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Henry Mahan

Has God Opened Your Heart?

Acts 16:6-15
Henry Mahan • October, 28 1990 • Audio
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Message: 0985b
Henry Mahan Tape Ministry
6088 Zebulon Highway
Pikeville, KY 41501
What does the Bible say about God calling men to preach?

The Bible teaches that God calls men to preach the gospel, enabling them to minister His word effectively.

In Acts 16, we see the Apostle Paul being divinely directed to preach the gospel to the people of Macedonia. The call to preach does not come from human initiative, but rather from God's own purpose and anointing. Paul affirmed that God had called him to preach the gospel, emphasizing that it is God who equips and enables men for this task. This calling serves as a reminder that the effectiveness of preaching is not based on the vessel but on the power of God working through that vessel.

Acts 16:10

How do we know that God opens hearts to believe?

Scripture indicates that God is the one who opens hearts to receive His gospel, as demonstrated in the story of Lydia.

In the account of Lydia in Acts 16:14, we learn that it was the Lord who opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. This illustrates a key tenet of sovereign grace theology: God must initiate and enable faith in His elect. The act of opening one's heart is solely an act of God's grace, leading individuals to understand and believe the gospel message. Lydia's response highlights the importance of belief in Christ for salvation, affirming that faith comes by hearing the word of God, which is enabled by God's sovereign will.

Acts 16:14, Romans 10:17

Why is preaching the gospel important for Christians?

Preaching the gospel is vital because it is the primary means by which God delivers His message of salvation to His people.

The necessity of preaching is underscored in Romans 10:14-15, where it states that faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. In the narrative of Paul’s missionary journey, we see that he was sent to Macedonia to deliver the good news of Jesus Christ, demonstrating that God's chosen means to save His people is through the preaching of the gospel. This highlights not only the importance of the preacher but also the divine orchestration of God in sending His messengers to those He has chosen, ensuring that His plan of redemption is fulfilled.

Romans 10:14-15

What does Acts 16 teach us about God's providence?

Acts 16 illustrates God's providence in directing Paul’s missionary efforts and in preparing receptive hearts.

In Acts 16, we observe God's sovereign hand at work as He redirects Paul and Silas away from Asia and towards Macedonia. This providential guidance does not only concern the preacher but also the preparation of the audience. Lydia, a devout woman seeking God, exemplifies how God orchestrates lives and circumstances so that His word can be received. This teaches Christians about the importance of trusting in God's plan, knowing that He is actively working all things according to His purpose, ensuring that His chosen people will hear the gospel at the appointed time.

