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Henry Mahan

He is Able

Romans 4:21
Henry Mahan • September, 26 1976 • Audio
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Message 0218a
Henry Mahan Tape Ministry
6088 Zebulon Highway
Pikeville, KY 41501

Sermon Transcript

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Now returning to the Book of
Romans, the fourth chapter, verse 20
and 21. He staggered not at the promises
of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory
to God. and being fully persuaded that
what God had promised, God was able also to perform. Abraham, the old man, over a
hundred now, his hair was white, his beard was white, his shoulders
were stooped, was sitting in the tent door in the middle of
the day when the Lord appeared to him. Abraham knew it was the
Lord because he had spoken to the Lord before, and the Lord
had spoken to him. And men who have spoken to God
and to whom God has spoken, they recognize the hand and the finger
of the Lord. So after Sarah had prepared refreshments,
they had killed a calf, They'd serve bread and milk and butter. The Lord said to Abraham, Abraham,
I will return to thee according to the time of life, and Sarah,
thy wife, shall have a son. Now, Sarah was old. She'd never had a child. Abraham
had never had a son. Sarah was past the age of bearing
children. She was almost a hundred. Abraham
was a hundred, better than a hundred. But scripture says in our text,
it didn't stagger Abraham when God said this. Sarah laughed.
It amused her. You women would probably react
in the same fashion. But it didn't amuse Abraham.
It didn't cause him to be astonished. He staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief. He was strong in faith. He gave
glory to God and he believed, he was fully persuaded, confident
that what God promised, God could perform. Abraham believed God. And this was, the scripture says,
imputed unto him for righteousness. This was his righteousness. He believed God. And because
of this, he was the friend of God. And this brought upon him the
blessings of God. Abraham believed God. Oh, to
believe God, like Abraham. Abraham believed God when he
knew not where. God came to him and said, Leave
your father's house. Get out. Get away from your kindred,
away from your family, away from your home, away from your friends.
You go to a land, I'll show you." And Abraham left, not knowing
where he was going, but he believed God. He believed God. Abraham believed God when he
knew not how. Here he was a hundred years old.
His wife, over ninety, never had a child, a barren womb. And
God came to him and said, that woman is going to bear your son. And Abraham didn't know how,
but he believed God. He just believed God, only believed. All things are possible, our
Lord said, to him, to them who believe. And Abraham believed
God when he knew not why. God said, Abraham, now take that
boy. Isaac was now a pretty good-sized
boy, 13, 14, maybe older. Take that boy, and you know how
attached you can get to a son, especially an only son. Take
that boy whom you love, your only son, and sacrifice him on
an altar to me." And Abraham began the journey toward Mount
Moriah, not knowing why. But he just believed God. He
believed God. Oh, for a faith that will not
shrink, though challenged by every foe, that will not tremble
on the brink of any earthly woe. Oh, for a faith. I pray to God
that we might be believers. We talk about believing. We haven't
touched the hem of the garment, have we? We haven't commenced
to begin to get started to really believe God. I want you to look
at Romans 4 here. Beginning with verse 17, we have
several statements which describe this faith of Abraham. Abraham could walk right out
of where he had lived all his life. He could begin a brand
new life in a land where he was a stranger, a wanderer, living
in tents, no roots. But he believed God. He could
look forward to a baby being rocked in a cradle. by the hand
of a woman who was 99 years old. He believed God. And he could
take everything God gave him, all the gifts and blessings and
mercies and the joys in that son when he was now 115 years
old. And he could take that son and
bind him and put him on an altar and raise a knife to take his
life because he believed God. No wonder he was a friend of
God. No wonder he was accounted righteous. No wonder there was
heaped upon him the benefits and blessings of the Heavenly
Father. No wonder he's called the father of the faithful. No
wonder we who believe are children of Abraham. He believed God. It wasn't some little silly sentimental
faith that led him down a church aisle so that he could get heaven
when he died and miss hell. He believed God. And here in
verse 17, 18, 19, and 20, you have four or five identifying
marks of his faith. In verse 17, as it is written,
I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom
he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, calleth those things
which be not as though they were." Here's the first mark of Abraham's
faith. He believed that God's purposes
would be accomplished though they had not even yet begun.
