“No Other!” (Exodus 20:3)

S-1206 14SAP/3C 3/03/10 Hymns (O) #; S#; #(C) #

Texts: Proverbs 3:3-6; Ephesians 5:15-21; John 15:12-17

Theme: “No Other!” (Exodus 20:3)

Wedding: Whitney Marie Wright and Michael (Angelo) Montoya

SOLI DEO GLORIA, Armour, SD

Angelo and Whitney, as we gather in the Lord’s house today to join you as husband and wife in His presence, I share with you these words to encourage you in your married life. “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3).

“I Am the LORD Your God…You shall have no other gods.” This is the first commandment God spoke to the people of Israel out of the thunder and lightning on Mount Sinai. The Lord had graciously rescued the Israelites from the bondage, tyranny and slavery in Egypt. They were His chosen people—His treasured possessions. He demonstrated His love for them, by the 10 plagues He brought upon Egypt to win their freedom. They would find every blessing of earthly life and for the future heavenly life ONLY in Him. So He commanded them to worship Him alone. Sadly, within the next 40 days, the people became guilty of open idolatry by worshiping the golden calf.

“You shall have no other God”, the Lord said. It is an important lesson for you to remember as you enter into this most solemn and blessed life style that He is granting you. Remember it well when the temptations come. Did you hear what I said, WHEN THEY COME, not if they come? Certainly the temptation to forsake God and partner are very high when you consider that almost half of marriages end up in divorce. Therefore, Angelo and Whitney be on the alert and have no other God in your lives BUT the Lord Jesus to reign and rule your hearts, heads and homes.

You shall have NO OHTER. Those are valuable words for you. Don’t take them lightly. Don’t take them carelessly, but think about them and ponder them often. What does it mean for you Angelo that you would take Whitney to be your wife, and you Whitney to take Angelo to be your husband. PAUSE.

In 1995 Mel Gibson directed and starred in an epic drama movie called Brave Heart. Mel Gibson played A Scottish warrior William Wallace. William married in secret the love of his life a farmer’s daughter called Murron. The reason they did it in secret was to avoid the primae noctis, (first night”). This was a law in the land that demanded any newlywed bride to sleep with the king before she sleeps with her husband.

The marriage was performed in secret, knowing full well the danger of being put to death. They chose to do it, because they will not have another person in their lives. As the vows were spoken by each to-be-spouse, each one said: “I shall take you and NO OTHER!”

With these words, the couple swore allegiance to each other and to the God who bound them together as husband and wife. With these words they were committed to each other and not to another. That is a good virtue.

As God’s holy and redeemed children, I exhort you to take this attitude and thought into your marriage as well. That you would have no other person or things come between you two. Not work, friends or even family. You be committed to the Lord Jesus Christ first and foremost; this will help you be committed to each other also.

Remember what I said earlier? “Sadly, within the next 40 days, the people became guilty of open idolatry by worshiping the golden calf.” It is the golden calf of today that I want you to be aware of. Be careful to avoid the golden calf of pleasure, power, and prestige that may get to your heart. Don’t let the golden calf of time, of job, or fun get in the way of worshipping the Lord together. Don’t let the golden calf of building your future and focusing only on earthly things, drag you down. But instead, feed yourselves on the Word of God. Worship together. Pray together and for each other. Pray that God will guide you to be a godly husband and father Angelo and you Whitney to be godly wife and mother. And when the child arrives, make sure you take him/her to the Lord’s house to baptise him/her and continue to be present around the Word and Sacrament so that he (and any other children) may grow in the grace, knowledge and love of Jesus.

Today is a very exciting day for both of you. You are so excited, you are not thinking about the challenges that will come 5, 10, 20 or 30 years from now. But I assure you they will come. And in order for you to be able to meet the challenges and your marriage survive; you need a personal relationship with Jesus and His Word.

Angelo, you will be the head of this house. As such, God lays upon you the responsibility to care for, protect, cherish, spoil, love and build Whitney up. You are to be the spiritual leader in the house. You make sure you know the way to the Church. Take Whitney by hand and the child in the other and spend time listening to Jesus and His Word. Grow as the man of the house in love, compassion and goodness towards your beloved Queen.

Whitney, you as the Queen of the house are to care for, love, honor, cherish and support your husband in every aspect of His life. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Be patient with each other and forgive each other often. Let nothing get between you or go to bed angry with one another.

I pray that God’s Word and the text I have chosen for your special day would be of great help to you as you walk together in this lifestyle as husband and wife. Remember what the Lord said, “I Am the LORD Your God…You shall have no other gods.” And indeed He is a God like no other. He is a God who loves you with an everlasting love and cherishes the opportunity to embrace you with His grace and mercy. He is a God who supplies all of YOUR needs—in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Indeed, we have a God like no other who desires to be our God, provide for our earthly life and the life to come with Him in heaven. This God doesn’t do anything in secret because of fear, but made His love known to the world, through the death and glorious resurrection of the world’s Only Savior, Jesus Christ, so that all may know of His everlasting love.

Angelo and Whitney, you have a God like no other, who loves you more than you love your future spouse. He made known this love to you as He sent His only Son, Jesus to die and rise for all of your sins and grant you life and salvation.

And with a God like this, who has given you such great blessings in Christ Jesus and in YOUR spouse to fill your every desire, you need NO OTHER. May God continue to bless you as you devote your love first and foremost to the God of love and from Him take that love and share it with each other.

Angelo and Whitney, I want to give you something to help you remember these words. A cross that I made for you to keep your eyes focused on the God of love, Jesus Christ. God’s richest blessings upon your married lives. Amen.

SDG.