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Henry Mahan

A Rich Young Ruler Turned Away

Luke 18:18-30
Henry Mahan • June, 14 2000 • Audio
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Message: 1453b
Henry Mahan Tape Ministry
6088 Zebulon Highway
Pikeville, KY 41501
What does the Bible say about eternal life?

The Bible teaches that eternal life is a gift from God through Jesus Christ, not something we inherit by our works.

Eternal life, as referenced in the Bible, is fundamentally understood as a gift from God that cannot be earned by human effort. In Luke 18:18-30, the rich young ruler seeks to know what good works he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus responds by pointing out the impossibility of achieving eternal life through Law adherence alone, as all men have sinned and fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). Instead, eternal life is a present reality for believers who trust in Christ's perfect obedience and sacrificial death, enabling them to be justified by faith (Galatians 2:16). It is through God's grace we come to possess this eternal life, receiving it by faith alone, rooted firmly in the sovereign power of God to save.

Romans 3:23, Galatians 2:16, Luke 18:18-30

How do we know Jesus is the way to salvation?

Jesus claims in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Him.

The assertion that Jesus is the exclusive path to salvation is firmly rooted in scripture. In John 14:6, Jesus unequivocally states, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.' This declaration emphasizes not just His role as a guide or teacher, but as the sole mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). In Luke 18:18-30, we see that the rich young ruler’s attempt to gain eternal life through works falls short of the perfect standard required by God's Law. It reveals the depth of man's inability to achieve righteousness through himself. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ—who fulfilled the Law and embodies perfect righteousness—that one can have access to salvation and eternal life.

John 14:6, 1 Timothy 2:5, Luke 18:18-30

Why is following Christ important for a Christian?

Following Christ is essential for a Christian as it signifies a life transformed by grace and dedicated to God's will.

Following Christ is not merely a suggestion, but a foundational aspect of a believer's life. To follow Christ means to actively engage in a relationship with Him, characterized by hearing His words and obeying them as seen in Luke 10:41-42, where Mary chose to focus on Jesus over worldly distractions. This commitment reflects a recognition that true life and righteousness are found only in Him (Philippians 3:7-8). As Christians, we are called to die to ourselves and the allurements of this world (Galatians 2:20), embodying the values of God's kingdom. As stated in Romans 6, our identification with Christ's death allows us to walk in newness of life, prioritizing His glory above our own interests. The importance of this follows the notion that genuine faith results in a life that bears fruit, evidencing the transformative nature of grace.

Luke 10:41-42, Philippians 3:7-8, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6

