Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:22–25 (Communion Service)

Speaker: Rev. John Chen

Translated & edited by: Joseph Wang (Yufan)

Title: Caring for One Another

(February 8, 2026 · “The Church Loving One Another” Sermon Series, Part Six)

Theme Sentence:
We are to care for the weaker members, so that the body may not be divided into factions, but that the members may care for one another.

Guiding Question:
How should we treat the weaker members?

Transition Sentence:
We should consider the less presentable members from the following aspects.

Keyword:
Aspects.

Introduction

Today we continue the sermon series “The Church Loving One Another.”

I. Knowing That the Weaker Members Are Indispensable

1. What Are the Weaker, Less Presentable, Uncomely, and Deficient Members?

Within these four short verses, four terms are used to describe certain members of the body. What, then, are the weaker, less presentable, uncomely, and deficient members? These refer to members who appear weak in various aspects—materially, spiritually, intellectually, in gifts and abilities, and in other areas.

In the church, there often seem to be people like this. They appear to be of “little use.” Whatever they do seems merely to make up the numbers, without any significant contribution. Their sense of presence in the church is relatively low. More than that, some members seem to bring us constant trouble, creating difficulties and causing us unnecessary distress. A very obvious example is children. Without such people, it may seem that our tasks and troubles would be fewer; with them, our problems and burdens appear to increase.

In fact, this phenomenon is not limited to the church. In society around us, there also seem to be such people. They appear to contribute little to society, and therefore people avoid them whenever possible. The German film Fog in August vividly portrays how Nazi Germany deliberately sought to eliminate those it labeled as so-called “social refuse.”

2. Why Are the Weaker Members Indispensable?

In worldly thinking, such weak people should be eliminated. The world assumes that survival of the fittest is the governing rule. But this is not the rule in God’s household. Why, then, does God arrange weaker members within the church?

First, these weaker members are not truly useless.
They may be weak or uncomely in certain areas, but in other areas they may be very strong and very admirable. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Some are better at verbal expression; others are better at action or practical service, such as cleaning and organizing. Being weak in one area does not mean being weak in every area. Some people with exceptional talents in certain respects may appear especially incapable in others.

Furthermore, some members are only weak for a season. At certain times they may appear useless, yet at other times they become highly useful. In other words, being useless now does not mean being useless forever. When the time comes for them to function, their value becomes evident. Children in the church are a clear example. At present they may be noisy and disruptive, seemingly a burden to us, but one day they will grow into pillars of the church.

Second—and this is actually more important—we must not view our members through a utilitarian lens. Whether a member is useful or not is not for people to decide, but for God to decide. Since God has joined this member to us, He must have His purpose. We are not qualified to judge whether a member is useful; this belongs to God’s sovereignty, and people must submit to it.

God has joined such members to us for our benefit, and our responsibility is to love them. There may indeed be members who possess no obvious special abilities—for example, if a disabled person joins our congregation. Our attitude should simply be to love them, not to value or despise them based on what abilities they have or do not have.

In judging people, the church must decisively break away from utilitarian thinking. This is one of Satan’s schemes. What we are called to do is to obey God’s law, to love these weaker members, and in doing so to see our own spiritual lives grow toward maturity.

3. God’s Purpose in the Indispensability of Weaker Members

The indispensability of weaker members is something we, in our sinful nature—especially under utilitarian thinking—cannot easily understand. Yet within it lies God’s good purpose. God intentionally uses these seemingly weak members to test our faith, to promote the growth of our spiritual lives, and to refine the maturity of our lives.

4. Our Attitude Toward the Weak Reveals the Quality of Our Life

In fact, our attitude toward the weak truly reveals the quality of our life. Jesus Christ, the strongest One in the universe, willingly died on the cross for our sins—He is our example. “The strong devour the weak” is the rule of the world; the rule of Christianity is to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. The strong stoop down to the weak, suffer for the weak, and bear the sins of the weak—this is the civilization shaped by Christianity.

II. Understanding That We Must Bestow Beauty upon the Weaker Members

1. God’s Intention to Bestow Honor upon the Less Presentable

God’s intention is to add honor to those who are less presentable. God has a special love for these weaker members and desires to give them honor. If they lack honor, God Himself supplies it. God delights in giving honor to the weak.

