Understanding the Lord's Supper (By Thomas Hill)

Understanding the Lord’s Supper

It helps to break up long road trips by occasionally stopping for a bit of sightseeing. My plan with the Luke sermon series is to do something similar by sprinkling in several short series along the way. This pattern will help us to remain fresh and expectant each Sunday. The first short series begins this Sunday: Understanding the Lord’s Supper from 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.

There are several reasons a three-week focus on the Lord’s Supper will be beneficial to us. First, we want our participation in the Lord’s Supper to be thoughtful and meaningful. We can mitigate rote habits and thoughtless rituals with better understanding. Second, the need for ongoing instruction is always present. Not only do each of us need regular reminders of the Lord’s instruction, but Crestview has also added many members since I last preached on this ordinance. Third, I regularly receive questions from/about non-members eating the Supper. Since this question surfaces consistently, it seems prudent to equip all members to answer the "who" question correctly.

Last, a survey revealed that as many as 52% of SBC churches practice open communion (welcoming unbaptized, non-church members to eat). If accurate, this would indicate that a majority of SBC churches may be practicing the Supper in a way that stands contrary to the Baptist Faith & Message and the majority of Baptist churches in history. I hope to promote the joyful significance of celebrating our Lord's Supper among regenerated, baptized church members.

Because I will be preaching about the Lord's Supper, it seems fitting that we celebrate the Supper each of the following three Sundays. This is not a permanent change to weekly practice; it is merely a short-term way to strengthen our hearts through this series. After this series, we plan to return to celebrating monthly.

Spring Quarter Begins This Sunday

This Sunday, March 2, begins the new spring quarter. In addition to the new sermon series, new equipping courses begin. See the list of new classes in the newsletter below. The start of spring is an ideal time to plug into the church!

Who Will You Invite This Sunday?

I love how many of you are praying and purposefully engaging friends, family, and neighbors in gospel conversations! An excellent way to help those around you hear the gospel is to invite them to gathered worship on Sundays. Hearing a sermon is a chief way the Spirit draws disciples. Bring a friend to experience the preaching, singing, praying, and loving of the church. Who will you invite this week?

Vermont Mission Team

The 58-person mission team from Christ Memorial Church in Vermont has arrived and is working on updates to the McIntosh campus. They are “camping” in our fellowship hall building and cooking their meals here. Thank you to all who have helped to welcome them. As you have opportunities to interact with them, let’s continue extending warm hospitality.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

A Special Day

Lord’s Supper & Members Meeting this Sunday

We should always prioritize gathering with the church each Lord's Day. But the days we celebrate the Lord's Supper and have our quarterly members meeting, like this coming Sunday, should have a particular priority.

Our faith grows as we eat the supper, obeying Jesus's command to remember him in this way. As we eat, we testify to our incorporation into the Lord’s church (“The bread that we break is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” 1 Cor 10:16). What a privilege to gather and eat!

Congregationalism is a conviction that comes with certain obligations. Under the Lord, each Crestview member not only shares a common faith and doctrine but is also tasked with the responsibility to hear the updates from your leaders and participate in decision-making. Remember, the local church is the sum of its members. Unless providentially hindered, I hope we will all display the biblical conviction of living congregationalism this Sunday by being present.

Adjustment to our Saturday Service Day Efforts

The time has come to adjust to our Saturday service days. We are not making immediate plans to organize a Crestview-specific service team each Saturday. In its place, we will encourage volunteering with Samaritan’s Purse. Many want to continue serving with storm cleanup. Samaritan's Purse intends to continue operating out of Oak Hill Church until at least March 11. They have a good list of homes, tools, and staff to assess needs. Training begins daily at 7:30 am and 12:30 pm, including Saturdays. Let’s continue to pull together Crestview folks and use this avenue to serve neighbors and share the gospel on Saturdays (or other days).

Of course, if a specific home needs help, we can always organize a Crestview-specific effort through our deacons.

