Sunday Sermon | 2026 January 11 |1 Corinthians 12:12–20

We continue today to look at the unity among the various members within the church.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12–20.
Title: The Body and the Members (January 11, 2026 · “The Church Loving One Another” Sermon Series, Part Four).
Theme Sentence: By understanding the relationship among the members of the church, we learn the lesson of loving one another.
Guiding Question: What is the relationship among the various ministries within the church?
Transition Sentence: We must understand that the ministries within the church relate to one another in the following ways.
Key Word: How.

I. Understanding the Relationship Between the Whole and the Individual

First, we must emphasize the principle of wholeness. The relationship among the members of the church is the relationship between individuals and the whole. The body is one, but it has many members. Only when these members are joined together can they become one body. Verse 14 says that the body is not one member. This means that the body is not composed of only one kind of member. Among brothers and sisters, there are clear distinctions; we are not all the same.

We as human beings always want to look for people who are similar to ourselves. Yet God deliberately places different people together, so that we may learn and practice being united as one. This is God’s good pleasure.

Second, we emphasize mutual benefit. Adam Smith once said that the division of labor is the source of wealth. Because gifts differ, division of labor within a community becomes inevitable, and such division and cooperation bring about the growth of the community’s wealth.

The effect produced by cooperation among the members is not simply a matter of one plus one equaling two. Rather, it is the concept of becoming a whole. That is to say, without this union, a member cannot truly function. A member separated from the body is a useless member, and a body separated from its members is a crippled body. This is an angle of the relationship among church members that we rarely consider. We often fail to appreciate the importance of our relationships with one another.

Third, this relationship is not a mechanical relationship, as if different parts were merely assembled together. It is an organic relationship, like that between the hands, feet, ears, eyes, and nose. There is a living connection among the members. Within this organic body, every member benefits. Conversely, if this organic connection is broken, all the members may die.

Take the relationship between husband and wife as an example. A man and a woman come together as husband and wife and can bear children and multiply. But if there is only one party, offspring cannot be produced. The function of bearing and raising children exists only when husband and wife are united together.

Fourth, the church, composed of Christians, is a whole. It is one body. We were baptized by one Spirit into one body, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. This oneness is extremely important. Different functions are coordinated with one another so that the whole may benefit. Scripture consistently emphasizes the principle of wholeness and opposes an individualistic principle.

What the Holy Spirit brings forth is one church, one whole, and then within that whole, He adds brick upon brick. It is not that materials are first gathered and then a building is slowly constructed. Rather, the Triune God first has a blueprint for the church, and then the Holy Spirit brings in each individual person.

We can illustrate this by using the example of starting a company. Someone first decides to start a company and then begins to recruit employees. It is not that people are gathered first and then someone thinks about starting a company. God first intends to build a church, and then He calls different people to come into that church. Therefore, we must treat every church member with care. Some are pillars of the church; others are different kinds of materials.

II. Knowing What Differences Exist Among Individuals

First, the differences among the members of the church can be so great that they are beyond human imagination. Consider Jews and Greeks, slaves and free. These represent the greatest social distinctions among human beings. Yet God intends to bridge these greatest cultural and social gaps.

The functions of the hand and the foot, the ear and the eye, the nose and the eye are completely different. Such differences sometimes make it impossible for us to understand one another. We may even feel that the other person’s way of thinking is completely flawed.

Yet God wants to assemble these different organs together, so that everyone may be coordinated with one another, serve one another, and function together. The hand does the work of the hand, the foot does the work of the foot, the ear does the work of the ear, the eye does the work of the eye, and the nose does the work of the nose. In this way, the members are coordinated with one another, and a person becomes whole. The lack of any single organ will bring problems to the entire body.

Second, “birds of a feather flock together” is a natural human tendency. People like to associate with those of the same social class or background. Human beings tend to ignore, or even reject, those who are different from themselves.

Recognizing the differences among brothers and sisters is extremely important. We often complain, asking why others are not like us, and why no one agrees with us. In fact, this is completely normal, because people are inherently different. Our knowledge, age, experience, and even gender are different. It is normal that we view issues differently. The key question is how we handle these differences. If we handle them properly, we remain one body. If we handle them according to our fleshly desires, the result is fragmentation and collapse. We must see the differences among the members and also accept and tolerate these differences.