From Abraham onward, we see this pattern repeatedly: Isaac and Jacob were both younger sons; Moses was a child destined to drown; Rahab, the only one saved in Jericho, was a prostitute; David was the eighth son; Solomon was born to Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. The mother of Jesus, Mary, was a poor rural young woman. And among all the nations of the earth, Israel was the smallest (Deuteronomy 7:7).

2. God Adds Beauty to the Uncomely Members

God continually chooses uncomely and weak members. Why does He do this? God desires to display His mercy. At the same time, God teaches these weak members that everything they have is by His grace alone.

3. God Gives Greater Honor to the Deficient Members

God gives double honor to those who are deficient. Although the abilities of the strong are also given by God, God seems not to favor the strong, but rather to show preference for the weak. As 1 Corinthians 1:26–29 teaches, God acts in this way so that no human being may boast before Him. When we who have been saved reflect on our own past, we must admit that we were indeed defiled and corrupt, unworthy of God’s mercy and choosing.

III. Knowing That Honorable Members Do Not Need Decoration

1. Why the Strong Do Not Need Decoration

Strong, honorable, beautiful, and wealthy members do not need decoration, because these qualities themselves are already the decoration God has given them. God created such honorable members not so that He might further adorn them, but so that they might use what they have to serve those who are less honorable. God does not decorate them; He uses them as His good testimony.

2. The Strong Must Be Especially Careful

Those who possess certain gifts—those who are strong, honorable, beautiful, and wealthy—must be especially careful. God is testing us to see what is truly in our hearts, how we regard what we have been given. Whether we become proud, and whether we show compassion toward weaker members, proves our true understanding of the gospel.

3. Christ as the Supreme Example

Jesus Christ is the strongest One in the universe, yet He was born in a manger and became a weak infant in order to accomplish this great salvation. The Lord Jesus willingly laid aside the glory of heaven in order to stoop down to us weak sinners—this is His love toward us.

Through the Lord Jesus, we learn what grace is, what compassion is, and what mercy is. In His love, we come to a deeper understanding of the gospel and learn how we ourselves ought to humble ourselves.

4. The Purpose of God’s Giftedness

In reality, everything we possess is nothing more than God’s gift and God’s grace. Those of us who have already received strength, honor, beauty, and wealth are meant to help those who are weak. This is precisely the purpose for which God has made us strong.

5. The Warning of God’s Discipline

If we fail to respond rightly to the beauty God has given us, God may remove our beauty, take away our honor and adornment, and place us under His discipline.

IV. Experiencing the Beautiful Benefits of Mutual Care among the Members

1. Everyone Is Weak in Some Way

In fact, every one of us is weak. No strong person is strong in every respect. When we experience weakness, we also need the cooperation and support of other members.

2. True Unity through Difference

To avoid division is to avoid grouping by similarity and separating by difference. We must not simply gather those who are like ourselves. Instead, we must learn to live with those members who differ most from us. Only in this way can we truly achieve unity.

The unity of the church displays the glory of God. Within such unity, each member also receives the greatest benefit—the growth of one’s spiritual life. When we tolerate and accept others, are not others also tolerating and accepting us? All of this is God’s grace. We must continue to grow in grace and learn to love the brothers and sisters within the church.

3. God’s Glory in a Peaceful and Holy Church

To become a church that is both peaceful and holy is the desire of Jesus. When a church begins to pursue mutual care, God’s glory and diversity begin to be displayed within it. This kind of glory cannot be found in society, because society operates by the rule of the strong devouring the weak. Such a society becomes uniform and impoverished, preventing people from rightly exercising their gifts.

In contrast, within the church, as God’s love flows among us, we are able to serve one another with our various gifts. We become a living community in which each member can exercise his or her strengths, together enjoying the richness and goodness God provides.

Within such a community, each person receives what they could never obtain alone, and thus enjoys the richness and goodness given by God. Such a church leads to ever richer experience and ever greater wisdom.

Hebrews 12:14 — “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

Conclusion

We are to learn, in Christ, to care for one another as members of one body.

Discussion Questions

1. Why are the weaker members indispensable?

2. Why does God delight in using weaker members?

3. How should we treat those members in the church who appear weak?

4. What benefits does caring for weaker members bring to our spiritual lives?