Roof Work Starting Soon

Weather permitting, and Lord willing, we hope to start roofing work next week!

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

Reasons to Attend this Sunday

“And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples…” Acts 6:2

REASONS TO ATTEND THIS SUNDAY

There are many reasons you should be present this Sunday, but I want to encourage you with three. First, it is the Lord’s Day, and He is worthy of all worship and devotion. Your church needs your voice, service, hospitality, gifts, and involvement.  Second, we will be eating the Lord’s Supper together. Every believer who is physically able to do so should make attendance at the Lord’s table a priority. Let’s not take this lightly. Eating together as one assembly nurtures the church and is a way you continue to identify as a follower of Jesus and member of his church.

MEMBERS MEETING

The third reason to be present this Sunday is our quarterly members meeting immediately following gathered worship. When significant decisions were needed in the churches of the New Testament, the entire church was gathered to make them. Due to covid we had to postpone the February meeting, so this is our first one in six months. You will receive important updates on the life of the church, hear recommendations from the elders on several important decisions, receive new members, see others out of membership, and learn about plans to add additional seating in the worship center. If you are not present, you will miss something and we will miss you. We will move through the content as quick as reasonably possible so expect the meeting to take 30-45 minutes.

Thank you for planning ahead and being present this Sunday!

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

What About Lord's Supper This Sunday?

So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another – if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home…1 Corinthians 11:33-34a

WHAT ABOUT LORD’S SUPPER THIS SUNDAY?

When we meet this Sunday for Gathered Worship, we plan to eat the Lord’s Supper as Christ’s assembled church. This is one of the believer’s high privileges of being united to Christ and a member of his church. Because a portion of you may be planning to watch from home, I think it is wise for a bit of pastoral counsel about how to approach the supper this Sunday.

I am aware of churches who have encouraged the practice of “virtual Lord’s Supper” in which families prepare and eat their own bread and juice at home as they watch a live stream of the service. I and our elders do not encourage you to do this. While well-intentioned, this kind of “virtual Lord’s Supper” is a practice that takes “virtual church” too far. Watching a live stream is a temporary aid but is not a replacement for the gathering of the local church family.  A “virtual Lord’s Supper” does not seem to be wise because it is at odds in several ways with Scripture’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.  

In this passage, Paul meticulously corrects several errors in the church’s understanding and practice of the supper:

1. He is clear that the supper is for the gathered church and not to be eaten independently: “One goes ahead with his own meal…do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God…” (vss. 21-22).

2. He urges them to eat as the assembled church at a time and location that maximizes participation: “So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another” (vs. 33).

3. He makes a distinction between the location of the gathered church and the family home: “…when you come together to eat, wait for one another – if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home” (vs. 33)

In light this, it is our practice as a church to eat the Lord’s Supper in Gathered Worship on Sundays, as we will this week. Join us if you are able. If you are unable to attend, due to COVID concerns or other physical limitations, we understand and will miss you. For most of you, such an absence is short-term and temporary.  So, as you watch from home, I pray the Spirit will minister to you during this challenging season and that the live stream will be an aid to this. I also pray that your desire to, “Do this in remembrance of me” (vs. 25), will draw you back to regularly assembling with your church as soon as you are able.

MODIFIED GATHERING PLANS FOR JANUARY

As a reminder, we are pausing our small group gatherings for the remainder of January. This is our current ministry schedule:

• Sunday 10:30 AM Gathered Worship: Our Sunday gathering takes place in-person and via live stream as normal.  There are no equipping courses, nursery, or community group gatherings. Children sit with their parents during the service.  

• Wednesday 6:30 PM Discipling: We meet as one group in the worship center for Discipling. We are studying the Gospel of Luke and praying together. There is no nursery, kids, or student ministries, but families are welcome to participate together in the worship center. This gathering is not be available by live stream.

 For His Glory,

 Pastor Thomas