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Henry Mahan

Lessons We Learn In Trouble

Job 1
Henry Mahan • July, 3 1991 • Audio
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Message: 1017b
Henry Mahan Tape Ministry
6088 Zebulon Highway
Pikeville, KY 41501
What does the Bible say about facing troubles?

The Bible teaches that troubles are common to all and serve as a means of comfort from God.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, it is stated that there is no temptation that is not common to man. Jesus Himself said that in this world we would face tribulation, as referenced in John 16:33. This universal experience of trouble is intended to lead us toward God's comfort, as highlighted in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, where Paul writes that God comforts us in our tribulations, enabling us to comfort others in theirs. Thus, troubles are not merely obstacles, but opportunities for God's grace and strength to be manifested in our lives and through us to others.

1 Corinthians 10:13, John 16:33, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Why is worship important during times of trouble?

Worship during trouble allows us to acknowledge God's sovereignty and gain strength from Him.

Worship, particularly in times of trouble, is essential as it acknowledges God's sovereignty over our circumstances. Job’s response to his great losses was to worship God (Job 1:20-21), demonstrating his understanding that both good and trouble come from God’s hand. This act of worship in distress refocuses our hearts and minds away from despair and onto God's eternal nature. It is through worship that we express our trust in God, affirming that even in pain, we recognize His goodness and mercy. Furthermore, as it is pointed out in the sermon, worshiping in times of trial is a profound testimony not only to ourselves but also to those around us who are witnessing our response to suffering.

Job 1:20-21

How do we understand God's sovereignty in our suffering?

God's sovereignty means that nothing happens in our lives without His permission and ultimate purpose.

Theologically, God's sovereignty assures us that He is in complete control of all circumstances, including our suffering. Job acknowledged God's sovereignty when he stated, 'The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord' (Job 1:21). This understanding is further underscored in passages like Romans 8:28, which reassures us that God works all things together for good for those who love Him. Thus, while suffering may seem arbitrary, it is important to recognize that it is under God's sovereign hand, serving His divine purpose, and ultimately aimed at our sanctification and His glory.

