Some of you may be wondering … WHAT CODE? What silly code does Pastor Rom want us to know now? Well, to be exact, our spiritual genetic code… And, why is that important for us to know? Well, though genetics and DNA are relatively modern concepts, they’re rooted in creation … as it comes from the hand of God. So, our lives are actually closer to scripture, and to the way God works both in nature and in society, when we think genetically about the church … instead of just organizationally (which has been the Church’s habit for way too long)…
So, instead of thinking of church simply through organizational eyes, during this series we’re going to do our best to look at the Church—our church in particular—through God’s eyes … through our spiritual genetic code … or DNA, as God has designed us. Let’s begin with this:
DNA: “Noun: A nucleic acid that carries the genetic information in the cell and is capable of self-replication and synthesis of RNA. DNA consists of two long chains of nucleotides twisted into a double helix and joined by hydrogen bonds between the complementary bases adenine and thymine or cytosine and guanine. The sequence of nucleotides determines individual hereditary characteristics.”
Did you get all that? In a nutshell, DNA is this: It’s the stuff in our cells that make us who we are … and who our offspring are. Are you with me? So, what is our spiritual genetic code … as the Church? What is it that’s at the center of who we are as the Church, by God’s design—that makes us who we are … that really shows us who we’re supposed to be?
Just to get the blood pumping through your brain a little bit, let’s begin with the object our faith: Jesus Christ … or, humanly speaking, Jesus of Nazareth—son of Joseph and Mary. Or, is he the Son of God? Which is it?
Have you ever wondered about Jesus’ DNA? According to scripture, he was both fully human … and fully divine. So, what did his DNA look like? Certainly, he had DNA, since he was fully human. Hebrews 2:17 (NLT) says,“Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.”
So, Jesus was ‘to be made in every respect like us.’ But, his DNA couldn’t’ have been exactly like Mary’s … or Jesus would have been a clone (and that would be weird). But then, we could ask (since DNA is hereditary)…
- Did Jesus have the DNA of Adam?
- Or was it more nearly that of David, the ‘man after God’s own heart?’
- Clearly, it couldn’t have been that of Joseph, his earthly father, for from him Jesus inherited nothing genetically…
…which leads me to this: Clearly the Church—Christ’s Body—doesn’t have the same physical DNA of Jesus—even though the church is in some sense physical, made up of flesh-and-blood Christians living on earth. But the Body—Christ’s Body, the Church—is the Body spiritually… And it’s to bear the likeness of Christ, just as surely as if we’d inherited Jesus’ physical DNA. I hope you get the idea… In other words, there must be a family resemblance … if we—the Church—are in fact Christ’s Living Body on earth today!
If there has to be a family resemblance … and that it is a clue to who we are as the Church (that we have a spiritual genetic code or DNA), then we need to begin to ask some very important questions about how we look at the Church—even our church right here… beginning with:
Is the Church a Living Organism or an Institution? How we think about the church has everything to do with who we are as the church…
I seriously think that this is one of the main reasons that the mainline churches in America are dying today, very much as has been the case in Europe for decades now. We’ve looked at the Church as an institution for way too long! In fact, it was never intended to be an institution … but, rather, a movement—a life movement of the living Body of Christ! And, the fact is:
- If we look at the Church as an institution, we’ll treat the Church like an institution … and people will continue to be driven away in droves! “Hey, do you want to be a part of an institution … with lots of bureaucracy thrown in?” No one wants that, do they?
- BUT … if we look at the Church as a living organism—the living Body of Christ on earth, people will want to be a part of that! A living movement of LOVE … not a dying or dead institution!
Do you see what I mean? How we look at the Church will have everything to do with how we behave as a church! So, how has the Church historically seen itself? … Let me take you back a few years to a very special gathering of the Early Church called ‘The Council of Nicea’ (1st Council = 325 A.D.). This was a gathering of religious leaders who wanted to put into place—in writing—what was at the center of who the Church was to be—reflecting Christ … the One we follow. The end product was ‘The Nicene Creed’ (p. 880, Blue Hymnal)… From this came the famous ‘marks’ of the Church; so the next question might be…
Are We Reflecting the Historic ‘Marks’ of the Church (the Church’s DNA)? The main DNA scripture of God’s Word … for the Church:
“Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.” – Ephesians 4:1-6 (NLT)
The historic marks (attributes, characteristics, etc.):
- The Church is to be … ONE (vv. 4-6)!
- The Church is to be … HOLY (Eph. 5:25-27, set apart for God’s purposes)!
- The Church is to be … cATHOLIC (small ‘c,’ which means universal—for the whole world)…
- The Church is to be … APOSTOLIC!
Ephesians 2:20 (NLT) speaks to this last one: “Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.”This is why ‘apostolic succession’ is so important in the life of the Church. The leadership of the Church is always supposed to follow in the line of past apostles … so that there is a family resemblance! There’s the DNA of the Church in general (i.e. One, Holy, catholic and Apostolic)… So, is that who we are?
And, since The Council of Nicea, church leaders have found other complimentary ‘marks’ of the church that are just as biblical—not taking away from what was done at Nicea, but adding to it in a responsible, scriptural way. So asking in a responsible, biblical way…
- ‘Who are we to be as a church, according to God’s word—both generally (‘marks’) and specifically here in Southwest Wisconsin?’
- Are we reflecting the DNA of Jesus?
Well, that’s what the next couple of weeks are going to be all about, as we gear up for a new school year as God’s people… So, here’s the bottom line—the final question for today:
Is It Time to Discover Our Church’s DNA? THE ANSWER IS … ‘YES!’ But, only if we really want to know who God is calling us to be right here in Southwest Wisconsin… Folks, we need to know our church’s spiritual genetic code in order to know who we are to be as a church. Do you KNOW THE CODE? We’re going to learn it together as we meet to worship & to study God’s word in the coming weeks…
So, as we finish up today, let me ask again: Do churches have DNA? Absolutely! And, when folks look at us, as a part of the Body of Christ, my prayer’s going to be: “My … what a family resemblance; don’t they truly favor Jesus!” Stick around for the next couple of weeks as we talk about who we are going to be … together!