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Henry Mahan

God's Hand Hath Touched Me

Job 19:9-26
Henry Mahan • November, 25 1992 • Audio
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Message: 1084a
Henry Mahan Tape Ministry
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What does the Bible say about the sovereignty of God?

The sovereignty of God means that He is in complete control of all things, including our afflictions and blessings.

The sovereignty of God is a foundational principle in Reformed theology, affirming that God reigns over all creation. In the sermon based on Job 19, Job recognizes that it is God's hand that has touched him, not merely misfortunes or Satan's attacks. This teaching aligns with scriptural affirmations of God's control, wherein even trials serve a divine purpose (Romans 8:28). We trust in God's sovereignty for our salvation and the orchestration of our lives, understanding that all events occur according to His will (Ephesians 1:11).

Job 19:9-26, Romans 8:28, Ephesians 1:11

How do we know God is in control during our suffering?

Scripture reveals God's sovereignty over all aspects of life, including our suffering, showing that it ultimately serves His purpose.

In times of suffering, many may question God's control and presence. However, the Bible offers clarity on this. Job's acknowledgment that 'the hand of God has touched me' indicates his understanding that his trials did not arise from mere chance or the work of Satan but were permitted by God. In Reformed theology, suffering is seen as part of God's sovereign plan, intending to mold and shape believers into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). This perspective allows Christians to trust that God is not only aware of their pain but is utilizing it for their ultimate good and His glory.

Job 19:9-26, Romans 8:29

Why is understanding the grace of God important for Christians?

Understanding God's grace is crucial as it emphasizes that our salvation and blessings are solely by His undeserved favor.

God's grace serves as the cornerstone of the believer's faith. In Job's plight and in our lives, recognizing that it is God who blesses and favors reveals the depth of His grace. Grace is not just unmerited favor; it is the very foundation of our relationship with God. As emphasized in this sermon, when Job says he has found grace in the eyes of the Lord, it underscores the Reformed doctrine that salvation is by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Therefore, understanding grace elevates our praise and gratitude towards God, knowing we cannot earn His favor, yet He bestows it abundantly upon us.

Ephesians 2:8-9, Job 19:26

What does it mean that 'to live is to die' in the kingdom of God?

'To live is to die' signifies that true life in Christ requires dying to self and worldly pursuits.

This paradox, expressed in Luke 9:23-24, illustrates a central tenet of Christian discipleship. In the kingdom of God, the path to true life involves self-denial and sacrifice. Job’s recognition of God’s touch in his suffering reflects that true fulfillment does not derive from worldly success but from allegiance to God’s will. Losing one's life for Christ's sake means relinquishing earthly ambitions and desires, finding true joy and purpose instead in serving Him. This notion of dying to self is vital for spiritual growth and alignment with God's sovereign plan.

Luke 9:23-24

How does Job's testimony reflect the assurance of resurrection?

Job's declaration about his Redeemer emphasizes his faith in the resurrection and hope in seeing God.

In Job 19:25-26, Job expresses profound hope in the midst of his suffering. His proclamation that 'I know that my Redeemer liveth' indicates his belief in eventual resurrection and vindication. This belief is central to the Christian faith, affirming that death is not the end but a transition to eternal life with God. Job’s assurance is echoed in New Testament teachings where Christ’s resurrection provides believers with a promise of their own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20). This hope sustains Christians through trials, reminding us that suffering is temporary and that our ultimate destiny lies in eternal communion with God.

