Wise & Innocent
Dear Mosaic Family,
In Matthew chapter 10, the Lord Jesus Christ sends out the 12 disciples to proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand, the King is here, His name is Jesus, and whoever repents of sin and believes in the Gospel is welcome to enter. To prepare them for the reality of preaching this message to sinners hostile to God and His Rule and Reign, Jesus promises persecution. Jesus promises: "You will be hated for my name's sake."
As our society becomes ever more hostile to Christianity, we should pay ever closer attention to how Jesus teaches us to advance the kingdom of God effectively, despite the open opposition.
Jesus says, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16). The "innocent as doves" part is straightforward. But what does it mean to be "wise as serpents"? The serpent in Scripture is presented as being crafty, subtle, and shrewd. Jesus is focused on technique. Christians should strive to be as effective and skillful as possible in expanding the Kingdom of God.
In Genesis 47, we see Joseph operating in the highest court in the world, with the perfect balance of wisdom and innocence, in order to bless his family and further the Kingdom of God. The beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that God offers us grace to save us from sin, and also from folly. In the Lord Jesus Christ are "hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3), the closer you walk with Him, the more you know Him, the more you love Him, the more He graduates you to ever greater levels of wisdom, and thus fruitfulness.
Join us this Sunday, as we study Genesis 47 and seek to grow in wisdom.
Looking forward to worshiping with you!
Pastor Jan
Catch up on our current sermon series
This Week's Announcements
Baptism Seminar
Sunday, August 27 at 1:00 PM
“We believe that Christian Baptism is the Baptism of a believer upon their profession of faith, into the name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit; to show forth, in a solemn and beautiful sign, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. Baptism is a symbol of union with Christ and entry to his church but does not impart spiritual life.”
— Mosaic Boston Statement of Faith
WHY BAPTISM?
Baptism symbolizes a Believer’s union with Jesus Christ, who laid down His life and took it up again for us, so that we too might walk in the newness of life. It is a picture of death and resurrection. And deciding to be baptized is a big milestone for any Christian, and it is an important part of your walk with God.
Coming to faith in Christ is not an abstract, theoretical exercise. Becoming a Christian is about regeneration, the regeneration of your heart. It’s about freeing yourself from all the things that can never really make you happy, and accepting all the awesome things that God wants for you and your life. For this transformation to happen, you have to realize just how much God loves you and how broken we are without Him. And it also means coming to terms with the cost of what Jesus did to restore our relationship with God and with one another, and the fact that this gift is given to us by grace, and not through our own human efforts.
But baptism itself isn’t what changes you. It’s an outward expression of a change that’s already happened on the inside. So why do we do it? It’s part of the Great Commission from Jesus, Himself, who taught us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And it is also a fantastic way to celebrate, profess and share your faith with the people in your life who support and love you.
Register for an upcoming Baptism Seminar to learn more.
Mosaic Members' Meeting
Sunday, September 10 at 1:00 PM
If you are a covenant member of Mosaic or have been notified that you are being voted into membership, join us for our quarterly meeting. Please bring a dish to share.
If you are not yet a covenant member, but would like to pursue membership with us at Mosaic, you can sign up for our next membership 101 class here.
Giving Platform
We've changed our online giving platform. If you have recurring giving set up in Pushpay, please login and follow these steps to cancel. You can now give via Planning Center Giving here.
Songs for Sunday
If you would like to know what we'll be singing on Sunday, you can find the playlist here.