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Henry Mahan

Eternal Life Manifested Unto Us

1 John 1:1-4
Henry Mahan • December, 27 1992 • Audio
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Message: 1087b
Henry Mahan Tape Ministry
6088 Zebulon Highway
Pikeville, KY 41501
What does the Bible say about eternal life?

Eternal life, as stated in 1 John 1:2, is manifested through Jesus Christ, who is life itself.

The Bible presents eternal life as not just a future promise but a present reality found in Christ. 1 John 1:2 states, 'For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.' This teaching emphasizes that eternal life is intrinsically tied to knowing Jesus, the Son of God, who proclaims Himself as 'the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6). Eternal life is granted to those who believe in Him, rooted in the belief that He is not merely alive but is the very essence of life itself.

1 John 1:2, John 14:6

How do we know Jesus is the source of life?

Jesus is declared the source of life in scriptures, indicating that He embodies life itself.

The Scriptures affirm that Jesus is the source of all life, both natural and spiritual. In John 1:3, it is stated, 'All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.' This underscores the belief that Christ is not only the giver of natural life but also of spiritual life, as indicated in John 5:21, where it is said that the Son quickens whom He will. The preaching of eternal life comes directly from an understanding that Jesus is more than simply alive; He is life in totality. His miraculous acts, such as raising the dead (Luke 8:49-55), showcase His absolute authority over life and death.

John 1:3, John 5:21, Luke 8:49-55

Why is the concept of fellowship important for Christians?

Fellowship among Christians reflects their shared relationship with God and each other, enriching their spiritual lives.

The concept of fellowship is vital as it signifies the shared experiences and commonality among believers. 1 John 1:3 states that the message preached is meant so that believers may have fellowship with one another and with the Father and His Son. This community is rooted in the love of God and the shared salvation that Christians experience together. Fellowship strengthens the bond of faith, provides support and encouragement, and reflects the unity of the body of Christ. Being part of a fellowship fosters joy, as John mentions in 1 John 1:4, where it is expressed that partaking in this community leads to complete joy. It shows that Christians are not isolated in their faith but are called to live in relationship with others who share the same hope.