That's right. The last line, "...and God calls
those things which be not as though they already were." Our
Father says, my counsel shall stand, I will do all my good
pleasure, I declare the end from the beginning, and he worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will. He's a sovereign,
unchangeable God who said, the gifts and calling of God are
without change. Abraham believed that. He believed
that. When God said, I'll give you
a land, that land was as good as given. When God said, I'll
make you a great nation, that nation was as good as already
revealed. When God said, I'll make you
a blessing to all nations, that blessing was as good as accomplished. He believed God. And then in verse 18, look at
this. Here's the second mark of his
faith. He believed everything God purposed, everything God
decreed, every act of God's counsel would be done without change. And secondly, verse 18, who against
hope believed in hope. He walked not by sight. No way. Human nature says it can't be
done. Abraham says it's as good as
done. He walked not by sight, but by faith. It can't be done,
Abraham. God can do it. Faith really begins. Now watch this and remember this,
if you forget everything else. Faith really begins where human
strength and human ability ends. That's when you start believing.
And you don't believe till then. Faith in God begins. Show us
a sign. That generation said, and our
Lord said, no sign shall be given. It's easy to walk by sign and
sight, but that's not faith. Faith begins where human strength
and human ability is at a complete end, without hope, without help,
at your wit's end. That's when faith begins. Abraham
against hope, believed in hope. Verse 19, "...and being not weak
in faith, he considered not his body now dead," what does it
say? His body was dead. Savior's body was dead as far
as producing children was concerned. It was dead, but he didn't consider
it dead because the laws of nature are God's laws. He can make the
sun stand still. He can cause the waters of the
sea to turn to blood, or to dry up, or to calm down. People talk
about the laws of nature. They are the laws of God. And
Abraham knew that. He was a hundred years old, and
Saber's womb was dead, but he didn't consider it dead, because
his God said it would live. In verse 20, and he staggered
not at the promises of God. What did God say to him? And
Genesis 18, did you catch this when I was reading that scripture? God said, Abraham, at the time
of life I'll return and Sarah shall have a son. And Sarah laughed. God heard her. And she laughed
to herself, not out loud, within herself she laughed. God knows
our thoughts. And she laughed. And the Lord
said, Abraham, why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for
God? Anything. Who would believe,
and I never cease to be amazed at this true story. In 1871, a 20-year-old black
boy wandered into Philadelphia. He'd never seen the inside of
a school room, never. He couldn't read one word out
of a paper. He came into the city of Philadelphia
totally illiterate, unskilled, became a mortar carrier, that's
all, just carry mortar for a brick man. Who would believe 20 years
later he'd be pastor of the largest black church in the world, preaching
to 10,000 people every Lord's Day, and writing hymns like this,
nothing between my soul and the Savior, so that his blessed face
may be seen, nothing preventing the least of his treasure. Keep
the way clear, let nothing between. If the world from you withhold
of its silver and its gold, and you have to get along with meager
fare, just remember in God's word how he feeds a little bird,
take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. God does
things like that. That was C.A. Tenley, he pastored
the largest black church in the world in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
when he was about 50 years old, stayed there 38 years. God, is
anything too hard for God? Look at this next line, "...and
being fully persuaded, here is faith's sure foundation." Now
watch this carefully, this is so important right here, this
verse is so important. Abraham was fully persuaded that
what God had promised, he was able to perform. Here's
the foundation of faith. Now, I believe God could save
the whole world this afternoon. Do you believe that? I believe
that. I believe that. But that's not what God promised.
That's why He promised in His Word. So I don't have any foundation
to expect that. I don't have any reason to expect
it. Really, I don't expect the whole world to come to Christ
tomorrow, because God didn't promise it. I believe I could
go down here at the Howe River this afternoon, take off my shoes,
and I believe God has the power to let me walk just like Christ
did, just like Peter did, on that water, across that river. But I don't have any reason to
expect that. I'd go down there and drown if
I tried that. I'd go right under the water,
because God didn't promise that. God never promised anybody that
they could walk on water. I would fully expect if I took
up a snake, I reached in like Paul did in the fire and picked
up a snake, or a viper caught on my hand, that my hand would
swell and they'd have to rush me to the hospital. If I didn't
get some antibiotics, I'd die, because God didn't promise me.
that I could play with snakes. I believe, as a 21-year-old boy
buried out here in the cemetery, I believe if God gave me the
power and God was willing, I could go out there and say, come forth,
Robbie, and he'd come right out of that grave. But I have no
reason to expect that. That's not going to happen. I'm
not persuaded it's going to happen, because God didn't promise it.
