Bootstrap
Henry Mahan

Why Do We Preach the Gospel?

Romans 10:1-7
Henry Mahan • May, 22 1994 • Audio
0 Comments
Message: 1150b
Henry Mahan Tape Ministry
6088 Zebulon Highway
Pikeville, KY 41501

Sermon Transcript

Auto-generated transcript • May contain errors

100%
Sunday morning, Sunday night,
and at other times. Why do we continue this television
ministry? Last Tuesday night, a week ago,
I made television program number
960. 960. half-hour television broadcast.
Why do we do that? Why do we support missionaries? Why do we send out these tapes,
two hundred, three hundred a week all over the world? Why do we meet together and study
the scriptures? Print these books and send them
out to other places. Why do we do that? Why do we
preach the gospel? Well, we attempted to give about
17 reasons why we do that, but let me give you three. Let me
sum it up in three, under three headings. The first reason why we do this,
meet together here and worship and preach, do what we do. Very
simply, we believe God. We believe God. We believe his
eternality, his deity. We believe that he's the creator. That the heavens declare his
glory, his wisdom, his purpose. We believe his covenant. Eternal,
everlasting covenant. We believe his word. We really
do. We believe his word. We believe
him. We believe His promises. We believe
His Son. I know that you've held these
bulletins in your hands for 40 years. But if you ever carefully notice
the words on the front, like your license plate, you probably
don't know what the number is. Listen to the words on the front
of this bullet. This is what we believe. To the
one God of heaven and earth, in the trinity of his sacred
persons, be all honor and glory. To the glorious Father as the
covenant God, to the gracious Son, the Redeemer of his people,
to the Holy Ghost the author of sanctification, the everlasting
praise for that gospel of the free grace of God. That's what
we believe. That's whom we believe. That's
why we do this, why we meet, why we preach, why we're here
now, why we sing, because we believe God. Secondly, my second reason is we enjoy
God. We enjoy God. And we rejoice
in His fellowship. Why do we do what we do? We enjoy
it. We do it because we believe.
We do it because we enjoy. What did the old confession of
faith say? All of the old confessions of
faith, the old catechisms, they'd say, what is the chief end of
man? The answer comes back to glorify
God and to enjoy Him forever. And that's what Peter said over
here in 1 Peter 1, verse 8, chapter 1, verse 8, he says, Whom having
not seen, ye love. We believe God and we love God. in whom though now you see him
not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full
of glory." I'll be totally, completely honest
with you. This is exactly where I want
to be. And I'm doing exactly what I
want to do. Not because I'm paid to do it. I'm like Pete Rose. He said,
I'd pay him to let me play ball. That's how much I enjoy it. I'd
pay him to let me preach and worship God. I enjoy it. I'm with whom I want to be and
where I want to be more than any other place in this world. among the people of God and joy
of God. Do you? It's not just the pardon, it's
the person. It's not just the place, it's
His presence. If He's not here, I don't want
to be here. That's the reason I don't want
to be in a lot of other places that are under the name religion
and church. Because it's not the place, it's
the presence. It's the peace. It's not the
gifts, it's the giver. I don't want the gifts, I want
the giver. If I have the giver, I have the
gifts. Whatever he's pleased to give me. It's not the benefit, it's the
beloved. What is your beloved more than
any other beloved? Oh, she said, have you got a
while? He's altogether lovely. My beloved. Oh, once it was the blessing,
now it's the Lord. Once it was the feeling, now
that's His Word. I honestly can do without the
feeling, but I can't do without the Word. Once it was the gifts I wanted,
now it's the giver I own. Once I sought for healing, now
Himself alone. I'd rather be deaf and have Christ
than to hear it, not add it. Once I sought for healing, now
himself alone. Once it was my working, now his
it shall be. Once I tried to use him, now
I want him to use me. Once the power I wanted, now
the mighty one. Once for self I labored, now
for him alone. That is why I'm here and why
I'm preaching. Because I believe God. And secondly,
because I enjoy God. And I rejoice in Him. And then the third reason, very
simply, I want you to know Him. I want you to believe Him. and
you to enjoy. John said, that which we have
seen, and that which we have heard, declare we unto you. I've seen him, and I believe
him. I've heard him, and I enjoy his
voice. And that which I've seen and
heard, declare we unto you, that you also They have fellowship
with us, and our fellowship is with the Father and with His
Son, Jesus Christ. That's it. You take the other
fourteen reasons and give, but that's the three that are important. I believe Him. I love Him. And I sure do want you to believe