Acts 16:6-10

Sermon Transcript

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Phrygia and the regions of Galatia,
that's Paul and Silas that preached the gospel in this region. You're
familiar with Galatia. They were forbidden of the Holy
Ghost to preach the word in Asia. Paul had an idea that he would
go into Asia and preach, but the Spirit of God told him not
to. That's not where I would have you go. So verse 7 said
that they would come to Mysia and they are saved or determined
to go into Bithynia. And again the Spirit of God suffered
them not to go to that place. So verse 8 says, they passing
by Mysia came down to Troas, came to a seaport town called
Troas. And there appeared, verse 9,
a vision, appeared to Paul in the night, and there stood a
man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia,
and help us. Now, there are several lessons
learned here. First of all, the Lord does call
men to preach the gospel. For he said in verse 10, now
listen to Paul, after he had seen the vision, immediately
we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the
Lord had called us. The Lord had called us. The Lord
called us, listen, for to preach the gospel unto them. God calls
men to preach the gospel. I don't know a lot about how
the call comes But I do know Paul said, God put me in the
ministry. He put me in the ministry. God
called us to preach the gospel to these people. And the second
thing I know is this, not only that God calls men to preach
the gospel, he calls them, he equips them, he gives them gifts,
he enables them to preach the gospel. Paul said this again
on another occasion, he said he's entrusted the gospel unto
us. He entrusted us with the gospel. And on another occasion, he said,
we have this treasure, he was talking about the gospel, he
said, we have this treasure in earthen vessels, God calls men
to preach the gospel, he doesn't send angels to preach the gospel,
he calls men. Clay vessels, earthen vessels,
we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the power might
be of God and not of us. that the glory might be his and
not ours, that your faith should not stand in the vessel or in
the wisdom of men, but in the fire of God. Understand that
God calls men. All right, secondly, from these
verses I get this, secondly, that God sends his preachers
to preach where he will, where he will send them. And the servant doesn't choose
his fail. Back there a few verses ago,
Paul determined to go to Asia. God said no. Don't go there. And then he determined to go
to Bithynia. And again, it says the Holy Spirit
said no. And I'm not looking for a vision
in the night, the Word of God, the canon is complete. The Word
of God is complete. And we get our directions from
the Word of God and as the Spirit of God leads us. But that night
there appeared unto Paul a man of Macedonia and he said to Paul,
come over here and help us. So God sends his preachers where
he will. He sends his preachers to his
sheep. He sent Philip to the eunuch. He sent Peter to Cornelius. He
sent Paul here to Philippi. For how shall they hear without
a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? God's got to send us. Our Lord,
you know, told his disciples, he said, lift up your eyes and
look upon the fields that are white already to harvest. Pray
ye that the Lord of the harvest will send forth his laborers
into the field. There are several places where
God didn't send Paul. There are several places where
he did send him. over I've visited Africa, I've
visited Mexico and other places. There are a lot of villages where
these missionaries either do not go or pass through. This
is phenomenal. Take Brother Gruber for example.
Here's Brother Gruber in Mérida. He loads his truck up, he gets
his Bible, he gets his books, he gets his Testaments, and his
Lord's Supper. elements and so forth and start
driving. And he drives through these different
villages. There are people there. There
are lost people there. There are rebels there. There are needy people there. He drives through and goes out
here to a village and then drives through some more and goes to
another. These are places where God has sent him and anointed
his message. You know, our Lord, it said He
could do no mighty works because of their unbelief. They said,
do the works here that you did over yonder. He didn't do any
works. He did no mighty works. And I can't explain that, and
I certainly can't deny it, because I'm looking at it. I can't explain
it, but I can't deny it. I know God calls men to preach.
I know He gives them a message. I know He sends And he sends
them where he will. Another word I noted here, this
man from Macedonia said, come over and help us. Help us. They needed help. Well,
let's get the Red Cross and load up some soup and beans and diapers
and pampers. That wasn't the help they needed.
Well, let's get the doctors and dentists and builders and carpenters
and plumbers and go over and see if we can improve their way
of living. That's not the help they need.
Well, let's get the government to give them a handout and welfare
them. Get them in the mess we're in
now, you know. Make them all quit work and move them on reservation.
That's not the help they need. When Paul saw that man who said,
come over and help us, he knew one thing. I know assuredly that
God has called me go preach the gospel to them. That's what they
