Alright, let's delve into the ninth chapter of 2 Corinthians today. Naturally, it follows directly from the eighth chapter, but why state the obvious? It's to cultivate a habit of avoiding isolated perspectives. In the eighth chapter, Paul dedicates a significant portion to explaining that giving is both a grace and a test. So, what follows in the ninth chapter? Does Paul assume the Corinthians will automatically give after reading the eighth chapter? Perhaps not. Thus, Paul encourages them once more. How does one inspire others, you ask?

Inspiring others is a fascinating matter. I daresay some amongst us pastors lack a touch of finesse in this area. In this letter, after mending fences with the Corinthians, Paul doesn't inundate them with theological complexities. Instead, he delivers a most galvanizing line. What is it? Lest our boasting of you be in vain. This chapter revolves around this theme: Lest our boasting of you be in vain.”

I've repeated it thrice. Why? Because it's of utmost importance. Do you grasp its meaning? It serves as an encouragement to the Corinthians after reading it, thinking, Wow, Paul actually chooses to believe in us. Imagine if he were to say, Given your reputation, you tightfisted lot are hardly going to give. Forget about it.

What would their reaction be? They would feel no inspiration whatsoever. See, no inspiration. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to inspire someone is to choose to believe in them. Choose to believe. I frequently employ this approach. However, when it's inappropriate, I resort to other methods.

I: Paul Chooses to Believe in the Corinthians' Willingness to Donate

You know, believing is a form of encouragement, though it's not universally effective. But it's certainly more potent than disbelief. Picture this: you are a Corinthian, and I am the Apostle Paul, or vice versa, for illustrative purposes. Do you harbor a desire to give? Yes, yes, yes, Pastor. Do you yearn to serve God? Pastor, how did you know my heart?

It constitutes a theological exploration. Initially, they may have only 10% willingness to give, but 90% reluctance. But by saying this, you propel that 10% to 90%, isn't it? Consequently, belief is a theological form of encouragement. If God didn't believe in us, He would have annihilated us long ago. God believes we will eventually repent, to not be stubborn.

Truth be told, I feel somewhat heavy-hearted today. A dear friend, a Singaporean, sent me a message this morning. His cancer has ruptured and is bleeding. The tumor must have grown substantially. It's caused me reflect. Years ago, I wanted to pull him out of this cancerous habit, but it proved too arduous. I had to consistently employ the practice of choosing to believe, but ultimately, it wasn't successful.

Yet, he knows when to seek me out, when he suffers a heart attack, when cancer causes bleeding, lymphoma. I find myself pondering, is he truly worthy of belief? Perhaps not. But I still choose to believe in him, to trust in God's path. Over the past two or three years, he has drifted from the church. Previously, I urged him to leverage his English proficiency. But it was in vain. Regardless of whether it was in vain, we still choose to believe. This is a form of encouragement. In the context of providing for the saints in Jerusalem, Paul chooses to believe, believing the Corinthians would donate funds for the Jerusalem saints.

And why is that? Because the Jerusalem church is the mother church. It's an upward giving, do you understand? God commands you to honor your parents, not your children. Nowadays, many children leech off their parents, and the parents even invite them to do so, turning things upside down. This matter of belief, firstly, it's grounded in reason. Why? Because it's given to the church in Jerusalem. Jesus Christ came from the Jews. Thus, the Gospel originated from the Jews, and to this day, we owe the Jews a debt of Gospel.

We have received the benefits of the Gospel through Jesus Christ; shouldn't we remember them? We should. Secondly, why choose to believe? The following statement is even more potent. Lest our boasting of you be in vain. Let me read it to you.

Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. Yet I am sending the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you) should be ashamed of this confident boasting. (2 Corinthians 9:1-4)

Contemplate these words slowly. What would happen if I said this? I believe its effect would be quite pronounced.

Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. (2 Corinthians 9:5)

Do you get it? Today, we must understand not to let our boasting of you be in vain. Why boast? To exploit you? No. To ensure you receive the benefits of the Gospel. Is it moral blackmail? No. Many people upon reading this might think, isn't this moral blackmail? To a certain extent, it is. But where is this moral blackmail applied? Moral blackmail is forcing people to donate to you. But in this instance, what is Paul compelling them to do? To donate to the church in Jerusalem.

Hence, he deemed it necessary to urge the brethren to prepare in advance, lest upon arrival, they find nothing and feel utterly embarrassed. Mere verbal commitments are empty promises, akin to a cheap teapot—all talk and no substance.

See how Paul operates. He writes the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, sending several brethren with the letter to ensure his boasting does not fall flat. Isn't it intriguing? Paul points to the Macedonians as example to inspire the Corinthians, then uses the Corinthians to inspire the Macedonians. What is Paul doing? Not moral blackmail, but encouraging them, hoping they understand the benefits of the Gospel. Understood? I daresay we often find ourselves weary, weary because we genuinely wish to compel everyone to receive the benefits of the Gospel.

I know you yearn for a quiet life, but I must tell you, a quiet life is a disaster, a tragedy, isn't it? You want to slack off, be lazy, send a message, move your fingers, move your mouth, right? Will that suffice? Sometimes I declare that even if I have to bind you to the wings of an aircraft, I will bring you to the Kingdom of God.

But if I strap you to the aircraft wings, wouldn't circling in the sky turn you into a mummy? I'm just speaking figuratively. Actually strapping you to the aircraft wings would indeed turn you into a mummy. If it's moral blackmail, it's aimed at your benefit. Today, it's not moral blackmail because it seeks everyone's good. Isn't that so? Thus, this matter is quite interesting. Paul adds, So that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.

III: Give Cheerfully, Not Reluctantly

This is not the same as tithing. Tithing is a requirement, not our requirement, but God's requirement. It's not giving to Jerusalem. It's not called donation; it's called tithe. Tithe is the tenth part that is due. Yet today, we assume the tithe is the offering, and the offering is the tithe. That's incorrect. Tithe is tithe, and offering is offering. English expresses it better: tithe and offering. Offering is donation. Tithe is the tenth part.

But the offering is out of willingness. Giving to Jerusalem, giving to the Jerusalem saints, is out of willingness, not reluctantly. No one compels you. Although I desire you to receive the Gospel's benefits, it's absolutely not a compulsion, absolutely not forcing you, but letting you do so out of a willing heart. Why? Because it's a matter of our attitude toward money.

If our attitude toward money is flawed, problems will inevitably arise. Our attitude toward money determines our current situation. That's why I often say, to understand a person's spiritual state, observe their physical condition—whether they suffer from ailments—and their financial state—whether they are impoverished and indebted.

If they are in dire financial straits, their spiritual state is unlikely to be good. Do you think the spiritual state of Jerusalem was good? It was not. But Paul hoped that through giving to the Jerusalem church, they would, upon receiving the donation, say, Oh, we misunderstood Paul. However, Paul's mission failed; he was arrested and nearly beaten to death by the Christians in Jerusalem.

Giving cheerfully, not reluctantly, truly tests our attitude toward money. Those who lack money are bound to love it. It is self-evident. The Jerusalem church likely loved money. Why would they love money? Because their underlying motives in serving were flawed. Don't just listen to what they say; there's a discrepancy between their words and their thoughts. Consider the Book of James.

Woe to you who are rich. Does this exclude Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? That's resentment toward the wealthy. Does resentment toward the wealthy lead to poverty? It does. Because money is held in too high regard. Whether one is wealthy or not is inconsequential. A person may be spiritually inclined but not wealthy. Another may be equally spiritual but also wealthy. There's no direct correlation between the two. Therefore, we must display an attitude of giving. What God desires is our attitude, our attitude toward money. Why does God grant us money? To donate it.

Let's ponder and observe carefully. You'll find that those who are willing to donate tend to be in good financial standing. The extent to which the rich love money seems to differ quantitatively from how the poor love money.