Him and love Him, and enjoy Him. And that's what the Apostle is
saying in our text in Romans 10, if you'll turn over there
where Brother Frank read a moment ago. He says, Brethren, Romans
chapter 10 verse 1, Brethren, my heart's desire, the desire of my heart and the
prayer of my heart to God, for Israel is that they might be
saved, that they might come to know him and believe him. He
prayed, he cried, O that I may know him and the power of his
resurrection. And here he's saying, O that
my people may know him and the power of his resurrection. We're not saying that the people
around us are atheists. Paul's not saying that. Look
at verse 2. He said, I bear them record.
I'm not saying that they're atheists. You're saying the people around
here are atheists? They don't believe like you do?
No, I'm not saying that. Are you saying that these friends
and neighbors are idolaters? That they do not believe in God?
No, I'm not saying that. Are you saying they're immoral?
And they're seeking to do away with the laws of God? No, no,
no, not at all. I bear them record, he said,
they have a zeal of God. They have a zeal for the words
of Moses and the prophets. They read them every Lord's Day.
They defend and profess to honor and keep the law. No, no, no,
not at all. I'm not saying they're atheists.
I'm not saying they do not believe in God. Well, what I'm saying
is this. Look at the next line. I bear
them record. I know the Apostle Paul said,
I was one of them. I do know my brethren, my nation. I know them. They have a zeal
for God. They have religion. They have the Word. They have
the Law. They have the ceremonies. They have the form. But not according
to knowledge. It's not according to knowledge.
They do not know the true character of God. Listen to what our Lord said
over here in John 8, when He was talking to these, these fellows,
these very, very strict religionists, these Pharisees in John 8 verse
19, he said, then said, they unto him, where is your
father? And Jesus answered, you neither
know me nor my father. If you had known me, you should
have known my father also. That's what Paul is saying about
these fellows. over here in Romans 10, 2, they
have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. They do not know
the true character of God, the true nature of God. And secondly, they do not know
the true message of Scripture. Our Lord said, look at John 5,
listen to him here, John 5, 39. He said to these fellows, here's
something else He says to them. Verse 38, in John 5, 38, he said,
"...you have not his word abiding in you, for whom he hath sent
him you believe not. You search the scriptures, you
do search the scriptures, for in them," I'll tell you why you
search the scriptures, "...in them you think you have eternal
life, and there they which testify of me, and you will not come
to me that you might have life." They don't know the Father, and
they don't know the Son, and they don't know the true character
of God, and they do not know the true message of Scripture.
Their table is a snare and a stumbling block. The very types that were
given to them to point them to Christ, they have made an end
of the means. They do not know the purpose
of the tabernacle, which pictures Christ who tabernacled among
us. They do not know the purpose of the priesthood. He said over there in Hebrews
7, look at this, Hebrews 7, verse 11, this is an interesting scripture,
Hebrews 7, verse 11. They all look for the Messiah,
they look for the Christ, and Paul said in Hebrews 7, 11, if
therefore perfection, acceptance, redemption were by the Levitical
priesthood, For under it the people received the law. What
further need was there for another priest? What further need was
there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek? Why have a Messiah, why a priest,
if perfection comes under this sacrifice, this ceremony? They
didn't know. Paul said, I want these people
to be saved. But I bear them record, they're
religious, they have a zeal of God. But they're ignorant of
the true character of God, the true nature of God, the true
message of Scripture, and the purpose of the tabernacle, the
priesthood, the sacrifices, the Sabbath, the law. They do not
know Him. He was in the world, and the
world was made by Him, and they didn't know Him. And we'll show you an interesting
verse over here in John 9. You hold our text and turn to
John 9. I want you to listen to this.
Our Lord had healed a blind man. You remember he's blind all of
his life. And our Lord had healed this man in John chapter 9, given
him his sight. And these religious fellows were
giving him a hard time, a hard time. And here in verse 28, and
these weren't, these fellas, these weren't riffraff. These
weren't a bunch of sign-carrying protestors. These were the Pharisees. These were the rulers of the
temple. These were the men who kept the holy, sacred things
of David and Moses and Abraham and the temple and the worship. And they were troubled about
this Jesus and this Jesus of Nazareth, who said he was the
