Bootstrap
Henry Mahan

Serving God With a Pure Conscience

2 Timothy 1:1-13
Henry Mahan • July, 26 1992 • Audio
0 Comments
Message: 1072a
Henry Mahan Tape Ministry
6088 Zebulon Highway
Pikeville, KY 41501
What does the Bible say about serving God with a pure conscience?

The Bible emphasizes serving God sincerely, with a pure conscience, as seen in 2 Timothy 1:3.

Serving God with a pure conscience involves sincerity and integrity in ministry, as illustrated by the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1:3. Paul expresses that he serves God not for personal gain but for the glory of God and the benefit of others. A pure conscience reflects a heart that seeks to honor God in all actions, free from selfish motives. Paul acknowledges his imperfections but affirms that his ministry's purpose is sincere and focused on God's glory. This principle is crucial for all believers as it motivates our service and prayer for others genuinely.

2 Timothy 1:3

How do we know the promise of life in Christ is true?

The promise of life in Christ is grounded in God's covenant, as noted in Titus 1:2.

The truth of the promise of life in Christ is established by God's faithfulness in the covenant of mercy made before the foundation of the world, as mentioned in Titus 1:2. Paul asserts that God does not lie, which anchors our hope in this promise. Throughout Scripture, God's consistency in fulfilling His promises provides believers assurance of eternal life. This promise is not merely a theological abstract; it is reaffirmed through the resurrection of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers, assuring us of our eternal relationship with God.

Titus 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:1

Why is it important for Christians to pray for others?

Praying for others reflects genuine Christian love and concern, as demonstrated by Paul in 2 Timothy 1:3.

Prayer for others is vital in the Christian faith as it signifies a deep love and concern for fellow believers. Paul exemplifies this in 2 Timothy 1:3, where he expresses gratitude for Timothy and continuously remembers him in prayer. This demonstrates that a heart transformed by grace seeks the well-being of others through intercession. Praying for others not only encourages the recipient but also fosters community and support within the body of Christ. It highlights the interconnectedness of believers and their shared reliance on God's grace and mercy.

2 Timothy 1:3

What does it mean to stir up the gift of God?

Stirring up the gift of God means actively using and nurturing one's spiritual gifts.

To stir up the gift of God, as encouraged in 2 Timothy 1:6, means to actively cultivate and exercise the spiritual gifts bestowed by God. Paul urges Timothy to 'fan into flame' the gift given to him, illustrating that gifts can diminish if not diligently used or nurtured. This process involves dedication, prayer, and willingness to serve God through those gifts. Each believer is called to recognize and operate within their gifts for the edification of the church and the glory of God, emphasizing the importance of engaging in ministry actively.

2 Timothy 1:6

Why should Christians not be ashamed of the gospel?

Christians should not be ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16).

The gospel is the potent means through which God enacts salvation, as emphasized in Romans 1:16. It holds transformative power that changes lives, reconciles sinners to God, and brings hope. In a world that often dismisses or ridicules the gospel, believers are called to boldly proclaim it, recognizing its divine origin and purpose. Being unashamed of the gospel reflects trust in God's promises and confidence in His ability to save. This understanding compels Christians to share the gospel with others, knowing it offers true life and hope.

