Sermon Central
-
Mammon
Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Oct 2, 2014 (message contributor)
The Blessed Life is a book written Robert Morris. He talks about a crucial weed that chokes out the truth of God, the teachings of God, the Word in our life – that weed or thorny vine is called mammon – greed – the love of money which supersedes the love of the Lord Jesus. It’s a real weed and it’s always trying to take root in the soil were seeds of faith are trying to grow.
1. It grows quick and if allowed to keep growing will choke out the spiritual truths of Jesus.
2. Robert says this about that evil spiritual weed “Mammon:
a. “…John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost. If you were one of them (who read it), you know this poem painted a pretty detailed portrait of hell. In it, Milton showed Satan as a fallen commander in chief surrounded by his demon generals. Among them are Moloch, Dagon, Astarte, Osiris and Belial. Each of these, of course, was the god of an idol-worshipping culture in ancient times and is mentioned in the Bible. But Milton’s poem depicts another demon standing at Satan’s side. That demon’s name is Mammon. You may recognize “mammon” as a New Testament word. Jesus mentions it in a couple of places. For example in Matthew 6, Jesus declares: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (vs. 24). After reading this verse, you can see why Milton would lump a demon named Mammon in with all those Old Testament idols. Jesus clearly suggests that it is possible to serve mammon instead of serving God, but he goes even farther: Jesus states it is impossible to serve both at the same time. He says that you will love the one and hate the other. You will be loyal to one and despise the other. According to Jesus, there is no middle ground-no half-and-half. Mammon, apparently is a jealous god…But just what is mammon? “Mammon” is an Aramaic word that essentially means “riches.” And, apparently, the Assyrians got the concept of a god of wealth from their neighbors, the Babylonians…In the biblical sense of the word, mammon is the spirit that rests on money. Did you know that all money has a spirit on it? It either has the Spirit of God on it or the spirit of mammon. Money that is submitted to God and His purposes has the Spirit of God on it-which is why it multiplies and cannot be consumed by the devourer. I’m convinced that money that has been submitted to God – wealth that is devoted to serving Him rather than trying to replace Him-is blessed by God. In a very real sense, God’s Spirit blesses it. On the other hand, money that is not submitted to God has the spirit of mammon on it by default. That’s why people so often try to use money to control or manipulate others. It’s why people think money can bring happiness or fulfillment. Mammon is basically the spirit of the world-and the spirit is a liar” (Pages 75-77).
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
Citation: N.t. Wright In For All God's Worth. ...
Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Feb 27, 2004
Citation: N.T. Wright in For All God’s Worth. Christianity Today, Vol. 41, no. 12.] We live in a world full of people struggling to be, or at least to appear, strong in order not to be weak; and we ...read more
-
Several Years Ago At A Promise Keepers ...
Contributed by Timothy Smith on Sep 3, 2005
Several years ago at a Promise Keepers conference, Dennis Rainey placed animal traps on stage. They were big ones too. Bear traps and even an African safari large animal trap that took two men to open. There were a dozen or so traps, and he set or opened them all. Then Dennis Rainey had a father ...read more
-
There Once Was A Fellow Who, With His Dad, ... PRO
Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Dec 28, 2006
There once was a fellow who, with his dad, farmed a little piece of land. Several times a year they would load up the old ox-drawn cart with vegetables and go into the nearest city to sell their produce. Except for their name and the patch of ground, father and son had little in common. The old ...read more
-
Beauty's True Source PRO
Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Feb 27, 2004
[Beauty’s True Source, Citation: Jim Congdon] A jarring TV commercial didn’t say a word. It simply shows a series of people who have one thing in common—a nasty injury or scar. There’s a cowboy with a huge scar around his eye, and something wrong with the eye itself; a fellow with a bulbous ...read more
-
Marty Williams A Pastor Of Family Ministries Asks ... PRO
Contributed by Michael Mccartney on Jul 15, 2004
Marty Williams a Pastor of Family Ministries asks the question that we all must ask ourselves today, “Am I Teachable?” He has 12 thoughts to help us discover if we are teachable: 1. I am willing to listen more than talk. 2. I admit when I am mistaken. 3. I observe before acting on a ...read more
Related Sermons
-
The Poverty Mindset
Contributed by Jeff Van Wyk on Apr 13, 2013
One false concept is that poverty has some mysterious refining qualities. Some believe that it is spiritual to be poor. That is not the way God lives and neither does He want us to live that way. Just look how He blessed Abraham. The Bible teaches us that
-
Invest In God's Kingdom
Contributed by Jeff Van Wyk on Feb 2, 2013
To be a good steward we must not waste what has been given to us. We must invest what has been given to us and must show a return for it.We are given resources according to our individual abilities. We are all different. It is a fact that some people are
-
The Rich Fool Series
Contributed by Jeff Strite on Nov 4, 2018
Why was God angry at the "rich farmer?" What had this farmer done wrong and what can we learn from his story about the need to being rich toward God?
-
The Rich Fool Series
Contributed by Jeff Strite on Nov 4, 2018
Why was God angry at the "rich farmer?" What had this farmer done wrong and what can we learn from his story about the need to being rich toward God?
-
The Rich Fool Series
Contributed by Jeff Strite on Nov 4, 2018
Why was God angry at the "rich farmer?" What had this farmer done wrong and what can we learn from his story about the need to being rich toward God?