Job 19:25-26, 1 Corinthians 15:20

Sermon Transcript

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Let's open our Bibles for the
message today to the book of Job, chapter 19. Job, chapter 19. While you are finding the Scripture,
I am going to speak tonight on the subject, That Rock was Christ. Our service begins tonight at
6.30, 6.30 this evening. Now hold the Bible
open there a moment at Job chapter 19. Suppose I could take you in your
imagination to a fine home in the suburbs
of a quiet, peaceful city. The lot is beautifully landscaped
with shrubbery and flowers, much like your homes. And the mothers in the kitchen
preparing the evening meal. The children are out in the yard.
The boys are shooting basketball against the backboard their fathers
built for them. And the girls are riding their
bicycles. healthy and happy, home from
school, sun is shining, mother's getting supper ready, and father
drives up in the driveway and parks the car and hugs the children,
shoots a bicycle or two, calls the mother out. They all stand
around in the driveway, and he said, well, I've got good news.
The boss has given me a promotion. and a substantial raise, and
we're going to be able to afford some better things and some vacations
and whatever you all want, because the hand of God has touched me. The hand of God has touched me.
Now, all of you would fully understand this, understand what he's talking
about. probably wholeheartedly agree
with him that the hand of God had certainly touched him. And
I agree with that. If we're blessed, God blessed us. If we're
saved, God saved us. If we're favored, God favored
us. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And I confess publicly
here, and you join with me in doing so, We've certainly found grace in
the eyes of the Lord. We've certainly found grace.
This church and this church family has been extremely and abundantly
blessed of God all these years, haven't we? That's the reason
we open this service by singing to God be the glory. That's where
it belongs. The glory is His. But I'm going
to read this morning to you about a man who was loved of God like
you are, who had found grace in the eyes of the Lord like
you have, a man who was faithful, who had a happy home with ten
children, was successful, influential, powerful in his community, favored
of God Scripture says, and God said, he was a righteous man.
He was a man who feared God, and he was a man who shunned
evil. But this wealthy man was now poor, very poor. Everything he had was swept away. This healthy man was now very
sick, and this family man is now alone. Everybody's gone but his wife,
and she's very unhappy with him. This once powerful, influential
man is now deserted and ridiculed, and the few friends he has left
are all sitting around him wanting to know what he's done, what
he has done, what sin he's committed that caused God to do what he
did to him. And I want you to read what he
says, Job 19, beginning with verse 9. He speaks of his condition, and
he speaks of the one who did it. He says in verse 9, He has
stripped me of my glory. He has taken the crown from my
head. He hath destroyed me on every
side, and I am gone, and my hope hath he removed like a tree.
He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counted me
unto him as one of his enemies. His troops come together and
raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle. He hath put my brethren far from
me. My acquaintance are verily estranged
from me. My kinfolk have failed. My familiar
friends have forgotten me. They that dwell in my house and
my maids count me for a stranger. I'm an alien in their sight.
I call my servant. He gave me no answer. I entreated
him with my mouth. My breath is strange to my wife,
though I entreated for the children's sake of mine own body. Yet young
children despise me. I rose and they spake against
me. All my inward friends abhorred me, and they whom I loved turned
against me. My bone cleaveth to my skin and
to my flesh. I am escaped with the skin of
my teeth. His health was all gone. Have pity upon me. Have pity upon me, O ye my friends. for the hand of God had touched
me? He didn't say I've had some bad
luck. He didn't say I had a run of unfortunate incidences. He
didn't say Satan has attacked me. That's what these preachers
say today, don't they? Satan has unleashed an awful
attack against us, but what he said And I don't expect the natural
man or the people of this world or the people of religion to
understand this. The hand of God has touched me. The hand of my Heavenly Father
has touched me, taken away my children. For you say Satan did
that. Satan only does what God lets
him do. That's right. God touched me. God took my health. God took
my children. God took the crown. He said He
took the crown off my head. He turned my friends against
me. He did it. He did it. Like I said, I don't
expect the natural man or the people of this world or the people
of religion to understand that, but I expect you to understand
that. I do. I expect you to. And I expect
myself. And I want to remind us over