need. They need the gospel. And what
I'm saying is this, the greatest help that we can give, and I
know this church, we help social services, we give groceries,
we help people with their doctor bills and their utility bills
and these things, and we've done other things. Walter
and Betty help down there with the natives and help them with
their babies and their vitamins and these things, and this is
all fine if it's collaborated with the gospel. If it meets
this one particular primary need, the gospel. And Paul said, I
know this, that God called me to go preach the gospel today.
Go preach the gospel. Now here's what, in all of that,
what I'm wondering. Could it be, could it be, indeed,
that this is a place, right here, where God has favored his people
and sent them a servant with help? Could it be? Not everywhere in there. There
are not that many servants. The Bible was everywhere, I know
that, but it's like a surrogate. God has called some men to preach
the gospel, the gospel of the grace of God. They could go,
and some of them would go, and some of them have a say to go
in a lot of different places, but God hasn't sent them there. But he sent Paul, he told Paul
by this vision, you go here and you preach the gospel. And Paul
said, I knew, I knew it was the will of God that I should go
there and preach the gospel. And that's the thing that comes
to my mind. Is it possible that Almighty
God has so favored this little village, this little town, here
in northeastern Kentucky, with his gospel, and sent them one
of his servants? That would be wonderful, wouldn't
it? All right, let's see what happened. You can read on about
how he went to Philippi in verse 13. Now on the Sabbath day, and
that was the day, Saturday, that was the day the Jews met to worship. You see, Paul has gone into this
town. There's no churches there, there's
no Christians there, there's no believers there. There's a
bunch of Jews and Gentiles there. This is a military city. Chief
city of Macedonia, Philippi. And he's gone there to bring
the gospel. So what he does, like he did
everywhere else, on the Sabbath day, he'd go into the synagogue
and reason with them and talk to those people about Christ.
He'd start where somebody was that acted like there's a God.
See, that's what I'm talking about. He went to where somebody
had some interest in God, where there's cancel on the Sabbath
day. Listen, he says, we went out of the city by a river. That's
interesting. We went out of the city by a
river where prayer was wont to be made. And we sat down and
spoke to the women. There weren't any men there,
which resorted thither. Now, what in the world were these
women doing on the Sabbath day out here by the river, in the
country, praying and worshiping God on the Sabbath day? I'll
tell you why. There was no synagogue in that
city. Philippi, the city of Philippi, there was no synagogue. There
was no house of worship, not one. There might have been an
idol temple, but there was no house of worship. There's no
synagogue. You see, there had to be so many Jews in a city
before they'd build a synagogue. Had to be a certain quota, a
number of Jews in the city before they'd build a synagogue. So
evidently there were not enough Jews there to warrant a synagogue,
so these women, there were no men in their company, a handful
of women, somebody told me one time there had to be twelve Jews,
I don't know where they got that number, but there were a handful
of women out here by the riverside, worshiping God. Now a stranger
like Paul, Paul was a stranger, he came to Philippi, here's Paul
and Timothy, whoever else was with them. And a stranger would
come into that city, no synagogue, no place of worship, and he might
walk through that town many times and never know about that little
company of women down there by the river, praying and worshiping
God. But Paul found them. Paul found
them. He was directed there by the
Spirit of God. But he found them. God led him. And of course, God
not only led him, but he was looking for him. He was looking
for somebody with an interest in the gospel. And this is what
I believe. What are you looking for? What
is a person looking for? Are we looking for God? Are we
looking for truth? Are we looking for someone preaching
his word? Is that what we're looking for?
Are we looking for somebody to agree with us? Are we looking
for a social time? There's a fellow who came over
here from England. And they asked him about the
churches, what he thought of the churches here in America.
What do you think of the churches? And this was his reply. Oh, he
said, I think your churches over here serve the same purpose that
our pubs serve in England. He said people go to the pubs
for fellowship, for a good time, and for social. And he said,
I think that's, I've judged by watching your churches, that's
what your church is, that's the purpose. You don't have pubs,
but you have churches. I believe that's true. But if
you, Paul wasn't looking for social time or fellowship, he
was looking for somebody who believed God. And he found them. And I believe if we are looking
for somebody, wherever we go, if we're looking for somebody
who believes God, I believe the Spirit of God will lead us to
them. So what's this now? Verse 13, so on the Sabbath day
he went out of the city, he found these women, and by a riverside
he found some women who were praying. And he said, we sat