Sermon Transcript

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and 20 and 21. And a certain
ruler asked him, saying, good master, now this account is found
also in Matthew and Mark. And Matthew says this certain
ruler came to Christ and kneeled. He kneeled to Christ. And Matthew
also says that his question was, good master, what good thing,
what good work shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, why
callest thou me good? Why would Christ say that? The
young man called him a good teacher, a good master, but Christ is is calling this man's attention
to the fact that no man is good. He's not God, he's not good.
Christ is God, but this young man didn't come to him as the
Christ, the God-man. He came to him like Nicodemus
came. We know you're a teacher. So
Christ said, just being a teacher doesn't make me good. A person
has to be God to be good. But then he continued and said,
thou knowest the commandments. Do not commit adultery, do not
kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor thy father
and thy mother. And the young wealthy ruler said,
all these things have I kept from my youth up. And Matthew says, he asked, what
lack I yet? Well, let's talk about some things
concerning this young man. Number one, I believe he's sincere. This is a very wealthy man. Very, very, we're going to see
in a few moments, very wealthy. And he was interested in eternal
life. He desired eternal life. He really
did. And he made it his business to
inquire into this matter of eternal life. And another thing, he came
to a preacher. This was a humbling act on his
part. This man Jesus wasn't highly
thought of. He was despised of all men and
rejected of men. And this very outstanding, wealthy
ruler, some say he was a Pharisee, ruler of the synagogue. I don't
know. He was a very wealthy, outstanding young man. He came
to this preacher and he kneeled. before him. There's a lot of
crowded people there, always a crowd of people. Sincere, sincere. And he knelt and addressed him
in glowing terms. Very few people referred to Jesus
of Nazareth as a master, but this man did. Good master. And this man was willing to do
whatever he told him to do. good things. He said, what good
things shall I do? Give me some special good deeds. I'm a wealthy man. I can do a
whole lot of things. You just tell me what to do to
inherit eternal life and somehow I'll do it, I'll buy it, I'll
provide for it, I'll do some things. He meant that. And I know that he had respect
to the laws of God. He would have voted readily put
the Ten Commandments in the courthouses and in the schools. In fact, when our Lord said,
well, if you want to inherit eternal life by what you do,
keep the commandments. That's what Moses said, do this
and live. So keep the commandments. Do
you know the commandments? Do not commit adultery, do not
kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor thy father
and thy mother. I kept these. He had great respect
to the laws of God, being willing to outwardly live by these rules
and these regulations. Well, after he said that, what
did our Lord say? Look at verse 22. Now, when Jesus
heard these things out of this man's mouth, he already knew
what this man was going to say. You know that. Our Lord knows
everything. before it happens, before man
says it. The Lord, if you go back to when
he said to Cain, he said, where's your brother? But go back further
than that, he asked Adam, where are you? God never asked a question
for information. When the Lord God asked a question,
it's to draw out of that person what he's really thinking. That
person, to confess and lay it on the line, what's really in
his heart. And Adam said, well I was naked and I went to hear
it from you. Cain said, well I'm not my brother's keeper. So when the Lord said this to
this young man, he brought out of him his real problem, and
he confessed it himself. Now when Jesus heard these things,
he said to him, yet lackest thou one thing, one
thing, One thing in several parts he liked. He liked one specific
thing. But that one thing affected everything
else. Turn to the book of James and
let's look at a scripture over here. That one thing, that was
the primary thing, but that primary thing affected everything else. It tainted everything else. It
affected everything else. One thing, you got one big problem. But it affects everything else.
Now listen to James chapter 2, verse 10. Whosoever shall keep
the whole law, and yet offend in one thing, one point, he is
guilty of the whole law. Now this young man, he's a moral
young man, an honest young man, an intelligent young man, And he was seeking acceptance
before God by what he was doing, by his acts, by his duties. And every religious person who
seeks acceptance with God by his own works and own will has
at least one area that he cannot conquer, at least one area that
he cannot overcome. at least one area that he cannot
subdue, no matter how outstanding he is in different places and
points. He usually has one place in which
he cannot deny himself, and one area he cannot subdue. And this
young man was richest. Richest. Though he was an outwardly
moral man, Though he was outwardly an honest man, though he was
outwardly a respected man, inside he was covetous. He was greedy. He was selfish. He was taken