Messiah. And they came to this fellow
in John 9, verse 28, this man he'd healed, a blind man, and
they reviled him and they said, you're his disciple, we're Moses'
disciple. We know that God spake unto Moses. He did, for a fact. Now what's
this? But as for this fellow, They're
talking about the Lord Jesus. Derogatory, this fellow. We know God spoke through Moses. Oh, Paul said he's greater than
Moses. He has a more excellent name
than Moses, as the builder of the house is greater than Niles.
But this fellow, listen, we don't know from whence he is. And the
man who was born blind was healed, answered, and said, Why, herein
is a marvelous thing." This is amazing. This is breathtaking. This is something unusual. Listen. What a marvelous thing that you
men who are searching the Scriptures and teaching the Scriptures and
preaching the Scriptures don't know whence he is, and yet he's
opened my eyes. Verse 32, "...since the world
began. Was it not heard that any man
opened the eyes of one that was born blind?" You don't know where
he came from. If this man were not of God,
he could do nothing. This is something else. Here
he stands with a power of God upon him, the Holy Spirit, without
limit. raising the dead, giving sight
to the blind, preaching the kingdom of God, and you people who are
leaders in religion don't know who He is?" He said, that's more marvelous
than my eyes being opened. And that's what I'm saying. This
world in which we live, I want people saved. I bear them record.
They have a zeal of God, but they don't know who He is, whence
He came, why He came, where He is now. And here's proof of it. Look at verse 3. Here is proof of their ignorance
of God. Far, verse 3 starts with far. They have a zeal of God, but
it's not according to knowledge. And Paul said, I'm going to tell
you how I know they don't know God. This is, this is the, Tom,
this is bare evidence that they don't know God. Or, they being
ignorant of God's holiness and righteousness, are going about
to establish their own righteousness. That is clear, you want me to
tell you clear evidence and proof that a man doesn't know God,
or a woman? It is when that person thinks, A man does not know the living
God of heaven and earth, the holy God of Isaiah's prophecy. It's clear proof that he doesn't
know God when that person thinks that his works, his deeds, his
goodness will enable him to find favor with that God, and acceptance
with that God, and open for him a place into the kingdom of that
God. It's a sure thing he doesn't
know God. Any man that tells you he was
saved by being baptized, he does not know God. Any man who tells
you, my mother's in heaven because she was a good woman, he does
not know his mama nor his God. Right? Any person that says,
I'm saved and on my way to heaven because I joined the church and
I tithed and I fasted and I prayed and I taught Sunday school and
I sang in the choir, does not know God. It's clear proof. Paul says that here. I know they
have a zeal of God. I know they have an interest.
I know they have a religion. I know they have a profession.
But it's not according to knowledge, because I'll tell you why. They're
disregarding His righteousness. They're disregarding His holiness.
And they're going about to establish a basis, a foundation, on which
God will accept them without being holy. And the God of heaven
and earth can't do that, so they don't know Him. Isn't that right,
see? That's proof they don't know God. Is anybody here, and
I don't believe there is, surely not after all the preaching you've
heard, that if anyone is even entertaining the remotest idea
that God is a respecter of your personage and your possessions
and your professions, And your deeds just don't know God. You don't know Him. You see,
this righteousness of God is threefold. Read this verse again. They're ignorant of God's righteousness. First, they're ignorant of His
essential righteousness. Isaiah said the seraphim cover
their faces when they're in God's presence. John said, I saw him
and fell at his feet like a dead man. Job said, I saw the Lord
put my hand on my mouth, repented the sackcloth and ashes. Isaiah
said, I saw him and I cried, I'm cut off. Daniel said, I saw
him and my comeliness melted into corruption. God dwelleth in a light to which
no man can approach. Oh, the holiness. the holiness,
the awesome holiness of God. If we knew something about it,
we'd be even most careful about how we even said His name. But the second thing is, God
demands upon us for righteousness. You know what kind of righteousness
God demands of us? Perfection. That's right, turn
to Galatians 3, let me show you that. Galatians chapter 3, listen
to this. This is strong. While you're
finding it, our Lord said to His disciples, if your righteousness,
your holiness does not exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you're not even going to enter the kingdom of heaven. And Galatians 3 verse 10 says,
for as many as are of the works of the law, or under the curse.
For it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not
