The Most Most of us have experienced the anxiety of waiting for news, whether it's the

results of medical tests, responses to a school or job application, or simply waiting to hear from a loved

one.

So we can relate to the Apostle Paul's longing for news from his beloved church in Thessalonika.

Today on Truth for Life will hear Timothy's report from Thessalonika and the

Apostle Paul's reaction.

Alistirbegg is teaching from First Thessalonians chapter 3.

Before we begin the section which leads us to the first verse of chapter 4 in which we

received some very practical instructions concerning Christian behavior we look for

a final time at these verses, which allow us, we've said

to understand how it is that pastors should treat the gospel and treat the church and how in turn the church should

look to those in leadership for guidance and for their care and for their prayer. In studying these

verses the second half of chapter 3 I was asking myself what are we able to learn

from this and I want to suggest to you

that there are three areas for our consideration that here we're going to learn

about keeping in contact about making an impact and about learning to react. So first of all

then a lesson in keeping in contact. He tells us that in sending Timothy he was not simply

concerned to find out how their lives in general were going but expressly he says in a phrase there in

verse five I sent to find out about your faith I sent to find out about your faith because this ought to be the great

concern in pastoral ministry. Not that other things are irrelevant, not that they are

ultimately unimportant, but that they are all finally

subservient to the great issues of our Christian faith and testimony. And as he waits for the news of Timothy's return and all

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