up and consumed with materialism. He was taken up and consumed
with the vanities and the pride of life. Christ said one thing. You've got one problem, and it's
affecting everything about you. One problem. You see, Luke 18 verse 23 says,
Likest thou one thing. Verse 23 says, When he heard
this, he was very sorrowful. He was very rich. He wasn't just
well off. This man was very rich. Matthew
says, listen, Matthew said he left Christ, he went away sorrowfully,
he had great possessions. Great possessions. He could not
deny himself his treasures. He could not deny himself his
lifestyle. These riches were his God. Now Moses faced this same problem. Turn to Hebrews 11. This man, as I say, he wasn't
just well-off. He was fabulously wealthy. And
he was taken up with this materialism and this vanity. And this one
thing, it corrupted everything about him. This Moses, Moses
faced this same issue. Moses had great possessions. Like I said not long ago, do
you even comprehend how wealthy Moses
was. He was second in command over
the richest nation in the world. And it says here in Hebrews 11
verse 24, By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused
to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to
suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures
of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater
riches than the treasures of Egypt. For he had respect unto
the recompense of the reward, by faith he forsook Egypt, not
fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him
who is invisible." Moses was willing to do that. This young
man couldn't and wouldn't. But Moses did it by the grace
of God. Moses saw Christ. He saw the
riches of Christ. This young man couldn't see those
things. You see, like I say, every person, every religious
person who seeks acceptance with God by what he does, if he'd
admit it, there's one place in his life that he cannot subdue,
that he cannot conquer, that he cannot overcome, that he cannot
deny, and it permeates his whole being, affects his whole character.
Now here's another one thing, and like I say, this one thing
takes several directions, like it's that one thing. One thing
this ruler forgot, in his study of the law and the prophets,
he knew the law, he knew the prophets, but he neglected one
thing, because he was possessed by this God, this false idol
of materialism. He forgot that to be accepted,
his works had to be perfect. He boasted, all these have I
kept for my youth up. What lack I yet? Doing it perfectly,
that's what you lack, doing it perfectly. Turn to Galatians,
Galatians chapter 3. Doing it perfectly, that's what
you lack. In Galatians chapter 3, verse
10. Now, in Galatians 3, verse 10,
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.
For it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not
in all things written in the book of the law to do them. All
the law of God, not just some of the law of God, all of it,
perfectly. Look at Galatians 4, verse 21.
Galatians 4, verse 21. Paul says, tell me ye that desire
to be under the law. Don't you hear the law? Don't
you hear it? It says perfection, not outwardly
only, but inwardly, in Paul's imagination. No area unconquered,
no area unsubdued, no area not overcome perfectly before God. Look at Galatians 5 verse 3.
I testify again to every man that's circumcised that starts
out on a course of law and works, that he's a debtor to do the
whole law. And that's where this young man
missed it. And Christ said, I'll sum up the whole law for you.
A man came to him in Matthew 23. Listen to this. One of them
came to him, verse 36, and said, in Matthew 23, he said, Which
is the greatest law? Which is the greatest law? And
Christ said, The first law, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, mind, soul, and strength. And the second, likened
to it, thy neighbor as thyself. And on these hang all the law
and the prophets. Perfectly. Alright. One area he ignored. He had an
idol. He had an idol. He had a false
god. And it consumed him. The second thing, one thing he
forgot. That when your trust works, they
have to be perfect. And thirdly, he forgot the one
person. That eternal life is not something
we do, it's something that God does. And Christ said this to
him, verse 22. Now when Jesus heard these things,
he said to him, yet likest thou one thing. You've got a false
God. You haven't perfectly obeyed
the law. Say of what you have, Distribute
to the poor, get rid of your idol, get rid of your false god,
and you'll have treasure in heaven and come follow me. Follow me. Leave where you are. Leave what
dominates and controls you. Leave your idols and your false
righteousness and follow me. What is it to follow Christ?
Turn to Luke chapter 10. Here's the first thing. What
is it to follow Christ? The first thing is this, in Luke
chapter 10, verses 41 and 42. You remember the story of Mary and
Martha. Verse 40 says, Martha was cumbered
about with much serving, and she came to the Lord and said,
Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve
alone? Bid her therefore that she help
me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou
art careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is
needful. One thing is needful. And Mary
hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken from her.
What was Mary doing? Mary was consumed with the person
and the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every time she's mentioned,
she's sitting at his feet. listening to his word, feeding
on the gospel. That's what Mary did. She lost
interest in many things, many things, troubled about many things. And she was consumed with one
thing, to hear him. And Christ said that one thing,
that is not only needful, it's the one thing that's needful.
And that's what he was saying to this rich young ruler, you
get rid of, leave where you are. and what you have, and your idols,
and come follow me." This is what the Apostle Paul... If you
turn to Philippians 3, this is what Paul did. This is what he
tells us in Philippians 3. He was like this rich young man. He was religious, he was moral,
He was taken up with many things, he was wealthy, he was a leader
among the Israel, he was a man of great influence and power
and riches. And he says in Philippians 3
verse 4, Though I might also have confidence in the flesh,
if any man think that he hath whereof he might trust in the
flesh, I more. I circumcised the eighth day
of the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews,
as touching the law of Pharisees. Concerning zeal, persecuting
the church, touching the righteousness, which is in the law, blameless.
But what things were gained to me, consuming many things, consuming
me, I counted lost for Christ. And yea, doubtless, I count all
things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord." How does that knowledge come? Hearing Christ. Hearing
his word, hearing his gospel. The knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do
count them but done, that I may win Christ and be found in him.
Not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law. But that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by faith, that I may know him." That's what made that
one thing was needful. She wanted to know him. She hung
on every word he said. She listened. And God spake to
our fathers, but the prophet, he spoke to us by son. That's
what our Lord is saying to this man. You've got to get rid of
these things that consume you and occupy your mind and your
thoughts and your time. and your heart and everything,
and follow me! Hear me! Hear me! Secondly, to follow Christ, first
is to hear his word, to be taken up with the word, literally taken
up with the word of God. Secondly, it's to see in Christ
that he is all I need, that all sufficiency is in him. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1.30,
our God are you in Christ who is made unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, redemption, it's all in him. He is my righteousness.
He is my sanctification. He is my life. He is my hope.
He is my salvation. He is my refuge. He is my portion. He's all things. Having Him,
these other things just fade into insignificance. He's my
peace. Come unto me, I'll give you rest. So when Christ said,
follow me, hear me, hear my words, find in me all
the sufficiencies, all things. And secondly, following Christ
is to see Christ crucified. Paul said we preach Christ, but
we preach Christ crucified. His blood makes me unblameable. His love makes me unreprovable. His love, His blood makes me
accepted. In Him I have forgiveness, the
remission of sins through His blood. Reverend Paul Peter said we're
not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold and
good deeds and works and traditions and ceremonies. We're redeemed
with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without spot or
blemish. He was wounded for our transgressions.
He was bruised for our iniquities. He was the chastisement of our
peace was upon him. By his stripes we're healed.
That's what it is to follow Christ. To hear his word, you've got
to follow him. Sit at his feet. To find in him all sufficiency,
all I need, made to me all I need. To see Christ in his perfect
obedience, his perfect life and righteousness, his shed blood,
his atonement, he redeemed us. Now, fourthly, it's to see that
he not only died for me, He not only died for me, and we emphasize
that a lot. He obeyed the law for me. He
died for me. But I died when he died. I died in him and with him. That's
what following Christ means. That's what Christ said to this
man. I'm not a God you put on a shelf
and come by and greet me and lay some change in front of me
once in a while and pay homage to me. You die with me. Listen to these scriptures. Let's
turn to some of these scriptures in Romans chapter 6. We died with him. Romans chapter
6, listen. This is what baptism is. Verse
3, Romans 6 verse 3. That so many of us as were baptized
into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we
are buried with him by baptism unto death, that like as Christ
was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so
we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been
planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall also be
in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man
is crucified with Christ. We're dead. Our old man is crucified with
Christ. That the body of sin might be destroyed. That henceforth
we should not serve sin. He that is dead is free from
sin. Christ didn't only die for me.