Now, here's what the Scripture says. Abraham was fully persuaded
He didn't believe every 99-year-old woman in that town was going
to have a baby, but he believed one was going to have one. Why? God said it. You see what I'm
pointing out? God said it. And you have no
reason to expect anything that God didn't say. You have no reason
to believe anything that God didn't promise. Abraham was not
staggered at the promise of God through unbelief, but he was
fully persuaded that what God had promised, he was able to
perform. Now this is what we're going
to have to find out. Faith is mighty important. I hear people
say, well, keep the faith. Have faith. Well, let's see what
it is. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God. Abraham believed God would do
what he promised. Now, if you don't know what he
promised, how can you believe him? You've got to find out what
he promised. You've got to find out what he
said he's going to do, and then believe it because he said it.
Fully persuaded that what God had promised, God would do. See
that? All right, let's take three scriptures.
Hebrews 7, first of all. verse 25, Hebrews 7.25. Now this is a promise,
this text is a goldmine. Hebrews 7.25, "...wherefore he
is able to save to the uttermost them
that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for them." I can believe this. I can believe this. He is able,
he is able to save. Now I know this, I know the word
saved, S-A-V-E-D, has become a word of comedy. The world makes
fun of the word save, but it's a scriptural word. Our Lord used
it. He said, The Son of Man is come
to seek and to save that which was lost. And it means a lot
to me, the word save. He is able to save. What does
it mean to me? Well, it means this. First of
all, he is able to forgive me of all my sins. Now, I don't
know about you, but I've got some sins that need to be put
away. And I can't put them away with the baptismal waters or
eating the Lord's table, or doing good deeds, or trying to obey
the law, or going to church on Sunday, I've got sins, past,
present, and future. And Paul called them, oh, the
exceeding sinfulness of sin. Sins of omission, sins of commission,
sins of heart, sins of imagination, sins of words, sins of action,
sins of deed. I have sins, S-I-N-S and S-I-N,
sin. And I want something to be done
about it. And the only one who can do anything about it is my
Lord, and the only way he does anything about it is through
his blood. He said, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth
us, purifies us from all sin, past, present, and future. In
his blood we have atonement. In his blood we have a ransom.
In his blood we have redemption. In his blood we have cleansing. If you've never been made aware
of sin, it won't mean a lot to you. But if you've been made
aware by God's Holy Spirit, as Saul of Tarsus was, of your sins,
as David was who cried, Oh, my sins are ever before me! Or as Paul was who said this,
Oh, wretched man that I am! He saved me from my sins. And
he made me a child of God, who was a child of wrath. Behold,
what manner of love God hath bestowed on us, that we should
be called sons of God. My soul, son of God, a son of
God, a son of God, who was a child of wrath, a son of God. That's what it says. And then
to make me a new creature, to create in me a clean heart and
renew within me a right spirit, that's what he's able to do,
because he promised it. And to manifest and work in me
and in you the fruit of his Spirit. I think there are four things that I would like to have, more
than any four things. I'd like to have faith, wouldn't
you? I'd like to believe God. Believe God, not doubt God, not
be staggered at the promises of God, not be staggered at the
potentials that lie before us. To expect of God great things,
to believe him. Lord, increase my faith. I'd
like to love people. I don't mean talk about it. I
mean love spring as spontaneously from the heart as anger does.