1 John 1:3-4

Sermon Transcript

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a book entitled The Remains of
Robert Murray McShane. This past week McShane was the author of the song that
Bridget sings for us quite a bit, How Much I Owe. You'll recognize
that name identified with that song. It's a great, great hymn.
But he was an outstanding preacher of the gospel of God's grace
in Christ Jesus in Scotland, Robert Murray McShane. And he
said this, he said, it's possible to travel through
a country and having traveled through that country to know
nothing about it, about its people, about its culture, about its
traditions, its history. Because the person traveling
through didn't stop anywhere, spend any time, and consider
the things about him. And I thought, that's right,
I went through your country that way, Scotland. I've been all
the way from one end of Scotland to the other. But I couldn't tell you a thing
about it because we were on our way to Ireland and we didn't
stop and study the country at all. We didn't camp anywhere.
I know something about Mexico. I'm familiar with a lot of places
and a lot of people there because I've been there and I've stayed
for a time. I spent time there and I camped
there. And the application that McShane
was making is this. He said people go through the
Scripture that way. They've read a lot of Bible,
but they've never stopped and camped anywhere and spent any
time. Consequently, they know nothing
about it. They've been there. Maybe they can even quote it,
but they've gone through it and didn't stop. Well, I hope tonight
that we can camp here on four verses in 1 John 1, and when
we finish, know something about it. John writes in 1 John 1, verse
1, which was from the beginning,
which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which
we have looked upon in our hands of handle of the word of life.
For the life was manifested. We've seen it. And bear witness
and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father
and was manifested unto us. That which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you that you also may have fellowship with
us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His
Son, Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto
you that your joy may be full. I think we can camp there a while. Well, the subject of John's preaching
was always the Lord Jesus Christ. He didn't preach about Christ,
he preached Christ. He didn't just talk about Christ,
he preached Christ and Him crucified. They say that Matthew's Gospel
portrays Christ as the King of the Jews. Mark's Gospel, as the
servant, Luke's Gospel, Son of Man. John's Gospel, Son of God. Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But this is the preaching of
all of God's servants. It says, I want you to turn to
this scripture in John 12, talking about Isaiah, the prophet. The
prophet of the Old Testament who's quoted more in the New
Testament than any other Old Testament prophet. Isaiah. It says here in John 12, verse
41, these things said Isaiah, when he saw his glory, he spake
of him. Whose glory did he see? The Lord
Jesus Christ. He said in the year that King
Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. The Lord. Jehovah. Jehovah. Christ Jesus sitting on a throne.
And once he saw his glory, he spake of him. Christ was his
message. Old John the Baptist turned to
John, the book of John, if you will, John chapter 1. John the Baptist, his message
was Christ. It says here in John 1.15, John,
this is talking about John the Baptist now, not the beloved
John, not the author of this gospel, this epistle. In John
1.15 it says John, John the Baptist, bear witness of him. He bear
witness of him and he cried saying, this was he of whom I speak. He that cometh after me. John
was six months older than Jesus Christ as far as their journey
on this earth is concerning. He was six months older, but
he said, He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for
he was before me. Of his fullness have all we received,
and grace for grace. The law was given by Moses, but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at
any time. The only begotten Son, which
is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. John the
Baptist said, Behold the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God. He said, I'm not the light. I'm
bearing witness of the light. I'm not the Christ. I'm not worthy
to loosen His, the laces of His shoes. Behold the Lamb of God
that taketh away the sin of the world. This was the preaching
of Philip. You say, well, Philip was on that great chapter, Isaiah
53, about Christ. If he had been in Hezekiah, he'd
have preached Christ. Habakkuk, he'd have preached
Christ. Hosea, he'd have preached Christ. Philip began at the same
scripture and preached Christ. Always Christ. This was the preaching
of Paul, who stood before those learned men of Corinth, and he
said, I am determined, I am determined not to know anything among you,
save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And here the beloved disciple
says in chapter 1 of his first epistle, I must tell you about
Him. I must tell you about Him, that
which was from the beginning, which I have heard. I have heard
I've seen Him with my own eyes, which we have seen with our eyes.
I've heard Him with my own ears. These hands have touched Him. I want to tell you about Him