and over again of these truths. Here are five things I want you
to remember. You see, in the natural world,
in the world in which you work, in the world in which you live,
among the people with whom you have daily contact, the way up
is up. That's their philosophy. The
way up is up. You might have to step on some
heads to get there, but the way up is up. And you're smart if
you're headed up. In the kingdom of God, the way
up is down. That's right. Our Lord said, He that exalteth
himself shall be abased. He that humbleth himself shall
in God's own time be exalted. He that would be great among
you, let him be your servant." That's right. In the kingdom
of our God, the way up is down, down, down. Now, we need to remember that.
Don't be influenced and intimidated, I'm telling you, by the philosophy
of this world. Save yourselves from this perverted
generation. They do not know God. They do
not know the ways of God. They do not know the truth of
God. They're not in the kingdom of God. Don't be captivated by
their applause, or by their praise, or seek their approval. Be what
God wants you to be. Come down, come down. He that
humbleth himself shall be exalted. Humble yourselves under the mighty
hand of God. He'll exalt you in due time.
He'll praise you. You don't need the praise of
men. One of my preacher brethren,
and these things need to be said, sent me a picture of his daughter
who's won a national beauty contest. I mean,
she's the prettiest girl in the state. She wears the state name,
Miss. And everybody's rejoicing. I'm
not. I'm not rejoicing. I feel sorry for her. What lies
ahead is nothing but heartache and misery. The acclaim of this
world is not what you want. Seek the praise of God. Seek
ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be
added to you in his own time, in his own way. The second thing
we need to learn in the natural world, to live is to live. To live is to live. In the kingdom
of God, to live is to die. Die to self. Die to this world. die to these things that I've
been talking about. Turn with me, just hold Job there
and turn to Luke chapter 9. Luke chapter 9. Our Lord says
here in verse 23 and 24, He said to them all, He said
to all out there, in Luke 9, 23, if any man will come after
me, let him deny himself. Take up his cross. What is a
cross? It's a symbol of death. Death
to ambition. Death to covetousness. Death
to all these things. And follow me, for whosoever
shall save his life shall lose it. For example, I'm a preacher,
and if I preach the sovereign grace of God, I'm going to lose
friends and lose probably income. lose glory, lose community acceptance. So what I do? Well, if I save
my life, I'm going to lose it. If I say, well, I'll just compromise,
and people will like me better, and I'll live a more comfortable
life, and I'll be happier, and my children will be happier,
and people won't dislike us, and we'll be like all the rest
of them. So I save myself and deliver myself from this pressure
and embarrassment and lose my soul. But if I'm willing, listen to
what he says, but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, all
right, it doesn't matter what they think. It doesn't matter
the persecution. It doesn't matter the heartache.
It doesn't matter if people ridicule me. If you're generous and people
say, well, he's an easy touch. Boy, you better be, in the sight
of God, an easy touch than a hardball, I'll tell you that. Let them
make fun of you. Let the world, you're not courting
their principles and their applause and their fame. Just lose your
life, for my sake. You'll save it. But what, verse
25, where does a man who had vanished begain the whole world
and lose himself and be cast away? Well, in fact, I'm coming
to the end of life, not too many more years. God says three scored
and ten. That's just four years ahead
of where I am now. But suppose I was sufficiently compromised gained
a little favor and a little recognition, a little praise, had a street
name for me down here, etc., etc., etc., you know, and be
damned. I'd rather come to the end of
the road walking with him, hadn't you? That's what he's saying. The world says the way to live
is live! Live it up! Save yourself! Don't be exposed to If you can
avoid controversy, avoid it. If you can stay on the good side
of everybody, stay on the good. No, that's not what my Lord said. You're willing to lay down your
life, willing to lose your life, willing to be counted whatever you have to be counted
for His acceptance in Christ. It's worth it. Thirdly, in the
natural world, men are are taught to glory in three things. This
is what the world glories in, three things. Wisdom, strength, and riches. Isn't that right? Those are the
three things. Education, A fella can get to be a doctor,
you know. Doctor of philosophy, a doctor of ministry, a doctor
of something else. He's just a shade above everybody
else. He puts that name on his stationery. He's no longer...
I heard a fella ask you if you had your doctorate. That's like
the curl on a pig's tail. It don't mean no more pig. Doesn't make the ham any sweeter.
Doesn't make the pork chops any juicier. Doesn't make the ribs
