Good morning!

Yesterday was one for the books. 192 people in attendance! I have been pastor for going on nine years and we experienced two "firsts" yesterday. One, we were singing so loud I couldn't hear any of the instruments. Your voices were energetic and passionate. What makes it even more special was what we were singing in that moment. "I need thee, O I need thee, every hour I need thee. O bless me now my Savior, I come to thee." This is ringing in my mind this morning. I need Jesus. Every hour, every minute, every second I need Him. Thank you for leading the worship yesterday.

The second "first" was that we ran our of juice cups for the Lord's Supper. Church, we are growing exponentially in this season. Some may look at that and think that it was bad planning. I look at it with gratitude. How can you be a part of stewarding this growth and need for more help? I pray you think about that today.

Since we have brought up the Lord's Supper, I fielded multiple concerns and questions about how we partook of it yesterday. We invited the children in from children's church to join us in this church ordinance. Should that happen? Is that biblical? Lets talk about it.

There are two main "styles" of holding communion (Lord's Supper) in church. First, there is what is called open communion. This invites all professing believers to partake and join in on communion. Second, some churches hold to a closed communion. This means that only members of that particular local body are able to partake. There is a third way that is called close communion. This allows for members of churches in the same denomination to partake. In other words if you are Baptist you can partake at Cedar Grove (this is just an example).

Where do we stand at Cedar Grove? How about we see what God's Word says about it. That overrides any tradition or personal preference. Please take a moment and read 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. I find no basis for a closed communion. the Lord's Supper is for all professing believers. But, I know what you are thinking... How do we make sure that everyone who is partaking is saved? The answer is simple: we can't. Just like we cannot be sure that every children's worker, security guard, usher, door greeter, or life group leader is saved. Yes, we can see their fruit, and I believe we can have discernment. There must be an expectation of salvation for those who help in the ministry. I am not advocating for letting lost people be a vital part of ministry. Lost people need the Gospel. That is their starting point. However, when it comes to the Lord's Supper how do we balance this? Scripture answers clearly.

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), 1 Co 11:27–29.

As your pastor, my job is to present the opportunity to obey the command to partake in the Lord's Supper. This is for the saints. The churches job is not to pick and choose who we deem worthy of it. This is a dangerous practice. In the same manner, it is a dangerous practice to partake while not being born-again. This is why you must self-examine.

Parents, it is your responsibility to teach this to your kids. If you have a child who is saved, the Bible tells us they need to take the Lord's Supper. If you have a child who is not born-again, they need to watch and observe. What a beautiful opportunity to teach the Gospel to that lost child! I will come alongside you in this responsibility, but God has put you as their spiritual leaders and teachers. I and the teachers at Cedar Grove are supplementary.

Now, as I bring this terribly long email to a close, let me clarify one more thing. We will not allow division over this. If we read Paul's passage closely, we will see that his main point was actually against those who mistreated the poorer members of the church. We don't have time to break that down, but it is right there in the text. The Lord's Supper is taken corporately, but it is also a personal practice. Personal preference is okay, as long as it does not hinder the unity of the church. We are one body. we are one family. I thank God for that!

I love you Cedar Grove. And I am thankful for a family who loves the Lord with me! May I encourage you to keep fighting the fight. Happy in the Lord, amen. Buh-bye.

Pastor Jacob Lannom