down, and we spake unto the women who resorted thither. Now what
do you suppose Paul talked to them about? Well, is there any doubt in your
mind what he talked to them about? Is there any doubt? The Apostle
Paul said, we preach Christ and Him crucified. He said, I am
determined to the Corinthians to know nothing among you but
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And notice another thing. He sat down. Understand? He sat down and spoke
to them. Here was a good... He didn't...
I see these fellas on TV and I don't know where they're going
to stand here or stand on that front pew. They got all their flowers
and their glass lectern, you know, and they're ranting and
raving and taking their coats off and throwing them over here
and screaming and yelling around. The apostle Paul went to this
place and here were some women, met there to pray. They didn't
know a thing about the apostles, not a thing. But they knew there
was a God and they met there to pray and they did that every
Sabbath day. And Paul didn't entertain them,
he didn't browbeat them and skin them and bless them and holler
at him and scream at him, it says he sat down and talked to
him. And as I was preparing this message,
I thought, now what did he talk to him about? And you know what
I believe, over here in Acts 13, why don't you turn over there
a minute, I believe that Paul might have said practically the
same thing to these women that he said over here in Antioch
when he spoke to those Jews over there, Acts 13. He sat down. and talk to him. In Acts 13,
beginning with verse 16, now listen. Then Paul stood up, in
this case he stood up, and he beckoned with his hand, he said,
now listen, men of Israel, and I think he would have said, women
of Israel, you that fear God, they did fear God, they were
out there on the riverside bank worshiping God, give all of you,
listen to me, will you The God of this people of Israel, that's
what they were, they were Israelites, chose our fathers and exalted
the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt.
And with a high arm, with a mighty arm, with great power, he brought
them out of Egypt. Now you women know that. They
knew that. He's talking to them now. He's
meeting them where they are, Ronnie. Talking to them about
what they know. Just talking to them. And about the time of forty years,
suffered he their manners in the wilderness, and when he had
destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their
land to them by lot. These women knew that. And after
that he gave them judges, and they knew the judges, Gideon,
others, about the space of four hundred and fifty years until
Samuel the prophet. He's talking to them about things
they know. He's talking to them. And afterwards, Israel desired
a king, and God gave unto them Saul, the son of Sis, a man of
the tribe of Benjamin. And Saul reigned about the space
of forty years. And when he had removed him,
he removed Saul, he raised up unto them David to be their king.
He's got their ear. These women listen to this man
now. He knows the history of Israel, he knows the God of Israel,
he knows the ways of Israel, and they're listening to him.
David to be their king, to whom also he gave testimony, and said,
I found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which
shall fulfill all my will." Now, women, of this man's seed, they
knew the Messiah was going to be the seed of David. Isn't that
right? You know, our Lord asked those Jews, those men one time,
what think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? They said, son
of David. He's talking to these women, taking them on that background,
that trip through Israel, and he said, "'Of this man's seed,
David, had God, according to his promise, raised up unto Israel
a Savior, Jesus of Nazareth.'" Now, I'm sure they sat up and
took notice there. They'd heard about the crucifixion.
They'd heard about Jesus of Nazareth. Everybody in the world nearly
had heard about it. And he said, I'm telling you, God has raised
up unto Israel a Savior, a Messiah. Now to verse 24. When John the
Baptist had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel, and as John fulfilled his course,
he said, whom do you think I am? I'm not the Christ. I'm not he.
John wasn't the Christ. But behold, John said, there
cometh one after me whose shoes of his feet I'm not worthy to
loose. Now men and brethren, in this
case he said, dear women, children of the stock of Abraham, you
are Jews, you are descendants of Abraham, and whosoever among
you feareth God, to you is this word of salvation sent. God sent
me here. I tried to go to Asia and he
wouldn't let me. I tried to go to Bithynia and he wouldn't let
me. He appeared to me in a vision, a man of Macedonia, Philippi,
appeared to me and told me to come down here and preach the
gospel to you, and this word of salvation is sent to you.
Verse 27, For they that dwell at Jerusalem, your leaders, your
rulers, because they knew him not, they didn't recognize the
Messiah, nor yet the verses of the prophets, which they read,
which are read every Sabbath day. They didn't recognize Isaiah,
and Jeremiah, and Moses' writings, and they fulfilled those writings
in condemning Jesus of Nazareth. Your rulers in Jerusalem, they
didn't recognize him. He came unto his own, his own
received him not. He's in the world, and the world