any better, it's just that curl. It'll cut it off and throw it
away. That's right. Wisdom. Strength. Strength. Having authority over
somebody. Having some power, some muscle
to throw around. Throw it around, too. They do. If they got the edge, they'll
use it. Let me tell you what God says
about that. Turn to Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter 9. Let's see
what the Lord says about these things that are so important
to the natural man. Jeremiah chapter 9. What does
the Lord say about these three things that are so relevant,
so important to this world? Boy, if I just had my degrees,
and if I was president of the company, President of the United
States, and if I had everything, if I had money, I'd do this. Well, let's see what God says
about that. Jeremiah 9, 23. Let, thus saith the Lord, let
not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty
man glory in his might. Let not the rich man glory in
his riches, but let him that glorieth glory in this, that
he understands and knows me. that I am the Lord which exercise
lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness. There's the three
things. Lovingkindness, His lovingkindness,
His judgment upon our sins in Christ, His righteousness imputed
to us through the obedience of our Lord Jesus in the earth.
In these things I delight, saith the Lord. Let me ask you, and
ask myself, do I have some kind of understanding
of and knowledge and grasp of these three things? Loving kindness. His loving kindness and his loving
kindness demonstrated it's not how smart you are, it's
how much can you love. That's right. How much can you
love? It's not how much you know. Somebody said one time, men don't
care how much you know until they know how much you care.
That's the man or the woman that leaves an impact on people. That man or woman loves folks,
loves them. The loving kindness of God. He's judged our sins in Christ's
righteousness, His righteousness. Oh, my. That's right. In the
natural world, the worst thing that can happen to a person,
what's the worst thing that can happen to a man out there in
the street this morning? Or in religion, what's the worst
thing? You know what it is? Die. That's
the worst thing. Well, just to die. I mean, just
to close your eyes and die. I can't, the world can't think
of anything worse than that, to die. That's the reason they
keep them alive at any cost. That's the reason they take you
to the hospital, they plug you up to all these different machines
and wires and pumps and breathing machines and all that. Keep them
alive. Keep them alive. Don't let him
die. If he's a child of God, best thing that happened to him,
let him die. Worst thing you can do for him is keep him alive.
Isn't that right? Not this world. The world and
the world, and I kind of agree with them. He doesn't know God,
the worst thing that could happen to him is to die. But my friends, in the Kingdom
of God, the very best thing that could happen to me today, I wouldn't say it would be the
best thing, well it would be if God took me, but my family,
but it would be the best thing that could happen to me. And
it would be for them if God pleased at this time to take me. Isn't
that right? But in the kingdom of God the
very best and greatest event will be when God takes me home. He says precious, precious in
the sight of God is the death of his saints. Now God doesn't
call everything precious. I know we get our little Grandbaby,
she said, oh there's a precious. Mindy got on me. Wednesday night,
I guess y'all didn't hear what I said. She did. Didn't she? She heard me. I said Wednesday
night, I said my daughter-in-law's here and my precious granddaughter.
I put precious in the wrong place. I should have said my precious
daughter-in-law. But God doesn't call everything
precious. He called Christ precious. He said this, He says, to you
that believe, He's precious. He calls His blood precious.
We're redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. He calls faith
precious. He said, you got faith? It's
precious faith. Everybody doesn't have faith.
You got faith. That's precious. But then he
comes right along and says, when Tom Harding dies, it's precious
in the sight of the Lord. Precious. You know, when Jim
Eccles, Ed Stephens, Phyllis, precious. Charlie's death was
precious. I miss him every day. But it's precious. Precious in
the sight of the Lord. I tell you, turn to Philippians
1 and listen to what God says over here, what the Apostle Paul
in Philippians 1, he says this, and the world doesn't understand
this, I know that, but I'm not talking to the world, I'm talking
to you, whom God has called out of this world with a holy calling.
Philippians 1, verse 20. Philippians 1.20, according to
my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall
be ashamed. But that with all boldness as
always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether
it be by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ,
and to die is what? Gain. That's right, gain. I lose this old body and gain
a new body. I lose and lay down this nature