Romans 1:16

Sermon Transcript

Auto-generated transcript • May contain errors

100%
2 Timothy chapter 1. I plan to preach this morning from the first 13 verses of 2
Timothy 1. And tonight, the Lord willing,
we're going to look at the second chapter of 2 Timothy. This morning's message is serving
God with a pure conscience. serving God with a pure conscience. Tonight's message from Chapter
2, Will Be Strong, is Be Strong in the Grace of God. Now Richard
Baxter once uttered these words that have been repeated by preachers
for many years. I preach as one who may never
preach again. I preach as a dying man to dying
men. That may be. And if I suspected
that the message that I'm bringing to you today would indeed be
the last message that I shall preach to you, I believe that
I would be totally satisfied with its content, with its text. And I'd be willing to close out
my ministry on this particular note, 2 Timothy 1. For this is
what Paul is doing. He's writing this, one of his
last epistles. This is one of the last epistles
Paul wrote. He's writing from a prison in
Rome. He's writing to a beloved brother. calls him his son in the ministry,
Timothy. Paul loved this young man, and
he's addressing this, one of these last epistles to Timothy. Let's start with verse 1, if
you will, in which the apostle says, Paul, no pretense, no titles, no human recognition,
no credentials, is Paul. An apostle of Jesus Christ. Now Paul knew what he was. Paul knew that he was an apostle
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew that. Others may doubt
it. Others may question it. But he
knew it. He knew he was a messenger. He
knew that he was a preacher of the gospel. And he says, I'm
an apostle. I don't think I'm an apostle.
I'm not trying to be an apostle. He says, I am an apostle. I am an apostle. Others may doubt
it, but he knows he's an apostle. And for the sake of those who
would read these words in later years, he lays claim to the authority
which goes with that office. I am an apostle. All right, then
he says, I'm an apostle by the will of God. not by my own will. I didn't make myself an apostle.
I didn't volunteer to be an apostle. I'm not an apostle by the will
of the church. I'm not an apostle by the will
of the other apostles. I'm not an apostle because I'm
equipped to be an apostle. He said I'm not worthy to be
an apostle. I'm less than the least of all the saints. He said
I persecuted the church. I'm not worthy to be an apostle.
But I'm an apostle by the will of God." He said, God put me
in the ministry. He says that often. He put me
in the ministry. I'm an apostle by the will of
God. Now look at this next line. According to the promise of life,
which is in Christ Jesus, God from the beginning promised life.
If you'll turn to Titus, over just a page. or two, Titus chapter
1. God promised eternal life. God
promised eternal life from the beginning. He promised eternal
life in a covenant of mercy before the world began. He promised
eternal life in Christ Jesus before the world began. Christ
Jesus coming into the world in the flesh was not an afterthought.
God didn't come up with that after the fall. It says in chapter
1 of Titus, verse 2, in hope of eternal life, which God, that
cannot lie, promised before the world began. Now back to our
text. He said, I'm an apostle of Jesus
Christ by the will of God according, according to the promise of life
which is in Christ Jesus. God, from the beginning, promised
life in Christ and God appointed prophets and apostles and missionaries,
evangelists, pastors and teachers to proclaim that promise of life
in Christ Jesus. There's one other scripture I'd
like you to look at, 2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians 5, beginning
with verse 19. 2 Corinthians 5, 19. Namely, let's go back to verse 18, 2
Corinthians 5, "...and all things are of God, all things are of
God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ." and
had given to us the ministry of reconciliation, which is namely,
to wit is namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world
to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and he
hath committed unto us, apostles, prophets, missionaries, evangelists,
pastors, and teachers, this word of reconciliation, this announcement,
this proclamation. Now then, we are ambassadors
for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you, in Christ's stead,
be ye reconciled to God. All right, back to our text,
2 Timothy. That's what verse 1's all about.
Paul said, I'm an apostle. God put me in the ministry. I'm
an apostle by the will of God. And God put me in the ministry
for a purpose, to fulfill the promise of life which is in Christ
Jesus, that I should proclaim this gospel throughout the world,
and men will hear it, believe it, receive it, and be brought
into a saving relationship with the Lord. Now verse 2, to Timothy. This is his salutation to Timothy. I'm addressing Timothy, my dearly
beloved son. Now, Timothy was not Paul's natural
son. But because he had learned the
gospel from Paul, Paul called him my son. Because Paul had
great affection for him, he called him my son. Because he was a
very young man, Paul called him his son. And listen, he desired
for him the greatest gift that God can give to any person. Timothy,
my beloved son, grace, mercy, and peace. Can you think of three
greater riches? Grace, the grace of God upon
