Sunday Morning March 23, 2003 Bel Aire Baptist Church
Series: ¡§Church On The Rocks¡¨ [#18]
HERE COMES THE BRIDE
1 Corinthians 15:12-58
Introduction:
[Play Wedding Processional]
1. When we hear this song, we begin to look for the bride. After this sermon, Jaime will be the bride, but during the sermon we are going to look at another Bride, the Church. In every wedding is a bride and a groom. After the sermon, Curtis will be the groom; but during the sermon the Groom is Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:22-33
2. Today, the Church is engaged to Christ. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for His Bride.
John 14:1-4
3. In Jesus¡¦ day when a couple was engaged to be married, the Groom would leave his bride and go to his father and tell him he was engaged. The father would then give his son the portion of property that he had inherited and the son would begin to prepare a home for him and his bride. When the home was prepared he would tell his father he was finished and the father would send him to get his bride and they would be married. Jesus Christ is preparing a place for His Bride and He will come back for her.
All Or Nothing
1. There were some saying that although Jesus was raised from the dead that the bodies of believers would never be resurrected.
2. Paul told them it was either all or nothing.
3. Either Christ was resurrected from the dead and believer¡¦s bodies will also be resurrected from the dead or Jesus wasn¡¦t resurrected from the dead and we won¡¦t be either.
All True
1. But, Jesus was raised from the dead and so will believers be.
2. Because of the 1st Adam, we must all die; but because of the 2nd Adam we will live if we are a Christian.
3. Christ paid the price of sin on the cross and was raised from the dead. He had victory over sin, Satan, and death.
1 Corinthians 15:54-57
All Alone
1. Although every person has the opportunity to be a part of The Bride of Christ there are some that will refuse to believe.
2. They just cannot and will not believe that God sent His only begotten Son to this earth, born of a virgin, never sinned, died on a cross, and was risen from the dead.
3. When these people leave this earth they will be separated from God for all of eternity in Hell. There will be many there, in that dark place of fiery flames. They will be all alone because God will not be with them.
All For The Bride
1. For those that believe and confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, crucified for the sins of the world, and raised from the dead; they are saved from this separation.
2. Believers make up the Church which is the Bride. Christ will return for His Bride and when He does, there will be a great procession.
1 Corinthians 15:52
3. All of those believers that have died will be raised to meet Christ in the air. Now understand that at the very moment a person dies, their soul goes to Heaven or Hell; but at the rapture, the bodies of believers will be raised. After the dead in Christ are raised, the believers that are living will be raised.
All New
1. Once Christ has gathered His Bride, believer¡¦s bodies will be changed to a glorified body so that we can enter Heaven.
2. These bodies can¡¦t go into Heaven.
3. We will be given a new body.
Revelation 21:4
Conclusion:
1. Are you part of the Bride of Christ?
2. If you died today, do you know where you would end up?
3. Believers, let me challenge you with 1 Corinthians 15:58.
WEDDING OF CURTIS MOUDYAND JAMIE WALDEN
PROCESSIONAL
MEANING OF MARRIAGE
„« We are here assembled in the presence of God to unite Curtis and Jamie in marriage.
„« The Bible teaches that marriage is to be a permanent relationship of one man and one woman freely and totally committed to each other as companions for life. Our Lord declared that man shall leave his father and mother and unite with his wife in the building of a home, and the two shall become one flesh.
„« Who gives the bride to be married? (Bride¡¦s Deacon): [Her Church Family and I].
PRAYER
„« The home is built upon love. In the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians the Bible says:
„« ¡§Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never ends;¡K So faith, hope, love abide, these three: but the greatest of these is love.¡¨
„« Marriage is a companionship, which involves mutual commitment and responsibility. You will share alike in the responsibilities and the joys of life. When companions share a sorrow the sorrow is halved, and when they share a joy the joy is doubled.
„« You are asked to dedicate your home to your Creator. Take His Word, the Bible, for your guide. Give loyal devotion to His church and live your lives, as His willing servants, and true happiness will be your reward.
WEDDING VOWS
„« ¡§Please join right hands¡¨.
„« Curtis, will you take Jamie to be your wife; will you commit yourself to her happiness and her self-fulfillment as a person, and to her usefulness in God¡¦s Kingdom; and will you promise to love, honor, trust, and serve her in sickness and in health, in adversity, and prosperity, and to be true and loyal to her, so long as you both shall live?
„« (Curtis): [I will].
„« Jamie will you take Curtis to be your husband; will you commit yourself to his happiness and his self-fulfillment as a person, and to his usefulness in God¡¦s Kingdom; and do you promise to love, honor, trust, and serve him in sickness and in health, in adversity and prosperity, and to be true and loyal to him, so long as you both shall live?
„« (Jamie): [I will].
EXCHANGING OF THE RINGS
„« (Jamie will hand her bouquet to the maid of honor. The best-man will give the ring to the minister.)
„« The wedding ring is a symbol of marriage in at least two ways: the purity of gold symbolizes the purity of your love for each other, and the unending circle symbolizes the unending vows which you are taking, which may be broken honorably in the sight of God only by death. As a token of your vows, you will give and receive the rings.
„« Curtis, you will give the ring and repeat after me:
„« ¡§Jamie with this ring I pledge my life and love to you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit¡¨.
„« Jamie, you will give the ring and repeat after me:
„« ¡§Curtis, with this ring I pledge my life and love to you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit¡¨.
UNITY CANDLE
„« The Bible teaches that in marriage two become one flesh. In symbolism of this will you light the unity candle.
[MUSIC WHILE UNITY CANDLE IS BEING LIT]
CLOSING
„« Since they have made these commitments before God and these witnesses, by the authority of God and the laws of the State of New Mexico, I declare that Curtis and Jamie are husband and wife.
„« Curtis and Jamie, you are no longer two independent persons but one.
„« ¡§What therefore God has joined together let no man separate.¡¨
„« Curtis you may kiss your bride.
„« Let me be the first to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Moudy.
RECESSIONAL
