Tim and MaryElizabeth Wedding

For your goodness, I will ever praise you.

Sing it out now, oh, into me, oh. I'll sing it loud in the dark, oh, into me. Lift your voice all the time, my sin.

It's my time to go, but before I leave. But there's much to do, here before you. I've been waiting for a love like this. And I was so sure, baby, I'd lost you first.

Marriage as a Sacred Covenant Before God

Bride and groom, congregation, please be seated. And bridal party, please be seated. Marriage is sacred, so let us begin with the word of prayer. Father, we ask for the good hand of your favor upon this wedding.

More than that, Lord, we pray for your blessing upon the marriage that is about to be formed in these moments to come. We pray that the name of Jesus Christ would be lifted up and exalted. That the light that is in Tim and in Mary Elizabeth would be united, joined together, and made stronger and burn bright for all the world to see.

We pray your blessing on this wedding and ask for your help in Jesus' name. Amen. If all of the love and marriage books that were ever written were gathered into this building, this building could not contain them.

In fact, the largest building in the world could not contain all the books and articles that have been written about love and marriage. You would think that at some point, humanity would figure out how to do this thing called marriage.

And yet, it remains ever on the minds of people. So many movies and songs are about love and about marriage. And yet, the world never fully gets the answer until we turn to the one who has all the answers.

And of course, his name is Jesus Christ. The one thing that's needful for us to know about marriage comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. I'd like to read this morning a few verses from Mark chapter 10 from the inventor of marriage.

He is approached, and in the first few verses, I would like for us to see what's so hard about marriage. Why is marriage so difficult? And then in the remaining verses, what the Lord teaches us about love and marriage.

Hardness of Heart and the Problem of Divorce

Mark chapter 10, verses 1 to 5. And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan. And crowds gathered to him again and again, as was his custom, he taught them. Jesus is the instructor.

He is the one that teaches us everything we need to know about life. And Pharisees came up in order to test him and asked, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? They could have asked the creator of the universe anything, but they chose to ask about divorce.

It shows where their minds were. And he answered them, what did Moses command you? They said, Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away. And Jesus said to them, because of your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment.

You see, the thing that makes marriage so hard is the hardness of heart, according to Jesus. It is a problem in the heart of humanity. And notice that when these Pharisees came to ask him a question, it wasn't sincerely to learn at his feet as others had gathered.

They came in order to test him. They were putting him to the test. And Jesus had earlier taught the people never to put the Lord your God to the test. There is a problem in the human heart, and that is rather than loving God, man exalts himself over God and puts the Lord to the test.

But there's good news. Hardness of heart is not the end of the story. God alone is able to accomplish something. Part of it you will see here, as all of us are witnesses of this wedding, a miracle happening in our midst, where the two will become one.

Only God can do this. But there's also an invisible work that has happened in each of your hearts, that you have come to believe in Jesus, and he's made you a new creation. And so this marriage, between two new creations, will be blessed.

You have the Christian secret to a happy marriage. The text went on. Jesus said, But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife.

And the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. Jesus upholds the sanctity of marriage, the permanence of marriage.

It's a miracle that happens, that two become one. Only God can do that, to make the two one. Now when it says God made them male and female, he is referring to the Garden of Eden, when the first man and first woman were created.

Adam was created first. He's to be the leader in the marriage. But notice how Eve was made. When God made them male and female, Eve was not made of dust the way Adam had been, but rather, God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep.

And then as he slept, he removed a rib from Adam's side. And from that rib, from Adam's rib, Eve was made. He did not take a bone from Adam's skull, that she would be above him. And God did not take a bone from Adam's heel, that she would be beneath him.

But God took a rib from his side, that she would be under his protection. Under his protection. That she would be the closest thing to his heart. That he would love her, as Christ loves the church, cherish her, and protect her under his arm.

And she would be a support to him. She is a help meet. So as he goes about the work of providing, you are a partner in that, to help him. Two complementary parts, as God has designed marriage to be. So this is a miracle.

And so then it makes sense that God can make of two complementary parts, one flesh. The two become one. This is a miracle. But there was a second thing I mentioned. That the secret to marriage, is that each of you, the two, be made new.

And both of you are blessed with that gift, to believe in Jesus Christ. What Christians uniquely understand, is that we are not created to test God, to have pride before the creator of the universe, but we are made to love God.

And this, everyone listening, this is the secret of a happy marriage. You can throw out every other book that was written, and listen to this one. If we will do the greatest commandment, to love the Lord your God, with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.

