The DNA of the Church

Matthew 17:1–8 NKJV

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

Matthew 18:20 NKJV

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Jesus said He would build His Church

Matthew 16:18 NKJV

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Yet Jesus did not stay in any geographical location long enough to build a building.

Jesus did not come to build a “holy place” on earth.

Upon seeing the heavenly transfiguration of Jesus with Moses and Elijah on the mountaintop, Peter said, “Lord, it is good for us to be here!” He then suggested building three tabernacles on the mountaintop, one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for Jesus.

The voice of the Father then shook Peter and the disciples with fear as He said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” When Jesus touched them, they looked up and saw Jesus only.

Jesus did not intend for the disciples to build a tabernacle, temple, or shrine on the mountaintop of transcendence—“God High and Holy”.

Immediately following this mountaintop experience, Jesus and the three disciples descended to the valley of human need. He became immanent—“God with us”. It was in His immanence that Jesus ministered to human need.

God rejected a tabernacle for Moses which represents the voice of the Law.

God rejected a tabernacle for Elijah which represents the voice of prophecy.

God even rejected a tabernacle for Jesus. Why? Jesus did not come to take residence in a building. Rather, He came to take residence in the hearts of men.

Jesus did not come to build a “holy place” but to dwell in a “holy people”.

What is the Church?

The Church may be organized, but it is not an organization.

The Church may meet in a building, but it is not a building.

The Church is a living spiritual organism called the Body of Christ.

The Human Body

CELLS

The cell is the building block of life.

The cell has been referred to as God’s “universe within”.

A cell can be as tiny as a microbe one two-hundred-and-fifty-thousandth of an inch in diameter or as large as an ostrich egg.

Cells are as diverse as those of a flower, of a fish, an animal, a bird, an insect, a human being, or a giant redwood tree.

Regardless of their diversity, each cell has the foundational elements for life.

Every cell has an outer wall that makes it a self-contained unit of life.

Within this outer wall is a semi-fluid material in which the activities within the cell take place.

At the heart of the cell is the control center called the “nucleus”.

Within this nucleus is the hereditary material that enables the survival of its kind.

DNA

The nucleus contains a chemically coiled strand that is called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid—de-oxy-ribo-nucleic acid)

DNA is the blueprint of the cell that gives the cell the information it needs to develop and grow.

DNA is the biological computer that holds the mapping system of life.

The DNA looks like a continuous spiral ladder.

According to Paul Brand and Philip Yancey in their book Fearfully and Wonderfully Made (Zondervan, 1980), p. 45-46, this is how DNA works in the human body. Once the biological inheritance contained in your mother’s egg and father’s sperm has been shared, the DNA chemical ladder splits down the center of every gene like the unzipping of a zipper. The DNA re-forms itself each time the cell divides – each cell having the identical DNA. Along the way, cells specialize to form different parts of the body, yet each cell carries the entire instruction manual of one hundred thousand genes. The biological instructions contained in your DNA, if written out, would fill a thousand volumes, with each volume 600 pages long. A brain cell may specialize according to information contained in volume two while a cell for the eye may specialize according to information from volume 100. Yet the entire DNA mapping system for the entire body is contained within each cell. These cells do not evolve but produce identical reproductions. The DNA is so compacted that all the genes in your body’s cells could fit into an ice cube; however, if the DNA were unwound and joined together end to end, the strand could stretch from the earth to the sun and back again – more than 400 times.

RNA

RNA (ribonucleic acid; ribo-nucleic acid) is the chemical material that acts as a messenger to deliver DNA information beyond the nucleus.

Thus, RNA activates and collects new materials that eventually become part of the cell multiplication process.

CANCER CELLS

A cancer cell occurs when a damaged gene within the cell no longer responds to correct messaging in the division process.

Some cancer cells divide according to messaging outside of the cell.

Some cancer cells do not respond to the “stop” signal within the cell resulting in the over-multiplication and piling up of damaged cells (tumor or growth).

Some cancer cells divide prematurely before receiving the “all clear” signal. This results in abnormal cells that do not contain the complete DNA information of healthy cells.

The DNA of the Church

Jesus did not spend three and one-half years of His earthly ministry trying to build a building or to establish an organization.

The Body of Christ is like a “cell” that contains both spiritual DNA and RNA.

Jesus lived to establish Himself as the DNA within His Body, the Church.

The DNA of the Church is “Christ in the Midst”.

Matthew 18:20 NKJV

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Colossians 1:27 NKJV

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Jesus taught and trained disciples to be the RNA messengers to accurately communicate, replicate, and multiply the DNA of Christ in every new “cell” or “local church” that formed.

The RNA “messengers” of the DNA are members within the Christian community or Church.

Churches are to reproduce according to the model of “Christ in the Midst”.

A local church may have many structures in place but if it is missing the DNA of “Christ in the Midst”, it has become a cancerous cell and will be rejected.

Revelation 2:2–4 NKJV

“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

RESPONSE TO THE WORD

Is Jesus Christ the DNA of your life?

Are you becoming more like Jesus?

Are you as RNA correctly communicating the DNA of Jesus to others?

If not, are you a cancer cell that needs to repent and be restored to health?

As believers and as a church, are we ready to acknowledge and practice the presence of Jesus in our midst?