in everything, all things that are written in the book of the
law, not to admire them, or to approve of them, but to do them.
Thirdly, is God's essential righteousness. They're ignorant of his essential
righteousness, his personal holiness. The holiness He demands of us
to be accepted, it must be perfect. But thirdly, they're ignorant
of the righteousness of God which He provided in Christ. Or, verse 4, look at verse 4, this righteousness and holiness
in which we are robed and clothed and accepted and received and
caught up to the presence of God is not ours, it's His. For Christ, Jesus the Lord, is
the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. The
preacher, what does that mean? Well, it means this. First of
all, Christ is the fulfillment. That word, end, is fulfillment.
Jesus Christ Himself. Like Milton Howard said this
morning, look to Him, because He is the fulfillment of all
the Levitical law, all the types, prophecies, promises, shadows,
ceremonies, sacrifices, atonements, mercies. He is the fulfillment. Take it all, put it all together,
wrap it up, tie a ribbon around it, and it's fulfilled by Him. He said, Sacrifice an offering
thou wouldest not. Thou hast despised no pleasure,
no satisfaction in these sacrifices. Lo, I come in the volume of a
book it is written of me to do thy will, O God, by the which
will we are sanctified, made holy, perfect, through the sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ once for all. That's the end of the
Sabbath, the end of the tithe, the end of the sacrifices, the
end of the priesthood as they knew it, the end of the mercy
seat, the end of the holy days, the end of all of the ceremonies. Christ has fulfilled it. It's
finished. Nailed it to the cross. The handwriting
ordinances of the law, nailed to the cross. And we go back
to the Old Testament, we study these types and promises and
prophecies as they relate to Christ, because He died for our
sins according to the Scriptures. But we don't go back there and
study Moses' Levitical Law as to what we eat, and what we do,
and what day we keep, and these things, because we look to Christ.
He's my Sabbath. That's right. He's my Atonement.
He's my High Priest. These fellows down here wearing
these robes, and that fellow over there wearing the cone-shaped
cap, and things like that. Listen, that's blasphemy. That's
robbing Christ of His glory. That's interfering with His work.
He put all that aside! The inner sanctums, and the holy
places, and the sprinkling of the water, and the baptisms,
and all these things, sprinkling the water on the casket. Now,
oh no, no, no! Not for a moment, young people,
listen to me! You say, well, leave that alone.
Leave it alone, nothing. It's another way of salvation.
It's not God's way. You better leave it alone. I'm
going to talk about it so you will leave it alone. Because
Christ hath fulfilled the law. He's the end of it. End of it. All right, that means something
else. He's the end of the curse. He's into the charges. Who can
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? I've told you this
time and time again. There is not one charge that
can be brought by heaven, earth, or hell against the person for
whom Christ died. Not one charge. Not one charge. Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who
is He that condemns? It is Christ that dies. Look
while you are in Galatians chapter 3. I read you that verse a while
ago that sent cold chills up and down your spine. Let me read
you a verse down below it that will send joy through your heart.
It says there in verse 10 of Colossians 3, Cursed is everyone
that continueth not in all things which are written in the book
of the law to do them. Verse 13, But Christ hath redeemed
us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For
it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. There
is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ. Yeah,
but I don't pray like ought to. Who does? I don't love folks like I ought
to. Who does? Well, I just, I'm so weak. Who
isn't? You know, that's normal. But
I tell you, when I'm weak, in Him I'm strong. In Him. There's no charge, there's no
condemnation. Now, thirdly, neither the moral law nor the ceremonial
law was given to say, God didn't give that Levitical law to save.
They weren't saved by those sacrifices. They were saved by Him to whom
they pointed. That law wasn't given to save.
It was given to shut men up to Christ. Christ our Passover. Christ our Rocksmith. And the
moral law, thou shalt have no other God before me. Thou shalt
not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Thou shalt not
commit adultery. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt
not steal. That law wasn't given to save
either. The goal of that law was to shut us up to Christ.
Isn't that right? Paul said, before the law came,
I was alive, but when God sent the law piercing my heart, I
died! And I cried, O wretched man that
I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? God's