whom I've touched, who was made flesh and dwelt among us. I want
to tell you about Him. About Him. That which was from
the beginning, John wrote, in the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John heard him
talk about his eternality. John heard him say, before Abraham
was, I am. And John was with him in the
garden that night when he said, Father, glorify me with the glory which
I had with thee before this world was. Don't you know what an impact
that must have had on John as he heard those words? through
the stillness of that garden. Father, glorify me with the glory
which I had with thee before the world was. For thou lovest
me before the foundation of the world. That which was from the
beginning, which I have seen, which I have heard, which I have
touched, I declare unto you. Look at that verse 2. If we can
get a hold of three things here, lay hold of these three things,
camp right here for just a moment, and not read it and speed through
it and miss it. It says here in verse 2, listen,
for the life was manifested, and we've seen it, and bear witness
and show unto you three things. That eternal life, Secondly,
which was with the Father. Thirdly, was manifested to us. That eternal life. My friends,
as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to
have life in himself. I hear people saying with great
gusto, as if it were something that ought to be said. and something
that ought to be heard, and something that ought to be believed, and
something that ought to be rejoiced in. Jesus is alive! You say, what in the world is
wrong with that? Well, I'll tell you this, it's more than on blasphemy. Jesus is not alive, Jesus is
life. I'm alive. You say, Hitler is
alive. He hasn't said anything much. But when you say Jesus is alive,
you're missing the point. That's what he said to Martha. He said, I am life. I am life. I am the resurrection
and the life. I am life. You see what I'm saying? That eternal life. That eternal
life. You see, every man, naturally,
he's life. All natural life comes from him. In the beginning was the Word,
the Word was with God, the Word was God, all things were made
by him. Without him was not anything
made that was made. He created man and breathed into
him life. Every man that breathes breathes
by permission and power of Jesus Christ. Every beast that roams
the forest breathes and lives by the hand of Jesus Christ.
Every bird that flies through the air has life by the power
of Jesus Christ. And every bird that falls to
the ground, his life is taken by the hand
of Jesus Christ. I kill, I make alive, he said. He's the author of natural life. John saw him, you know, over
there in Luke, he went to the ruler's house and the man's daughter
was dead. John was with him. Turn over
there, let me show you John was with him. Luke chapter 8. Listen
to this. John was with him. In Luke chapter 8, verse 49.
Verse 49, listen. Luke 8, verse 49, While he yet
spake, there cometh one from the room of the synagogue's house,
and said, Your daughter is dead. Don't bother the master. Trouble
not the master. Well, that would have been alright
to say if I would have been on the scene there. Don't trouble
the man, the daughter is dead. But not him who is life. He is
life. But when Jesus heard it, he answered
him saying, Fear not, believe only, she'll be made whole. And
when he was come to the house, he suffered no man to go in and
say, Peter, James, and John, the father and mother of the
maiden, and all wept and bewailed her. But he said, Don't wait,
she's not dead, she sleeps. And they lacked him to scorn,
knowing she was dead. And he put them all out and took
her by the hand. And Carl saying, May it arise. And her spirit came again. Who
is this? He's life. He touches the dead and the living. That's who he is. He's that life.
He's that life. He's not alive. He's life. Am I making that clear? He touched
her. He's the only one in the whole
universe that can do that. He stood at Lazarus' grave. You
say, well, didn't Paul raise the dead? By the name of Jesus
Christ. Didn't he, Tom? In the power
of Christ. He commanded the life that Christ
gave. He stood by Lazarus' grave. He
said, Lazarus, four days he's been dead. His body already decaying. And he said, Lazarus, come forth,
and he lived. This is what John is saying here,
if we can get a hold of this. That eternal life. And you say,
well, you're talking about natural life. I am. I'm talking about
natural life. He is the author of all natural
life. He's the giver of all natural
life. But he's the giver of spiritual life. That's what he's talking
about here. That spiritual life. That eternal
life. Turn over a few pages to 1 John
5, verse 20. 1 John 5, 20. Listen to this. And we know that
the Son of God is come and has given us an understanding that
we may know him that is true, we are in him that is true, even
in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and this
is eternal life. John was sitting in a boat. mending
nets with his father and his brother, a captive of old Jewish
tradition, religion, dead in trespasses and sin, dead and
depressed and disappointed, having no knowledge of God at
all. And Jesus Christ came by and
looked at him and called his name. And he said, John, James,
follow me. Follow me. And you know what
happened to John? Eternal life came in. That's right, Tom. Right then.
