I delivered this talk twice in 2026.
I’m from Colorado, a mountainous state in the western United States. I love the mountains. This summer, I took the two college interns staying with me backpacking. Backpacking’s a Colorado pastime. We put tents, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, clothes, food, and anything else you might need in large backpacks, drive to the mountains, carry those backpacks up a mountain trail about 8km per day to a place deep in the forest and alone, set up camp, and spend a few nights there. We adventure during the days: hiking, exploring, and fishing. We relax in the evenings sharing life over a fire. The last day, we pack up and return home. One of my interns loved it; the other couldn’t wait to leave.
My uncle taught me to backpack. At least once per year, he took his son, my brother, and me, and sometimes his daughter and my sister backpacking. I enjoyed it and later took my sons. They enjoy it and still backpack today. In a way, then, you could say my uncle’s love for backpacking multiplied from him to his children and nephews, and from me to my sons and my first intern. I have a similar multiplication in the Christian life I want to share with you today.
Please open your Bibles to 2 Corinthians 9. I am a Bible chapter memorizer. I finished memorizing 2 Corinthians 9 this May. When Paul wrote it, a famine had spread throughout the Middle East. The Christians in Judea were particularly hard hit. In 2 Corinthians, Paul urges the Christians in Corinth to give money to the Christians in Judea to relieve their hardship. Chapter 9 records part of that strong plea. Beginning in verse 1,
“There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. For I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give, and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should
not prove hollow, but that you may be ready as I said you would be. For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, not to say anything about you, would be ashamed at having been so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.” (2 Corinthians 9:1-5)
Achaia is the province that contains the city of Corinth. Macedonia is the province just north of Achaia. Macedonia contains famous Bible cities like Philippi and Thessalonica. Paul begins by saying that the Christians in Corinths’ enthusiasm in giving stirred the Christians in Macedonia to give (1-2). He says he’s sending brothers to collect the gift (5) to make sure they’re ready. Continuing in verse 6.
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound in you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’” (2 Corinthians 9:6-9)
Here, he encourages them to give generously and cheerfully (6-7) and reminds them that God makes grace abound in them, so they can abound in every good work (8), quoting Psalm 112.
Memorization forces careful study. As I memorized 2 Corinthians 9, I discovered a cause and effect I had missed before, and that’s what I want to focus on in this talk. It starts in verses 10 and following. Here are verses 10 and 11.
“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:10-11)
Continuing with his quote of Psalm of 112, Paul reminds the Christians in Corinth that God gives the sower seed and all of us bread. Then he describes a special gift he grants Christians and uses the metaphor of farming to describe it: he gives Christians seed to enlarge the harvest of righteousness. The harvest of righteousness is found throughout Scripture — God expects his people, you and I, to live righteously. It’s something we do that reflects his character and pleases him. It starts in Genesis when he reveals his motive for choosing Abraham:
“For I have chosen [Abraham], so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” (Genesis 18:19, emphasis added)
It’s probably most direct in Leviticus: “Be holy because I the LORD your God am holy” (19:2). And most explicitly described in the vineyard allegory of Isaiah 5 and Matthew 21, where God is a vineyard owner, we are the vines, and he expects his vines to yield good fruit, justice and righteousness. In 2 Corinthians 9, God supplies seed to enlarge that harvest, and that seed is wealth. Note the multiplication of righteousness and goodness in verses 10 and 11. God does one act of goodness (supplying seed), we respond with another (generosity), and the recipients of our generosity respond with another (thanksgiving). To stress this multiplication, Paul puts it another way in verses 12-15.
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.” (2 Corinthians 9:12-15)
Note the multiplication of goodness again. God gives, which prompts Corinthian generosity, which prompts the recipients’ thanksgiving, praise, and prayer to God, and their love for the Corinthian givers. Authors repeat concepts to add emphasis. And that’s why Paul repeats it: multiplication of goodness is important to him. Note also the strong language used for God’s gift. He calls it surpassing grace and indescribable gift. On its own, if I gave you enough money to share with others, you’d be grateful, but I doubt you’d call it indescribable. But when you understand how that initial gift blossoms into so much more, indescribable and surpassing are fitting adjectives. So we can agree with Paul: thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Before I move to application, I have a few remarks.
First, in American culture, it’s customary to introduce someone by their career achievements. Charles is a great circuit designer. So-and-so manages a mutual fund. They founded a Bible College. And these achievements are often shared to raise a person’s value in the other’s eyes — to motivate you to respect that person. While these achievements are impressive, I want to flip this estimation of value upside down today. Circuit design, mutual fund management, and Bible College planting are monumental tasks that take years to achieve. They’re so hard, some never achieve them or only achieve them late in life. When we set them as a bar for greatness, house wives, children, the uneducated, and the disabled become second-class. In this passage, what is valuable in God’s eyes? It is righteousness and goodness. Career achievements are only part of that category at best; sometimes, they don’t even qualify. As Christians, then, let’s set the bar of greatness by God’s standards: righteousness and goodness. You know what makes the person next to you great? His or her righteousness and goodness. That’s what God values, and they can be done today and always by anyone, including you.
Second, notice the critical role each party plays. God initiates goodness, we respond in goodness, and that multiplies into goodness in others. When we take away one of those parties, the multiplication is greatly lessened. If I chose not to pass my love of backpacking to my children, they likely wouldn’t backpack. Yes, someone else might teach them, but that might not happen. In 2 Corinthians 9, if some Corinthians failed to give, the abundance to the believers in Judea would be lessened, and they’d have less reason to praise and rejoice. Your part in promoting goodness, doesn’t just affect you or the few you impact, it affects many after you, including people you don’t even know. Your part is critical; you must be faithful.
Third, not always does goodness continue. There will be some who don’t respond. Do not be discouraged by them; instead, be encouraged by those who do respond. You are not responsible for the fruit; you are responsible for acting. It’s similar to the parable of the sower. Sow goodness everywhere; good soil will multiply it.
And now, here’s my application to you. I divide the application into general gifts God gives all and specific gifts God gives some. First, recognize and thank God for the general gifts he gives all believers, including you: love, grace, mercy, forgiveness. Focus on them; realize they are gifts, not rights. Today, this week, stand and praise him for all he’s done for you and the lost. Second, extend those generous gifts to others. Be obedient at home. Work hard. Do not grumble or complain. Befriend the scorned. Smile at the rejected. Hug the lonely. Help the elderly. Aid the cripple. Forgive the sinner. Love lavishly. Third, recognize and thank God for the specific gifts or talents he gave you. Spend some time and think about what they are: intelligence, athleticism, musicianship, cooking, craftsmanship, artistic ability, or, yes, wealth. Today, this week, think about those gifts and talents, understand you were special in God’s eyes to receive them, and praise and thank God for granting them to you. Fourth, use those specific gifts and talents to serve others. Solve problems. Teach a child to throw a ball. Sing for the worship team. Serve friends a meal. Repair a person’s bathroom. Paint a mural. Give to the poor. In summary, do good, no matter how small; do good as often as you can; and, do good to all. Finally, observe and praise God for the way his gifts multiply through you and through others. Watch and follow-up what you’ve done; watch how it impacts. It will encourage you to give even more. Praise God and thank him for his
indescribable gift!