law His ceremonial law is fulfilled by Christ, and His holy law is
fully satisfied in Christ, and in Christ we are perfect and
pure before the law. Now my heart condemns me not,
pure before the law I stand. He who cleansed me from all spot,
satisfied his last demand. The ceremonial law is fulfilled
and taken away. The moral law is fulfilled, but
it's not taken away. No, sir. It's not taken away. It's not obsolete. And as Paul the Apostle said,
I delight in the law of God. He wasn't delighting in the Levitical
law. Nobody could delight in that. My soul, have you not heard
the law? You that would be under the Levitical
law, you haven't heard it yet? You've got a rebellious son stoning.
That's what the Levitical... You couldn't delight in that,
could you? Well, turn to Romans 7, one page back, and Paul says
here in Romans 7, verse 21, listen to this. Listen to this. I find in a law, Romans 7.21,
that when I would do good, and that's all the time, isn't it?
I would do good, evil's present with me. For I delight in the
law of God. What law is that? It's not the
Levitical law, not the Mosaic law. It's the law of which Christ
said this, you've heard it said by them of old times, thou shalt
not kill. I say unto you to hate somebody, to be guilty already
of murder. That's the law. You've heard it said by them
of old times, thou shalt not commit adultery. I say the lust
in your heart is to be guilty already. Paul said, I delight
in that. I delight in that love. After
the inward man, yes I do, inside, if you could see inside of me.
You'd know that every word I speak, contrary to God's holiness, I
regret. Every thought I think, every
deed I do, contrary to His perfection, I regret. If you could see inside. I delight in the law, verse 23,
but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my
mind, bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in
my members, O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from
this body of death? So I say this, what's the believer's
attitude towards the commandments of Christ? What's the believer's
attitude towards the moral law of God? He delights in it. He delights in it. He loves it.
He would like not only his universe, but himself to be in subjection
to it, 100%. He knows that these commandments
have to do with the heart, not just the flesh. He's not a Pharisee.
He doesn't claim to keep it because his outward flesh appears unto
men to be holy. He knows it's in here. The conflict's
in here. The struggle's in here. The love's
in here. He knows that he cannot keep
perfectly that law, and apart from Christ, he'd be condemned
already. But his weakness and infirmities
in the flesh do not keep him from following peace and holiness. He wants to. He desires to. He strives to be like Christ.
All right, I've got to hurry. I want to cover a couple more
verses. But verse 4, it says, Christ is the end of the law.
The end of the law. That's the fulfillment of the
Levitical law. Moses' law. The putting away
of the curse of the law. And giving us a holiness and
righteousness before the moral law. We're in Christ, we're perfect. God forgives our sins. He forgives
them. All right, verse 5. Now, I tell
you why our redemption is totally in Christ, and we're accepted
in the Beloved. We do not in any way look to
anything or anyone other than Christ for redemption. Because
Moses describes the righteousness which is of the law. You want
to be saved by the law? Here it is. Here it is. Moses describes the righteousness
of the law, the only way God can be satisfied, and this is
it, that the man which doeth those things shall live by it
perfectly. Do this and live. Well, that
can't be. And I'll tell you something else
that can't be. Listen to this. Verse 6, "...but the righteousness
which is of faith..." Now I want you to see this. This is so important. If a man's going to be saved
by law, he's got to be perfect, holy and perfect. And that's
impossible except in Christ. In Christ we're perfect. We're
redeemed. But on his own it's impossible.
Moses said you've got to do it all perfectly, continually. And
then if a man's going to be saved by Christ, now watch this, the
righteousness of faith speaketh on this right. Say not in thine heart, Who shall
ascend into heaven, that is, to bring Christ down? Or who
shall descend into the deep, that is, to bring Christ up again
from the dead? Now let me see if I can help
you on that. Preacher comes along, says, we're
not saved by law, in any shape, form, or fashion, because you
have to be perfect. But we're saved by Christ. But
Christ has died, and His blood has to be applied by you. He came down to earth. It's like
a fellow said on TV a few days ago, he did 98% of it. He didn't
leave but 2% for you to do. And that is to accept Him, to
persevere, to do this, to do that, and do the other. Uh-uh.
There's nothing to be done. Don't say in your heart, Now
Christ has died, He's gone to heaven, but I've got to go up
there and make His blood effectual. I've got to apply it by my faith. Or I've got to bring Him up from
