Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have already received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:1-4

1. Those who like to divide people into two groups.2. Those who don’t.

Two Groups of People

1. Those with a scarcity mentality2. Those with an abundance mentality

Two Groups of People

• There’s not enough to go around• There’s a limit• If I give, I may never get it back• If I let it go, it will never return

Scarcity Mentality

• There’s enough time for you• There’s enough time to share• When others win, the pie gets bigger• You can let go• You’re genuinely happy for someone else’s success• “The quality of we” instead of “the quality of me”• The more you pour out, the more you receive• The more you sow, the more you’ll reap• No need for jealousy or envy

Abundance Mentality

Alvin Toffler, Futurist

1. Agrarian Revolution2. Industrial Revolution3. Wave of Information

1. Space Age2. Electronic Age3. Global Village4. Information Age

Three Waves of Civilization

The most basic raw material of all, and one that can never be exhausted, is information, including imagination. Through imagination and information, substitutes will be found for many of today’s exhaustible resources.

Alvin TofflerThe Third Wave

• You can fix any problem!• Ideas will lead to better ideas…• …which will lead to research• …which will lead to discoveries• …which will lead to breakthroughs• …which will lead to a better world for us all.

As long as you have an abundance of ideas…

The Copyleft Movement

Blessed is he who is kind to the needy.Proverbs 14:21

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

Proverbs 22:9

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Acts 20:35

“[Jesus talked about giving with] a radical call to a wartime lifestyle and hazardous liberality.”

John Piper

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spice – mint, dill and cummin, but you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latters, without neglecting the former!

Matthew 23:23

1. You expect a return.2. You publicize it.

It’s not generosity if…

Knowledge of what you’re doing should be betweenyou, God, and sometimes the recipient.

1. You expect a return.2. You publicize it.3. It doesn’t hurt you a little bit.

It’s not generosity if…

Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood, O king, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.” But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

2nd Samuel 24:22-24

1. You expect a return.2. You publicize it.3. It doesn’t hurt you a little bit.4. You only do it because someone is telling you to.5. You don’t think about it.

It’s not generosity if…

1. You don’t expect a return.2. You do it in secret.3. It pinches, but you appreciate the pain.4. You do it whether or not someone is encouraging you to.5. You’re always thinking about new ways to give.

It’s generosity if…