of sin and gain a perfect holiness. I lose the sickness and pain
and weakness and gain immortality, incorruption and glory. That's gain. Won't it be wonderful there?
And while the ages roll, I'll keep praising Him." That's what
we were singing. Let's don't just sing that, let's
live it. To me, to die is gain, but if
I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor. Yet what
I shall choose, I know not. Verse 23, I'm in a strait betwixt
two. I have a desire to depart and
be with Christ, which is far better. to abide in the flesh is more
needful for you. Look back at my text, Job 19. So you see what Job is saying,
the hand of God has touched me. The hand of God has touched me.
This man knew that. The hand of God touched me. He
made no reference to Satan's work at all. God touched me.
And then he says here in verse 22, listen, Why do you persecute
me as though you were God and you're not satisfied with my
flesh? Now let me tell you something here, listen to me. Job says
to these friends who are critical of him, who are judging him,
who are finding fault with him, he says, why do you do that as
if you were gods and not just mere men? You do not know my
heart. You misjudge me and you'll give
an account for it because you're not God, you're just men. Let's
not judge something before the time, okay? He says, are you not satisfied
with my suffering? Are you not satisfied with the
fact that God has touched me and my heart's broken and my
flesh is hurting? Are you not satisfied with that?
Must you add to it? by vexing my spirit." When we have one who's down,
let's lift them up, let's don't play God. That's what they were
doing, see, they were playing God. That's what he said, you're
playing God, he said. Here I am down and the hand of
God's touched me and I'm in trouble and you come along and you're
vexing, you're making more trouble. Instead of encouraging me and
exhorting me and lifting me up and standing with me, you're
criticizing me. Aren't you satisfied that I'm
hurting? Doesn't that please you? Must you make my heart hurt
more? Oh, there's a lesson there, isn't
it? And then he says what Mike said. I didn't know whether Mike
knew what I was preaching on or not, but he said when he got
up from singing a while ago, he said, write that on my tombstone.
That's exactly what Job said right here. That's exactly what
Job said. Oh, that my words were now written. What words? All these things
he said to his... Oh, he wouldn't want all that
written, I'm sure, if he had his choice. Because he said some
things, Jim, he ought not to have said, didn't he? Job said
some things he ought not to have said. Under the pressure and
under the strain. Oh, that my words were now written,
that they were printed in a book, that they were graven with an
iron pen and laid in my tombstone forever." What words? What's he talking
about? He's not talking about what he's
been saying, he's talking about what he's about to say. He's
talking about See, so what he's about to say, he didn't say,
now I want everything I've said written in a book and on my tombstone.
No, I'd rather you all forget a lot of the things I've said,
hadn't you? But now I want this written in a book, I want it
written on my tombstone. Listen, here it is, my confession
of faith. I know that my Redeemer liveth,
that he'll stand at the latter day on this earth. Look at that
backwards now. I know my Redeemer is going to
stand on this earth. He's coming in the flesh. I don't
know what all these men knew back here in these ancient days
and what Job knew, but he's saying that a Redeemer is going to stand
on this earth. Isn't that what he's saying,
Tom? My Redeemer, my Christ, my Savior is going to stand on
this earth. Well, Abraham knew that. Abraham saw my day cry. Moses
knew that. He said, God's going to raise
up a prophet. Isaiah knew that. He said, he'll be wounded by
our transgressions. Jeremiah knew that. He said,
God will raise up a branch, a king, the Lord our righteousness. Job
said, he's going to stand on this earth. And then Job said
this. He said, my Redeemer liveth.
He liveth. He's life. I'm not sure, like
I say, what Job understood, but he declared that the Redeemer
liveth. He liveth, life's in him. He
liveth, he died for our sins, but he lives. He liveth, and
because he lives, we live. Let me tell you something. Will
you listen to me just a minute? When I hear preachers say, Jesus
Christ is alive and well, It just makes cold chills run down
my back. But I believe Jesus is alive.
Let me tell you something. He is life. He's not alive, He is life. I hear people say, well, God's
a God of love. What are you talking about? God
is a God of love. That He meets the requirements
of love? He is love! He is love. He is life. He is salvation. He himself,
this is what he said to Martha. He said, Martha, I am the resurrection. She said, I believe my brother's
going to rise. He said, I'm the resurrection. I believe my brother's going
to live. I'm life. Apart from me, there's no life. Let me tell you young people
something about speaking a foreign language. Some of you have taken
foreign languages. You're not going to learn to
