Sermon Manuscript: Poetry Assignment
HOMI670: Preaching from the Old Testament (B01)
June 18, 2023
MILLER’S EXEGETICAL OUTLINE TEMPLATE
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Text: Psalm 27
Sermon Title: The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
Sermon Theme: Courage
Sermon Motif: Do not be afraid because the Lord is with you.
Focal Text: What is the part of the sermon text on which the sermon’s argument is based?
My argument is based on Psalms 27:1-9 because these verses best coincide with my sermon on
Courage
What are the strongest word/words in the text that relate to the sermon’s motif?
Shall not fear
Correlating Texts:
v.1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my
life; of whom shall I be afraid?
v.3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.
v. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
What are the two best insights on the text gotten from study resources?
That we shall not be afraid and the Lord will guide us.
Write a brief paragraph recounting your life experience with the text.
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In life, I have experienced many moments that increased my anxiety and stress level beyond
comfort. In those moments, I learned to lean on God because he will be the one who ensures you
overcome every obstacle.
What is the strongest precept in the text (is this the strongest point of my sermon)?
v. 5 states, “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the
cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. God is all emcompassing and has the ability to
provide and protect us.”
How can I gild the precepts in the text with a memorable form of narrative or metaphor?
Coming the text to current situations that we as people face every day.
How can I “narrativize” this sermon?
Preaching the sermon in a story format.
What genre is this?
Poetry
What can I do in this presentation to ensure people understand, feel, and appreciate this genre?
I can incorporate stories of biblical leaders that God has helped overcome obstacles, such as
Moses, Jacob, and David.
What is the image-changing information they need to arrive at a better self-understanding?
They need to arrive at a point to rid themselves of paralyzing fear.
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MILLER’S NARRATIVE OUTLINE TEMPLATE
Sermon Design for Narrative Exposition
Textual Idea: The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
Sermon Idea: Courage
1. Introduction of the topic (use of a variety of elements: story; example; question;
statistics; etc.)
In Psalm 27, the psalmist cries out to God for rescue as enemies surround him. He knows
that God alone is the One who will rescue – first from his physical enemies and, most
importantly, from sin and death. This Psalm invites us to believe again that our faith in God will
never desert us, no matter what happens. Life without fear is not possible, but faith can call us to
live God’s will for our life instead of reducing our lives because of our fears and insecurities.
The question asked is rhetorical: there is no one who "should" frighten a person who trusts in
God
2. Overview of the story (retelling vs. reading the entire text, highlighting key passage,
problem, issue; etc.)
v.1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my
life; of whom shall I be afraid?
v.3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.
v. 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
3. Statement of the key biblical principle/truth (complete statement of universal truth; this
section includes a brief synopsis of the Bible’s teaching on this area—one or two key
verses; examples; argument; etc.)
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David lays out his reasons for confidence in God using several images. He believes God
will protect him even if an army of malicious adversaries surrounds him. David "knows" he can
trust God, but that knowledge does not make a person perfectly immune to fear. Rather than
panicking or despairing, Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You
have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” David reminds
himself of God's goodness and trusts the Lord to provide.
4. Identification of the common human problem (why do we all struggle to believe this truth
about God or obey this truth from God?)
We struggle to believe that God is always with us because we let fear get in our ability to
accept God into our lives fully. It is a well-known fact that we are sinners by nature. Our nature
naturally allows us only to trust what we can physically see. God is always watching over us, but
some find that hard to believe because they have experienced suffering. Their experiences with
suffering makes them question God.
5. Solution (what does God want us to understand, how does this truth build our faith in God,
and how does God want us to change?)
We must continue to study the word so that we can strengthen our relationship with God.
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Title
Introduction
The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
Good Morning Everyone! I want to start by saying that seeing your
wonderful faces is a blessing. At this time, please look to your neighbor
to your left and right and say it is a pleasure worshiping God with you!
For those new to this church, I love to read scripture as a collective and
then connect the scripture to our current world. Today’s lesson is about
not being afraid because the Lord is with you. More specifically, having
the courage to trust God regardless of the situation. Courage is a huge
reason we as people have become successful. Without courage, we
would not achieve anything unfamiliar to us. Conducting any tasks that
are new to us can cause unwarranted fears. Fear is a normal feeling
people may feel, but we should always keep God in mind if we plan to
overcome the fear. We should never fear anything to the point that it
paralyzes us. Paralyzing fear is one of the largest contributors to our
personal and professional growth.
This sermon is about David, which we often discuss in past services.
