Why the Church Needs Youth (Part 1 of 2)

The Church Body: One and Many

The point of 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, as the Apostle Paul discusses spiritual gifts and how Christians function in the church, is that the church needs youth. Every single Christian has a function and role to play within the church. Youth especially are addressed here.

Youth often get a bad rap. People see them as lazy, with nothing to contribute, just needing to grow up. But adolescence is a made-up category. Scripture mentions no such stage—you're either a child or an adult. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways." No awkward adolescent period from 12 to 25 or 30, floating through life. Psychology invented that to extend childhood.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. (1 Corinthians 12:12-26, ESV)

Paul corrects a misperception: even youth, often not seen as viable or necessary in our culture, are essential. Every Christian is a necessary part of the body of Christ. This follows his teaching on spiritual gifts—the Holy Spirit sovereignly empowers every believer according to His will for God's glory, the salvation of the elect, and the sanctification of believers.

Every Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and has gifts, but it's the Spirit's will that exercises them. No one possesses every gift; each has gifts for the benefit of the whole body. If you're not performing your role, you're hindering the church.

It's not just pastors, deacons, or those with titles who benefit the body. Everyone plays an integral part. The Corinthian church included all ages, including kids. Every Christian contributes.

1. We All Have the Same Reason for Salvation

Paul lays a foundation like he did before—emphasizing the Spirit's sovereignty in salvation to underscore unity amid diverse functions. Unity is a major theme in 1 Corinthians; no division.

Pride like "I am of Paul" or "I am of Apollos" destroys unity. But we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—Jews, Greeks, slaves, free. The same Spirit, gospel, Christ's death, regeneration, faith. Every testimony is essentially the same: God sovereignly saved us through the gospel by the Spirit.

People often turn testimonies into life stories of drama, but technically, every Christian has the same conversion. "I believe in Jesus" is sufficient. Experiences till the soil, but only the gospel saves.

God arranged us in the body as He chose (v. 18). That's why we exist as Christians.

2. We All Have the Same Right to Serve

The body has many members, not one. If the foot says, "I'm not a hand, so I don't belong," it's still part of the body. Saying "I have nothing to contribute" doesn't make it true.

Don't think, "I lack a degree" or "I'm not equipped." No excuses. In ministry, needs aren't passed only to pastors—that doesn't help anyone long-term. Pastors aren't the head; Jesus is. Pastors are just body parts too, and they need ministry.

Parts that seem weaker are indispensable (v. 22). If you feel unequipped, you're exactly who we can't do without.

Body parts don't need classes to function—they just do. Christians discover gifts by being connected, not apathetic attendees. If disconnected, you won't know needs or your role.

God arranged you as He chose (v. 18). If all were one member, where would the body be? A church without active members decays. Gifts aren't from training; they're God's sovereign will. Discipleship enhances them, but trust God—He made you essential.

Heritage is defunct without you stepping up. We all have the same right to serve. Don't rely on pastors alone.

Pastors as an Illustration for Loving Others

We need to get the pastors involved, and there are areas where pastors do need to be involved, like the exercising of church discipline and church leadership. But I'm not saying love pastors less. When we focus on the idea that it's not just the work of the pastors but the work of everybody—since Christ is the head of the church and everyone else is the body—it doesn't mean you view the pastor as less legitimate. We don't love pastors less, but the amount you love a pastor should illustrate how much you love others.

Modesty as Protection and Care

An interesting aspect here is modesty. Purity and modesty are presented in fantastic terminology, essential to understanding how we treat the weaker members of the church. Modesty is protective and honorable. We treat them with greater care, protect them in their weakness, and strengthen them. That's part of modesty—it's a form of protection and care.

Just as you care for your unpresentable parts, there are people in the church who don't need public spotlight. They are here for necessary reasons: protected from the outside, even from their own sin, cared for in weakness and suffering. The church can cover them. The Bible talks about love covering a multitude of sins.

Others should not be covered the same way but given more public spotlight. But people in the public spotlight—especially pastors—often become more popular. Since I had a child recently, my wife has more popularity in the church than I do. People sometimes crowd around to see my children more than a stranger's new baby.

To normalize church functions, we don't ignore leaders completely. It's an illustration for treating people equally: the same respect, courtesy, love, affection, and admiration for blessings in a pastor's life as for a new attendee's. When a pastor suffers, prayer is often more intense—individually or corporately—for healing or endurance. Other members sometimes fall through the cracks.

The issue isn't pray for people less. Take the attitude toward pastors, deacons, or public figures and project it onto everyone else.

We All Rejoice and Suffer Together

1 Corinthians 12:22-25: On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

Those that need ministry get more: more attention, honor, and care. The more presentable parts don't require it. God composes the body, giving greater honor to what lacks it, so there's no division—leveling how we treat one another, with the same care for each other.

If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

We all suffer. We all rejoice. Let's do those together.

True Equality in the Church

In our culture, groups—labeled minorities—cry out for equal rights, but sin mars it into superiority. Everyone wants expression celebrated, or you're judged a bigot. The world cries for equality, yet the church is the only place that truly has it—to God's glory.

Properly functioning, there's no Jew or Greek, no male or female, no slave or free in salvation. Ethnicity vanishes; roles are redeemed. Diversity fuels equality. If Christians don't live this—suffering or rejoicing together—we misrepresent to the world.

Live so the world is jealous of our equality. When someone's mom or dad dies, they get cancer, lose a job, face persecution, the church rallies to suffer with them. You don't need the greatest theology as a magic cure. Be there: suffer with them, feel emotional or physical pain sympathetically. You don't have to understand exactly—each situation is unique.

Job's friends did right initially by sitting in silence. Don't bullhead in with Romans 8:28-30 right away. Like a hammered thumb needing the hand and fingers to wrap around it, they need you there, legitimizing their pain via the Holy Spirit and shared conversion.

When struggling with sin, you don't need every scripture verse. Be there to help them not stumble. Our culture's short grief leave shows we think suffering should pass quickly—initial response, then out of sight, out of mind. Contribute somehow: communicate, which may be ministry itself.

Conversely, when someone is honored, rejoice without jealousy. Intimate unity makes their good yours—like marriage in Ephesians 5, where you nourish your wife as your body, because unity ties you. What happens to one affects the church; it's synonymous.

When someone hurts, hurt with them. When honored, rejoice with them. Let's do these together.