Right then. Right then. You turn, let me
show you that in John 5. Listen to this. In John chapter
5. In John chapter 5. Verse 21, For as the Father raiseth
up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom
He will. How does He quicken sinners?
By His Word. Look down at verse 25, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the
dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that
hear live. follow me, and I'll make you
a fisher of men. I tell you, if he ever speaks
to you or me, we'll live. It's the only way that that man
would have, that man probably in his late forties, done nothing
in his life but fish. Known nothing in his life but
the nets. Sitting with his brother and his father in a boat. They
had worked hard to build or buy. That was his living. sitting
there mending those nets. And at the voice of one man,
a man whom he'd never seen, he laid down his nets and followed
him to his death. Never stopped following him from
that moment. That's life. That's what I'm
talking about. That life. That life. Spiritual life. Alright, what's this next word
here? That life which was with the Father. Now,
I'm not going to insult your intelligence by trying to define
the Trinity. I can't do it. I just can't do
it. I know there's Father, Son, Holy
Spirit. The Father is the Father, the
Son is the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. But our Lord Jesus said, I and
my Father are one. And it says in Isaiah chapter
9, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And the government
shall be on his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. One God. Christ said, I and my
Father are, not is one, am one, are one. Now I'm me and Tom's Tom, but
I can't say I and Tom are one. I can say I am one. Christ said,
I and my Father are one. And Philip said to him one time,
he said, show us the Father. Show us the Father. You know, John the Baptist said
that you would declare the Father, show us the Father. And Christ
said, Philip, have I been so long time with you and you don't
know me? He that has seen me has seen
my Father. He is with the Father. That eternal
life, that life which was with the Father, which is one with
the Father, which is of the Father, in the Father, and the Father
in Him. Look at the next word. It was
manifested to us. Gray is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh.
Turn to 1 Timothy. And read this for yourself. 1
Timothy chapter 3. 1 Timothy 3. These are mysteries that I can't
explain, I can only proclaim. Somebody said to Brother Barney
one time, I said, well explain that. He said, I'm not in the
explaining business, I'm in the proclaiming business. I don't
understand it, I believe it. It's above me, it's beyond me.
But it says here in 1 Timothy 3.16, without controversy, it's
a great mystery, the mystery of godliness, that God was manifest
in the flesh. What did John write in John?
Keep that right there a minute. John said, in the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was made flesh. The Word was with God. And He tabernacled among us.
And the Word was God, and we beheld His glory. God actually
came to earth. That's right. It says God was
manifest in the flesh, justified or vindicated in the spirit,
seen of angels. The angels announced His birth.
The angels ministered to Him. The angels announced His resurrection. Then the angels announced His
return. You know, angels don't get too
excited about what we do. Nobody would ever know about
it if we didn't put it in the paper. A man can go somewhere and pass
just 30 years and most folks in the community don't even know
he's there. That's right. Preaching this grand and glorious
gospel. But everywhere my Lord went, the angels attended Him. Even when he lay as an infant
in the stable, the angels stood out there on that hillside and
woke up the shepherds and told them about it. And when he arose from the grave,
the women came to the tomb and there sat two angels. They said,
what are you looking for the living among the dead for? He was manifested See, they preached
to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in
the glory. I tell you this, the Word was
made flesh. In the fullness of time, after
having set Him forth in promise and prophecy and picture and
pattern, in the fullness of time, He sent His Son. I don't understand
it. I can't explain it. Made of a
woman. He who made woman. was made of
a woman. That's right. Made under the law, under His
own law. I don't understand that. He's
bigger than the law, not now. He's under it. Obligated to keep
it. That we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. I tell you this, if He hadn't
have come, we would have never known God. You say, I don't know
much about God. You wouldn't have known anything
about God. If He hadn't come, you'd be under
the curse. Cursed is everyone that continues,
not in all things written in this book to do it. But He was
made a curse for us. I tell you, if He hadn't come,
you'd have never known the love of God. Because the love of God
is in Christ Jesus. If He had never come to this
earth, you'd have never come to God. Because seeing we have
a great high priest, let us come boldly. If He had not come to
this earth, You wouldn't have had spiritual life because he
said, I'm come that they might have life and have it more abundantly. That life, that source of life,