Job 1:21, Romans 8:28

Sermon Transcript

Auto-generated transcript • May contain errors

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That's the reason Cain hated
Abel. Same thing. He knew of Christ that Abel didn't
know. We have a common salvation. And
then, let me read you this. Don't turn to it. You hold that
place there. But Paul wrote over here in 1
Corinthians. He said, There hath no temptation,
no trouble taken you. but such as is common to man." In other words, our troubles,
common faith, common salvation, common trouble. We all have this
in common, trouble. Our Lord said, in this world
you shall have trouble, temptations, trials, times of testing, Paul
said in 1 Corinthians 7, we'll have trouble in the flesh. Trouble
in the flesh. I do want you to turn to this
scripture, whole Job 1, and turn to this one in 1 Corinthians
1. I know I've read this before,
and I taught it in Sunday school when we went through this chapter,
and I wonder if I really saw it like I did this morning, 2
Corinthians 1. Did I say 2 Corinthians? 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3. Blessed be God, even the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God
of all comfort, who comforteth us in our tribulation. that we may be able to comfort
them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves
are comforted of God." Isn't that good? I don't know whether
I've ever seen that before. It says, he comforts us in our
trouble so that we may be able. Now if we didn't have trouble,
We wouldn't have his comfort and we wouldn't be able to comfort
them who are in trouble. And what do we comfort them with?
By the same comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted. So when I talk to you tonight
about lessons learned in trouble, it's not only lessons Job's learned,
but lessons I've learned. Like I talked to you fellas in
the study a while ago, I've learned some things. I hope I learn a
whole lot more. All right, well, let's look at
another scripture, 2 Corinthians 4, while we're over there in
2 Corinthians. 4, verse 7, and let's never forget this. He's
talking about the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Christ Jesus, 2 Corinthians 4, 7. We have this treasure in
earthen vessels. We've been perfected and purified,
but the vessel hasn't. It's an earthen vessel. that
the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. As far
as we're concerned, we're troubled on every side, yet we're not
distressed. We're perplexed. We're not in
despair. We're persecuted, but we're not
forsaken. We're cast down, down, down,
but we're not destroyed. All right, go back to Job 1. I believe those things that I've
said there and laid before you by way of introduction, troubles,
common troubles, sorrows, trials. I believe this is the reason
that the Lord allowed Job to be so afflicted. I tell you,
when Ronnie read that, that got you when you read those last
verses. I could tell when you opened your prayer. It just took
the wind out of you, didn't it? You took yourself back to that
man's experience and just drained you, didn't he, as I sat there
and listened to it. This man was afflicted and troubled as
no other man that I've ever read about. But I believe the reason
God allowed Job to be so afflicted and so troubled is that he might
be an example for us. Now let me show you that. I've
got to take you to another scripture. James. James chapter 5. And see, this is not the reason.
that God allowed Job to be so extremely, extremely troubled. In James chapter 5 verse 10,
take my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of
the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience. Patience born out of affliction. Behold, we count them happy which
endure." Now, you've heard of the patience of Job and have
seen the end or the results of the Lord, what God did for him,
that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercies. In other
words, Job, God did this as an example for you and me. Now, let's go back to Job 1. Job was a man who knew God. Job believed God. He knew God.
He worshipped God. I don't need... I hear preachers
arguing about when Job was saved. That's a foolish pastime. I don't
need but two scriptures to convince me Job knew the Lord. And the
first one is right here in verse 8, chapter 1. And the Lord said
to Satan, have you considered my servant Job? That there's
none like him in the earth. That's good enough for me. A
perfect and upright man who fears God and avoids evil. That enough for you, Tom? That's
enough for me. That's what God says about Job.
I'd be perfectly, totally satisfied if that were the testimony coming
from heaven in regard to this old sinner right here. But I'll
tell you another scripture from the book of Job that convinces
me he knew God. He said, I know my Redeemer liveth, and he'll stand on this earth.
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my
flesh I'll see the Lord, and not another whom I shall see
for myself. I know my Redeemer liveth. And
that's a good testimony in a way. That satisfies me. But this man
who loved God, who knew God, who believed God, was greatly
troubled. Troubled, oh, so deeply troubled. He lost everything. He was a
family man. Look at verse 2, chapter 1. There was born unto him seven
sons and three daughters. But all of these children were
killed. They were all in one brother's house and a cyclone,
a tornado or something came and destroyed the house and killed
every single one of them. He was a man of wealth. Look
