Sermons & Devotionals by Zac Poonen
Zac Poonen
Pharisees cannot appreciate loud praise in public
"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 l... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees care much for the opinions of people
"The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?" And the Pharisees began reasoning among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From men,' we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet." And answering Jesus, they said, "We do not know." (Matthew 21:25-27). The Pharisees wer... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees concentrate on having a good testimony externally only
"You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also" (Matthew 23:25, 26). Pharisees clean the outside of their live... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees corrupt others
"Woe to you, Pharisees, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in" (Matthew 23:13). Sincere, young people who become believers are corrupted by Pharisaical leaders. These young people may have had grea... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees do missionary work and make people twofold children of hell
"Woe to you, Pharisees, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves" (Matthew 23:15). Pharisees may be missionary-minded, but their so-called "converts" go to hell, because they do not bring their co... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees do not mingle with sinful people
The Pharisees said to Jesus disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with sinners?" (Matthew 9:11). Pharisees will mingle only with their own crowd of "holy" Pharisees. They criticised even Jesus for mingling with sinners. Is your holiness one that prevents you from mingling with your unconverted rela... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees do not practise what they preach
"Pharisees say things and do not do them" (Matthew 23:3). This verse is the opposite of Acts 1:1 where it is written about Jesus that He "did (first) and (then) taught". The Pharisees taught but did not do. They did not practise what they preached. Jesus however did first and then preached only what... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees exalt themselves over others
"This tax-collector went to his house justified rather than the Pharisee - for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled" (Luke 18:14). Pharisees cannot be justified by God because they exalt themselves. God humbles all those who exalt themselves over others. There are many subtle ways in which we... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees glory in external righteousness
Jesus said, "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20) What did Jesus mean here? Do we have to fast, pray and tithe more than the Pharisees did? Jesus was not talking about quantity at all - but quality. He was say... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees glory in their connection to godly men
"Do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'" (Matthew 3:9). A Pharisee knows he is not godly himself, and so he seeks to be associated with "Brother X", who has a reputation as a godly man, so that he can claim godliness by association. There are many carnal Chri... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees have knowledge without obedience
Jesus said, "The Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them" (Matthew 23:2, 3). In Matthew 23, Jesus exposes more characteristics of the Pharisees than we fin... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees have no concern for lost sinners
"The Pharisees said, 'This crowd which does not know the Law is accursed'" (John 7:49). Today's Pharisees can have the same attitude towards those going to hell and say, "O these people who don't accept Christ as their Saviour are going to hell." That is true. But such a comment also exposes the spe... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees have no justice, no mercy and no faithfulness
"You Pharisees have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done.... (Matthew 23:23). The Pharisees were unjust and unfair in their dealings with people. They had no mercy towards those who had failed and they were n... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees imagine that God is their Father when actually Satan is their father
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me....ou are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father" (John 8:42, 44). Jesus told the Pharisees to their faces that their father was the devil. Some preachers believe that no human being is a child of the de... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees imagine that they are better than others
"Jesus spoke this parable to some people who viewed others with contempt: Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee....ho prayed to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people" (Luke 18:9-11). In this parable we observe first of all that this Pharisee didn't pray to God.... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees interpret Scripture without revelation from God
"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, `Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.' You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? And, `Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but w... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees judge godly people for not doing something that they do
The Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath" (John 9:16). Pharisees assess people not by their godliness but by whether they observe some religious ritual or not. They were certain that Jesus could not be from God, because He did not keep the Sabbath the way t... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees justify themselves
"Jesus said to the Pharisees, 'You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God'" (Luke 16:15). A Pharisee justifies himself in every situation. He cannot humbly acknowledge his error an... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees live by rules
"And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" - so that they might accuse Him" (Matthew 12:10). Pharisees live by rules. They don't live by the life of Jesus. Their ridiculous rules taught that a sick man must not seek for hea... Read More
Zac Poonen
Pharisees look down on others
"Jesus spoke this parable to some people who viewed others with contempt" (Luke 18:9). There are various reasons why people view others with contempt. They may have been taught by their parents from childhood to look down on others who are inferior in social status, or wealth or education etc. Or if... Read More
Subscribe
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
Most Searched
Group of Brands
© 2026 Bibleportal.com All rights reserved.
Zac Poonen ( - Present)
God called brother Zac Poonen to a new work early on in his Christian experience. The movement is now called Christian Fellowship Churches where the New Covenant of New Testament Christianity is clearly preached.Brother Zac Poonen has written 25 books most of them being on the deeper Christian life. Many of these have been translated into a number of languages and have been circulated widely around the world. He clearly and passionately shares the narrow way of Christian discipleship that is neglected by so many modern preachers.
Recommends these books by Zac Poonen:
Through The Bible by Zac Poonen
The Final Triumph-A verse by verse study of the book of Revelation by Zac Poonen
Beauty for Ashes by Zac Poonen
Zac Poonen is a former Indian Naval Officer who has been in full time ministry in India for nearly 50 years as a Bible teacher and preacher. He holds responsibility for a number of churches in India and abroad. He currently pastors the Christian Fellowship Church in Bangalore, Karnataka.
He has written more than 25 books and numerous articles in English - which have been translated into many Indian and foreign languages. His messages are available on audio and video format.
Like the other elders in his church, Zac Poonen also supports himself and his family through what he describes as "tent-making" and does not receive any salary for his services. He does not receive any royalties for any of his books, CDs or DVDs, that are published by Christian Fellowship Centre, Bangalore.