a man. Mercy, the peace of God from
God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. What greater riches
could a man have? Now verse 3, two things stand
out in this verse. Paul said, I thank God whom I
serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance
of thee in my prayers night and day. of great importance here. The first thing is this, Paul
said, I serve God with a pure conscience. Now Paul's not claiming
to be without sin. There's no man who's without
sin. Paul's not claiming to have a
conscience that's always pure, that never has an impure thought
or an impure motive or feeling. What he's saying here is that
his preaching is in sincerity. That his preaching is for the
glory of God. That his preaching is for the
good of his heroes. That he's not motivated by personal
gain. He's not motivated by vain glory
or seeking honor for himself. I serve God with a pure conscience.
When he gathered the elders at Ephesus together to bid them
farewell, he said, I've kept back nothing profitable unto
you. I've not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of
God. He said, I've coveted no man's silver or gold. He said,
these hands have provided my own living and those with me. He's not seeking personal glory,
but the glory of God and the good of His heroes. And he said,
I serve God with a pure conscience. Also to those elders, he said,
my hands are free from the blood of all men. I've not ceased to
warn you, day and night, with tears. And that's the first thing
here. All right, the second thing is
this. I thank God for two things. that I serve God with a pure
conscience. And the second thing, I thank
God that, listen, without ceasing, I have remembrance of you in
my prayers night and day. I thank God I pray for you. Well,
this is a good sign for Timothy and Paul. It's certainly a good
sign for Timothy that God would burden the heart of one of his
apostles for Timothy. That's good news for Timothy.
Paul said, I'm an apostle by the will of God. I've been sent
to preach the gospel. And if one of God's true servants
is burdened to pray for you, that's a good sign for you. And
then secondly, it's a good sign for Paul. For concern for others
and prayer for others is a mark of grace in one's soul. Can we
say those two things? I thank God I serve him with
a pure conscience. Not that my conscience is always
pure or I'm without sin. But in relation to this gospel,
I preach it in sincerity, not hoping for any personal gain
or glory. but for the glory of God and
the gain of his people. And I pray for you. Now verse
4, greatly desiring to see you. You see, Paul had left Timothy
in Ephesus when he departed from those men in Acts chapter 20.
He left in them, there was great sadness. Verse 4 says, I greatly
desire, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears.
that I may be filled with joy." When Paul left them at Ephesus,
he left Timothy with them to do a work. It was a sad time. Let's turn over and look at it
for a moment in Acts chapter 20. Acts 20. It was a sad time
because they didn't think they'd ever see Paul again. The prophets had already received
word from God that Paul would be martyred, and that they would
see him no more. And in Acts 20, verse 36, And
when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all,
and they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him,
sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they
see his face no more, and they accompanied him to the ship.
Well, he left Timothy there at Ephesus, and the work was done,
and Paul was now in prison in Rome, and he told Timothy to
come to him. He sent word for Timothy to join
him, to come to see him. And he said, that I may be filled
with joy. Now, look at verse 5. This young man, Timothy, was
a third generation believer. That's a gift of God. That's
a mercy of God. A third generation believer.
Look at verse 5. Paul knew his mother and his
grandmother. Paul said in verse 5, when I called to remembrance
the unfeigned faith, this is genuine faith. I told my class
this morning, this is not just religion. This is not the tradition
and form of a handed down religion. This is genuine, unfeigned, it's
without wax, without hypocrisy. It's genuine, unfeigned faith.
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that's in you,
now watch this, which dwelt first in your grandmother, Lois, and
in your mother, Eunice. And I am persuaded in you also. This young man was a third generation
believer. How gracious and good God had
been to this dear family. His grandmother, Lois, was a
believer. His mother, Eunice, was a believer. And now the grace of God was
in Timothy also. A genuine, unfeigned faith. Paul gives thanks for that. And
then in verse 6 he says this, "...wherefore I put thee in remembrance,
that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the
putting on of my hands." What he says, I put you in remembrance,
I remind you, Timothy, I remind you of the goodness and grace
of God to you and yours. your family and you. I remind
you of that. Now, you stir up, stir up, that
is, fan the flame. Keep burning that gift God gave
you when he instructed me to lay hands on you, to single you
out. I tell you, my friends, the more
abundantly we receive the grace of God, the more attentive we
ought to be to exercising it. In family matters, in personal
faith, in gifts, Timothy had been blessed. Paul said, God