at verse 3. His substance, isn't this amazing? 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500
yoke of oxen. That's a thousand oxen, isn't
it? 500 shiites, this is a great household,
that's servants. He was the greatest man in the
East. And before this trial was over, everything he possessed
was gone. He lost everything in one day. He was a man of great influence.
It says here, the greatest of all the men of the East. I want
you to read what he said about his state after this affliction
came. Turn to Job 19. Job 19, verse 13. He even lost the respect of his
wife. She asked him to curse God and
die. Job 19, verse 13. He hath put
my brethren far from me. My acquaintance are verily estranged
from me. My kinfolks have failed. My familiar
friends have forgotten me. They that dwell in mine house,
in my maze, count me for a stranger. I am an alien in their sight.
I call my servant, and 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 my 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. He was a man of influence, the
greatest man in the East. Now even little children scoff
and mock him. That's hard to take. He evidently was a man of strength
and good health, and now he's so frail. This is what's amazing. Turn to Job 2, verse 7 and 8. Listen to this. So Satan went forth from the
presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the
sole of his foot to his crown. And he took him a potsherd to
scrape himself withal, and sat down among the ashes. Now verse
11, well that's when his wife said in verse 9, Dost thou still
retain thine integrity? Curse God and die. Verse 11,
Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had
come upon him, they came every one from his own place, Eliphaz
the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, Zophar the Naamathite. And they had made an appointment
together to come mourn with Job and to comfort him, but when
they lifted up their eyes afar and knew him not, they didn't
even recognize him. That was a condition that man
was in. They didn't even recognize him. They lifted up their voices
and wept. I find another thing about Job.
He didn't try to hide his sorrow. I'm not certain that we do ourselves
right, nor do we do our friends right, by suffering in silence.
I've heard that all my life. Just suffering silence. I don't
know. Job didn't. He's very open about
it. What? Very open. He said the
day of my death is better than the day of my birth. He went
on and had a lot of things to say about this mess he was in.
Cursed the day he was born and things like that. But you know,
David was very frank about that. You read Psalm 73 and David was
very open in his In his thoughts, he was wrong about a lot of them,
but he was very open about it. And I'm glad Psalm 73 was written. It's helped me tremendously.
He was very open. Our Lord Jesus, in the Garden
of Gethsemane, he prayed, Father, let this cup pass from me. The
Apostle Paul was very open about his sufferings. He told, at my
first trial, no man stood with me. He talked about his enemies. He talked about his sufferings.
He talked about, what I read a while ago, persecuted but not
forsaken, despised and cast down but not destroyed. That's Paul
talking. And when he talks about that thorn, he said, I asked
God three times to take it away. So we sorrow, but not as those
who have no hope. And I believe we ought to share
our sorrows. I believe we ought to share our
troubles. I believe we ought to pray about them, but I believe
we ought to let others help us. Let others weep with us. Let
others help us bear our burdens and bear our sorrows and bear
our troubles. Share them. They want to help
you. I think you mothers tell your
daughters that, and your fathers tell your sons, talk it over
with me. Come to me with whatever, you know, is bothering you and
troubling you. Let's pray together, let's talk
together, let's get this thing out and look at it together.
We help each other. Else how could that verse mean
anything that we comfort those with the comfort wherewith we
are comforted? Unless they let us. Unless they
let us. And so I found that out about
Job. I found out that he was very open about his sorrows.
But I find this, this is next, this is so necessary. But Job's
sorrows and troubles were sanctified by worship. Look at verse 20 through 22 now. Then Job arose, and rent his
mantle, shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and
worshiped openly. And he said, naked I came, naked
came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither.
The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name
of the Lord. In all this, Job sinned not,
nor charged God with foolishness. Sorrow and trouble led him to
worship. Oh, he was frank and open about
his distress and about his difficulties and his troubles and his trials.
And he spake against his sorrow and he spake against his pain,
but he never spake against his God. He spake against the troubles
and against the sorrows and against the grief, but he never spake
against his God. That is why I told him to curse
God and die. He said, shall I receive good
from the hand of the Lord and not receive evil? He said, though
he slay me, I'll trust him. And in all of this, Job sinned
not, nor charged God with foolishness. What I learned here is that we
are to praise God in joy or in trouble, and we're to praise
God as much in trouble as we do in joy. If joys lift me to
happiness, worship there. If grief presses me to the ground,
then lie right there and worship. So whether we're on the mountain