I died when he died. This is the thing I try to say
to men about the ministry. It's not a vocation. It's not
a sideline. It's not something that you do
on Sunday. It's your life. You die. And this is the same thing about
what salvation is. The world has no claim on me.
And it has no attraction for us. We're dead. Let me show you
that in Galatians 2 verse 20. This is something that takes
place. This young man, he had a lot
of commendable traits, but he liked one thing. One thing, he had an idol, he
had a God besides the living God. He's trying to keep a law
he couldn't keep, and Christ shut him up to himself, follow
me, and you've got to get rid of all this other baggage. Galatians
2.20, I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in
the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
and gave himself for me. I'm not my own, I'm bought with
a price. Look at Galatians 6.14. Galatians 6, 14, God forbid. Paul had a lot of things in which
he could have gloried if it had been important to him. He could
have gloried in his revelations, in his experiences, in his gifts,
in his intellect, in his ability, in his all these things. But
he said, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom this world is crucified to me. And
I'm crucified for the world. 1 Corinthians 7, here's another
one that talks about this same thing. 1 Corinthians 7, verse
31. He said in verse 29, brethren,
this I say, brethren, time's short. It remaineth that both
they that have wives as though they had none, they that weep
as though they wept not, they that rejoice as though they rejoiced
not, they that buy as though they possessed not, and they
that use this world is not abusing it." The passion of this world
is passing away, dead to the world. Now let's look at our text again.
That's what it is to follow Christ. Be given an appetite for his
word, a desire for his word, a desire to know him, sit at his
feet, hear from him. It's to see in him all I need,
my sufficiency in every area. It's to see him crucified, Christ
crucified, the Lamb of God crucified. And to see that when he died,
he did die for me. Redeemed me. But I died in him.
I'm not my own. I'm bought with a price. You're
not your own. Where he is. That's the reason when Christ
talked about, be not come out from among them, be you separate
and touch not the unclean things. What fellowship does Christ have
with Daniel? Well, what do you mean Christ
and Daniel? Well, you're in Christ. And when you're associating with
and And spending your time with Baal, that's Christ and Baal,
that can't be. Darkness and light. We were dead
with Christ. Now, verse 24. And he went away,
he was very sorrowful. The other writers said he left. He was very rich, very great
possessions. When Christ saw he was very sorrowful,
he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter the kingdom
of God. Why did he say that? He said
in verse 25, it's easier for a camel to go through a needle's
eye than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. There's no question he was referring
to this young man and his material possessions. He was very rich.
He had great possessions. He was a powerful, powerful man. And these riches were between
him and seeking Christ, walking with Christ. But Abraham was
rich. David, you couldn't find a man
richer than David. But Abraham's riches didn't possess
him, God did. God did. Abraham's riches were
used for the glory of God. He wasn't taken up with it. When
those fellows tried to give him all that extra baggage, he said,
well, I don't want your stuff. I lifted my hand to God. I don't
need anything. That's why when Jacob came to
Esau, Esau said, I'll give you all this stuff. He said, I'll
have enough. God's my provider. Solomon was rich. Paul said,
I know how to abound. I know how to be abased. So whether
I abound or abased, I'm his. I've learned in what sort of
state I am with plenty of poverty to be content. So it wasn't just the riches
materially that was the problem, was it? It was because those
riches were too important. Let me show you a verse that
will help you on this. In 1 Timothy 6. And I'm going
to show you another area now. Watch this. 1 Timothy 6. And Paul writing to young Timothy,
he said, You're going to have some folks you preach to that
are rich in this world. Charge them that are rich in
this world. If God's blessed some people, they're well off
in this world. But you charge them that they
be not high-minded. Don't let their riches affect
their relationship with God and their relationship with others.
Don't let these riches, these things God's blessed, read the
rest of them, be not high-minded nor trust in these riches. But
in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Don't be
high minded. Don't let these riches consume
you and affect your life and your attitude and your spirit. But you know there are other
riches besides cash and materialism. There are other riches. There's
the riches of gifts. Prosperity, mind, strength, there
are other riches that hinder a person's relationship with
God, that makes them high-minded. How many outstanding athletes,
a man that has a, that's a great athlete, I mean a great one,
like some of the, those that are really great, God gave him
that. God gave him those gifts. That's
