Siblings and Servants

Brothers and Sisters Working Together

February 1, 2025 / Undivided Conference Breakout Session / Aaron Lee

This article has been adapted from a conference message aimed primarily towards singles at FCBC Walnut. The following is an edited version of the transcription. There may be spelling or grammatical errors.


Christians are brothers and sisters who get to serve God together.

Introduction

I want you to take about two minutes for personal reflection. This is the first activity you’re going to do. You can write your thoughts on a note or in your notebook if you have one. It doesn’t need to go on this paper, but I want you to think about this: What makes serving together with men and women in the church different from working with men and women in the workplace or in the world?

For example, I told you earlier that I work as a nurse, and I work with women there. But what is it about working with people in the church that should be different from working with people in the world or in your workplace? I think there’s a biblical answer to this. It might not be super deep or profound, but I want you to think it through, and I believe it will give you something valuable to take away from our time together today.

Okay, so here’s what we’re going to do. I’ve surveyed different areas of the Bible where we see men and women working together. I’ll walk you through a few passages, tell you what I see, and then I’d love for the different groups to share whether they agree, disagree, or if they saw something different.

Romans 16:1-2
Here’s the first passage. “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many, and of myself as well.”

This is Paul talking about Phoebe, right? Phoebe is a woman, and Paul identifies her as a sister—a sister in Christ. She’s also a servant of the church, not just someone attending, but a leader and a servant leader at that. So, women were in leadership positions in the early church, and Paul is saying not just to welcome her but to actively help her with anything she may need. He’s encouraging the church to not just offer general support, but to actually come alongside her in practical ways.

A lot of times, we might think men and women should just do their own thing, with men over here and women over there. But Paul says, “No, you both serve together.” He’s pointing out that Phoebe was a patron of the church, likely meaning she provided financial or material support. So, when we serve together, it’s not just about praying for someone—it’s about physically coming alongside others and supporting them with what we have, whether that’s through our time, resources, or gifts.

We’ve already discussed how men and women have different giftings, so what are some ways we can support each other in those differences? These are just some things I saw here.

Luke 8:1-3
Let’s move on to another passage—Luke 8:1-3. “Soon afterward, He went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their means.”

Who’s the main character in this passage? Yes, it’s Jesus. We often think about Jesus traveling with His twelve male disciples, but here we see that Jesus also had women with Him who were disciples in their own right, ministering with Him and supporting Him. One point that came up in the group was that even Jesus couldn’t do everything alone—He needed support from both men and women.

Another thing to notice is that these women weren’t just there for spiritual support; they were also meeting practical needs. These women provided for Jesus and His disciples with their resources. So, it wasn’t just about being present; they were using what they had to support the ministry.

Also, notice the women Jesus was working with came from different social backgrounds. For example, Mary Magdalene had been healed of evil spirits, and Joanna was the wife of a high-ranking official. Jesus didn’t care about their social status. He welcomed them all, and they worked together to support His ministry.

In our church, it’s easy to serve together because many of us come from similar backgrounds, but in a multi-ethnic or multi-cultural church, we might face challenges we don’t see as much here. But just like Jesus served alongside people from all walks of life, we should be open to serving with people from different backgrounds, ages, and cultures.

Acts 18:24-28
Now, let’s look at Acts 18:24-28. “Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”

This is about Apollos, a man skilled in the Scriptures, but there was something missing in his understanding. Priscilla and Aquila—a married couple—heard him speak, and they took him aside to teach him more accurately. Notice that they worked together as a team. It wasn’t just Priscilla or just Aquila, but both of them, as a married couple, shared the task of correcting and teaching Apollos.

This shows us that men and women can work together in ministry, even in areas where one might not have all the knowledge or understanding. Apollos was open to receiving instruction from both Priscilla and Aquila, showing that men and women, married or single, can learn from each other and serve together.

Takeaways

So, after looking through these passages, I think the big takeaway is this: We serve together as family. As brothers and sisters, as spiritual mothers and fathers, we serve as fellow workers. This means we share the same position and purpose; we’re all on the same team, with Jesus as our King. Church isn’t like the workplace, where there’s a hierarchical ladder of leadership. We’re all on the same level in terms of serving the Lord.

We serve with physical means, not just through prayer but also by supporting each other with what we have—whether it’s time, money, or other resources. We serve with affection, meaning we genuinely care for each other. We don’t just use each other as tools to get the job done, but we care about each other’s well-being.

Big Idea
So, as I said earlier, before we serve, we’re brothers and sisters. That’s the most important thing. The serving comes second. We’re siblings before serving.


Conclusion

Church is different than the workplace. We don’t come to church with a workplace mentality. In the workplace, if something goes wrong, it’s your responsibility to fix it. But in the church, when someone is struggling, we all come together to help. We serve in connection—loving each other, supporting each other, and meeting each other’s needs in practical ways.

Remember, we serve as a family, as fellow workers, and we do it in love. That’s what makes church different.

Thank you for your time today, and I’m excited to see you serve the Lord together as brothers and sisters.