Within the book of Psalms, we will read Chapter 27, verses 1-14 aloud.
This passage invites us to believe again that our faith in God will never
leave us, regardless of what happens.
At this time, may everyone please open your Bibles and find Psalm 27:
1-14. Any version of the Bible will work, but if you want to know which
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Scripture Reading
version I am reading from, it is the English Standard Version.
Now that everyone has found the passage, please look at the screen. For
those who are new to this church, I like to do collaborative scripture
reading. On the screen, you will see the entire passage. You will also see
different colors which represent different meanings.
• The color green signifies the verses I will read
• The color turquoise signifies the verse you all will read
• The color yellow signifies the verses we all will read together
So without further adieu, let’s begin the scripture reading.
1 Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though
war arise against me, yet I will be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may
dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the
beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal
me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and
make melody to the LORD.
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Personal Story
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face,
LORD, do I seek.”
9 Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O
you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of
my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will
take me in.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because
of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have
risen against me, and they breathe out violence.
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land
of the living!
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait
for the LORD!
Let me tell you all a story about a person I loved and cared for growing
up! My one and only sister. We were born exactly one year and 13 days
apart. So we were pretty much twins growing up. In our adolescent
years, we were inseparable and inseparable like two peas in a pod. We
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Passage Summary
did everything together, from eating, playing games, and choosing
friends. I am sure everyone here is waiting for me to reach the point. As
we got older, our interests began to change. I began to play sports, and
she began to dance. Over time, our friends started to change; from then
on, we became different people.
Some of you may wonder, what’s wrong with growing apart and having
new friends? The answer to that is nothing is wrong with that. The issue
arose when her friends began to live in a manner not pleasing to Christ.
Now I am not the one to judge God’s people, especially teenagers,
because they are just trying to figure out life. The biggest difference
between my friend and her friends was that my friends understood the
importance of planning for the future. Her friends always lived in the
moment and used the term “YOLO” which stood for “You only live
once” as their mantra. Fast forward over a decade, and our lives were
different. I gave my life to Christ and became an instant leader in every
church I served. I have helped hundreds of people find and accept Christ
into their lives. My ability to produce disciples was natural. It was a like
a gift that God bestowed upon me from the day I accepted Christ into
my life. Now the challenge during that time was to help my sister see
how wonderful the world would become once she gave her life to
Christ. Like many people, she has fears to overcome and tries to
overcome them herself, but we all know that you need God to help you
overcome your troubles.
In Psalm 27, David cries out to God for rescue as enemies surround him.
David knows that God alone is the only One who will rescue him. David
seeks protection from those who intend to harm him and, more
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Setting
importantly, from his sins. Psalm 27 encourages us to believe in the
Power of God again. Regardless of our situations, our faith in God shall
never change; in return, God will never leave us. Sometimes you are
afraid, but with God on your side, you should have the courage to
continue moving forward. Having fear is a normal part of life. David
was consumed with fear several times in the Old Testament, but he
spoke with God before executing, allowing him to overcome the fear
that took hold of him.
So my question to you all is, “If God is with you, why would you have
fear in your heart?”
David wrote Psalm 27 as he has done for many other Psalms.
Theologians believe that Psalm 27 was written before David became
King. Many others believe that Psalm 27 was written when David was
in exile. Based on the context of the Psalm, it would make sense that it
was written during exile in a time of stress. Based on the scripture,
David seeks to be in a pretty dark place, but with the strength of God on
his side, he has developed the courage to continue the mission God has
placed on him.
For those familiar with reading the precede Psalms, such as books of 1
and 2 Samuel, you will know that David was called to be the King of
Israel when he was a youth. His anointing led to him winning several
battles in the name of God. His ability to speak to God before acting
gave him an advantage over his enemies within and outside the nation.
King Saul, the current King of Israel, noticed that David was highly
favored and decided to go against God to eliminate David. Because
David was for God, no one shall prosper against him.
Know that you are well informed on the setting of Psalms 27. Let’s
further explain the passages in the segment so that we are all on one
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Psalm 27:1-3
accord regarding the value of this passage.
In this sermon, I will discuss Psalm 27. Since courage is the theme of
this sermon, I will focus primarily on the first half of this sermon. I will
briefly describe each verse so that you all will understand the context of
each verse we mention. So lets begin with the first verse, Psalm 27:1,
which states, “Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom
shall I be afraid?”
