I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honor of thy majesty and of thy wondrous works. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. And our gracious Heavenly Father, as we come into your presence, acknowledging that you are the Lord, that you are the creator of all things, that you are that one who in your love, in your grace, in your mercy, has provided redemption for your people. And Father, we thank you on this special occasion for your good providence that has brought these two young people together. for their mutual love one for the other, but for their individual love first to Christ. We are thankful, Lord, for the salvation that they know, for the Savior that they claim and confess. We pray today that as we gather together in this meeting, that from the beginning to the end, our attention will be ultimately upon the Lord, His grace, His gospel, and His goodness. We do rejoice, Lord, that we pray that Christ would be center, that he would be exalted as we worship together at this wedding ceremony. So hear our prayers. Bless every aspect of this worship service. We commit it into your hands for Jesus' sake. Amen. You may be seated. We gather here in the presence of God and in the fellowship of this Christian community to join together this man and this woman in the sacred covenant of marriage. Marriage is an honorable estate instituted by God, confirmed by the teachings of Jesus Christ, and compared by Paul to that mystical union between Christ and his church. It is ordained for the lifelong companionship, help, comfort which husband and wife ought to have for each other. Christian marriage is, therefore, a covenant of faith and trust between a man and a woman, established with their common faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and their Savior. Christian marriage is a covenant of hope that endures all things. In this covenant, both husband and wife must commit themselves to each other in understanding and compassion. Christian marriage is therefore a covenant of love in which both husband and wife empty themselves of self and their own concerns and esteem each other more highly than themselves. And in so doing, they follow Christ who loved his church and gave himself for his bride. Therefore, this covenant is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently and soberly in the fear of God. And it is into this holy estate that these two persons now come to be joined. Who gives this woman to be married to this man? If my Lord, the one in whom I shall hope, Levero tutta la mia lodi a te Fino a che vivro a te Io pregherò perché so che mi risponderai ogni di. io sarò vicino a te. Si, ora so, vivi tu dentro me, il mio cuor Trova pace solo in te. Non viso ormai più dubbi, certo son. che Gesù è il mio consolatore, ogni di resterò vicino a te. O the deep, deep love of Jesus Spread his praise from shore to shore How he loveth, ever loveth, Changeth never, never How he watcheth for his loved ones, Died to call them all his own. How for them he intercedeth, Watcheth for them from the throne. O spirito tuo ora e dentro me ogni di la mia vita guiderà. Pure sofrirò So che tu non m'abbandonerai Ogni giorno io sarò vicino a te I'm reading from the New Testament Scriptures, from the Epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle's great exposition of marriage as a demonstration, a picture of the Gospel itself. He says, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the Savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies, He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery. But I speak concerning Christ and the Church. God has made marriage a choice symbol of His own relationship with His people. This spiritual parallel lifts the family life to a high and significant plane. The love of Christ for His people regulates and defines the love the husband should show to his wife. And the loyalty of the church indicates the faithful loyalty the wife should show to her husband. Christian husbands owe to their wives the purification of their relationship and the sanctification of their homes. It is imperative that your lives as believers become a constant picture of Christ and the church. Indeed, there is a very real sense in which the Christian marriage is purposed to be and ought to be a never-ending gospel sermon. And today as you enter this new relationship, Jessica, for you, you come and you receive a new name. A new name that indicates the end of an old life. The name speaks of the newness of the spiritual life that we have in Christ, a life that was commenced by grace and love. And as from now on you bear your husband's name, so Christians always bear the name of their Savior as a constant reminder of that almighty grace, what it has done and what it can do. And for the both of you, there are new responsibilities, a new home. To be in Christ makes everything new. Old things are now gone. Those old things are gone forever. Today as we come to celebrate and consecrate this new beginning, I want to think just for a moment on what this relationship should speak about the gospel. We think first of all of the affection and the attraction that there is between you. For you, it is a mutual love and attraction. And this marriage is going to thrive as you always learn to put each other above yourselves. This marriage will thrive when it becomes a mutual admiration society. You see in something in each other that generates and feeds that love. They say that love is blind. I suppose it is that much of the surface ugliness that others may see, and I'm not saying I see any here today, you cannot see. But love has given you eyes only for each other, and that is good. It reminds us of a love that is even more noble, a love that at the beginning was not mutual, for Christ loved us. when we saw no beauty in him that we should desire it. But it was his gracious spirit that wooed us and drew us to him, and now we love him only because he first loved us. But here is the real mystery. You find something in each other that is lovable. Jordan, it is not difficult. to see what in Jessica you have found to be lovable. Jessica, I'm not sure. It must be the beard. I've been told that beards are irresistible. But I say when we come to think of the love that Christ has for us, I say it's a mystery. For he loved us not because there was anything lovely in us at all. but he loved us in spite of our ugliness and sin, because he himself is love. But this mutual affection has to translate into life. The wife in living out her love must be submissive, must be loyal, must be obedient to the husband, just as Christ is, or just as the church, I say, must be to Christ. But this submission is not slavery, but it is a wise and it is a willing obedience. And the husband as the head of this relationship is obligated to love, a peculiar love, for you are to love her as you love yourself. A love that is single, a love that is exclusive, a love that is absolutely undivided. A love that is considerate and tender, that consults her happiness, her pleasure. For he that is married, the scripture says, is to care that he may please his wife. It is a love that protects and honors and seeks both her physical and perhaps even more importantly, her spiritual welfare. For you, you're