For love to spring as spontaneously from the heart, not just for
my friends, but even for my enemies. Humility. Wouldn't you like to
look on yourself like you ought to? To see yourself as you ought
to? It destroys pride. It would destroy
vengeance, it would destroy all these things, if God let us see
ourselves as we are. And then to be able to praise
the Lord. And I don't mean just walk around
saying, praise the Lord. I mean in your heart, be bubbling
with adoration and thanksgiving and gratitude and praise to God,
even for trials. Just thank God, the Lord is sovereign
and I'll be thankful. I like that phrase. old brother
Josh Gravitt coined that phrase. He was a pastor for 50 some odd
years of the same church out in the Dakotas. This was back
a long time ago, back in 29, 28, somewhere like that. Old
Brother Mewes went out to hold a meeting for him, Archibald
Mewes. He told me about this. He said,
I went out to hold a meeting for Josh Gravitt Way back in
the 20's and said, Josh's big bye word was the Lord is sovereign
and we'll be grateful. And he said we was riding down
the road in his old T model Ford and something happened, had a
blowout or something happened but that car left the road and
turned over. Said it threw me clear. But he said Josh was kind
of peeing under. And said I got him out from under
some of the wreckage and and got one of the old car seats
that had been thrown free and lifted up his head and put that
car seat under his head and found out later his ribs were all broken
on this side and his lung was punctured. And he was in pain. And he said, I got his head up
on that car seat and I rubbed this hair out of his face, you
know, and I looked down at him and I said, Josh, are you all
right? I said, that old man looked at
me and said, Archie, God is sovereign and will be thankful. Oh, wouldn't
you like to be able to act like that? But he's able. He's able to save
me. He's able to save me from my
sins, from myself. He's able. I believe he's able.
He's able to save, watch this, to the uttermost. to the uttermost
extent of sin, to the uttermost extent of time. I want to read
you something now. Dear Brother Mahan, my husband
and I, in our seventies, we listened to your sermon every Sunday.
We're not able to attend church very often, but we enjoy hearing
your message. You really preach the truth.
Could you send us the sermon you preached the 26th of September? I missed hearing it. My husband
said it was such a good sermon, he wants me to hear it. He's
72 years old and gave his life to Christ. He said he thought
he was too old and wasted all his life, but he's been so happy
since then and he's a different person. If there's any charge,
send me the amount and I'll mail it to you. 72 years old. Brother, I'll tell
you, any man who calls upon the Lord 72 or 92, God's able to
save them to the uttermost extent of sin. I don't care how black
your heart is, His blood can cleanse it white as snow. I care
not how vile your past, I care not how terrible your sin, I
care not how old you are, how young you are. If you come to
Christ, he'll receive you. He can save you to the uttermost
extent of God's righteousness, of God's justice. He can satisfy
every law. He can save you to the uttermost
extent of satanic power. He's the only one who can. The
angel Gabriel can't even deliver you out of Satan's hands, but
Christ can. He turned to Peter and said,
Peter, Satan hath desired you that he might sift you as wheat.
But Peter, I prayed for you, and I'm the only one who can
help you. Now, my friends, I hope you realize this. I hope I realize
it, that I am no match for Satan. And you're not either. We wrestle
not against flesh and blood. If that were the case, the fellow
with the most intelligence could make it. The fellow with the
most strength could make it. The fellow with the most money
could make it. The fellow with the most prestige could make
it. But that's not the conflict. We wrestle against principalities
and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places, high Places that
you never even dreamed of. And our strength, our weapons
are not carnal, they've got to be the Spirit of the Lord, the
power of God. The power of God. Who can condemn
us? Who can lay anything to our charge?
It's God that justifies. The Church is no match for Satan. These principalities, these powers,
these demon spirits, But Paul could say nothing, not height,
nor depth, nor length, nor breadth, nor principalities, nor powers
can separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ. He's
able to save them to the uttermost. Look at the next line, that come
to God by Him. That's the key. That come to
God by Him. Christ said, I'm the way, The
truth and the life, no man cometh to the Father but by me. I'm
the door, by me if any man enter in he shall be saved, go in and
out and find pasture. Christ is the way, he's the truth,
he's the life. He's the substitute, he's the
sin offering, he's the sacrifice. We're saved not because we're
doing better, but because Christ paid it all. We're saved not
because we've decided to let God come into our hearts. We're
saved because Christ came down here as our surety, as our representative,
as our substitute, and paid our debt, and went back to glory,
and there he's making intercession for us. That's why we're saved. Turn to Romans 14. I believe
God is able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by him. But here's something, now listen
to me here, I don't know many true believers who do not feel
their own frailty and do not fear lest they fall. And you've
got a reason to. And I have too. Folks a whole
lot smarter than us have begun this journey and laid it aside. Folks a whole lot wiser and a whole lot stronger,
and a whole lot more talented. Judas was one, Demas was one. You could name them. The Bible's
full of warnings about departing from the living God. If they
shall fall away, it's impossible to renew them to repentance.
