Proverbs 16:27

Proverbs 16:27 Proverbs

Pastor Martin expounds Proverbs 16:27, which describes the worthless man whose lips are like a "scorching fire." He vividly illustrates the destructive power of the tongue by comparing rash speech to a blowtorch, emphasizing that verbal wounds can leave permanent scars, much like severe burns. Martin applies this truth directly to parenting, urging parents to admonish their children about the danger of their words and to use the rod of correction to teach them the gravity of their speech.

4 illustrations in this sermon

The Scorching Fire of Worthless Lips

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Sword Piercings vs. Scorching Fire

Driving home: a worthless man devises mischief. Now listen to this, and in his lips there is as a scorching fire.

Martin contrasts the internal, hidden damage of a sword piercing (rash speaking) with the external, visible, and permanently scarring damage of scorching fire, to emphasize the different kinds of harm caused by the tongue.

And when you're pierced with a sword, deep, life-threatening internal injuries occur with very little blood on the outside. Now look at the imagery. Scorching fire. What does scorching fire do? Burn skin.

0:20 - 0:37 Read in full sermon

The Horrific Reality of Scorching Fire

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Burn Ward Experience

Driving home: I can stand the sight of blood and chewed-up flesh, but when I go into a burn ward, that tests my grace. What a horrible thing when someone's skin has been scorched by fire.

He describes the horrific experience of being in a burn ward, the stench of burning flesh, and the lasting scars, to illustrate the severe and permanent damage inflicted by a 'scorching fire' of the tongue.

I can stand the sight of blood and chewed-up flesh, but when I go into a burn ward, that tests my grace. What a horrible thing when someone's skin has been scorched by fire. The stench of burning flesh is unbelievably nauseating. And what a difficult thing it is.

0:38 - 1:00 Read in full sermon

The Blowtorch of a Child's Tongue

palette metaphor

Child's Tongue as a Blowtorch

The point: Admonish your children about the destructive power of their words, comparing their tongue to a blowtorch that can burn the skin of their future spouse and children.

Martin uses the metaphor of a blowtorch to describe the destructive potential of a child's unadmonished tongue, capable of burning the skin of future spouses and children's souls.

Your children could have a blowtorch between their cheeks if you don't admonish them. A blowtorch! It'll burn the skin of their future spouse.

1:38 - 1:53 Read in full sermon

lightbulb example

Blowtorch on the Cheek

The point: Teach your children that their tongue is like a blowtorch.

He gives a vivid, visceral example of holding a blowtorch to one's own cheek to make the abstract concept of a 'scorching fire' concrete and undeniable, demonstrating the instinct to recoil from such pain.

You know what a blowtorch is? Mommy, pump up the gas. Have the flame come out. Move it to your cheek.

2:21 - 2:31 Read in full sermon

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