Northwest Gospel Church - East Vancouver

Acts 19:1-10 | Andrew Murch | Paul has finished his second missionary journey, yet he’s not done spreading the good news of Jesus by any means. He embarks on his third missionary journey in the city of Ephesus, a place he’d been to briefly a year before. He’d been asked to stay but felt called by God to move on, but he promised to return to them, “...if God wills.” And God has willed. Paul’s ministry in Ephesus continues for two years. As was his custom he starts in the synagogue during the first three months of his stay. Sadly, as happened in many of the places that Paul visited, many of the Jews reject his teaching and stubbornly refuse to believe. Therefore, Paul spends the rest of his time in Ephesus preaching in the hall of Tyrannus and through it all of Asia hears the Gospel message, both Jews and Greeks.

Acts 18:1-28 | Andrew Murch | After reading story after story of Paul’s boldness and tenacity in sharing the gospel, it’s almost shocking to hear God’s calm, quiet reassurance to “not be afraid . . . go on speaking . . . for I am with you.” We don’t know exactly what Paul was going through that warranted encouragement directly from heaven. But we do know that God spoke, reminding Paul of His faithfulness, and Paul listened and remained faithful.

Acts 17:16-34 | Andrew Murch | You can almost picture the formidable witness for the Gospel, Paul the Apostle as he arrives in the Areopagus on the top of the Hill of Aries, known in Latin as Mar’s Hill. We don’t often encounter explicit sermons from Paul in the Scriptures, but when we do, they are a treat. Facing the esteemed minds of the day, Paul seasoned his preaching with respect while at the same time boldly preaching nothing other than Christ and his resurrection. This text shows us the triune response to the gospel when it is preached, acceptance, curiosity, and denial, as well as the necessity of a pure preaching of the resurrection, no matter the cost. We ought to take a similar approach as Paul in our preaching of the Gospel. “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30–31).

Acts 17:1-15 | Andrew Murch | Paul was no stranger to adversity. In fact, as you follow Paul’s journey, you will likely conclude that Paul has made obstacles, setbacks, and persecution his friend. In this section of text, we will see this same theme running its course as Paul shares the message of the Gospel, not knowing whether the seed will sprout into salvation, suffering, or both. May God use his Word this week to strengthen you with a humbled resolve to trust our God is working in every circumstance. When all seems thwarted, God is often doing his most significant work. As believers, our calling to the mission of sharing the Gospel to a broken and desperate world is as potent as it was for the Apostle Paul. Whether it be to our families, our neighbors, coworkers, or perfect strangers – it is the distinct honor of the saved to partner with the Holy Spirit in proclaiming the good news of salvation through Jesus’ work on the cross.

1 Samuel 31:1-13 | Jake Gamble  | It’s not how you start the race, but how you finish it that matters. Tragically, Saul did not finish the race well. This week’s passage recounts the death of Saul. His story seemed to start so strong: he was the people’s choice for king, taller and more handsome than any in Israel. Yet he continually rebelled against God, turning from his ways and spiraling downward in pride, fear, and paranoia. Now, in this passage, the once mighty king meets his ignominious end.

1 Samuel 29:1-30:31 | Andrew Murch | In this week’s text, David arguably hits his darkest moment. While his years of exile are coming to a close, he does not know that yet. Here, even his enemies cast him out; his village is burned, his family taken captive, and possessions taken; even his own people are ready to stone him. He is tempted to despair. But here, at his lowest, David does what God's people always ought to do; he turns to God.

1 Samuel 27:1-28:25 | Andrew Murch | In 1 Samuel 27 and 28, we see David, once again and in a twist of irony, fleeing Saul and going to the land of the Philistines. Meanwhile, King Saul turns to the occult. He feels like God has let him down and is not answering him the way he wants. So he seeks dark and forbidden spiritual powers to rescue him. He consults the medium of Endor to raise the ghost of Samuel in an attempt to save his own skin.

1 Samuel 26:1-25 | Andrew Murch | Amid the dramatic back and forth between King Saul and David, Saul says, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” We're left wondering, what circumstances could possibly lead to this declaration from Saul? David refused to take vengeance upon the Lord’s anointed. David’s trust in God comes at great cost to himself, sending him further into exile in the land of his enemies, the Philistines.

Psalm 16:1-11 | Andrew Murch | "For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption." Looking back on Jesus' glorious resurrection, the Apostles remembered words originally penned by King David a thousand years before. God, faithful to his promises, delivered his Anointed One from the power of sin and death.

1 Samuel 25:1-44 | Cody Cannon | Running for his life, David could hardly have imagined this would be his reality when Samuel anointed him to be the next king of Israel. Yet, this “man after God’s own heart” seems unchanged by his present circumstances, humbly keeping God’s command not to kill Saul, even when the opportunity to do so is literally at his fingertips. However, in this text, David’s humanity rears its ugly head as he reaches a tipping point that nearly destroys his reputation on this life-or-death journey to the throne. The text opens with the sad news of Samuel’s death (an important detail for a later story); and with that, the era of the judges has officially concluded.

