As much as we desire to see men and women come to a knowledge of the living God in Christ Jesus our Lord, as much as we long for them to embrace the gospel and receive Christ as Lord and Saviour, we dare not, cannot, and will not labor to present that glorious gospel in such a way that the offense is removed!
When I prepare a message to preach on the Lord’s Day, my thoughts are not, “How can this be said or that be preached to give the least offense, to hold those who visit, to slowly slip up on the ignorant, or to present the truth of God in small quantities.” My thoughts are only on this one thing, “What does the Scripture teach? What is the Lord saying?”
My responsibility is to preach Christ and his Word. What my congregation thinks, how men and women react, or the results of the sermon are not my affair – but His! I will preach the grace of God in love, but I will preach the grace of God! I will preach sovereign, effectual redemption with humility and compassion, but not with apologies and timidity. “We were bold in our God to speak unto the gospel of God with much contention” (1 Thess. 2:2).
About Henry Mahan
Henry T. Mahan was born in Birmingham, Alabama in August 1926. He joined the United States Navy in 1944 and served as a signalman on an L.S.T. in the Pacific during World War II. In 1946, he married his wife Doris, and the Lord blessed them with four children.
At the age of 21, he entered the pastoral ministry and gained broad experience as a pastor, teacher, conference speaker, and evangelist. In 1950, through the preaching of evangelist Rolfe Barnard, God was pleased to establish Henry in sovereign free grace teaching. At that time, he was serving as an assistant pastor at Pollard Baptist Church (off of Blackburn ave.) in Ashland, Kentucky.
In 1955, Thirteenth Street Baptist Church was formed in Ashland, Kentucky, and Henry was called to be its pastor. He faithfully served that congregation for more than 50 years, continuing in the same message throughout his ministry. His preaching was centered on the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified, in full accord with the Scriptures. He consistently proclaimed God’s sovereign purpose in salvation and the glory of Christ in redeeming sinners through His blood and righteousness.
Henry T. Mahan also traveled widely, preaching in conferences and churches across the United States and beyond. His ministry was marked by a clear and unwavering emphasis on Christ, not the preacher, but the One preached. Those who heard him recognized that his sermons honored the Savior and exalted the name of the Lord Jesus Christ above all.
Henry T. Mahan served as pastor and teacher of Thirteenth Street Baptist Church in Ashland, Kentucky for over half a century. His life and ministry were devoted to proclaiming the sovereign grace of God and directing sinners to the finished work of Christ. He entered into the presence of the Lord in 2019, leaving behind a lasting testimony to the gospel he faithfully preached.
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