-   Session 2 with Andy Crouch    -

Cannot Serve God & Mammon

Dethroning the power of Mammon from your life.

 

In Session 2, we look at the most talked about presentation of the 2021 FDI Conference - Andy Crouch’s talk about God and Mammon. In this ession, Andy reiterates the words of Jesus that we cannot serve both God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13). Andy describes Mammon as a fungible, countable, and storable power that has a will in the world opposed to the will of God. Andy warns us of the pressing need to dethrone Mammon from our lives, principally through 1) Detox (via Generosity and Transparency) and 2) Creative Resistance (via Prioritizing People and being Ridiculously Patient).

 

REVIEW

  • We cannot serve both God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13).

  • Mammon is a demonic, fungible, countable, storable power that has a worldly will opposed to the will of God. 

  • We can dethrone the power of Mammon through 1) Detox (via Generosity and Transparency) and 2) Creative Resistance (via Prioritizing People and being Ridiculously Patient).

EXPLORE THE PRINCIPLES FURTHER

  • What is Mammon? (Hint: Andy refers to Mammon as “fungible, countable, storable power.”)

  • Andy states the reason we hope and worry over money is because we desire the power we imagine that it will give us. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Do you worry about money? Do you hope for more money? 

  • Regarding the use of the Aramaic word “Mammon” in Luke and Matthew, Andy remarks that the early church understood it to be not an ordinary noun but a quasi-personable nameable power in human affairs that has a will in the world opposed to the will of God - that is, a demonic power. How does this understanding of Mammon change the seriousness of our response to Mammon’s hold on our lives? 

  • How will you intentionally dethrone the power of Mammon in your life? (Hint: recall Detox via Generosity and Transparency; Creative Resistance via Prioritizing People and Ridiculous Patience)

APPLY WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED

Memorize

Matthew 6:24

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Act Differently

  • Identify one way you can actively detox Mammon (especially through generosity and transparency) from your life this week.

  • Identify one practical step you can take to creatively resist Mammon (especially through prioritizing people and being ridiculously patient). 

  • Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what hold Mammon has on your life. Pray for the Lord to unshackle the hold of Mammon.