or whether we're in the valley, let's turn our eyes to the same
Lord who controls it all. Isn't that right? That's what
Job did. You see him over here when he
was wealthy, influential, and a family man, and had everything. And it says here in verse 5,
now watch it, verse 5, Job 1. It was so when the days of their
feasting were gone about that Job sent and sanctified them,
rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according
to the number of all his children. For Job said, It may be that
my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. This did
Job continually." Here is a man on top of the world. Children,
houses, lands, everything. Early in the morning, he's worshipping
God and offering burnt offerings for his children in the event
they didn't. Here's a man now who's lost it
all, stripped, broken, doing the same thing he did before
it came. He worshipped him in joy, he
worshipped him in sorrow. It didn't change, did it, Pop?
He worshipped him when he had everything, he worshipped him
when he had nothing. There's no difference. And I don't find Job, I've been
looking at this today, and I don't find Job comparing his lot with
a lot of others. I really don't. I read him saying,
naked I came out of my mother's womb, and naked I returned. I don't find him saying anything
about why this happened to me, it didn't happen to you. I don't
find him saying that. I find him defending his integrity,
and defending his righteousness. These fellows were accusing him
of all kind of grievous evil. You see, these fellows were just
like most people today. If some tragedy strikes a person,
they say, oh, God's whipping him. He's done something evil. If some heartache or sorrow or
sickness comes upon a person, they say, wonder what he's doing
that caused God to do this. Have you ever heard that? Well,
that's what these fellows were doing. The disciples asked the
Lord the same thing. He said, this man born blind
said, did he sin or did his mom and daddy sin? The Lord said
neither one, but that the glory of God might be accomplished
in him. So don't run hastily to try to
figure out why God's doing what he's doing. God knows you don't,
I don't, leave it there. He'll reveal it in his own good
time. But that's what these fellows were doing. They kept sitting
there looking at him, trying to get him to confess. And he
kept saying, you know, he finally rose to his own defense. You
would have too. I would have. But he never compared
his lot with others. He said, naked I came forth,
naked I'm going to... Let me show you four things quickly
that I believe Job learned in this time. Four or five things. And may we learn these things
well. May I learn them and may you learn them. First thing he
learned, I believe, is the brevity of life. the brevity of life,
all his children were dead. His own health was gone. It appeared
he would be dead soon. All the way through this book
he talks about how fleeting life's days are. He said, when a few
more years have come and gone, I shall go the way from which
I shall not return. And then let me show you some
of the things he said about life. Let's go through this book just
a moment. Job 7. Job 7. This is not the friends talking,
this is Job. When you're reading the book
of Job and quoting Job, be sure you're quoting Job. You may be
quoting Bildad or Zophar or the other guy. But this is Job. Is there not an appointed time
to man upon the earth? Are not his days also like the
days of a hireling? As a servant, earnestly desireth
the chattel, and as a hireling looketh for the reward of his
work, be quickly gone. So am I made to possess months
of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me. And when
I lie down, I say, when shall I rise? And the night be gone,
and I am full of tossing to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust. My skin is
broken and become loathsome. My days are swifter than a weaver's
shuttle and are spent without hope. Oh, remember that my life
is wind. Mine eyes shall see no more good,
shall no more see good. Here he compares our days to
a weaver's shuttle. Some of you may have watched
a weaver's shuttle before. I have, down in Mexico, those
ladies making those rugs. And that shuttle goes more quickly
than your eye can see it. They press something with their
foot and move that thread and their day's gone, a day's gone,
a day's gone. And that's what he said my life's
like. Or like the wind. Like the wind. Here's another
one in Job 9. Listen. He learned the brevity
of life. Job 9, verse 25. Job 9, 25. Now my days are swifter than
a post. Well, I looked that up some time
ago, and I think I told you what it was. It's the old days of
delivering mail by horses, or whatever way they did, and the
rider would ride a horse. or an animal and that one would
give out and he'd ride to a post, a place where he'd get a fresh
horse and he'd ride that one and he'd get a fresh one and
he'd ride that one and that's what he's talking about there.
That's how quickly my days go by. They flee away, they see
no good. What's this one? They're passed
away as swift ships blown with the wind. How swiftly they go. Watch this now. My days are like
the eagle that hasted to the prey. That eagle is sitting up
there, way up there. Oh, like we saw in Florida. They
got those eyes that spot that little animal, whatever they
are going after. And then, they got him before
he can run two feet. That's the way my days go. We
know about that, don't we? Oh, we know about that. Job 14,
let's see what it says here. I believe he learned this right