My soul hath no pleasure in them that draw back," God said. It's
a fearful thing to depart from the living God. If thou vowest a vow to the Lord,
better keep it. Paul was concerned about this. He said, lest while preaching
to others I become a castaway. No security in the Church. Judas
didn't find it there, and he was one of the leading officers.
No security in companionship or fellowship. Demas was the
companion of Paul. He didn't find it there. No security
in miracles. Lot watched the city consumed
by the direct hand of God and still fell. No security in power. In the highest office, David
was there. Where is our security? Turn to
Romans 14 forward. Listen. Here it is. Listen to
it. Who art thou that judgest another
man's servant? To his own master he standeth
or falleth. Yea, he shall be holding up.
He shall be holding up, for God's able to make him stand. That's
it. God's able. God's able to make
him stand. God's able to make him stand
for Jude 24 says, "...unto him who is able to keep you from
falling." You can make all the promises you want to, and sign
all the pledge cards you want to, and make all the vows you
want to, and rededicate all you want to, but there's one standing
between you and utter ruin, and that's Christ. There's one standing
between you and utter apostasy. And that's Christ. There's one
who upholdeth you by the word of his power, just like he upholds
this whole world. It takes the same God and the
same power to hold you as it does to hold this world. God's
able to make him stand. I want to be able to say with
Paul, I've finished my course, I've kept the faith, don't you? The spirit of error is rampant
in our day. The spirit of apostasy, false prophets, men who love
themselves rather than God, who are making merchandise of the
religious area, it's everywhere. Oh, how I long to be able to
be concerned about the greater glory of Christ. The heart is deceitful and desperately
wicked. Mike, do you sing for the glory
of God? Am I preaching this morning and
pastoring this church not for personal gain or personal glory,
but only solely for the glory of Jesus Christ? Did you give
your offering this morning, when you gave it, out of responsibility
or duty or because you feel like you ought to or you're trying
to buy your way, or did you do it out of soul and completely
a thought for the glory of God? The heart is desperately wicked
and deceitful. And God's able to make me stand
in the face of apostasy, in the face of opposition. Though all men forsake me, God
is with me in the hour of trial." Could I take what Job had to
take? Could I, at the end of the day, a day of total destruction
and devastation, everything I've got swept away in one act of
God, could I lift my voice and say,
The Lord gave and the Lord taketh away. Praise the Lord. Blessed
be the name of the Lord. In the day of prosperity, somebody
said that a full cup is harder to carry with a steady hand than
an empty cup. The average person thinks that
he's under the judgment of God when he's poor. Sometimes we're
under the judgment of God when we've got plenty. That's right. When do you call on God? When
you're sick or when you're well? When do you call on God? When
you're in trouble or when you're full? And everything's going
your way. When do you call on God? When
you need something or when you don't need anything? Huh? Think about it now. We're rich
and increased with goods and have need of nothing. Therefore
we don't spend our nights in crying unto God for his help. Oh yeah, in time of prosperity,
he's able to make me stand. In time of poverty, he's able
to make me stand. Precious Lord, take my hand,
lead me on, help me stand. I'm tired, I'm weak, I'm worn. Through the storm, through the
night, lead me to the light, take my hand, precious Lord,
lead me home. And when my way grows drear,
precious Lord, linger near. When my life is almost gone,
hear my cry, hear my call, hold my hand, lest I fall. I try, lest I fall. Take my hand,
precious Lord, lead me home. He's able, I believe that. I
believe he's able to save me. I believe he's able to make me
stand. I'm not making any boast. I'm not saying I'll be here.
I'll be here. I'll be preaching the truth. I'll be contending for the faith.
By the grace of God, I will. I'm not saying that when I come
upon my deathbed and close my eyes in that final sleep that
I'll close them with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.
I don't know. But he's able to make me stand. He's able. I'm looking to him.
And then last of all, and I close. Do you ever think about dying? I do. I wonder how I'll die,
I wonder when I'll die. I'd be a fool if I didn't. That's
what Christ said. There was a young fellow lying
on his bed one night, and he said to himself, let's see, I've
got this place over here that's going to get a lot of bales and
produce out of that, and this place over here, I'd better tear
down that barn over here and build a bigger one with which
to restore my goods. It's going to be a good year.