unto him not. And these men, these rulers, didn't recognize
him. They teach and read the prophets every Sabbath day, but
they didn't recognize him. And when they condemn Christ,
they fulfill what the prophets wrote about Christ. And though
they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate
that he should be slain. And ladies, when they had fulfilled
all that was written of him in the scriptures, they took him
down from that tree and they laid him in a sepulchre. They're
listening, aren't they? He's not ranting and raving.
He's not fussing at them for not tithing. They were tithers.
He wasn't fussing at them for not going to church. They didn't
have no church to go to. They were down here by the river.
He wasn't ranting and raving about picture shows and abortions
and all these things. He sat down and talked to them
about Christ using the Scriptures. And he said when they fulfilled
everything that was written of him, they took him down from
that tree and laid him in a grave. But God raised him from the dead. You understand that? And he was
seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee
to Jerusalem, who are witnesses unto the people of his resurrection. And we declare unto you good
news, glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto
the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us, us Jews, their
children. in that he raised up Jesus again. As it is written in the 2nd Psalm,
you ladies are familiar with the 2nd Psalm, Thou art my son,
this day have I begotten thee. God has fulfilled his promise. And he might have added, this
is the promise that Abraham believed. Abraham believed God that he
was able to do all that he promised. That's just it. And verse 34,
and as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no
more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I'll give
you the sure mercies of David. Give them to Christ and give
them to all in Christ. The sure mercies of David. Surely
goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and
I'll dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Wherefore, verse
35, he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer
thy holy one to see corruption," talking about his holy one, his
Messiah. But David, that wasn't talking
about David, because David, after he had served his own generation
by the will of God, David died and was laid unto his fathers
and saw corruption. David, his bones are with us
to this day, he said on another occasion. But he whom God raised
up saw no corruption. You see that gospel? That's what
Paul preached to these ladies. I'm sure of it. He sat down. He just told them. This is the
good news. I'm sent to you to bear this
word of salvation. All that God promised to Israel,
all that God typified and pictured in Israel, Christ is fulfilled.
He is the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. They fulfill the scriptures in
condemning him, and when they They took him down from the tree,
they fulfilled all that was written of him, they laid him in a tomb,
they said we're through with him, but God raised him from
the dead. And he's our Messiah. Now then, so be it known unto
you. Therefore, in this case, you
dear women, and isn't it something that the first message Paul preached
in Philippi was to a group of ladies. how God had favored them. Isn't that something? How God
favored them. And he said, Be it known unto
you that through this man, Jesus of Nazareth, is preached unto
you the forgiveness of sin. And by him all that believe are
justified from all things from which you couldn't be justified
by the law of Moses. Beware, God sent me here with
that message. This was most unusual. They'd
been gathering here, I bet, a long time. And God sent them a preacher,
just like the eunuch Cornelius. He came and said, here it is.
Here's the message. Now beware, lest that come upon
you which was spoken of in the prophets. Verse 41, Behold ye
despisers, and wander and perish. I work a work in your days, a
work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare
it to you." I believe it. And the thing about it, a man
is going to declare it to you. I work a work, God said, in your
days, which men won't believe, though a man declare it to them. All right, go back to my text
now. Chapter 16. But bless your heart, verse 14. So Paul, verse 13, sat down and
spake to them. In verse 14, and a certain woman,
is she here today? A certain woman named Lydia. Put your name in there. A seller
of purple. She was a businesswoman. Evidently
her husband was dead, because he's never mentioned. It's called
her household, and she was here representing the business. She's
a businesswoman. She distributed a valuable material
known to women. Seller of purple. And you know
what's strange? She was of the city of Thyatira. What's she doing in Philippi?
She came to Philippi to sell her purple. And she was a devout
woman, a woman seeking God, so she went down with these women,
usually when she came to Philippi, that's where she went. But she
was from Thyatira. And that's the very place where
God told Paul not to go. Isn't that right? It's the very
place God told Paul not to go and pray. He said, you go to
Philippi. But here was a woman from Thyatira down there. Oh,
God moves in mysterious ways. What are you doing here? That's a good question. What
are you doing here? There's a lot of places you could be. There's
