Having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost…from you sounded out the word of the Lord – 1Thessalonians 1:6, 8
Every church ought to have good acoustics. Not that the music and message should just be heard easily inside the building — they should also be broadcast clearly out into the neighborhood. But the best amplification will not come from a sound system in the building; it will come from sound living in the community.
Paul commended the church in Thessalonica for being sounding boards for the gospel: they not only received the Word of God, with joy in the midst of their afflictions, but they then sounded it out through the entire city and surrounding area. They were not content to experience the freedom and privileges of the gospel themselves; they were intent on sharing their joy in Jesus with others.
What about you? Are you just a receiver, or are you an amplifier, for the gospel? When you leave church do you feel like your spiritual work is done, or just begun? Are you living for your own pleasure, or for the glory of God?