Understanding this verse requires us to use specific words within the
passage. The word “Light” is commonly used in the Bible to symbolize
knowledge and truth. The word "stronghold" indicates a place of haven
and protection. The word “salvation” means deliverance, which God
delivered David from his enemies. Although David was an intelligent
warrior, by God's power, David could seek victory against all his
enemies.
Psalm 27:2 states, “When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my
adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.” Because David
knew God was on his side, he was confident that his enemies would not
overcome him. when the enemies try to attack David, he knows that they
have no chance of winning. In the passage, David identifies his enemies
as "evildoers." This term is worse than being call an enemy because and
evildoer is not just an enemy of David but an enemy of God as well.
Psalm 27:3 states, “Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall
not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.”
David expresses that he has no reason to fear but understands that
emotional feelings will still arise. No one is immune to stress,
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Psalm 27:4-6
depression, and anxiety. David showed faith in God by trusting him
despite his uncertain circumstances. David's faith allowed him to accept
God as his light, stronghold, and salvation to subdue any enemies who
planned to fight David.
Psalm 27:4 states, “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek
after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”
David's main focus in life was strengthening his relationship with God.
As mentioned in previous verses, David was seeking refuge from his
enemies and a spiritual relationship with God. While in the wilderness,
David wanted to return this back to normal. David yearned for the days
he spent worshipping God. The challenging times David is currently
experiencing bring him closer to God. When can I learn this valuable
lesson from David. We must use these troubling times to bring us closer
to God while fellowshipping with other believers.
Psalm 27:5 states, “For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of
trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me
high upon a rock.”
In the past, when a visitor was invited into someone’s tent, the owner
accepted the responsibility to protect the visitor. Like God, the tent
served as a haven. The Tabernacle represented God’s tent used to
protect David.
Psalm 27:6 states, “And now my head shall be lifted up above my
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Psalm 27:7-9
enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts
of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.”
We can now see the confidence David has gained throughout the
passage. This verse continues to mention that David will triumph over
all who oppose him. David does not take credit for the victory, but give
all credit to the Lord in the Tabernacle.
Psalm 27:7 states, “Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me
and answer me!”
After stating his intentions to be confident in God's protection, David
frantically requests the Lord to answer his prayer. Some believe this
urgency stems from David noticing the pressure from his enemies
bearing down on him. This pressure has caused him to focus more on his
enemy than God. Here is where we notice a shift in confidence because
he was not receiving an answer from God. He pleaded for God to
answer although he knows he has sinned.
Psalm 27:8 states, “You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to
you,“Your face, Lord, do I seek.” God has placed David in a position
where he could look to no one. Like David, God will allow us to
encounter a certain level of stress to provide an opportunity for us to
seek God for guidance. God wants all of us to look to him for guidance
and develop a relationship with him. Like David, we must respond to
God's invitation with open arms.
Psalm 27:9 states, “ Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant
away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake
me not, O God of my salvation!” God will let us know when he is
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Psalm 27:14
Conclusion
displeased with us. It is essential to live righteous so that we live in a
manner pleasing to God. God our Father, and like any good Father, it is
essential that he let us know when he is displeased. David did not want
God to be dissatisfied with him due to his past sin. As a sinner, he knew
he deserved not to have God’s favor. He believed that sinners did not
deserve God’s blessings. This understanding allowed David to refer to
himself as a servant of God humbly.
Psalm 27:14 states, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take
courage; wait for the Lord!”
David ends this Psalm with a warning to wait on God. He gives the
warning at the beginning of the verse and reiterates it at the end. It is
safe to believe that he gave himself this knowledge, although everyone
could benefit from the passage. This Psalm begins with confidence,
followed by David’s plea for protection from God.
As we end the sermon for today’s service, I want everyone to “BE
COURAGEOUS.” Courage is important because it allows you to
overcome obstacles that instill fear. Fear has a way of paralyzing you if
you do not face it head-on. Many of you here are paralyzed by fear. This
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Benediction Prayer
Romans 16: 25-27
fear can come from the fear of leaving a job you hate, learning
something new, or rekindling a relationship from the past. We must
decide today that we will have faith in God from here on out. When we
have faith in God, no one can destroy us.
We are going to close out today’s sermon with a prayer. The scripture
that is selected for the Bendiction prayer is Romans 16: 25-27. Everyone
please rise, look at the screen ahead, and repeat after me.
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according- to my gospel
and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery that was kept secret for long ages
26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has
been made known to all nations, according to the command of the
eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith
27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ!
Amen!!!!!!
SERMON MANUSCRIPT TEMPLATE