Is it not so? Why are they poor? They are unwilling, not giving out of willingness, but rather donating to God as well out of grudging obligation, which is detrimental. This is a crucial point.

IV: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Did Paul say too much? Did Paul think that it was unnecessary to speak of this? No, he must explain it.

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously, you reap what you sow. Now haven’t we spoken earlier about how the one who gathered much did not have too much, just as the one who gathered little did not have too little? These are two different matters, do not confuse them. The one who gathered much did not have too much, just as the one who gathered little did not have too little, that was referring to the Israelites going out to gather manna. Do you understand?

Gathering and sowing are two totally different things. Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously, if you do not sow, you will not reap. Today everything revolves around sowing blessings, the more you sow the more you reap. The more you sow curses, the more you reap. The less curses you sow, the less you reap.

Some people have started to sow blessings, however, the curses that have been sown have already begun to sprout and produce fruits. Even though one does not sow curses anymore, the curse might be rooted deeply within to be easily removed. Although blessing seeds are being sown, but the curses from the past has the roots still intact that are causing it to have to have to deal with the consequences of reaping curses. Even though one is already sowing seeds of blessings, the blessing seeds have not grown yet and have yet to bear fruit. What should be done? Sowing curses or seeds of blessings or curses, it takes time to brew and incubate to produce fruits and to grow. During the time between sowing the seeds and harvesting is faith, if you sow a seed but harvest immediately, it is likely that the seed is still a seed that is probably rotting. It can’t be looked at that way.

Therefore, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously when the harvest comes and when the one who gathered much did not have too much, just as the one who gathered little did not have too little, they are not contradictory. I am telling you, this is a rule set by God.

Today many people still live under a curse. How can one sow seeds of blessings? By giving according to the will of God, those things that you are willing to let go are the things that you sow. If you do not sow it into the ground, it is still a single seed. If you are willing to sow it into the ground, you must be willing to leave the seed behind, for only then will it sprout, grow, and produce fruits, in this sowing season alone!

**He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)**

Why is it that he who sows sparingly reaps sparingly, and he who sows bountifully reaps bountifully? Simply because God is pleased. Do more of what pleases God, and avoid doing what angers Him. If you do less of what pleases God, you will receive less. Do more of what pleases God, sow more, and you will reap more—it’s very simple. Therefore, I earnestly hope that my brothers and sisters can understand my sincere intentions, which are not to cause you loss but to benefit you. You see, many brothers and sisters are becoming increasingly busy, so busy that they no longer have time for the Lord's Day or Bible study.

And what happens as a result? You will find that the busier you get, the busier you become, endlessly busy, living under a curse. Isn't it so?

Later, I found myself urging everyone, even when I really didn't want to say it, as if I desperately needed you to listen to my Bible study. A bit of coercion. But once you start trying, you'll find that the problems decrease. Right? Less and less busy. Why? Because you come to listen to the word of God. Lord’s Day Bible studies and prayers—you'll find that nothing is delayed. I tell you, you won't believe it until you reach this conclusion. Once you reach this conclusion, you'll see that nothing is delayed; many things actually disappear. That's the meaning of sowing sparingly and reaping sparingly, sowing bountifully and reaping bountifully. The same applies to curses and blessings.

One of our colleagues, interestingly, said, Teacher, do you know what? I made a decision at work to work overtime for half an hour today. After working overtime for half an hour, he found that there were even more things to do. Strange, isn't it? He was doing research. Later, he increased it to one hour, then two hours, getting busier and busier. Then one day, he suddenly woke up because our church had a good practice of many people coming to church to pray in the evening.

Many people come to church to pray, and he simply let go, figuring that the work would never be finished anyway. If he finished it, he would be unemployed the next day. Isn't that like killing the donkey after it grinds the mill, or slaughtering the dog after the hunt? So, he stopped being busy.

He came to pray, and miraculously, the work also got done. Isn't that strange? Because the work he was doing was not relying on himself but on how much of God's pleasure he had sown and how much of God's pleasure he had reaped. He wasn't sowing a lot of God's anger and then reaping a lot of God's anger.

