The Wedding of my daughter Chané to
Nielamonte Fisher
14 December 2013
Introduction
To this moment, Neilemonte and Chane,
bring the fullness of their hearts as a treasure to share with one another.
They bring the dreams which bind them together. They bring that personality and
spirit which is uniquely their own, out of which will grow the reality of their
life together.
Most importantly, Neil and Chane have
come here today out of respect for God and in obedience to His command that has
been from the beginning:
We
read this in Gen. 2:18, 21-24
18 And
the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will
make him a helper comparable to him."
21 And
the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one
of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.
22 Then
the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He
brought her to the man.
23 And
Adam said: " This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."
24 Therefore
a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they
shall become one flesh.
Neil and Chane, your love for each other
should be an Eternal Triangle. God is at the apex and you, as man and woman,
are at the base of the triangle. When both of you are joined together with God
at the top, then you will never be separated from each other at the bottom.
Your marriage should be the union of
two lives – two hearts that beat as one – so welded together that they walk
together; they work together; they bear each other’s burdens and share each
other’s joys. I want to remind you to be friendly, loving and tenderhearted,
and orbearing one another in love.
Remember the vows you are about to
take are as binding in adversity as in prosperity and that these vows are to be
broken only by death.
As marriage is a joyful privilege, it
is also a serious responsibility.
Marriage Is Approved And Legislated
By God
Jesus, when confronted by questions
about divorce (Matthew 19:8), pointed back to “the beginning.” (confirming that
what Adam and Eve had was a marriage)
The first marriage is a
model for all time.
Several important factors are brought
out:
- · God provided “woman” as the “helper” for man.
- · God only brought one woman to the man, revealing it was His intention for one man and one woman to be united in marriage.
- · The Holy Spirit uses the phrase: “the man and his wife.” (confirming this as marriage, not just living together)
- · It is God who declares that a man shall leave his mommy and daddy. This couple is the beginning of a new home.
- · They were together and not ashamed.(v25)
Marriage Makes Demands On Each
Partner
The need to be faithful to God.
- · Matt. 6:33 “seek ye first the kingdom of God”. We are easily tempted to seek other things
- · Marriage does not change this. Let this be a combined priority in your marriage. Help each other accomplish that goal.
- · If Christ is not your joy, nothing else will be. If Christ don’t fulfill you, noone will.
You have a need to be faithful to
each other.
- · You are to love one another above all others.
- · Must leave father and mother, and cleave to mate.
- · A new family unit, not an extension of an older one.
- · To provide for one another’s needs within the framework of your marriage (1 Cor. 7:1-4). Your body is not your own anymore..
Need to be faithful in fulfilling
other duties placed upon you.
- · To your children (when they are born) to care for, feed and discipline, but especially to “raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
- · To the community in which you live. To be a good example. To demonstrate by your life that serving and pleasing God is both possible and practical.
You Can Enjoy The
Privileges Of Marriage
Being able to satisfy one another’s
physical desires within a permitted relationship: marriage (Gen. 2:25).
·
No
shame is here.
·
The
same God who instilled it within man, supplied the approved place for it to be
exercised.
There are two of you to cope with
life. You can double life’s pleasures and half its problems.
Together, you will be able to help
one another develop more love toward the other.
Marriage Has Roles For You
Chane you have the responsibility of
being the help mate for Neil.
·
You
have the potential to help develop him into the very best husband anyone could
ever desire to have.
·
It
will call for submission to God’s order for the home.
o
Read
Ephesians 5:22-33. Here is God’s divine order:
§
Husband
… head of the wife.
§
Wife
… subject to husband.
·
Both
of you are responsible and accountable to God.
The husband is to love his wife even
as Christ did the church, and died for it. The husband should be willing to
love his wife to the very same extent.
Eph.
5:22-27
22 Wives,
submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 For the
husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is
the Savior of the body.
24 Therefore,
just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to
their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands,
love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He
might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27 that
He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle
or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Marraige
calls for a Higher Standard
I want both of you to remember the
great responsibilities you have: love
and submission. How serious and magnificent are these qualities. Our
Savior, Jesus Christ, gave us the
perfect example of love and submission.
Neil, Christ loved the church.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for
his friends” (John 15:13).
Jesus showed the greatest love to the
church by the sacrifice of His own life. He shed His precious blood for the
church to demonstrate how deep and
abiding His love was and to leave us the greatest example of love this
world has ever known.
Neil, follow the example of Christ.
Consider Chane your closest friend and love her even to the sacrifice of
your wants, desires and your very life.
Chane, my beautiful daughter, Christ
gave us the perfect example of submission.
Paul wrote, “let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider
it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the
form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in
appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of
death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil. 2:5-8).
Chane, the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, humbled Himself and became
submissive for our sake. And just as you would obey Jesus, submit to Neil as your husband.
Lastly.. may this portion of scripture be
evident in your marriage.
Romans
12: 9-21
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be
devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be
joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's
people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you;
bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who
mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to
associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the
eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at
peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's
wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says
the Lord. On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him
something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his
head."
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