that life, that fountain of life, that one in whom life dwells,
that center of life like the sun is the center of the universe,
that life which was with the Father. He manifested to us. I saw Him,
John said. I saw Him. I can say that. I've seen Him. Oh, picture you've never seen
God. No, I haven't. Not with these eyes. I see Him
right here in this Scripture. I see Him over here in Isaiah.
I see Him in the sun that shines in the daytime. I see Him in
the stars that twinkle at night. I see Him in the rippling brooks
and the flowing seas and rivers. Don't you see Him? I've seen
Him. I've heard Him. He has spoken
to me many a time through His Word. He touched me. He touched me. I'll tell you about Him. Oh,
beloved, it's the manifested Christ we preach. It's not a
myth. It's the manifested Christ. It's
not a theory. What's your theory of the atonement?
I ain't got no theory of the atonement. The atonement's not
a theory. The atonement is a fact, a person. I don't have any theories. He was born of a woman. He was
obedient in a perfect life, lived on this earth, tempted, tried
as I am, wept a man as foul as acquainted with grief. There's
no valley I walked he hadn't walked, no mountain I climbed
he hadn't climbed, no pain I feel that he hadn't felt, no tear
I shed he hadn't shed. He walked this life obediently. He died a vicarious death. He suffered on a cruel cause. He rose triumphantly. He's exalted
to glory. That's who I'm talking about.
That life was manifested to us. Preaches that for me? Certainly. He's able to save to the uttermost
them that come to God by Him. Is that for me? Certainly. He
said, come unto me, all ye that labour in a heavy laden. I'll
give you rest. Is that for me? Oh, yes. He said,
if any man thirst, let him come to me. Come off. Out of his belly shall flow rivers
of living water. But it's not looked to the law. No, sir. I'm doing the best I
can. I know that. But that's not what he said.
He said, it's not look to your experience, is it? It's not look to your deeds.
It's not even look to the cross. I'm looking to that old rugged
cross. No, it wasn't. The pole is a serpent on the
pole to whom they look. Look to Him! Look unto Me!" And
I tell you, you look unto Him wherever He is. You look unto Him back yonder
in the Council Halls of Eternity's Yeshivity. You look unto Him
in the manger. Simeon saw, he said, I've seen
God's salvation. He didn't see a cross. He saw
a baby, didn't he? But that baby was Christ. It's
look unto Him in His perfect life. It's look to Him on the
cross. It's look to Him in the tomb, the scapegoat. Look to
Him, the resurrected justifier. Look to Him at the right hand
of God. Look to Him. Well, let's look at verse 3.
Here's the reason. John had a reason for preaching
Christ. He had an object in view by preaching
Christ as I do tonight by preaching Christ. That which we've seen
and heard declare we unto you in order that for he thinks.
You may have fellowship with us. I'm preaching Christ to you.
I'm not preaching the doctrines of grace to you
or Baptist doctrine. I'm preaching Christ. Why? That you may have fellowship
with us. That you may be one among those who have all these
things in common. Now let me tell you something.
This is what I like about Christmas, and what you like about it. I'm
not a Christmas fan particularly, but this is what I like about
it. All my children come home, my grandchildren. There are fourteen
of us. And I was sitting there in the
den a few nights ago and there was Grandma Doris and all of
her little chickens around her. Ever one of them but one. And
I wish she was happy. And she fixed a meal and they
all were there to eat it. All of them. The family. And you had that experience.
You did. Several of you did. Didn't you? And that family, I watched them
and listened to them. And they just all loved each
other. They just talked. And they went back and talked
about the years, the past, the present, the future, the pictures. They could go on and on and on
and on and on talking and this and that. They have so much in
common. They got the same daddy and the same mama and the same
grandmother. And they're one. They're brothers
and sisters. They got the same blood in their veins. If a fellow next door had dropped
over, He wouldn't have felt that fellowship, would he? He'd have
got out of there as quick as he could before they showed home
movies. But that gang that watched the
home movies, they loved each other. He says, is there room
for more? Yeah. These grandbabies came
along and they're just as much a part of that group as it was
15 years ago. Every new one that's added, He's
not like them anywhere else, like they've been there forever.
You know what I'm saying? The newest one is five years
old, but he kind of runs the show now. You know what I'm saying? He runs
the show. And he hasn't been there longer than anybody. I've
been there all this time, and they don't pay attention to me.
They watch him. This is God's family. It's God's
family. That same Father. That same Redeemer. And they love each other. And
they meet here every Sunday. You can't hardly run them all.
I could preach and then get up in and preach again. There would
still be some of them left. They show pictures and they talk
to one another. They talk about the past, present,
and new people come in. God saves one and brings him
