The preacher often says, “Mine is a very hard task, for I preach to many in whom I see nothing hopeful. I thunder for the law, and the conscience is not stirred; I talk of the love and mercy of God, and the heart is not moved; I preach the sufferings of Christ for our sins, and the eye does not weep; I point to hell, and there is no fear nor is there any desire kindled when I speak of the glory of heaven. There is absolutely nothing in men that encourages me to continue to preach to them. Is there any reason why I should preach the word to those in whom I see nothing?”
Brother, come back with me to the world's creation. Of what did God make the world? Did he not make it out of nothing? You have never yet grasped the idea of nothing until you consider the creation. When God spoke, there was no ear to hear. When he said, “Let there be light,” there was no eye to see it. When he made the rose, there was no nose to smell it. When he made the apple, there was no mouth to taste it; and when he made the garden, there was no foot to walk in it. Nothing was everywhere, and yet out of nothing he made all things. He spoke and it was done. He commanded and it appeared. You say there is nothing in the sinner to whom you preach? That's wonderful, for there is in that state of nothing room for the great God to create something, to create a new heart and a right spirit. The conditions are right for God to do so inasmuch as the heart of man is empty and has room for grace where there was no grace.
If you had to convert the sinner, then I would agree that your task is hopeless; but if salvation is of the Lord, you may comfort your heart with this thought, that he who created all this marvelous earth out of nothing can also create life, love, faith, and hope where there are no spiritual ingredients nor interest with which to work.
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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