here in this trouble. Right here in this trouble. Job 14, and he never would have
written this for our comfort and edification example if he
hadn't gone through the trouble. Job 14.1, man that is born of
a woman is a few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like
a flower. And he's cut down. I don't need
to explain that to you. He fleeth as a shadow, also as
a shadow, and continueth not. And then verse 6, 5. His days are determined, the
number of his months are with thee. Thou hast appointed his
bounds, and he cannot pass. That's what Job learned. And
David wrote later, and it's said that Job's the oldest book in
the Bible. That Job wrote before Moses. I can't prove that, but
that's what most of the scholars and others who make a study of
those things have declared. And so David comes along and
says, so teach me to number my days. Why? That I may apply my heart to
wisdom. Secondly, tell you something
else Job learned. He learned not only the brevity
of life, he learned the frailty of these earthly possessions.
One day Job had all these things. His assets were staggering. His family, his health. There
were no liabilities. As Job added things up, He just
had everything the world could provide and could want, could
desire. And the next thing, he didn't
have anything. And he said naked, I came out
of my mother's womb. When a baby is born, what does
he possess? Absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing. Well, when
a man dies, what does he possess? What does he take with him? Absolutely
nothing. I came in naked, going out naked. Here's a scripture that I refer
to in 1 Timothy. Look at this one with me, 1 Timothy
6. You know, Paul said, while you're
finding 1 Timothy chapter 6, the Apostle Paul wrote this. He said, Burger, the time is
short. It remaineth that both they that
have wives, as though they had none, and they that weep, as
though they wept not, and they that rejoice, as though they
rejoiced not, and they that buy, as though they possessed not,
and they that use this world as not abusing it, for the fashion
of this world passeth away. And then over here in 1 Timothy.
1 Timothy 6, verse 6. Now listen to this. 1 Timothy 6, verse 6. Godliness
with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this
world, and it's certain we'll carry nothing out. So having
food and rain Let us be there with contentment. But they that will be rich. In
one of my messages out yonder in California, I kind of got
some people to buzz in. I said, I get distressed in this
day with young couples who strain themselves above their means.
who can't or won't live on what God supplies. So they use these
credit cards and extended, exaggerated credit and get themselves in
a mess. They want what it took their
parents 30 years. They want it right now, what
it took their parents 30 years to accumulate. And in doing so,
They put themselves in a horrible bind. Financial strain is one
of the most difficult things for a marriage to endure early
on. It is. It's a difficult thing for a
marriage to endure financial strain. And I'll tell you another thing.
They get themselves in such a position that everything is already spent
before it comes in and more. So they can't give. They can't
help anybody else. You know, back in the days of
Israel of old, the firstfruits belonged to the Lord. But in
this young generation, the firstfruits have been spent a long time ago,
and the lastfruits are already spent too. And I think it's devastating. And that's what he's talking
about here. They that would be rich, they that would live in
a certain status and so forth, fall into temptation. and a snare,
and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction
and perdition, and for the love of possessions, not just cash
possessions, is the root of all evil, which while some coveted
after, they have erred from the faith, and they have pierced
themselves through with so many sorrows." I tell you, Job learned
this, that these earthly possessions, are just temporary. Temporary. Temporary. We come into this
world with nothing. That's the way we're going out.
But I'll tell you this, we can go out a lot differently from
the way we came in. I came into this world naked
physically, and I'll go out that way. I came into this world owning
nothing physically, and I'll go out that way. But I came into
this world naked spiritually, and I ain't going out that way.
I'm going out clothed in the righteousness and beauty of Christ
Jesus. Whosoever believeth shall not
be ashamed, shall not stand naked. And I came into this world flat
broke, with no possession. I'm going out of here an heir
of God. and a joint heir with Jesus Christ.
That's a world of difference, isn't it? And that, you know, when you
start comparing those two things, when you start comparing what
a man or woman has physically, materially, or whatever, and
you think about death, sickness and death, then he really has
nothing. He has nothing about which to boast, absolutely nothing. But you know, if a man can stand
in glory in the cross of Christ, he's got something which to glory.
He has a redeemer, he has a righteousness, he has a redemption. It's the
gift of God. Here's the third lesson Job learned.
Job saw the hand of God in everything. You know, they came to Job and
they said all these things. Now, most people reading this
passage would say, well, the devil afflicted Job. Satan took
away his children. Satan took away his possessions. They'd be saying, they'd be telling