a lot of places this woman could be. She was a businesswoman,
a traveler. She traveled. And she lived in
a place where God wouldn't let a man go preach. But by His providence and purpose,
she was there that Sabbath morning when God sent that preacher.
Old Spurgeon said if there's one of God's elect whom God's
determined to save by His grace, He'll bring that person, no matter
where he's from, He'll bring that person in some way through
his life to that point in time where he'll hear the gospel of
Christ that I just read to you from chapter 13. You'll hear
that gospel. God Almighty will shake heaven and earth to accomplish
His purpose. He says, my sheep will hear my
voice. And there she sat. There she
sat. Maybe she was 40, 50, 60 years
old. I don't know. Widow, lady. But she'd come there. And that morning she looked straight
in the eyes of the man God sent with the good news. And you know
the next word says is, she heard us. Oh, my, my, my, my, my. What a blessing. She actually
heard Him. She heard Him. He that hath ears
to hear, let him hear. Blessed are your ears, they hear.
Faith cometh by hearing. And it says here, and the Lord
opened her heart. She didn't do it. Paul didn't
do it. God did it. God did it. God opened her heart. She was there, I'm sure she was
there to a certain extent because she was commanded to worship
the Lord on the Sabbath day. Don't you remember all the Sabbath
commandments? She was a Jew. She was there on the Sabbath
day. She was there because prayer was wont to be made. But here's
the end of all those reasons for being there. God opened her
heart. God opened her heart. She believed
with her heart. The scripture said, If thou shalt
confess with thy mouth Jesus to be Lord, and believe in thine
heart, God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Do you believe this message with your heart? That's what Philip
asked the eunuch. The eunuch said, Here's water,
what does it hinder me from being baptized? He said, If you believe
with your heart, you may. And this woman listened to the
gospel, and it says, And God opened her heart. And look at
the next line, and she attended unto the things which Paul had
spoken. She believed them in her heart. She believed what
God's word said about Jesus Christ. She believed what God's word
said about his redemptive purpose, about his precious blood, about
his exaltation. She believed that. Do you? It doesn't matter how old you are
this morning. Some of you have had the advantage
of hearing God's preacher for a long time. Do you believe this message? Through this man is preached
to you the forgiveness of sin, and by him all that believe are
justified. Do you believe that? This woman
did. She believed it in her heart.
And that's all the Scripture commands that you believe. He
that believeth on the Son hath life. He that believeth not the
Son shall not see life. You believe Christ is the Son
of God. is the only Savior, He's our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
redemption, that all things are fulfilled in Him, that God has
done away with the ceremony and the form and the days and all
these things and established Christ as the one mediator between
God and men. You believe that? She believed
it. I believe it. And it says in the next verse,
and when she was baptized, and her household, She believed Christ,
she confessed Christ. It was one thing to do. You see,
I run through this, I run through this scripture, and I've told
you this dozens of times, that the New Testament way of confessing
Christ was baptism. And that's what it says every
time I look at it. Paul came and sat down and talked to these
ladies, and here was one. There may have been more, I don't
know, but here was one. She heard him. She heard everything he
had to say about the Lord Jesus. And she believed him. She believed
in him. And she said, I want to be baptized.
I want to confess Christ. That's it. She didn't go before the board
of elders. She didn't go to the inquiry room. She didn't meet
with a deacon. She didn't seek the approval
of some congregation. She said, I believe. And Paul
baptized her. She confessed to others. He preached
to her household and the people in her house, believe. And then
she gave evidence that it wasn't just a temporary thing. She said, now, if you really
believe that I know Christ and love Christ, I'd be honored if
you'd make my home your headquarters. I'd just like my home to be a
little church. She said, just come and abide with me and eat. Make my home your headquarters.
My home's your home now. You belong to Christ and I belong
to Christ. So it's yours. Has God opened your heart? That's the way it happened. And
that's the way it happens now. He's the same yesterday, today,
and forever. Has God opened your heart? If He has, confess Him. You say, I don't know all I think
I ought to know. I don't either. I sure don't. Every day I'm learning something.
But I do know whom I have believed. I do know whom I have believed.
And I'm persuaded He's able to keep that which I've committed
to Him against that day. Let's learn more about Him. Alright.
If you want to follow the Lord in baptism or confess Him this
morning, we'd be delighted for you to do so. We'd rejoice with
you. Page 226. Let's sing. Page 226.
My Savior.
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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