Dr. Paul Freed, founder of the missionary enterprise known as Trans World Radio, tells of an occasion when he was traveling in India. He and his party were in a remote area of the Indian bush, miles from any sign of ""civilization."" Stopping at a roadside stand, one member of Dr. Freed's party asked the proprietor if he had ever heard of Trans World Radio. The man smiled, reached down, and produced his transistor radio. He was a faithful listener!

Thanks to modern technology put to work by men such as Paul Freed, the gospel message can literally go around the world. According to today's text, the Christians in Thessalonica had a similarly effective witness through their testimonies and their faithfulness to Christ.

True, the ""everywhere"" of the first century was a smaller world than today's ""global village."" But that does not dim the bright light of testimony those believers had for the Lord. Their reputation for godliness reached past Macedonia and Achaia, the two provinces of ancient Greece, and out into the Mediterranean world.

As we saw earlier, others marveled at the Thessalonians because of the manner in which they received Paul and the gospel. The fact that they ""turned to God from idols"" (v. 9) indicates that this church consisted largely of pagan Gentiles who had worshiped the gods of Greece and Rome. Such radical conversions would be quite noteworthy in the areas where Paul evangelized.

Notice the contrast he draws between serving God, which suggests activity, and waiting for the return of Christ, which suggests passivity. Paul commends the Thessalonians in both areas--but that doesn't mean that they were perfect, as we will learn later.

We cannot leave this section without pausing at verse 10 to talk about what Paul elsewhere calls ""the blessed hope"" (Titus 2:13). This is the return of the Lord to deliver us from the judgment of God, which He will pour out on the unbelieving world.

Serving and waiting may seem contradictory, but for the Christian they are complementary concepts. Nothing motivates service for the Lord more than the hope of His return!

We know that every believer is called to serve. And if your life is typical, there are plenty of places where faithful servants are needed. Has God brought a need to your attention? Determine today that you will follow through on whatever He may be calling you to do.