Wedding Marianne Freeman and Jon Carnes

John and Marianne and their families. It's my pleasure to welcome you today were gathered here in the presence of God and these witnesses join John and Marianne in holy matrimony. This is a sacred and it's a solemn and yet a joyful occasion God established institution of marriage that the very beginning.

He saw that it was not good for man to be alone, so he made eye helper suitable to him. God formed the first woman out of the rib of Adam and brought them together into one flesh relationship God established the institution of marriage by saying, for this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.

John Marianne, you're about to enter one of the most joyful yet challenging relationships known to man. Marriage is a mystery how two people come together and in a ceremony become one flesh. That's what God says he will do you have a part in that that is something you will work out for the rest of your married life with bow and pray our father and our God. We thank you for for John and Marianne, and for bringing them to this day we thank you for their godly desires. They want this ceremony to be as much about you as it is about them. They desire. Your glory, your affirmation, your approval and your blessing you have been working in them you brought them to yourself. You have worked in a wonderful way to bring them together in our confidence is that you, who began a good work in them will continue it until the day of Jesus Christ. And part of that work is bringing them together as husband and wife. Too often we enter into marriage with the idea that this person will make me happy, and that becomes the goal of marriage and yet in reality you've designed marriage not so much to make us happy, but to make us holy.

We pray that you would do that in them is they trust you in this relationship, we bless you for the institution of marriage, and for your wisdom in creating it in the desire to do us good and to do John and Marianne good the Lord.

We ask you to bless this ceremony today with your divine presence. We pray through the merits of your son, the Lord Jesus Christ, amen. John will you have this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of marriage and will you love her as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her, will you comfort her, honor, and cherish her and forsaking all others keep yourself only under her as long as you both shall live.

Marianne will you have this man to be your lawfully wedded husband to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of marriage and will you love him and comfort him respect and submit to him, even as the church submits to Christ and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live. Who gives this woman to be married to this man at this time would like you to take one of the hymnals it's in the pew in front of you and were going to sing together the hymn on page 476 May the mind of Christ, my Savior, let's stand to sing. Please John. It's a privilege charged to you on this occasion I like to begin with the quote. My favorites from the great Baptist John Bunyan. I presume he needs the reduction of this place. If the husband walked towards his wife, as becomes him he will vary and be such an ordinance of God to her besides the relation of a husband that he shall preach to her way of Christ to his church.

Bunyan continues I say also that the wife if she walk with her husband, as becomes her she shall preach the obedience of the church to her husband. You know, of course, Bunyan is meditating on Ephesians 5 and other portions of God's word where God calls husbands to be like Christ to their wives and wives to be like the church is to Christ. I want to charge you a lot of things that I particularly want to speak to you about preaching USB to preach a little sermon I'm to talk to you about preaching that you'll do. John, as you love, Marianne as her husband will be a sermon sorts to her as you love her as Christ loves the church. John you will be able to do something for Marianne. Everyone else in this room needs as well.

I'll tell you someone about Marianne. It's true of her only because it's true that everyone else in this room, she will have a hard time in her life.

Sensing love of Christ. But she believes the Christ loves her as we do. She knows the Scriptures teaches this. But she, like everyone else here is prone to doubt does he really love me that much. John, you will have an opportunity as her husband is you love her to be a picture to her of the love of Christ and as you love her, sacrificially, as Christ loves us. You love her lavishly as Christ loves us. She will flourish under that love shall be reminded by the sermon of your love for Christ loves her. Matter fact it will be just Marianne.

Marianne will be hearing a sermon seeing it.

If you will in your love her but so will the rest of us as we see you going to think faithful husband and her doubts hours with her about the love of Christ will be put to rest will see a picture of it. I know it takes me about John and it's true.

John only because it's true there but also this room godly Christian man, though he is a he will struggle in the life that lies before him to be wholly surrendered to Christ's lordship's life. He will struggle that, as do we all. He knows the Christ as Lord. He's committed himself to Christ and to obedience to Christ, but it will be a day today challenge for him. You have an opportunity to begins today to preach to him what it looks like to be wholly surrendered to the one who is your head to be gladly embracing of of his authority as you are that John as his wife. You will be a sermon acted out. If I may speak that way of what it is for all of us to gladly give ourselves to serving to helping alongside of and under the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ and he'll be blessed by that sermon.

So the rest of us as we see you taking that role of glad wife to help her to her husband serving alongside of him being obedient to him what you think you wanted me to preach. I want you to preach. Bunyan wants you to preach as you are about to take your valves to begin your marriage. Yes, both man and wife can preach in the manner in which Bunyan is speaking as you live out these gospel roles you will proceed to each other first than to everyone else that sees your marriage a blessing reminding of the relationship with God has called us into this the Lord Jesus Christ. So that's my charge and my question now is are you still ready to do this I thought you would be well it's time marriages are made by the house ready to take your valves John. If you repeat after me. I John, take you, Marianne to be my wedded wife. I do promise and covenant before God and these witnesses to be your loving and faithful husband in sickness and in health, and plenty ended want in joy and in sorrow as long as we both shall live.

Would you repeat after me I Marianne, take you John to be my wedded husband and I do promise and covenant before God and these witnesses to be your loving and faithful wife, in sickness and in health, and plenty ended want in joy and in sorrow as long as both shall live a Marianne have symbols of these valves as you place that ring.

Marianne's finger and repeat after me. This ring, I give you as a sign of my pledge to keep this covenant by the grace of our Lord.

Amen. This ring, I give you as a sign of my pledge to keep this covenant by the grace of our Lord. Amen.

Psalm 19 verse 14 says let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight oh Lord my rock and my Redeemer.

And now our father we pray you to make this new marriage gospel sermon. We pray that all of us, but especially Anne-Marie Marianne, especially Marianne find herself delighted by the love of the Lord Jesus Christ as she sees it in her husband. It's our prayer that heard doubts and hours with her will be put to rest by the love of the Lord Jesus Christ as it is modeled in John we pray our father that all of us, but especially John will find in Marianne this example of what we are to be in a letter surrendering glad obedience to the Savior and any struggle we have will be helped resolved, as we are all the more able to see what we owe our Savior's receipt of her in this marriage make a gospel sermon of this marriage, we pray, we ask your richest blessings on all their days. This we pray in Jesus name, amen. It is much as John and Marianne have covenanted to gather in holy marriage, the making of valves before God and disassembly by virtue of the authority committed unto me by Christ and his church. I now pronounce them husband and wife what God has joined together, let no man put asunder. John, you may kiss your bride you and keep you Lord causes face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen. Ladies and gentlemen is my happy privilege present you for the first time Mr. and Mrs. John Carnes