ephesians 5:21-33
Sermon Scripture – 1 Corinthians 13:1-7
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
The Wedding Sermon/Homily/Message:
I did not choose this traditional wedding passage for the usual reason it is chosen.
Traditionally the passage is read and the minister encourages the young couple, and usually everyone else in attendance; to work hard to love their significant others using this definition as the template for true love. (It is and I do)
I want to point out this afternoon what a terribly difficult task that is.
“Love each other with a love that is not rude, a love that does not insist on it’s own way, a love that is never irritable or resentful.”
Clearly Paul was a single man!...
The Bible is full of these kinds of impossible commands.
“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return” (Luke 6:35)
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)
“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
Not possible if you are honest.
Think about the ten commandments.
“You shall not (8)steal, (9)lie, or (10)covet? - How’s that going?
How about (5)“Honor your parents”? - Some of you just broke (9)
(1) “You shall have no other gods before me.” (2) idols (3) vain
God demands the preeminent place in our lives.
Why all these rules?
What is God’s purpose in the law?
Ever since the fall we have been thinking we can fix it.
Martin Luther said, “The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has ever plagued the mind of man is that somehow he can make himself good enough to deserve to live forever with an all-holy God.”
In the law, God is driving us to realize our need of Him.
Think about what Jesus said about (6)murder and (7) adultery.
There may be some here today who believe they have tried Christianity and failed because of commands like these. You did not try Christianity - you discovered your need of it!
One reason so many leave the church is because we read these things and act as though we are living up to them. Those people correctly label us as hypocrites when we do.
“Hear and understand the gospel today.”
The law is given to break us. It is not the way of salvation.
What makes the gospel good news is that Christ has kept the law for us and although he did not break it even once - he paid the price of breaking it as well.
Maybe you are claiming to believe that there is no God, you reject the very idea of God based on the scientific evidence against Him or you prefer some other deity or spirituality and reject the biblical faith as unreliable.
To you I say, “You are deceiving yourself and denying what you know to be true.”
Who is it that you are crying out to in the moment of tragedy and why do you feel so sad when you remind yourself that there is no one listening?
Who do you call upon when terror grips your heart?
To whom do you direct that prayer of thanks or relief?
Why are you so passionately angry?
Why not against the tooth fairy or unicorns?
Romans 1:18-20
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
If you have been denying God, you are without excuse.
Repent and believe in Christ, be washed of your sin and find mercy.
If you have been trying and failing at the self salvation game; repent and believe in Christ, be washed of your sin and find mercy.
If you have given up and are trying to convince yourself you are fine just the way you are and don’t need saving; open your eyes, repent and believe in Christ, be washed of your sin and find mercy.
What does all of this have to do with today’s ceremony?
What does an impossible standard and the need for grace have to do with two sinners living together under one roof in the bond of holy matrimony?
Groom and Bride, some of us here today know something about marriage that you two do not yet know.
Until now you have not fully realized that you are marrying a fellow fallen and sinful human being.
Marriage done correctly is the closest relationship possible between two people.
It is like the relationship between Christ and the church because it is the closest we can come to knowing another human being the way Christ knows us.
We say, “God knows my heart” as though that is good news.
The more you know a person - the greater the need of grace.
We can only come to God as we recognize our need of grace.
We can only function in community, in church, or in family as we recognize the need of grace. Give it as you have need of it.
We can only function in marriage as we each recognize our need of grace. Dish it our liberally to each other!
Charge to Couple
My challenge then to you both today is to keep God’s word near to your heart, read it often to remind yourself what it means to be the recipients of God’s love, to be in love, most of all to love each other!
Know that there will be many times every day when you will each fail to attain that standard of perfection.
At those times remember the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Repent, forgive and be forgiven, and move on in grace and love.
Grow old in grace!
Charge to the witnesses:
You are not here just because of tradition. Ladies for your beauty or you men to balance the pictures.
You are here for a serious purpose, to bear witness forever of the miraculous union that will take place, and to add your agreement before God to that which takes place.
Don’t ever, ever tamper with that agreement. From this day forward, regardless of what comes, you are in agreement with this union.
Don’t ever attempt in any way to cause it to be anything other than the happy union we know that God intends it to be as we stand here today.
Charge to the Congregation:
Groom and Bride have invited you here today to be a part of this special ceremony because of the important place you hold in their lives as family members and as friends.
They believe that it is God who led them to each other and they are seeking your support and agreement as they ask Him to make this union everything that it can possibly be for His own glory.
I charge you therefore to do everything in your power to see that this union remains solid and strong, happy and prosperous.
Marriage is a miraculous thing, and it is of God.
The Vows
Groom, do you take Bride as your wife, as your own flesh, to love and protect, cherish and care for her the rest of your lives?
(I Do)
Then turn to her and make this promise:
I, Groom, take you Bride to be my wedded wife.
I promise before God and these witnesses that I will be to you a true and devoted husband.
True to you in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in prosperity and adversity; and forsaking all others
I will keep myself for you and you alone for the rest of our lives.
Bride, do take Groom as your husband, as your own flesh, to love and respect, cherish and care for him for the rest of your lives?
(I Do)
Then turn to him and make this promise:
I, Bride, take you Groom, to be my wedded husband.
I promise before God and these witnesses that I will be to you a true and devoted wife.
True to you in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in prosperity and in adversity; and forsaking all others
I will keep myself for you and you alone for the rest of our lives.
Exchanging of 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 reminds us that love is never ending and that we must keep it continuously.
As you wear these rings, whether together or apart momentarily, may they be constant reminders of this day and these promises you are making today.
To Groom:
Groom, take this ring, and place it on the third finger of Bride’s left hand, and repeat these words:
“With this ring, I thee wed, it is a symbol of my love for you, a reminder that I am always by your side and that I will always be a faithful husband to you.”
To Bride:
Bride, take this ring, and place it on the third finger of Groom’s left hand, and repeat these words:
“With this ring, I thee wed, it is a symbol of my love for you, a reminder that I am always by your side and that I will always be a faithful wife to you.”
Prayer for Couple
Almighty God, ...
Pronouncement of Marriage:
Groom and Bride - 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; you have made lifelong promises of faith and devotion, each to the other,
and you have sealed these promises by the exchanging of rings and by asking for God’s blessing on your union in this public declaration.
I therefore before Almighty God and these witnesses pronounce you husband and wife
May God bless you, and keep you, and give you his peace. Amen.
(Taking their hands) What God has joined together, let man not separate.
You may kiss your bride.
First Communion as Man and Wife
Candle Ceremony if desired & Paper Signing
Announcements:
As required; Receiving Line, reception info, etc.
Presentation of Bride and Groom:
Ladies and Gentlemen, with great pleasure I present to you now for the very first time; Mr. and Mrs. Groom and Bride.
