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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 that God desires us to be continuously empty in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He illustrates this through the story of a woman who had only a pot of oil, highlighting that the more we empty ourselves, the more room we create for God's fullness. The sermon teaches that our responsibility is to keep emptying ourselves, while God's role is to fill us with His Spirit. Nee reminds us that God waits for us to recognize our need for Him, and only those who acknowledge their emptiness will be filled. Ultimately, the message is about the importance of maintaining an open heart to receive God's abundant blessings.
God Waits for Us to Be Empty
“And she said, thy handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.” 2 Kings 4:2 The work of the Holy Spirit is not “once empty, always full”; it is “keeping on being empty to keep on being full.” The woman’s difficulty was having too few vessels. She was told to borrow “not a few.” which is to say “the more the better.” The greater the space, the greater will be the fullness. This is the rule which God wants us to learn. He waits for us to be empty. If you have an unlimited vacancy, the Holy Spirit will occupy it all, dispensing to you his unlimited fullness. Let me repeat; our emptying needs to be continuous. To the degree that we empty ourselves. God can fill us. The emptying is our responsibility, just as the filling is his. God wants to see the hungry filled with good things. Only those who presume to be rich will he send away empty.
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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.