Pharisees Cannot Appreciate Loud Praise in Public
Jesus delights in loud and enthusiastic praise, while Pharisees are disturbed by it, reflecting their differing views on reverence and worship.
Zac Poonen emphasizes the contrast between the joyful praise of children and the indignant response of the Pharisees in his sermon 'Pharisees Cannot Appreciate Loud Praise in Public.' He highlights that while the Pharisees believe reverence requires silence, Jesus delights in loud and exuberant praise, reminiscent of the continuous worship in heaven. Poonen encourages believers to embrace vocal expressions of worship, such as 'Amen' and 'Hallelujah,' rather than conforming to a subdued atmosphere that resembles a funeral. The sermon calls for a celebration of Christ's resurrection through joyful and loud praise, reflecting the true spirit of worship.
Text
"When the chief priests and the scribes saw the children shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant" (Matthew 21:15).
Pharisees are disturbed when people raise their voice to praise God. They believe that reverence for God demands that His people be silent in His presence or at least subdued in their praise. Jesus however was delighted when He heard the children shouting praises to God because it reminded Him of heaven! Heaven is a place where there is loud and continuous praise - at times as loud as thunder (Revelation 19:6). We haven't attained to that decibel-level as yet, in our praise meetings. But that is our goal. Pharisees would even be disturbed if someone said an "Amen" or a "Hallelujah" in response to something they heard in a message!!
They would look around to see who said it. They feel that such words should not be uttered in a church-meeting! They feel that everyone should sit through church-meetings as though they were in a funeral-service. Watching them while they sing, one would think that they had not yet heard that Jesus has risen from the dead!!!
Sermon Outline
- Pharisees' attitude towards loud praise
- Jesus' attitude towards loud praise
- Our goal in praise meetings
- To attain the decibel level of heaven's praise
- To be enthusiastic and loud in our praise
Key Quotes
“They believe that reverence for God demands that His people be silent in His presence or at least subdued in their praise.” — Zac Poonen
“Heaven is a place where there is loud and continuous praise - at times as loud as thunder (Revelation 19:6).” — Zac Poonen
“Watching them while they sing, one would think that they had not yet heard that Jesus has risen from the dead!!!” — Zac Poonen
Application Points
- We should strive to be enthusiastic and loud in our praise, just like heaven.
- Pharisees' attitude towards loud praise is a reminder to examine our own views on reverence and worship.
- Our goal in praise meetings should be to create an atmosphere of continuous and enthusiastic praise.