October 28^th, 1959 “Preaching Within Your Experience” Late Mr. N. Daniel

2 Peter 2:12-22

There are people who talk of high things in religion which they have not experienced. It becomes a lie. When we exaggerate our spiritual experience it is wrong. The devil knows it. By this he gets power over you. Do not speak above your experience. Many people have gone back into sin because of this. People are misled by them. 2 Peter 2:18 "For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error." Some who have escaped these things are deceived by these people who speak high sounding things. Some in our Fellowship have sinned this way. There are some groups of people who speak about high experience which they do not have. We must be careful with whom we associate. All people will not lead you aright. Some have asked me, "Should we stay only in this Fellowship? Can we not learn good things from others?" The only thing I told them was, 'In this Fellowship, when you go wrong, we will correct you.'

Be careful. The devil wants to make us an example of complete failure so that people may not believe what is written in the Word of God. Even when I went to Sundar Singh, God said, 'Remember you are my servant, you must do my will.' It was not a warning against Sundar Singh. He did lead me aright. But my zeal had to be guided and my goals reaffirmed. Some people preach very well. But you must know their depth. A young enthusiast can preach far above his level. We must deliver the message we get from the Lord. After giving it, you must see if it is true in your own life. People can speak great swelling words being empty wells. Then God will use donkeys to speak to such. Be very careful. What is the motive of our preaching? The devil is watching to catch the preacher.

Balaam prophesied for gain. The flesh always tries to play a part in these things. The 'I' must be completely subdued. Eve's fleshly desire broke her fellowship with God. Demas also, for the love of the world, left God. Many in this Fellowship who sought to be great, have left us. Their motive was wrong. They went back into the world and to covetousness. Let us be very careful about our spiritual experience, never to speak above our experience or exaggerate our experience.

Of course you can refer to the experiences of great saints. But the presentation must be as a common aspiration of the preacher and the listeners. After the sermon, the preacher must pray for that experience. The devil wants to lead us back to our vomit. Young people must receive corrections or there will come a time when there may be no one to correct us.