1 Samuel 24:1-22 | Gavin Hesse | This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. Our protagonist David has been on the run, fighting for his life against Saul, and finally David is in the position to pounce. As readers, this is what we want. We desire to see the good guy, the one who has been chased, turn the tables on the bad guys and take them down. Justice! David’s men say as much to him. Everyone, from David’s forces to the reader, is biting at the bit to see David take justice into his own hands and secure not only his own life, but the kingdom as well.

1 Samuel 23:1-29 | Andrew Murch | Movies, novels, and even documentaries have been obsessed with this same storyline: an innocent person, convicted of murder or a crime and on the run for their lives. It plays on the fear of what happens when “innocent until proven guilty” falters, and the innocent must prove themselves despite a wrongful conviction. This is the thread of David’s story that begins here and dominates many years. Saul is calling for the head of David and will not cease until his blood is spilled. David is innocent, what is his only crime? Being successful in his victories because the Lord is with him. Some believe him and surround him. There are others on Sauls side. Every day David opens his eyes to a new day wondering if today will be his last day. Like any good action flick, there’s a back-and-forth, a push-and-pull, a “will he catch him this time” unknown as we work our way through this narrative.

1 Samuel 21:1-22:23 | Andrew Murch | The frequent connection between expectations and disappointment manages to find us in every season of life. And, this next section of 1 Samuel is no different. Here, we see that there’s no preventing disappointments and times of unrealized expectations, but for David and for us, it’s our response in those moments that may prove to equip us for the future God has ahead of us.

1 Samuel 20:1-42 | Andrew Murch | It could be said that life is all about relationships. We are shaped by our primary and formational relationships whether for good or harm. We carry significant memories, insecurities, and motivations from key relationships in our lives. We often make decisions in light of certain relationships and grieve for one reason or another when relationships come to an end. Humans who have tried to live in isolation have found greater anxiety, depression, and aimlessness. Relationships are so important and how sweet it is that the Scriptures are not devoid to depict these relationships. This is perhaps most evident in the events and descriptions of David’s life. We have seen his role as a youngest sibling in relation to his brothers. We have seen David as a servant to the king. And we have seen David as a best friend to Saul’s son Jonathan. It is this very relationship that will come to a premature end though not as a result of their own hands.

1 Samuel 19:1-24 | Andrew Murch | A hardened heart harkens hellward. Murder is set in Saul’s mind, and he is dedicated to sending David to Sheol on the tip of a spear. King Saul repeatedly commands his soldiers, even his own family, to deliver the son of Jesse to death’s door. In God’s mercy, Saul receives multiple opportunities to change. In God’s faithfulness, David is delivered again and again by the royal family as if shaking the reigns of power and steering the kingdom away from the cliffs of madness and chaos.

1 Samuel 18:1-30 | Andrew Murch | The great juxtaposition between Saul and David serves as a moment of reflection for us. Will we boast in might, power, and wealth and ultimately become slaves to jealousy, envy, and rage? Or as humble servants, come before the Lord with hearts and hands open with thankfulness for whatever he has put before us today?

1 Samuel 17:1-58 | Andrew Murch | The lesson we learn from the narrative of David and Goliath is that we need a Savior. And what David realizes more than his own people is that the Lord God is his Savior. Our Lord does not save with sword or spear, man or military, wit or white-knuckle strength, grit or grime. This is where the gospel shines through most clearly. The Lord is going to save his people. Oftentimes, He does this through measures that both the world and human wisdom think are folly. God opposes the proud, and gives grace to the humble. This is something that Saul cannot grasp, and many of the Kings to come in the narrative of the Old Testament miss as well. God is sovereign over all and he alone will save his people from their despair. It is Him who we put our trust in, and not man. We don’t muster up the strength to “fight our Goliath” but we submit in trust to the one who is never defeated.

1 Samuel 16:1-23 | Josh Lane | Our culture is addicted to perception over substance. Our social media environment pressures us to present an artificial reality that can look better than it is beneath the surface. People stop at surface perception, but God looks deeper to the substance beneath.

1 Samuel 15:1-35 | Josh Butler | God wants our full obedience, not just our partial obedience. In 1 Samuel 15, we see that we’re invited to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, giving all of who we are to all of who He is.

1 Samuel 14:1-52 | Andrew Murch | As in many great tales of old, in moments of despair and desperation, a hero emerges. In chapter 13, Saul’s impatient attempt to gain the blessing of God in a battle against the Philistines ended in shocking consequences: the monarchy of Israel would be handed to someone else, stripped from Saul and his descendants forever. Saul’s army is dwindling as his troops scatter in fear. The Philistine army is as massive as ever, ready to strike at any moment. To top it off, we find out that the Israelite troops still willing to fight don’t even have any weapons!