Today, I tell you, ponder this carefully. If you're busy, you need to be careful. Why? You think you're busy sowing busyness and reaping even more busyness, sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind. Don't we often use the term whirlwind? That's the meaning—people sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. That's disastrous! Therefore, we must be pleasing to God. We must not neglect blessings and must give cheerfully. Money is originally for this purpose, isn't it? Money is meant for giving, not for enjoying. That's why there's a Chinese saying, Wealth never survives three generations.

It's hard for wealth to last beyond three generations nowadays. Why? The first generation works hard and creates value. The second generation starts squandering, and the third generation becomes poor. Isn't that right? And their entire attitude is wrong.

## Five: Give Generously

**Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. (2 Corinthians 9:10-11)**

Don't ever think that you're wealthy enough. Ah, I'm so wealthy now. I can leave it to my son. You can't keep it. I see many Christians whose attitudes toward money and death are not as good as those of Wen Tianxiang. Isn’t it so? Their attitude toward money is not as good as that of Lin Zexu. Do you know Lin Zexu? He was the Governor-General of Liangguang.

Didn't Lin Zexu say, If my son is like me, why should I give him money? He himself is worth more than money, so there's no need for him to accumulate wealth for his son. What would you give him? He’s not like me. He doesn't have that intelligence or wisdom. So today, we really need to learn from these non-believers, don't we? Said Wen Tianxiang: “Life is what I want, and righteousness is also what I want. If I cannot have both, I will choose righteousness.” Am I wrong? Wen Tianxiang wrote it. Sometimes I just think

Don't we need to know today that we can give generously if we don't already know? Your attitude toward money has not yet gained a clear understanding. That's how God does things. I'll read it to you:

**As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” (2 Corinthians 9:9)**

Why do people often have sufficiency in everything? Isn't it so? After you have sufficiency in everything, you want to enjoy yourself, and after you enjoy yourself, you fall into this pit of enjoyment. In fact, I have a very negative view of those who like to enjoy themselves with a little money, especially those who like to eat, drink, and be merry. It’s very difficult for them to walk the path of believing in the Lord in this lifetime. Do you know why? Because a person who likes to eat, drink, and be merry enjoys that. It’s different from my likes. I like to serve the Lord, and I like to minister to people. I like to give out my benefits.

But some people just want to gain and gain to satisfy their own desires. What they end up gaining is God's wrath. We have sufficiency in everything; we are enriched in everything, but we don't give generously. Actually, God prepares sufficiency and richness in everything just to test whether you are a generous person.

If you're not a generous person, you'll be in trouble. Many people don't even understand who to give to or what giving is all about until they die. They think giving is a losing proposition. You see, sow sparingly and reap sparingly, sow bountifully and reap bountifully. Then what do you do after you reap? What do you do with it? Leave it for the next life? You don't even know what the next life will be like. So, God arranges things this way. Money is for giving, and money is for offering. Money is used to test our attitude toward money. Never think that money is for consumption, because if you think that money is for consumption, you're in trouble. Do you understand?

So today, I have to tell you that you've read the ninth chapter of 2 Corinthians.

Actually, what is Paul saying? I know you don't have a willing heart. If he knew, he wouldn't need to write these things anymore, right? I need not write to you, but he still wrote. Why? Because that initial statement is a facade, not a lie, but a way to begin. Then, he still has to tell you about sowing sparingly and reaping sparingly, sowing bountifully and reaping bountifully. Sowing what? Sowing donations, sowing God's pleasure. Isn't it so? Because our God is like that. God loves a cheerful giver.

I tell you that among all the things God created, the most amazing is the seed. One seed, when sown, can yield thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold. Isn't it? If there are ten thousand seeds, and each yields a hundredfold, that would be incredible, right? Ten thousand dollars sown becomes one million. So seeds are amazing. Therefore, blessings and curses are the two major themes of our lives. We must ponder them well while we're alive. The same goes for time.