blessed you. You've been blessed of God. To
whom much is given, much will be required. So I remind you,
I call to remembrance. Put you in remembrance. Stir
up that gift of God. Fan that flame that God set burning
in your heart. Give concern and interest. to the things of our Lord. Verse
7, for God hath not given us the spirit of fear. He doesn't give us the spirit
of fear in which to walk and to live and perform our ministry.
We don't fear men. We don't fear what men can do
to us. We don't fear religious traditions,
do you? I don't fear religious traditions.
I don't mind being different. I don't want to be different
for the sake of being different, but I don't mind. I don't fear
religious traditions. I don't fear persecution, harassment. We expect it. We don't fear failure. We don't fear success. We don't
fear principalities and powers. We fear God. If a man ever fears
God, he fears nothing else. God hasn't given us the spirit
of fear, but he has given us the spirit of power. The gospel came to us in, not
in word only, but in power. We know something of the power
of the gospel. God has given us the spirit of
love. Love for Christ, for his church, for all men. And God
has given us, look at this next line, a sound mind. What is this
sound mind? Well, it's the wisdom of God
in Christ. You see the, I know the whole,
while you're turning to 1 Corinthians 2, turn to 1 Corinthians 2, let
me, let me make a comment or two here. I know the, the whole world's talking about
God. And everywhere this morning there
are people speaking about God. folks profess to know God, and
telling what God wants to do and God's trying to do and God
will do and all these things, but the only way to know God is in
Christ. Now that's the only way to know
God. No man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the
Son will reveal him. No man has seen God at any time,
the Son hath declared Him. The disciples said to the Lord
Jesus, show us God, show us the Father. He said, you've seen
me, you've seen God. And Paul over here said, God's
not given us a spirit of fear, but a power of love and of a
sound mind. We know God. The Lord Jesus has come and given
us an understanding that we may know God, that we may know Him
that is true, and that we're in Him that is true. This is
eternal life. This is the true God. And here
in 1 Corinthians 2, verse 6, howbeit we speak wisdom, He's
given us the spirit of power, of love, of wisdom, sound mind. We speak wisdom among them that
are perfect or mature, but it's not the wisdom of this world. It's not the wisdom of this world
or the princes of this world that come to know it, but we
speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. It's even the hidden wisdom which
God ordained before the world unto our glory. What's this?
This is Christ, his redemptive glory, his person, his work.
Verse 8, which none of the princes, the leaders, of this world knew. Had they known it, they would
not have crucified the Lord of glory. They would have listened
to him. They wouldn't have crucified him. They would have followed
him. They would not have cast him out. But as it is written,
I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have it entered the heart
of man the things God has prepared for them that love him, that
know him, that trust him, that believe him. When do you prepare
them? Before the world began, promised it, prepared it. Verse
10, for the princes of the world do not know it, But God hath
revealed. He what revealed? Them, this
wisdom, this knowledge of God, unto us by His Spirit. His Holy
Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. What man knoweth the
things of a man? Who knows what's going on inside
of you right now? Who knows what's going on in
your mind and heart right now? No one but you. That's right,
no one but you. No one knows. No one will ever
know unless you tell them. Unless you honestly tell them
what's going on. So what things, what man knoweth
the things of a man save the spirit of man that's in him?
Even so, the things of God knoweth no man? We talk about the mind
of God. I don't know the mind of God.
I don't know the heart of God. I don't know the will of God.
You know my will? No, I don't know your will. You
sure don't know God's will. It's impossible. Can you by searching
find out God? It's higher than the heavens.
What can you know? It's deeper than hell. What can
you know? It's broader than the sea. Men are joking when they say
they know God and God This is God's mind and will and heart.
You don't know the mind and will and heart of God. It's impossible. Even so, the things of God knoweth
no man. But someone knows, the Spirit
of God knows, the Son of God knows. So we have received now, we have
received not the Spirit of the world. I can't learn about God
from the leaders of the world. They didn't know Him. He came
and they didn't know Him. He came into his own, they received
him not. He was in the world, and the world knew him not. How in the world am I going to
find out about God? I'll have to find out about God from God.
That's the only way. So we have received not the spirit
of the world. Let's get together and have a
conference on God. We don't waste your time. There's
nobody got any contribution to make. But if he'll come down,
if he'll come through some voice, some apostle, or prophet, or
preacher, or messenger, or ambassador, and tell us about Christ, and