the truth. But my friend, Satan was only the instrument in the
hand of God. Do you hear what I'm saying?
Satan was only the instrument in the hand of God. Satan can't
touch you without God's permission. Now I promise you that. We're
on the authority of God's Word. I enforce that as dogmatically
as I can enforce anything. These preachers are always talking
about the devil's going to do this and the devil's going to
do that. Where God's kingdom and God's children and God's
sheep are concerned, he's not going to do anything except what
God lets him do. Now I can tell you, well here's
the first example. Satan was standing there in the
presence of God and talking about Job and God told him what he
could do. Didn't he? He told him how far
he could go. Now you read chapter 2 and he
came back the second time, and God let him go a little further.
And when Peter was standing there talking to our Lord, the Lord
said, Peter, Satan hath desired thee to sip thee as wheat. Of whom did Satan desire him?
Of the Lord. And God let him sip Peter. And then when those demons came
out of that Gadarene, they said, let us go into those pigs, even
the demons, along to go where he let us. Isn't that right,
John? I'm telling the truth. So you're a child of God. You're
a child of God. Job said it here. He said, the
Lord gave, and the Lord took it away. He didn't curse the
Sabaeans. He didn't curse the Chaldeans.
He didn't curse the wind. He said God willed it. And therefore
there's no preventing it. I don't call that fatalism because
it's not. It's just fact. It's fact and
faith. And it's the only source of comfort
you can have in these times. Isn't that right? Some of you
have been through some deep water. Deep water. What was your major
source of comfort? I'm here by the will of God.
Isn't that right? I'm here by the will of God.
There's not a wind or a disease or a human being or a devil who
can touch one of God's children without God's permission. Nary
a one. And when we are touched, let's
be able to say this, the Lord gave and the Lord took it away.
I believe that. Well, if you don't believe that,
what do you believe? If you don't believe that, what can you believe?
You believe you're out here the prey of any hunter? You can't
find any comfort there. No wonder people are scared of,
like you're supposed to be scared of thunder, scared of lightning,
scared of planes, scared of this, scared of that. If I didn't believe
God was on the throne, I'd be scared of that electric microphone
out there. I'd be scared of everything.
I'd live in constant fright. You can't have peace that way.
Who's on the throne? God's on the throne. Is He your
God? He's more than that. He's my daddy, my father. Abra,
father. That's what Job said. The Lord
gave it. The Lord took it away. That's
what Hannah said in her prayer. I make rich and I make poor.
I kill and I make alive. I the Lord. And the fourth thing,
and I'll close, Job learned to give thanks even in the greatest
trial. Verse 22, in all this, and while
Ronnie was reading it a while ago, it got so quiet in here,
I could feel the air. I could feel your feeling. I
could feel your entering into this man's sorrows. But when
he's all over it, in all of this, Job sins not. And I'll tell you
where the sin would have been to charge God with foolishness. Now, that's the only thing you
have to fear. Like I said a while ago, you know, pain is pain. And sorrow is sorrow. We sorrow. Tears are tears. They're genuine. They're real.
They hurt. and look down, but don't ever look up without
giving thanks. That's what I've got to condition
my own heart to do, whatever it may be. Don't charge him with
foolishness, because he knows what's right, and he's going
to do what's right. Not maybe what I wish or I want,
but what's right for me and for my eternal welfare and well-being. He's going to do right. Let me
give you this. "'Tis my happiness below, not to live without the
cross, but the Savior's power to know, sanctifying every loss. Now trials must and they will
befall, but with humble faith to see. the Lord's love inscribed upon
them all, and this is happiness to me. Trials must and will befall,
but with humble faith to see the Lord's love inscribed upon
them all, and that's happiness to me. God in our lives sows
the seeds of affliction, pain, and toil, and these sprang up
and choked the weeds Which would else overspread the saw? Now,
we've heard of the weeds choking the good seed. That's true in
unbelievers. But in believers, the good seed
chokes out the weeds. Trials make the promise sweet.
Trials give new life to prayer. Trials bring me to His feet.
Lay me low and keep me there. Now, I looked at this last verse
and looked at it two or three times, and I want to say that
this is what I believe. Did I meet no trials here and
no trouble by the way? Might not I with reason fear
that I would prove a castaway? If I had no trials to try my
faith, then my faith may not be real. It's got to be trial.
Then, unbelievers may escape God's rod, sunk in earthly vain
delight, but the child of God would not, even if he might. That's what I looked at. I thought, unbelievers may escape
the rod, sunk in their earthly vain delight, but the true child
of God must not, and would not, even if he might. So God never comes to us and
asks us if we want a trial. I'm afraid I'd say no. But when they come, I hope I
won't say no. Even so far that it seemed good
in thy sight. I hope that's a blessing.
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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