the grave again. No! He's already come down. He's already died. He's already
risen. He's already seated. It's finished!
Then what do I do? Look at the next verse. What
saith it? The word of faith is near you,
It's even in your mouth, in your heart. It's the Word of Faith
which I'm preaching, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
Jesus to be Lord, and believe in thine heart God hath raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. It's not in the hands
of men. It's not in the hands of the
preacher. It's not in your hands. Salvation
is in His hands. Look to Him. Believe Him. That's what it says. The righteousness which is of
faith speaketh on this wise. Don't you even contemplate making
his work effectual. Don't you even contemplate going
up there and making some kind of arrangements to bring him
down again, or to raise him from the grave. He's already come.
He's already died. He's already buried. He's already
been risen. He's already seated. You are accepted in the Beloved.
Believe it! Believe it. Enter into your inheritance. Receive it. Confess it. That's
what it says. If thou shalt confess with thy
mouth Jesus to be Lord, he is. And believe in thine heart, God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with
the heart man believeth unto righteousness, with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation. Let me ask you a question. When
is a person saved? When is a person saved? Well,
I know this. Number one, he's saved when he
pleases the Lord. Paul said that, he said, "...but
it went it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and
called me by His grace to reveal His Son in me." That's when I
say, when God moved in my direction, not when I moved in His direction.
Secondly, when does a man say, when that man or woman, young
person, is brought by the Spirit of God, under the authority of
the Lord Jesus Christ. If thou shalt confess with thy
mouth, Jesus, to be what? My personal Savior. Uh-uh. To
whom? The Lord. He's my Lord. This world is not my Lord. Ambition
is not my Lord. Some woman is not my Lord. Some
man is not my Lord. Some doctrine is not my Lord.
He's my Lord. He has broken the shackles and
thrown off the fetters and I don't belong to anybody. That's my
man. This ain't your man. And that's
not my, that's his man. That's his woman. He's my Lord. That's what a man would say.
A woman, a young person. When God breaks the shackles,
he belongs to Christ. He's my Lord. I obey, wives,
obey your husbands in the Lord. In the Lord. If you're not married,
you want to be married, you'll marry somebody in the Lord. If
He's your Lord, you will. That's right. He's your Lord. That's what a person say when
they come under the authority of Jesus Christ. Every decision
that you make in your life, whether it's accepting a job, or marrying
somebody, or going somewhere, you okay it with headquarters.
Christ. That's when a person is saved,
when they come under the Lord's authority of Christ. When you
confess with your mouth, He's my Lord. That's right. Thirdly, when is a person saved?
When he sees the glory of God in Christ, in the face of Christ
Jesus. That's what he said in 2 Corinthians. If our gospel
be hid, it's hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of
this world hath blinded their minds, lest the light of the
glory of the gospel of Christ shine in unto them, but he has,
he who caused the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined
in our hearts to give us a knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Christ Jesus." I know who Christ is, and I know what he
did. And I've seen, and you have too,
you've seen that glory in history, the glory of redemption. Moses
says, show me a glory. He said, I'll show you my glory.
I'll be merciful to whom I'll be merciful. And I've seen that
in Christ. Fourth lesson. This is it. When
does a person say? When it pleases God. When he
comes under the authority of Christ. When he sees why he's
under the authority of Christ. Because God turned him over to
Christ. God gave him to Christ. Christ said, I came, you gave
me power over all flesh that I should give eternal life to
those whom you've given me. God puts you under His authority.
God gave you to Him. And when you see that, that God
gave you to Him, and God made Him your surety, and made Him
your Redeemer, and made Him your Lord, and you see God's glory
in it, that that enables God to be just and justify you in
Christ. Then He said, A man saves him
when he believes him. Isn't that right, Tom? And confesses him. You say, I believe that. I really
do. I really do. I believe that. I believe Jesus Christ is the
Son of God. I believe that. One hundred and
ten percent. And I believe He's Lord. I believe
He's the King.
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.

Comments

0 / 2000 characters
Comments are moderated before appearing.

Be the first to comment!

Joshua

Joshua

Shall we play a game? Ask me about articles, sermons, or theology from our library. I can also help you navigate the site.

0:00 0:00