we can look to him, we might find out something about God
before this journey's over. We have received the Spirit,
not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God.
Listen, that we may know. the things that are freely given
to us of God. I got to watching a preacher
the other night. He was walking up and down, running down to
the front, yelling and screaming. I thought, what's he doing that
for? Does that help me know God? All the people yelling and screaming,
throwing their arms around, carrying on, talking in tongues and all
that sort of thing. I thought, I got to know God. Is this cheerleader and this
pep meeting? We used to have before a big
football game over here at the stadium a pep meeting. Cheerleaders
would cavort around, yell and scream. Everybody would get excited.
But I didn't learn anything over there. I had to go to the classroom
to learn something. Before some sensible teacher
would sit there with a brain in his head and tell me something.
You ever learn anything at a pep rally? You're not going to learn anything
in these churches. This and either. Unless God Almighty makes this
Word to live, the incarnate Word and the written Word, we'll find
out about God when we start paying attention to what He says. And
He says it in Christ. In verse 13, Paul says, and that's
the things we speak, which things also we speak, not in the words
which man's wisdom teacheth, But the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing
spiritual things with spiritual things. But the natural man,
he doesn't receive the things of God. They're foolishness to
him. That's a pack of foolishness. They're nonsense. Neither can
he know them, because they're spiritually understood. But he
that's spiritual, he judgeth, discerneth all things. He himself
is understood of no man. But he understands Christ. That's
what Paul is saying here in verse 7. We don't have the spirit of
fear. We're not trying to please men.
We don't fear men or their tactics or traditions or their persecutions
or harassments. We don't fear failure. We don't
fear success. Paul says, I know how to abound.
I know how to be a base. I know how to have plenty. I
know how to do without. It doesn't matter. I'm not trying
to impress anybody. God's given us a spirit of power.
We've got a gospel that's the power of God here, a gospel. But it's not, that power's not
in me. And I see all these fellas laying
hands on people, they touch them, they got those catchers back
there to get them when they fall. That's a bunch of foolishness,
that's all that is. It's showing off, it's flesh,
demonstrated flesh, that's all. He's given us the spirit of true
power, the power of God unto salvation, the spirit of love
and a sound mind. Now watch this, verse 8. So Timothy, don't be ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord, verse 8. Here's a threefold exhortation. Timothy, don't be ashamed of
the gospel, the testimony of our Lord. I'm not ashamed of
the gospel. Turn to Romans chapter 1. Listen
to Paul over here. Romans chapter 1. Why would anybody be ashamed
of the gospel? The world has nothing to offer.
Struggling people, sinful people, dying people, do they? We do. We've got something to offer
them, the goodness of God, the grace of God, the mercy of God
in Christ. So Paul says in verse 16 of Romans
1, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It's the power of
God unto salvation. It's the power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believe it, not only the Jew but also to
the Greek, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed
for one degree of faith to the other. The just shall live by
faith. I tell you this, I've seen this
gospel change hearts, change lives, change men's direction. I've seen this gospel change
communities. I've seen this gospel do great
and wonderful things. I'm not ashamed of it. Religion
doesn't change people. The gospel will. Religion will
change a man outwardly for a while until he gets tired of it. But
the gospel changes his heart, gives him a new heart and new
nature, new attitude, new spirit. You change that which is within.
The man is right in his attitude toward God, his relationship
with God, he'll be right in his attitude toward others and his
relationship with others. You see, if he receives from
God grace, He has to show grace. If he's received from God mercy
and knows what that mercy is, he shows mercy. If he's been
forgiven, he forgives. If God's been generous to him,
he'll be generous to others. God changes his heart. That's
what walking down an aisle and shaking a preacher's hand, accepting
Jesus as your personal Savior, never did anything for anybody
except give them a false hope. That's right. But if God gives
a man a new heart, regeneration, the renewing of the Holy Ghost,
if God, if a man's born again, if God changes his heart, his
nature, gives him a principle of truth, and beauty, and grace,
and mercy, changes his heart, his walk will change, his attitude
will change, His direction will change because as a man thinketh
in his heart, so is he. How the heart, the mouth speaketh.
Don't be ashamed of the gospel. It's the gospel of God. It's
the gospel of His power and grace. It's the gospel of His Son. It's
the only gospel that will do anybody any good. It's the free
grace of God. And you and everybody else is
welcome to go out here and try to convert people and and reform
people, go ahead. But I tell you, you're not going