Next year's going to be a better year. I'm just going to, and
I'm going to tear this house down and build me a bigger one,
and we'll put that boy through the university, and I'm going
to do it." And the Lord said, Hey fool, this night thy soul shall be
required of thee, and then whose of these things going to be?
Hey, fool, I think about dying. Death's final. I've got one birth,
I've got one life, I've got one death. I've got one judgment. And death is not only final,
but it's devastating. Look at the results of it. Look
at a dead body. Down in Mexico, they have to
get them in the ground within 24 hours or the people can't
stand to be in the room with them. They rot. They rot from
within. How devastating, dust to dust,
the body as soon as the life leaves it, as soon as the soul
goes away, it starts crumbling back to dust! It's so devastating,
it's so final. Now here's the question. Who's
going to raise it? Now you who have your faith in
your good works, you reckon your good works are going to raise
your body? I'm not saved yet. I have been saved by the grace
of God. Christ died for our sins. I have
been saved by faith. I am being saved by God's grace.
But my salvation is not here yet until I stand perfectly conformed
to the image of God's Son. That's when my salvation will
be totally finalized and complete. Who is going to do that? Look
at Philippians 3 verse 21. The church can't do it, the preacher
can't do it. I've got so much faith in Brother Mahan, well
you better put it somewhere else. I've got so much faith in Brother
Edwards or Brother Smith or Brother this, that and the other, you
better put it somewhere else. There's only one place, there's
only one point where your faith cannot be betrayed, where your
faith cannot fail, and that's for it to be in Christ Jesus. He cannot fail. It says, "...who
shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto
his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is
able to subdue all things unto himself." He is able. stand before
the grave of Lazarus and cry, Lazarus, come forth! And Lazarus will walk right out
of that grave. But Lord, his body has been in
there four days. Behold, it stinketh. Lazarus,
come forth. And on that resurrection morning,
Job said, I shall see the Lord whom I shall see for myself.
My eyes shall behold him. Because he's able! He's able! No, I can't walk on water. He didn't promise that. But I'll
tell you this, I can be saved. He promised that. And I can be
made to stand in the face of all satanic opposition. He promised
that. And someday my body, I believe,
like the deadness of Sava's womb, produced a living Son, so the
deadness of the ground, and the vault, and the grave, and the
coffin, and the dust shall produce a living Son." I believe it. Someday the silver cord will
break, and I know more is now shall sing, but oh, the joy,
never to die any more, when I shall wait in the palace of the King. And I'm going to see Him face
to face. And I'm going to tell the story, saved by grace, unto
him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own precious
blood. Unto him be the glory." I believe that. Why do I believe
it? He promised it. He promised it. And God just showed me more of
your promises so I can believe them. I'll tell you a few of
them we need to think about. Take no anxious thought for tomorrow
of what you shall eat, what you shall drink, what you shall wear.
Consider the lilies of the field. They toil not, neither do they
spin, neither do they fret. Yet Solomon in all his glory
was not arrayed like one of these. Oh, ye of little faith! Cannot
your Heavenly Father supply your needs? Believe God. He promised that. If you, being
evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, if your son
asked for bread, would you give him a stone? If your son asks
for meat, would you give him a serpent? Well, if you being
evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more
should your father give good things to them that ask him?
Do you believe God? Faith is tested in the ordinary
steps of life. That's where it's tried and that's
where it's tested. I don't need faith to tear down the walls
of Jericho. I need faith to destroy these
walls of prejudice and bigotry and hatred and all these things. I don't need faith to slay the
Philistines. I'm not going to see any Philistines,
but every morning I see envy and jealousy and pride and envy,
hatred and lust, and that's our enemy. Believe God. Believe God. Our Father, bless
the Word. We're grateful for thy presence. We feel that thou hast spoken
to us, each one of us. And Lord, let us not give away
thy word to someone else. Let us take thy word to our hearts.
And may thy Holy Spirit make us a special, a special object
of teaching, a special object of chastisement and conviction
and conversion. And bring me to love Christ more,
to trust him, to believe him, to believe him. In His name I
pray, Amen.
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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