If God is the deepest love of your heart, you will obey his word, and do everything that he has commanded. Now that can't be done in your own strength. It requires a miracle. That God would open your heart to believe.

And just as each of you have believed in Christ, that is offered to everyone here. It's one of the great things about weddings, that we can celebrate, when Christians come together in marriage, they stand as a testimony, to the power of the gospel.

That there is a God, who is uniting the two as one. This design has gone on, from the foundation of the world. From the garden of Eden, and it goes on generation after generation. And in this we see a testament, that the God who wrote this book, the Bible, is true.

And he's real. And each one of us here, is invited to believe, the same good news. Well how does he make someone new? How does he give life? It required the death, of Jesus Christ. He had to die on the cross, to pay for our sins.

You see that hardness of heart, causes quarreling. It causes dissension. It causes strife. And this is why marriages are torn asunder, in this country. And many that hold on, are not filled with love.

Because of the hardness of heart. But God. When you turn your eyes to Jesus, the one who died for your sins, who rose from the dead, you put your faith in him, and now you are made new. You are given new life.

That's the miracle. And so when you have these three miracles, a man whose heart has been made new, and a woman whose heart has been made new, stand and come together in marriage, this results in a blessed, and happy marriage.

So long as you love the Lord your God. And so I close, with Deuteronomy 6, 4 -9. Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

And these words that I command you, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house, and on your gates. If God's word is the pillar, the foundation of your marriage, which it will be, your marriage is blessed under the hand of the Almighty God.

Worship, Unity Candle, and the Light of Christ

Church, at this time, we're going to invite everyone to stand, and join us in a worship song. Please feel free to sing along.

I love you Lord, for your mercy never fails.

Almighty,.

I've been held in your hand, from the moment that I wake, until I lay my head. Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God. Oh, I of the goodness of God.

Of your golden darkest night,.

You are close like no other. I've known you as a father. I've known you as.

In the goodness of God.

For all my.

Of God.

Wine and sings almost as beautifully as Mary Elizabeth does.

That's right.

At this time, we are going to do the unity candle. So Tim and Mary Elizabeth, if you would come over here, and begin by each lighting your own candle, and then the one in the middle together. The unity candle represents two becoming one.

Jesus is the light of the world, and he tells his followers, you are the light of the world. So which is it? Is Jesus the light of the world, or are you the light of the world? Shake it up.

It is.

Well, before you light the candles together, the unity candle together, the symbolism here is the two becoming one. And so, if Jesus says we are the light of the world, how is it that he's the light of the world?

Well, it's very much like the sun and the moon.

That's right.

Jesus is the sun, he's the light, and all that we do is reflect that light to the world. You can see Jesus in Tim and Mary Elizabeth. So this light symbolizes the light of Christ, who said that he is the light of the world.

So as you light this candle, I will read Ephesians 5, 31 to 32. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother, and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Thank you. You can return here. All right. At this time, we consider the symbol of the wedding ring.

The Meaning of the Wedding Ring and the Marriage Vows

Second Timothy? Though the ring is small, and Tim, you can hold yours. Hold a hand, yes. The one that she'll give you, you can give to her. Okay, each hold those. Though the ring is small in size, it's very large in significance.

It's made of precious metal, and that reminds us that marital love is neither cheap nor common, but indeed marital love is very valuable. Its design is in a circle, and of course that symbolizes that it must go on and on.

It is an eternal, infinite love. Christ loved us first and has poured his love into your hearts. The ring is a reminder that you will see every day, even on days when circumstances dictate that you not see each other very much.

As you wear these rings, may they be a constant reminder of the love you share and the promises you are making today. So what we'll do is please join hands, and then after you say your vow, we'll ask the question and then put the ring on the finger of the other.

And Tim, you lead with your vow.

The first thing I would like to say is thank you because Proverbs 19, 14 says, House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Mary Elizabeth, you are an answer to prayer.

You're an answer to my mom's prayers and my prayers. I wanted to marry you now for seven years. I thought about this moment for seven years, never thought about it with anyone else, and have been in love with you for seven years.

But these years seem to me but a few days because of the love I have for you. Like Jesus, everything about you is lovable. I am convinced that you are the most beautiful woman in the world, inside and out.

I am convinced that you are the most loving person I have ever met. I am convinced that you are truly the most happy and joyful person on the face of the earth with a light that shines brighter than anyone I've ever met.