the knight in shining armor as far as Jessica is concerned. But similarly, Christ is the champion of His bride, and His love and His protection and the defense that He gives to His church never wavers, never fails. There are going to be times simply because you're a human, Jordan, that you're going to disappoint your wife. You may think that's not going to happen today. But sooner or later, you're going to do something that disappoints your wife. But Christ never disappoints his people. On this occasion, our attention is also directed to the attire of the bride, and how beautiful is the bride. I suppose in the history of marriage, there has never been an ugly bride, and today is no exception. Dressed in the splendid garment that symbolizes purity and perfection, what a fitting picture it is of the Church who is to be presented before Christ as a chaste virgin, holy, without blemish. But though beautiful, the Church knows that its beauty is not its own. For He hath clothed us with garments of salvation. He hath covered us with the robe of righteousness. And therefore, as we see the beauty of the bride today, spiritually we must look beyond her beauty to the beauty of Christ. For we as believers know that we are dressed in a beauty that is not our own, as the words of the old hymn are most appropriate. The bride eyes not her garments, but her dear bridegroom's face. I will not gaze at glory, but on my King of Grace. Not at the crown he giveth, but on his pierced hand. For the Lamb is all the glory of Emmanuel's land." May God give us eyes to see the beauty of the Savior as today we come to celebrate the beginning of this relationship. But finally, we must reflect on the aspects of this union that you enter into today. In this marriage, God has ordained that two become one flesh in the spiritual union the believer becomes one in Christ and I would say that it is as you see each other first of all being in Christ that you will know what it is and how it is to behave one toward the other as you are united in marriage a physical union But how much more important, how much more eternal, is the spiritual union that you share together in the Lord Jesus Christ. The two of you share one name, so Christians are called by His name. The two of you will share from now on one life, and so Christians, being one with Christ, are heirs of the grace of His life. And the two of you have one destiny, for what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. And likewise, there's nothing that can separate you from the love of Christ. The two of you will live in constant fellowship, and Christ tells his people, abide in me, and I abide in you. So may God grant that this union be a Christian marriage indeed. May both of you, in fulfilling your respective duties to each other, fulfilling your respective duties before God, declare to all who see you, who know you, what the gospel is. May your lives together be a living testimony, a gospel, according to marriage. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace, both now and evermore. Amen. We'll continue our worship together by singing hymn number 727. You'll find that in your hymn book and we'll stand together please as we sing. ♪ The Father of creation ♪ ♪ Whose wisdom, love, and power ♪ ♪ First found two lives together ♪ ♪ In Heaven's primal hour ♪ by earnest disrepute. May thy presence with those who call on thee, their store of earthly gladness transform to heaven. So mighty in thy purpose, so tender in thy care, Thy presence from sin and strife set free. Their lives beyond thy guidance, their hearts divine. The Savior blessed, the joy will turn to pain. Our thought can break the union of hearts and be made one. And love thy spirit follows, is and lasts. You may be seated. Jordan, do you have this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to live together in covenant according to God's ordinance in the holy estate of marriage? Do you promise to love her, to comfort her, to honor her, to keep her in sickness and in health, in riches or poverty, and forsaking all others, commit yourselves to her so long as you both shall live. I do. Jessica, do you have this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to live together in covenant according to God's ordinance in the holy estate of marriage? Do you promise to love him? comfort him, honor him, obey him, keep him in sickness and in health, in riches or poverty, and forsaking all others, commit yourselves to him so long as you both shall live. Jordan, you have vows that you would Repeat before God these witnesses to Jessica. I, Jordan, take you, Jessica, to be my 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, to cherish, and to lead according to God's holy ordinance, till death us do part, I pledge to you my fidelity. Jessica, you have vows that you would repeat before the Lord these witnesses to Jordan. I, Jessica, take you, Jordan, to be my 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, to cherish, and to obey according to God's holy ordinance, till death us do part. I pledge to you my fidelity. The scripture views marriage as a covenant relationship. And throughout the scripture, God's covenant dealings with man have often been accompanied with various tokens and symbols, reminders, of his inviolable pledge in those covenant promises. Every rainbow we see is a reminder of God's mercy, which endures forever. Jordan, what token do you have to offer Jessica as a symbol of your covenant pledge to her before God and these witnesses? A ring. I give you this ring as a token of memorial that I have taken you to be my wife, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Jessica, what token do you have as a symbol of your pledge before God and Jordan? The ring. I give you this ring as a token and a memorial that I have taken you to be my husband, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. For as much as this man and this woman have covenanted together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and these witnesses, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, whom therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." If you want, you may kiss the bride. Let's bow our heads in prayer together. Our gracious Heavenly Father, we rejoice in the gospel of saving grace that you have revealed to us and provided for us in Jesus Christ. We're thankful, Lord, for the revelation of that gospel that you've given to us in your word, for the application of that gospel by the Holy Spirit to the lives of those that have trusted Christ. We're thankful, Lord, for the picture of the gospel, that you have given to us in the marriage between a man and a woman. And Lord, we would ask that as Jordan and Jessica have entered into this holy covenant, that their lives from this day forward would be a living sermon of the love that Christ has for his people, the love that Christ has for his church, the bride. We pray, Lord, that all that see them would be attracted to the beauty of their Savior. Bless this union. May it know, Lord, your presence, your blessing in the days ahead. And now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. It is my privilege to introduce to you for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Jordan Juxta. you you you you