in. And he kind of takes over there for a while, you know.
That suits me fine. They must be glad to have a new
member, a new baby. See the new baby this morning
down here? Everybody grooming around that new baby. John said, that's why I'm preaching
Christ, that you may have fellowship with us. We got all things in
common. All things. Common faith, common
afflictions, common salvation. That's right. And what's this? And our fellowship
is with the Father and with the Son. Oh, that's what makes us
one. That's the cement. That's the
bond. That's the tie that brings us
together. It's our relationship with Him. That's right. Our relationship
with Him. And then thirdly, he said, In
verse 4, "...and these things right we unto you, that your
joy may be full." Unspeakable joy, full of glory. And that joy just keeps filling
up, just keeps filling up. All other joys come and go. That's
right, they come and go. The joys of this earth. There's
a joy that you experience when you bought your first car.
Remember when you and your wife bought your first car? Got married. We didn't have cars when we got
married. Doris and I went on our honeymoon on a Greyhound
bus. We got married on prayer meeting one Wednesday night.
After prayer meeting we got married. That's a good time to get married,
when saints of God get together to worship God. And we left and
went to the bus station, had our honeymoon dinner at the Greyhound
bus depot. And then we caught a bus, went
on our honeymoon. And then we got our first car.
I lived here in Ashland, 21 years old, and I bought a 1935 straight
8 Packard with 35,000 miles on it, owned by John Woods, President
of the Third National Bank. That was in 1947. I was 12 years
old when I got it, $650. It was a doozer. But it's gone now. It's like
a tank. I hit a fellow one time, tore
his car up, just dented my fender a little bit. It's a seven passenger job. It's
longer than the hearse. I get in a funeral procession
and you don't know which one to put the body in, you know. All the other joys come and go,
don't they? But this joy of Christ gets sweeter
every year. This fellowship, sweeter every
year. How in the world can you stay somewhere past the 41 years? I'll tell you how. Because our
joy is in Christ. If it's in anything else, we'd
all been gone a long time ago, wouldn't we? We'd been friends
a long time. A long, long time. You know what?
We're going to be friends forever. We're going to pick this up someday
on the other side. Talking to Scott the other day,
I said, well, if God calls me away first, I'll save you a place
right beside me to fish in the river up there. No, he said,
I'll be leaving before you do. I said, I don't know about that.
He said, yeah, I will. He says, I'll save you a seat. And said, I'll get you one of
those folding chairs with a canvas bottom. And put your name on
the back of it, he said. Well, we had a little humor there,
but that's true. We're going to be together. We're
going to be together, always. Always, that your jar may be
full. Well, one final word. In the event that anyone here
may question these words of John, that Christ is the life and the
way to God. The whole Bible bears witness
of this fact. Now you listen to this. It bears
witness of this fact, that you and I are sinners, fallen, depraved
creatures, separated from a holy God. And by no way, by no way
of our own, by nature, we have no way to God. The Scripture says in Genesis
3 that when God put Adam out, He took a flaming sword, didn't
He? That pointed every way. You know what it said? To keep
him away from the tree of life. Keep him away from God. How are you going to get by that
flaming sword? Well, I'll tell you how I'm going
to get by it. Christ. And He came and He didn't find
a way around the sword. And he didn't, by his authority,
banish the sword. He took it in his heart and paid
the debt and died under the sword of justice. And I went right
on through. That's right. And throughout
the Old Testament, the Old Testament priests tell us there's a holy
of holies where God dwells in His glory, His Shekinah glory.
No human being, you brought this out this morning, was allowed
in that place, but to high praise. Once a year. Not without blood. Now how are you going to get
in there? Old Isaiah tried it, didn't he? God killed him. Others
tried it, God killed them. I'm going in. I'm going through
the veil. Past the veil, into the Holy
of Holies. You know how I'm going there?
I'm going behind Christ. He went there with His blood,
and put it on that mercy seat, covered that broken law, and
tore that veil in two, and turned and said, come on in. Didn't
He? Let us come boldly before the throne of Christ. God taught Israel that, and He
taught Moses that, and I hope He'll teach us that, about that
day's month. Puts one hand on God, one hand
on me. You read that this morning. And makes the two one. Paul said, God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself. And then you know what he said
as he closed that chapter? Be ye reconciled to God. God's
reconciled. Now you be reconciled. That is,
lay down your shotgun. Put up your sword, pull down
your banner, surrender, be reconciled to God. All right, Mike, come
lead us in a closing hymn, please, sir.
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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