## Six: Give Glory to God

Will those who receive our offerings give glory to us? No. You don't expect others to thank you. You just hope that they will thank God and give glory to God, right?

**Which causes thanksgiving through us to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men. (2 Corinthians 9:11-13)**

I think our brothers and sisters should know today what they should know: When we do this, what are the Corinthians doing? They are offering to the church in Jerusalem. If we provide for our mother church in this world, that is our God. Thank God that we in Chinese Mingding Destiny do not lack anything. But the Jerusalem church was lacking.

The churches that Paul established were all wealthy and did not lack anything. So giving to the Jerusalem church was an activity that Paul promoted, hoping that the people and the church in Jerusalem would give glory to God. What does that mean? To receive the pure gospel that Paul preached and return to the truth of Jesus Christ. Isn't it so? Because Jesus Christ was a Jew, and the gospel came from the Jews. So it's normal for us to offer to these Jews.

Perhaps one day, there will be Jews among us who believe in Jesus Christ with us. When he says this, he also believes in the church in Jerusalem. If he didn't believe in the church in Jerusalem, he wouldn't say this. He says this to encourage the church in Jerusalem, including the apostle James, the brother of Jesus, and the apostle Peter.

He hopes that they will say, Wow, so this is what Paul is like. Oh, we misunderstood him before. Actually, what did they misunderstand? They knew everything in their hearts. They knew that the church in Corinth donated a lot of money to them, donating generously to them and to all men, and thus giving glory to God. Hearing this, if someone says, I am the church in Jerusalem, and people donate a lot of money and give it to us, then I will dare to give glory to God, doesn't that sound a little awkward? It actually is a little awkward. But the Jerusalem church was at such a low level—very low, extremely low, poor as a church mouse.

But thank God that Paul, because he had such a mother church, didn't discern good and evil but tried hard to bless them. He wanted to bring the Corinthians along to bless the church in Jerusalem because the gospel came from Jerusalem. This is also God's will.

## Seven: God Has Indescribable Gifts

Thank God, God has indescribable gifts. What does that mean? God wants to bestow benefits. God wants to bestow benefits to see if you have the vessel to receive what God gives. Do you think the gifts, the grace, and the giving are to bestow benefits upon us and to give grace without end? But do we have the vessel to receive them? So I often say that financial and physical health are two major indicators.

If a person is poor and full of illness, he is definitely not spiritual. Do you understand? A spiritual person will definitely prosper in finances and physical health. But if you ask him if he's very rich and has no health problems, that's not necessarily the case. Can you understand now? If a person prospers in spirit, he prospers in all things. A person who prospers in spirit is healthy and prospers in all things because God has indescribable gifts to bestow.

It's not that a person is rich and healthy, so he's spiritual. It's not necessarily the case. But a spiritual person must be healthy, prosperous in spirit, and prosper in all things.

Do you want God's countless gifts? Today, if I choose to believe you, I choose to believe everyone. You are a spiritual person who will receive God's indescribable gifts. Will you let my words, the words I use to praise you, fall to the ground? Don't let my words fall to the ground. You must do these things, knowing that he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully; he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. You must know to give generously and not be selfish. A selfish person is definitely pleasing to God and will not cause anyone to give glory to God because of your selfishness. God also has no way to bestow endless gifts upon this selfish person. Giving is out of willingness, without compulsion, which is a very important attitude.

I want to encourage everyone to learn to be a giving person, giving and offering. Some time ago, I saw someone write that they would follow the teacher's example and offer 20%, turning the tithe into 20%. I think this is a very individualistic person. There was also a sister who only worked for three months, and she shouldn't have earned that much, but she offered so much: she offered her first month's salary. She still has a lot of debts outside, but these debts are not owed by others; they are owed by her husband. But over the past two years, through prayer, many of her illnesses have been healed. I ask you, how much money has that saved? That's not even in the same order of magnitude of money. I think if a person recognizes God, they must recognize God in their actions, trusting in God alone and no longer relying on their own wisdom and intelligence.

May God pour out indescribable gifts upon these people. Amen!