Third, God requires a group of completely different people—even people who may be hostile toward one another—to form a new community marked by mutual love, in order to display God’s glory. The greater the differences, the greater the glory. This can be seen in the story of missionaries bringing the gospel to the cannibal tribes of Ecuador in South America.

III. Understanding the Needs Among Individuals

The members of the church are not only different; they also need one another. This need is like the hand needing the foot, the foot needing the hand, the ear needing the eye, and the eye needing the ear. This is something we rarely pay attention to, so much so that we fail to recognize our need for one another. At times, we even feel ashamed to admit that we need others.

Modern films and television often encourage female independence, even portraying scenarios in which a woman separates from the father and raises a child alone, as though doing so were a source of pride and glory. In such independence, people seem to feel triumphant, as if their self-esteem has reached its highest fulfillment. This is actually a grave error.

Needing one another is not shameful. God built this need into human beings at creation. Human beings are meant for communal life. No one can exist independently of others. Why, then, do we feel ashamed of needing others? We must reflect on the problem within ourselves. Needing others does not make us inferior. In fact, all people need one another. In unity, everyone benefits.

Second, the members of the church cannot maintain distance from one another. They must be closely connected in order to achieve what God intends. A member must be joined to the body in order to function. Therefore, committing oneself to a local church is of great necessity.

The degree of unity among brothers and sisters far exceeds what we ourselves imagine. The relationship among church members is second only to the marital relationship. We are spiritual brothers and sisters, like family. Caring for one another’s needs and helping one another is entirely natural. This relationship becomes a testimony of God’s children.

Third, the mutual need among church members goes far beyond what we imagine. We likely have not realized how deep this mutual need truly is. Philosophies that promote class struggle are profoundly evil, because even different social classes need one another. Only when different social classes or groups love one another can there be harmony and peace in society.

Fourth, many members casually change churches and communities, failing to recognize this need for unity. The atomization of modern society is a scheme of Satan and is a condition the church must work to reverse. People no longer taste the benefits of fellowship. They tend to separate from one another and keep their distance. All of this is displeasing to God.

Fifth, modern people divorce casually, leaving whenever things feel unsuitable, and in doing so, they lose much happiness. In fact, we have misunderstood happiness. We think being alone brings happiness, but true happiness is found in being integrated into a community.

IV. Grasping the Fruit and Joy of Unity in the Lord

First, God arranges us in the body according to His will and good pleasure, with the purpose that we might experience the fruit of unity and enjoy its goodness.

The fruit of unity far exceeds one plus one equaling two. The power unleashed by a unified community is beyond human imagination. When we are united, it is like a fish in water. Many problems are resolved smoothly, as though God Himself were helping us. The mutual assistance among brothers and sisters causes outsiders to marvel and brings glory to God’s name.

The joy of unity also far surpasses what we imagine, yet it is something we rarely taste.

Second, in order to attain such unity, people must lay aside their own opinions and put to death their old selves. As we mentioned when discussing how to build a life community, we must undergo a process of emptying ourselves. Without such emptying, true unity cannot be established.

A philosopher, Zhou Guoping, once said that people are like hedgehogs: they want to draw near to keep warm, yet they are afraid of being pricked by one another’s spines. Therefore, in order to keep warm together, they must remove their spines.

However, without Christ, it is impossible for people to remove their own spines. This is why humanity has no perfect relationships. Yet Christ enables us to taste in advance the goodness of the kingdom of heaven.

Third, modern people have scarcely tasted the benefits and joy brought by unity. We always think we are most comfortable and happiest when we are alone. People tend toward mutual rejection. But God tells us that there is another kind of joy we have not tasted—the joy of being united together.

Why is it that when we leave a community, we often feel a sense of sorrow? It is because when God created human beings, He intended them to participate in communal life. This is intrinsic to God’s design for humanity.

Fourth, when a church is united, the Holy Spirit fills it more abundantly, so that every member tastes supreme joy and sweetness. Yet what unites every member is only the love that comes from Christ. Without love, there is only mutual hatred among people.

Conclusion: We must be united as one in Christ.

Questions:
1. How do we understand the relationship among the members of the church?
2. How should we view the differences among one another?
3. How should we understand our needs for one another?
4. Have we tasted the fruit and joy of unity?