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Watchman Nee
Watchman Nee (1903 - 1972). Chinese evangelist, author, and church planter born Nee Shu-tsu in Fuzhou, Fujian, to Methodist parents. Converted at 17 in 1920 through Dora Yu’s preaching, he adopted the name Watchman, meaning “sound of a gong,” to reflect his call as a spiritual sentinel. Self-taught, he read over 3,000 books, including works by John Darby and Andrew Murray, and studied Scripture intensely, founding the Little Flock movement in 1922, which grew to 700 assemblies with 70,000 members by 1949. Nee authored over 60 books, including The Normal Christian Life (1957), emphasizing a crucified and resurrected life for believers. Married to Charity Chang in 1934, they had no children; she supported him through frequent illnesses. Despite no formal theological training, he trained thousands of Chinese workers, rejecting denominationalism for simple, Spirit-led churches. Arrested in 1952 under Communist rule, he spent 20 years in prison for his faith, enduring harsh conditions yet remaining steadfast. His writings, translated into 50 languages, shaped global evangelicalism, particularly in Asia and the West. Nee’s focus on spiritual depth over institutional religion continues to inspire millions. His words, “Good is not always God’s will, but God’s will is always good,” reflect his trust in divine purpose amid suffering.
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Sermon Summary
Watchman Nee emphasizes the interrelationship between fact, faith, and experience in the Christian life. He explains that facts are God's promises and gifts, while faith is the believer's trust in these truths, transforming them into personal experience. Experience, in turn, is the manifestation of Christ's life in believers, reflecting their understanding and application of God's facts. Nee warns that without understanding these connections, believers may face confusion in their faith and teachings. He illustrates these concepts through the doctrine of redemption, highlighting its significance in the believer's life.
Definitions
Fact Facts are God's promises, His redemption, His works, and His free gifts. Faith Faith denotes the way man believes in God, trusts in His work and redemption, and claims His promises. It is a kind of working and attitude through which God's facts are transformed into man's experience. Experience Experience is the proper living of the believers, which they secure through believing in God. It is the expression of the life of Christ practiced in the believers' living. Experience is the realization of all Christ's accomplishments and victories. It is the practical application, manifestation, and living out of God's facts. The histories of all the saints recorded in the Bible belong to this category. Not only those who are teachers but all believers should know the interrelationship of these three: fact, faith, and experience. Otherwise, they will be confused in their living and in their teachings. Furthermore, they will find many contradictions and apparent disagreements in their reading of the Bible. I am afraid that up to this point I have still not presented the scriptural teachings in a clear way. For this reason, I want to present a few great doctrines in the Bible as proofs. We Christians have believed in the substitutional death of the Lord Jesus and have experienced the effect of His redemption. Redemption is an experience for the sinners; we Christians have already been redeemed. For us, redemption is a past experience. It seems as if we have no need to speak of it anymore. Yet for the sake of illustrating the relationship between these three things—fact, faith, and experience—and in order to show us their continuity and importance, I will first use as an example an experience that we have already had.
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Watchman Nee (1903 - 1972). Chinese evangelist, author, and church planter born Nee Shu-tsu in Fuzhou, Fujian, to Methodist parents. Converted at 17 in 1920 through Dora Yu’s preaching, he adopted the name Watchman, meaning “sound of a gong,” to reflect his call as a spiritual sentinel. Self-taught, he read over 3,000 books, including works by John Darby and Andrew Murray, and studied Scripture intensely, founding the Little Flock movement in 1922, which grew to 700 assemblies with 70,000 members by 1949. Nee authored over 60 books, including The Normal Christian Life (1957), emphasizing a crucified and resurrected life for believers. Married to Charity Chang in 1934, they had no children; she supported him through frequent illnesses. Despite no formal theological training, he trained thousands of Chinese workers, rejecting denominationalism for simple, Spirit-led churches. Arrested in 1952 under Communist rule, he spent 20 years in prison for his faith, enduring harsh conditions yet remaining steadfast. His writings, translated into 50 languages, shaped global evangelicalism, particularly in Asia and the West. Nee’s focus on spiritual depth over institutional religion continues to inspire millions. His words, “Good is not always God’s will, but God’s will is always good,” reflect his trust in divine purpose amid suffering.