speak a foreign language until you learn to think in that language. Now I know a few Spanish words.
I've been to Mexico a lot of times. I know a few Spanish words.
But I can't speak Spanish because I never learned to think in Spanish.
What I do is I sit down with a menu and say, I'm going to
hunt soup on here. Well, I'm not hunting soup. I'm
hunting sopa, sopa de lima. That's lime soup, isn't it? Well,
I don't think sopa de lima. I think lime soup and try to
say it. I think good and say bueno. You've got to think bueno.
Isn't that right? You all take foreign language.
Your teachers tell you that, don't they? You don't think water. You think agua. Isn't that what
water is? You don't think water and then
say agua. It's just like we don't think
agua and say water. The reason I can speak English,
I think in English. I think in English. I can rattle
off, not too well, but I can rattle off English words. I think
in English. If I ever learn to think in another
language, I can speak that language if I learn the words. You see
what I'm saying, Ronnie? And this is the same with Christ.
You don't look on Him and say, life, and then look to Christ.
You look to Christ who is life. I don't preach the sovereignty
of God. I preach God who is sovereign.
You see that, Rick? It's God who is sovereign. He
is sovereign. Well, I hope you understand what
I'm trying to say. I know what I'm trying to say.
Whether I'm getting it across is another matter, but I'm simply
saying that you don't think of something out here and try to
match God with it. He is life. He is love. He is salvation. He is the resurrection. He is my righteousness. He is
my Redeemer. My Redeemer, Job said. He's sitting here with everything
gone, but he says, oh, write this on my tombstone. Write this
in a book. My Redeemer, my Lord, my God
lives! And He's going to stand on this
earth. That's what I know. That's what
keeps me. That's what keeps me. That's
what holds me. I know that. I know that. It's like on the back of the
bulletin I have an article being unequally yoked together with
unbelievers. And the thing about, Paul is
asking, he's not presenting a law and a rule, although it is a
law and a rule, he's saying, what believer wants to be aligned
with an unbeliever? Why would he want to be? Why would he want to be? That's
what Paul couldn't understand. What darkness, what communion
does darkness have with light? What fellowship does Satan have
with God? Why do you want to form a partnership
with the devil? You've got nothing there. And that's what I'm saying. When
Christ, here Jehovah says, that which keeps me going is I know
my Redeemer lives. And listen, I've quit. Last verse
there, verse 26. And though after my skin worms
will destroy this body, I'm going to tell you this, in my flesh
I'll see God. What he's saying is what I'm
saying right now. A few years have come and gone, I'm going
to die. And they'll embalm my body and it'll rot and go back
to the dust. Worms will, our body is destroyed
from within. Now you can put them in a metal
casket and slide them out there in those drawers and do whatever
you want to, but you can protect them from the rain and the wind
and the dirt and the old graves caving in and all that. A man
doesn't rot from without, he rots from within. That's what's
wrong with us now, we're rotting within. If we didn't have sin,
we wouldn't rot. So you take a sinner and put
him in a casket and protect him and all the elements and he's
going to rot because he rotted the elements. It's in here. I'm telling the
truth. An undertaker told me one time, and Mr. Preston probably
knows more about this whole lot more than I do, but he said there's
not any way to keep a body unless you revitalize it every year
or so. You've got to keep pumping the
fluid to it. You've got to keep pumping That stuff embalming,
you can't just leave it alone, because if you leave it alone,
over a period of time, it's gone from within. But now he says,
though that's going to happen, yet in this flesh, I'm going
to see God. In this flesh, he's going to
raise me. I'm going to have new flesh.
I'm going to see God. And he says this, verse 27, I'll
see him for myself. Myself. Who am I going to be
in glory? Myself. That's right. Will we know each other in heaven?
I don't know why anybody even asks a question like that. If
I'm myself and you're yourself, I'll know you, Richard. If I'm myself and you're yourself,
and I'm going to be a heap smarter than I am here, I'm going to
know you. If I'm not myself, how could
I praise Him for saving me from my sins? Unto Him who loved me and washed
me from my sins. That's what they're going to
sing in heaven. We're going to remember the earth by certainty.
We're going to know each other by certainty. I'm looking forward
to seeing you in glory and being forever with you all. That's
right. I have no doubt about that. and
uh... doubt about who makes it possible
you don't have doubt about that now i'll have a doubt about the
fact that he did it on purpose david
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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