riches. But how many of you have ever seen that love Christ, and
were humble, and loved the gospel, and loved other people? How many of you have ever seen
it didn't affect them so much that they're just high-minded,
just out of touch with God? How many intellectual, college
teachers, now that's a gift of God, a mind like Einstein, a
mind like some of your professors. Keen mind that just grasps things. That can be the riches that,
how many of you know that love God? Doctor with skill that can operate
on a person and and tired arteries and veins and transplant hearts
and kidneys. But how many of them love God?
This young man with his riches, they just like him. They can't
find fault with him. Because they've taken up with
their idols in God, you see. Let me ask you this. How many
popular people, you know, you boys and girls in high school
and college, some of the young people are popular. How many
of them are humble? and ascribe to God what they
have and love Christ and confess the gospel and want to hear the
truth about God. How many? How many beautiful
girls? Beauty is a curse if God doesn't
get the glory. How many beautiful girls and
models do you know that love Christ? You know, I had a A fellow
tell me one time said, one of the natives asked him, some country
said, why doesn't God call some beautiful women to be missionaries? All the missionaries come over
here are pretty homely. Beautiful girls find husbands
and wealth and things like that. They don't follow God. You see
what I'm saying? How many popular singers? How
beautiful. Voices like a bird. Oh, some
of them started off here in Ashland singing in church and wound up
singing in Hollywood. It's all where your heart is. You see what I'm talking about?
Huh? How many musicians? There's something
about being high-minded that won't let you be low-minded. And it's not the material. Don't blame it on that. It's
the wicked heart. That's where it is. It's the
wicked heart that gets sidetracked by all these things. And that's
what Christ is saying here in Luke 18. Luke 18. How hardly shall they that have
taken up with riches the world, the things of the world, the
glory and vanity. flesh and popularity and intellectualism
taken up with these things, how can they enter the kingdom of
God? Can't do it. Just can't do it. It would be
easier for a big camel, and they tell me about this being a needle's
eye in the wall of Jerusalem, the camel in order to go through.
Now he can go through, but he's going to have to stoop. That's
not what Christ is saying. A rich man can't just stoop,
he's got to be slain, he's got to be broken, he's got to be
killed. God's got to shrink him down. God can shrink a camel
and put him through a needle's eye. God can. And that's what our Lord says
down here. So the disciples said, well Lord, look here at verse
26, Lord, who then can be saved? And our Lord said, listen, these
things are impossible with men. impossible, but they're possible
with God. Our God can take a person's mind
and affections off the things of this world and the flesh and
bring that person to love Christ and love his word and trust him
and believe. God can do that. He can wean
a person from these things that destroy people. God can change
a heart. God can take a stony heart out
and give a heart of flesh. God can cause the desires of
the flesh to be weaned from the things of this world and pant
after Christ. Beloved, God can do that. You
can't do it. He can. God can bring a man to
see his spiritual poverty. God can take the high-mindedness
out of him. revealed to him his spiritual
ignorance. God can reveal to a man or a
woman spiritual corruption. God can bring them to see their
need of Christ. And they'll see just how by nature
ugly we are and cry to him for cleansing and salvation. God
can grant true repentance to the proud. God can give faith
to the unbelieving. God can make a man deny himself,
take up his cross and follow Christ. God can. And God can
keep him in faith and in love and in hope. And God can keep
him through a thousand snares to his eternal kingdom. And until
he does this momentous work in the heart, it won't be done. These things are impossible with
me, but they're possible with God. And closing, Peter said,
Lord, lo, we've left all and followed thee. And our Lord said,
Peter, I say unto you, I say unto you, there's no man that
hath left house or parents or brethren or wife or children
for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold
more in this present time. For every brother I've lost,
I've gained a hundred. That's right. For every friend
I've lost over the gospel, I've gained a hundred. For every earthly
pleasure I've lost, I've gained joy a hundred times better. For
every house you've left, a hundred doors have been opened. For the small pittance of this
world's goods, we have an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, that
faded not away, reserved in heaven for us. Ten thousand times ten
thousand, and thousands of thousands better. And in this world, in this present
time, manifold more in this present
time and in the world to come, life everlasting. It shall be
worth it all when we see him.
Henry Mahan
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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