to convert or reform anybody until you operate on their hearts.
Isn't that right? Operate on their hearts. Change
their hearts. And I can't do that, but my God
can. And I'll preach this gospel and
if that person ever hears what I'm preaching and looks to God
and says, Lord, like the thief on the cross, be merciful to
me. Remember me. Like the left one,
Lord, if you will, you can make me hope. What I'm doing is preaching
what God can do and hope somebody will ask Him to do it. I'm not trying to persuade anybody
to do anything this morning towards me or you or publicly, but privately,
if you'll call on Him, whosoever shall call on the name of the
Lord will be saved. Privately. Secretly. In your heart. Ask God to do
something for you. That's the gospel. I'm not ashamed
of that gospel. It's the power of God. I'm ashamed
of this cavorting around that they're doing in the name of
religion today. I'm ashamed of preachers. I'm ashamed of these
covetous, greedy preachers on television begging money, telethons. I'm ashamed of that. I wouldn't
be identified with that. It's terrible. In the name of
God, it's terrible. And all this entertainment in
the name of God, we need to come back to worship and back to devotion
and back to calling on God from the heart, back to thanksgiving
and praise that's from here and not external. When you watch
these people carrying on all these shenanigans in the name
of God, Don't feel unspiritual. They're not spiritual, that's
flesh. The spiritual person, be still
and know that I'm God. The Lord's in his holy temple,
let the old word keep silence before him. Watch him worship
in the Old Testament in fear and awe and reverence and quietness,
personally calling on God. Christ said Himself, when you
pray, don't stand in the synagogue and pray to be seen of men. Enter
your closet and shut the door. And God who sees in secret rewards
you openly. When you give, don't sound a
trumpet in front of you and walk down the front and plank down
a thousand dollars. I'll match your thousand. That's
flesh. Don't even let your left hand
know what your right hand does. Do it in secret as unto the Lord. Religion today is gone clear,
where is left field? Clear out in left field. It's
not anywhere near home plate. Not anywhere near it. Paul said,
so I'm not ashamed of the gospel. Don't be ashamed of the gospel,
listen, and don't be ashamed of me, his prisoner. I tell you,
don't be ashamed of those who are preaching the gospel of God's
grace. But listen, the third thing, be a partaker yourself
of the afflictions of the gospel. I'm not interested, as I said
a while ago, in just being different, but I'm willing. And I'm not
looking for a fight. And I'm not going around trying
to straighten everybody out. If they want to ask me a question,
I'll answer it. But I want you to read this article
in the back of the Bulletin about witnessing. I think a lot of the so-called
witnessing going on today is not of God. It's like Republicans and Democrats
trying to make converts to their particular party. Witnessing
is telling a man who asks you, who's interested, what God's
done for you. Witnessing is one beggar telling
another beggar where he got bread. That's it. A beggar doesn't walk
up to a man and say, are you hungry? The man says, no, I've
got plenty of food. Well, no use me talking to you.
But if a beggar comes up to another beggar and says, hey, did you
have anything to eat this week? He says, yeah. Where'd you get
it? He told him where he got it. That's witnessing. Look at
the next verse. Be a partaker of the affliction,
verse 8 of the gospel according to the power of God, who has
saved us. Who saves you? God did. What did you do? I received it. He saved me. He saved me. Of his own will begat he us.
He called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, not
according to our works, but according to his own purpose and his own
grace. God purposed it. God purchased it. God applied
it. according to his own purpose
and grace which was given us when this work started in Christ
Jesus before the world began. But it's now made manifest. God, this gospel lay hidden in
the heart and counsel of God before the world began. And then
it was revealed in the Old Testament in promises and prophecies. And
then it was revealed in types and pictures. And now, verse
10, it's been manifest by the appearing of Jesus Christ, our
Savior Jesus Christ. And what's he done? Well, he
abolished death. He brought life and immortality
to life through the gospel. And Paul says, that's what I'm
preaching. I'm appointed a preacher, an
apostle, a teacher of the Gentiles. And for the witch cause, he was
in prison. He's writing to Timothy, he said,
That's the cause, that's why I'm suffering these things. Nevertheless,
I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed. I know whom
I have believed. And I'm persuaded that he's able
to keep that which I've committed to him against that day. Now
Timothy, hold fast the form of sound words, which you've heard
from me, in faith and love. It's wonderful to put those two
things together. Not always easy. I believe, therefore
have I spoken. Faith. But I want to love, too. Faith and love. And it's all
in Christ Jesus. All right, we'll pick up there
tonight in the evening service if you're here at 7 o'clock. Mike, come lead us in the song,
if you will.
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