..To Ancient SDA's ............ To "What's New?"

A Suggested Wedding Service

Before they make their promises I want to tell you a story.

There once was a couple who were deeply in love. They were absolutely satisfied with each other (you might say they fell in love at first sight), so after a brief courtship they came to a garden like this one to get married.

She was totally thrilled with him. He was kind and courteous, (and handsome) and looked after her every need.

He regarded her as his soul companion. He was head over heels in love. She fulfilled his every desire – she completed him. She was not over him like a boss, nor was she under his foot like a slave. He thought of her as his equal because she had been made from his rib, from over his heart.

Yes, I’m talking about our first ancestors, Adam and Eve!

The ceremony we are here to witness today was thought of a long time ago by the Son of God, and it was He who put it in their minds to get married, and it was He who met with them in the Garden of Eden for the ceremony. He knew that their greatest happiness (and usefulness to others) would lie in them concentrating on each other and forgetting their own "self".

By doing this, (which after all came naturally to them in the garden for they were "honey mooners"), they were showing that they were indeed members of the heavenly family, and were willing to live by its principles.

An aside: Have you ever wondered why we call them "honey mooners"?

Honey mooners are people who "moon" or indulge in thinking "honey", or sweet, things about each other. They cannot see past the sweetness and it is lovely to watch for those of us who know what it is like.

It is, actually, the continuous atmosphere of heaven! And of all the inhabitants of the universe, for they do not know of divorce in God’s kingdom.

And so Adam and Eve got married (they formed a companionship or friendship based on honey mooning).

Adam then 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. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Genesis 2:23-24.

Then they set up house on their own and lived happily ever after!

Now you all know the story. That’s NOT what happened!!!

Why???

One day Eve wandered away from her husband’s side. Or maybe he did!

Of course, they didn’t have to live in "each other’s pockets" as the saying goes, but the problem was that they were each beginning to develop an "independence" in place of the "individuality" that God had given them.

Where had this problem come from?

Individuality was a part of their design and a wise Creator had made it so.

Why?

Because there is a thin line between good and bad, between righteousness and sin, between heaven and hell. That which was designed for happiness could rather easily become the basis of ruin. It has to be this way because happiness is based on choice. Our choice.

Life in heaven is also based on choice.

The choice is simple – will we do our "own thing" or will we consider others more important than ourselves? This is the ultimate character of God. Jesus chose to give up His plans and come to this earth to help us.

It is called "love".

In this sinful world while we are single it is natural for us to develop along that line as "independents", for each one on earth is a unique character in this universe, and we are born in this condition. And we are often encouraged in this way by well-meaning parents and relations who want us to "stand up for ourselves".

However, this independence must change once we become part of "a couple" and this causes a problem. It is not a new problem, nor is it confined to this earth.

This issue raised its head way back in the beginning of time as soon as the newly created beings realised that there were others in the universe apart from themselves. They soon found that what they wanted for themselves did not always suit others, so they had to learn to modify their desires and "fit in". Failure to do so was the cause of sin.

Thus they discovered that there is more than one principle to live by in God’s kingdom, and that principles have to work in with each other.

Why??? Why should one principle need to be modified by another?

Because a loving Creator had also given them the right of choice. They had to choose between selfishness and self-less-ness. Only in this way could they grow up and interact successfully.

THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!!!

Then, in the creation of this world He gave that same right first to Adam and then to Eve. Adam must have been a quick learner!! He only had a short time before Eve was created out of him.

Eve, of course, was even quicker, for it came more naturally to her being the smart one.

Again, God in His infinite wisdom knew that their greatest happiness (apart from the state of marriage) would be for each of them to have control over their own destiny. And we still like that idea very much! So now we have two principles which we must learn to use at the same time.

Individuality and partnership.

And marriage teaches us how to do that.

Marriage requires that we also consider some one else’s choice.

This, of course, really becomes necessary as soon as we realise that there is another person other than ourselves in the world!! It doesn’t only occur when we fall in love, or begin at the wedding. It begins long before that. In human terms we sometimes call it "the terrible two’s" because we see it so plainly in two year old children.

It is then that we first face the job of modifying our behaviour to fit in with others. And so we begin the process of learning to get on with each other and to share (our toys and space and parents). When we are successful we have a happy life.

Life plus love equals happiness.

I’ll repeat that! Life + love = happiness.

But, just as Adam and Eve found, there is another problem in the equation.

The other man.

You all know the story. It’s the second one in the Bible, straight after the creation one. The adversary of God and man met up with Eve and persuaded her that she was not being treated fairly. He turned her thoughts inward and she began to concentrate on herself, her "individuality", and by doing so she turned it into "independence"!!

That which had been right and proper before marriage now became wrong. Very wrong!!

And that’s what faces all of us today, for Adam and Eve have passed on to us that sinful character of independence. Human nature hasn’t changed in that area since the "fall". Eventually some one or some thing will give us the feeling that we are not getting what we deserve in our marriage. That’s the time we should choose to ignore that feeling and concentrate on giving instead of receiving. This is what it means to "die daily" - to "take up our cross daily" or continuously.

The difference today is that while Adam and Eve could easily have chosen the right option in their time, today we find it impossible to do.

Don’t get me wrong in this! Every bride (.........name) and groom (.........name) are aware of some of each other’s failings. They are mature enough to realise that neither of them is perfect. But at the moment they have on what some of us call "rose coloured glasses" and those things do not matter. But time has a habit of changing the colour of what we see through. Sooner or later the "tint" wears off and we have to learn to "work" at our marriage.

And that’s where Jesus comes in.

He still looks with pleasure upon couples getting married. You probably remember that the first thing He did when He came out of the wilderness after being baptised was to go to the wedding at Cana and turn the water into wine. John 2:1-11. He uses marriage to represent certain aspects of His kingdom, especially the part at the beginning of it when we become Christians- when we "marry" Him.

And also when we have to "work" with Him too!!

And He still comes to each wedding on earth to offer a special power to the couple (if they haven’t already got it) so that they may handle this problem of "independence" versus "individuality". My job today is to stand in for Him, and on His behalf offer the power to choose correctly to the bride and groom (and anyone else present here today who would like it). All any of you have to do is ask for that gift, believe Him when He says that He will give it to you, and go on your way rejoicing in it….

Then USE IT when it is needed.

What is that power?

It is "love" IN Him which is in a "marriage" WITH Him.

When the tempter comes (and he will come), refuse to listen to his whisperings in (or by) the power of a happy and contented "marriage" with Jesus. Use the power of love and obedience to Him [self-less-ness] and you will find that it works. Can any new bride or groom be easily tempted into adultery?

If you remember that every temptation is just a device to get you to choose your own way or desire before or above someone else’s, you are halfway to overcoming it. I say "halfway" because you need the power of Christ in you to be able to choose and hold on to the victory. You need a powerful Husband to be in love with to be successful.

The institution of marriage was the first of the only two things which have survived the catastrophe which occurred in the Garden of Eden. And this catastrophe is often repeated today in what we call divorce! So here and now I issue a formal invitation to "come to Jesus all you who are weak and carrying a heavy burden", and "in Him" you shall find "rest", from divorce, separation, or any other sin problem you might have. Matthew 11:28-29.

With this in mind, we should now listen to the bride and groom as they make their vows to each other before Him and us....

Please stand while they do this:

To Ancient SDA's ............ To "What's New?"

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