Wedding Sermon - Give, Live, Forgive

PRELUDE MUSIC

PRE-CEREMONY ANNOUNCEMENT

To honor the sanctity of this service, please turn off your cell phones and refrain from taking pictures during the ceremony.

SEATING OF PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS

MOTHERS LIGHT FAMILY CANDLES

GROOM AND GROOMSMEN COME UP STAIRS AND GET IN POSITION

USHERS ROLL AISLE RUNNER FROM FRONT TO BACK

BRIDESMAIDS COME DOWN

BRIDAL PROCESSIONAL

GIVING OF THE BRIDE

TO LUCAS: “Lucas, do you receive Megan as a gift from God? Do you pledge to leave your father and mother and all others and to cleave unto Megan as long as you both shall live?” (I do)

TO MEGAN: “Megan, do you accept Lucas as God’s man for your life? Do you pledge to leave your father and mother and all others and to cleave unto Lucas so long as you both shall live?” (I do)

FATHER: Our answer to the question, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” is her mother and I do. “Beth and I give our full blessing to the marriage of Megan and Lucas. As Megan’s father, I hereby transfer my God-given responsibility for the care and protection of our daughter to this godly man.”

TO LUCAS: “Lucas, the God-given responsibility for the care and protection of Megan is hereby transferred to you. Do you accept this responsibility?” (I do)

PLEASE BE SEATED

Lucas and Megan walk up the stairs to the platform.

WELCOME!

Thank you for gathering with Lucas and Megan as they make a covenant commitment in marriage before our Triune God. We live in a culture that dismisses marriage as an irrelevant relic of tradition. The spirit of our times has vigorously sought to dilute the sanctity of marriage through its condescending disregard, disrespect, and redefinition.

But the truth is, marriage has never found its worth or definition from any society or culture because marriage is the exclusive design of God’s personal genius. It has withstood the test of time and will continue to endure as a living memorial of God’s gracious provision for His creatures, remaining an institution created in His perfect wisdom and established by His infinite power.

Someone said it like this. Marriage is…

• Rooted in creation

• Reiterated throughout Scripture

• Repeated by Jesus himself

• Representative of the love of Jesus for His church

• Reflective of the gospel

The Bible begins and ends with a wedding. In Genesis 2, God Himself presented the first woman to the first man and presided at the first wedding. In Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Hosea, Israel is pictured as the bride and Yahweh as her husband.

As the second Adam, Jesus performed His first miracle at a wedding in John 2. Ephesians 5 refers to marriage as a mystery because it represents the love of Christ for His church. And Revelation 19 points to a future wedding filled with worship: “The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with linen, bright and pure.”

Family and friends, we have two primary roles today.

1. We are Worshippers. Lucas and Megan don’t want to be the focus of all the festivities. Their aim is for God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit to be worshipped in spirit and in truth. The song Lucas just sang captures their desire: “Christ, Be Magnified. Let His praise arise.” In that sense, this is more than just a wedding ceremony; it’s a worship service.

2. We are Witnesses. A witness is someone who sees something happen and is able to give a reliable report about what took place.

Properly understood, we are all worshipping witnesses at this wedding. Just as Jesus was invited to that first century wedding, let’s invite Him to be the central figure in this worship service.

OPENING PRAYER

Our Father, maker, and sustainer of marriage, holy, holy, holy is your name. Jesus Christ, may you be magnified. We acknowledge you as Lord and honor you as the center of this wedding ceremony and worship service. We thank you for the gift of marriage, for the beauty of intimate companionship.

Thank you for this taste of your great unconditional love for us. May the vows being stated today by Lucas and Megan reflect uniquely to the world your glorious gospel, accomplished through your finished work on the cross, and your victory over Satan, sin, and death through your resurrection. Jesus, we pray this in your exalted name, trusting you to do your work in making these two lives one. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING – Genesis 2:18-25

WORSHIP SONGS

Please stand and join in congregational worship.

“King of Kings”

“All I Have is Christ”

SCRIPTURE READING – Colossians 3:12-17; Ephesians 4:32

Please be seated.

MESSAGE

Note: Leave slide with Ephesians 4:32 up during entire message.