And me getting to marry you makes me feel like the most blessed man on the face of the earth. You are truly my best friend and I am so looking forward to spending the rest of my days with you. I now vow to love you like Christ loves his church.

I will do my best to lay down my life for you, Mary Elizabeth, and praise you as a woman who fears the Lord ought to be praised. Amen.

Do you, Timothy, take Mary Elizabeth to be your wedded 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 till death do you part according to God's holy ordinance?

I do.

You can place the ring on her.

You took your other ring off. You should have kept it on.

You can make sure there was no way that was coming off.

Yeah.

Mary Elizabeth's Vows and the Cost of Following Jesus

All right. At this time, Mary Elizabeth, your vows to Timothy.

Timothy Paul asked me to not go on and on and basically spend a half an hour talking, but it's very tough. I'll try to get through this without crying.

Okay.

So, Lord knows I'm long-winded, but I wanted to start off by saying thank you, Timothy Paul, for bringing so many wonderful people. It's a profound and important prayer to have that you get to marry into an amazing family but to be continually blessed with amazing...

My gratitude is indescribable. To be standing in front of you, about to marry you, I would have but God. Who knew that God had knit together for me someone who was just as annoying, if not more, someone who smiled just as much as me, if not more, and I'm so overwhelmingly joyful that I get to be a part of the reason why you smile.

Now that I'm about to call you my husband, I reflect on our marriage, it being one of the greatest testaments of God's goodness and mercy, and God gave me the greatest blessing in seeing him choose you and call you, for you to walk in his will no matter what that looked like to anybody else.

So many have not one clue how hard it is and yet so easy to choose to follow Jesus. By no means is it an easy task in picking up your cross and carrying it denying yourself so you could be filled with the Holy Spirit and you've enabled others to see what a gift it is to be forgiven by our Lord and Savior.

That there is truly no life apart from him and surely he will provide exceedingly and abundantly more than we could hope. How undeserving that he would die for us but your perseverance and endurance to finish this race is unwavering.

What God has ordained you won't have to go looking for but you'll have to be willing to wait, willing to wait for his purpose even when nothing makes sense. Situations don't seem easy when life is lifeless.

When you feel alone or losing hope to have faith that God would bless you in his perfect timing. So thank you for waiting for me and I thank God for strengthening my walk and equipping me to walk this narrow road with you.

I can't guarantee I won't be annoying but then again, neither can you. I won't grow old and gray but then again, neither can you. You've already started. I can't guarantee that I'll ever be able to formulate one thought without incorporating a thousand others.

I'll never leave one detail out. I'll include it all. I guarantee I will, I won't guarantee that I will ever finish a whole meal but you'll finish it for me anyway so I guess that's good for you. But I can guarantee that God is good all the time.

So in those moments when you feel the least bit concerned, remember you prayed we'd end up together and God is not slack in his promises to us. So Timothy Paul, I love you with all my heart. It would be the greatest honor to me.

Mary Elizabeth, take Timothy to be your wedded 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 till death do you part according to God's holy ordinance.

Tim and Mary Elizabeth, you have heard the words about love and marriage. You have exchanged your vows and made your promises and celebrated your union with the giving and receiving of rings. It is at this time that I now pronounce you husband and wife.

You may kiss the bride.

Ladies and gentlemen,.

I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Robinson Jr.

Closing Song and Blessing

We are in final days. Life is always plain But I see the future bring To you and me one day.

Hold on to this day.

And keep inside your heart Such faith we'll walk along the path And our Father's spoken And this life we've chosen Will help us follow.

Your plan.

Profess that I understand it. But I see me holding.

Your hand.

To compliment my hand Like heaven made my heart To compliment your heart Heaven gave you love To compliment my love. So one day we will love The way that God intended for These hearts entwined with yours As Jesus lead the way What we've seen All that we've learned Built up to this day.

Our Father's spoken.

And this life we've chosen Will help us follow.

Your plan.

I confess that I understand it But I see me holding. We found the day Like we always pray. We found the day Like we always pray. But I see the future bring To you and me one day.

Hold on to this day.

And keep inside your heart Such faith. We'll walk along the path.

Our Father's spoken.

And this life we've chosen Will help us follow.

Your plan.

I confess that I understand it. But I see me holding Compliment my hand. Like heaven made my heart To compliment your heart. Heaven gave you love To compliment my love. So one day we will love The way that God intended for.

These hearts entwined with yours Jesus lead the way.