You Cannot Serve God and Mammon
Sermon by Pastor Peter Lui
In this compelling message, Pastor Peter Lui unpacks one of Jesus’ most direct and challenging statements found in Matthew 6:24:
“No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and Mammon.”
This is not a suggestion or moral advice—it is a declaration of spiritual reality. Jesus makes it clear that divided allegiance is impossible. Every believer must ultimately choose who or what they will serve.
The Impossibility of Serving Two Masters
Pastor Peter begins by explaining that Jesus’ words are absolute. The phrase “cannot serve” highlights that it is not merely difficult, but impossible to serve both God and Mammon at the same time.
Like standing with one foot on two boats drifting in opposite directions, a divided life will eventually collapse. God and Mammon make completely different and opposing demands on our lives.
God calls for:
- Exclusive devotion
- Trust in His provision
- Identity rooted in being His child
- Eternal values and kingdom purpose
Mammon, on the other hand, demands:
- Divided loyalty
- Trust in material security
- Identity based on status and possession
- Focus on temporary, earthly gain
These two masters cannot coexist in the same heart.
Mammon as a Rival Deity
Pastor Peter explains that Mammon is not just about money. It is wealth personified—a system that seeks to take the place of God in our lives.
Mammon competes for:
- Our trust
- Our loyalty
- Our identity
- Our devotion
It subtly shifts our dependence away from God by promoting self-sufficiency, material security, and personal success. It promises satisfaction but ultimately produces anxiety, emptiness, and spiritual disconnection.
The real issue is not whether we possess wealth, but whether wealth possesses us.
As Martin Luther once said, “Whatever your heart clings to and relies upon, that is your god.”
The Danger of a Divided Heart
Scripture consistently warns against divided allegiance. Both James and the apostle John emphasise that loving the world is incompatible with loving God.
A divided heart is not a small issue—it is spiritual compromise. When we pursue the values of the world—self-indulgence, pride, and materialism—we drift away from God’s rule and purpose.
True devotion requires a decisive turning away from the world’s system and a reorientation of our hearts toward God.
Choosing God as the Only Master
Throughout Scripture, God’s people are repeatedly called to choose. From Moses to Joshua to Elijah, the message remains the same: choose whom you will serve.
Pastor Peter reminds us that serving God requires a clear and intentional decision. There is no middle ground.
When we choose God as our Master, something powerful happens:
1. Trust Replaces Anxiety
Jesus teaches us not to worry about life’s needs—food, clothing, or provision—because God is our provider. When we seek first His kingdom, everything else is added to us.
2. Freedom Replaces Bondage
While Mammon enslaves us with fear and insecurity, God leads us into true freedom and contentment.
3. Purpose Replaces Emptiness
Living for God aligns our lives with eternal purpose, rather than temporary gain.
The Reality of Eternity
Pastor Peter closes with a powerful reminder: everything we accumulate in this world is temporary.
Like Alexander the Great, who conquered vast territories yet left the world empty-handed, we cannot bring our wealth, achievements, or status into eternity.
King Solomon, one of the wealthiest men in history, ultimately declared:
“Vanity of vanities… all is vanity.”
What truly matters is not what we gain, but who we serve.
A Call to Decide
The message ends with a clear challenge:
- Who is your Master?
- Where does your trust truly lie?
- What holds your heart today?
Jesus calls us to wholehearted devotion. If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.
As believers, we are invited to enthrone Christ at the centre of our lives—to seek what is above, to live with eternal perspective, and to surrender fully to Him.
Because in the end, there is no middle ground:
we will either serve God, or we will serve Mammon.
