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Henry Mahan

A Sight Few Men See

Job 42:5
Henry Mahan • June, 13 1976 • Audio
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Message 0199a
Henry Mahan Tape Ministry
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Pikeville, KY 41501

Sermon Transcript

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Now this very well could be the
most important message that you will ever hear. It could very
well be. If you ask me if I believe that
all of you were saved, I'd say no. I believe some are being saved. But I believe most of you fall
into the category of the Apostle Peter, to whom our Lord said, When thou
art converted, strengthen thy brethren. I don't believe a trip to the
front of the church saves a man's soul. I don't believe a dip in the baptistry
saves a man's soul. I don't believe having united
with the church and labored in the cause of Christ,
yea, even preaching the word, singing special music, leading
the singing, serving as a deacon, saves a man's soul. I believe men can go a long ways
in religion and yet hear God say, I never knew you, depart
from me, ye that work iniquity. I believe that most people in
the religious world will fall into my first point and few will partake
of the second point. If you'll turn to Job chapter
42, in verse 5, Job makes this statement,
I've heard of thee. I've heard of thee. There are
very few men on this earth who have not heard of God. I've heard of thee. God speaks
in creation. He said in Colossians 1, he created
all things, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or principalities
or powers or majesties or worlds or whatever, he created it. Paul wrote in Romans 1 verse
19 and 20 that God may be known, God may be heard, God may be
observed in the things that are made, leaving all men without
excuse. David cried, the heavens declare
the glory of God. It's only the fool who said in
his heart there is no God. Every one of you heard of God.
He speaks in creation, and we acknowledge that it's His voice
that we have heard. Job said, I've heard of you.
I've heard the birds sing in the morning, and when I do, I
hear God. Man can hear God and not know God. God speaks in his
law. You can't find a human being
on this earth without a conscience. I don't care where you find him,
he'll have a conscience put there by God, a light that lighteth
every man that cometh into the world. Some consciences are more
alert than others. Some are more tender than others,
but all have a conscience. God speaks in his law. written
and declared on Mount Sinai, but more importantly written
on the heart of every human being, so that Paul said in Romans 2,
they are without excuse. When the Gentiles do those things
which are written in the law, having not the law, it shows
that the law of God is written on their hearts, their conscience,
bearing them witness, and their thoughts, meanwhile, accusing
or excusing them. You've heard of God. God speaks
in creation. You've heard of God. He speaks
in the law. You hear Him when your conscience
speaks. That's God speaking. God is not only spoken in creation
and in the law, but God speaks for the prophets. There was a
man sent from God whose name was John. He came to believers
and unbelievers. He came to Jews and Gentiles.
He came to a pagan world, a barbarian world, and also an educated,
civilized world. But everybody heard him, the
world's gone after him, somebody said. God Almighty speaks by
his prophets. He hath in divers manners, in
different ways, spoken by his prophets. God has spoken. Job
said, I've heard of you. I've heard of you, God. I've
heard of you. In creation, in the law, by the
prophets, I've heard of you. Well, you have even a more complete
revelation than Job had because you've heard his son. God who
at sundry times and in divers manners spake to our fathers
where the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his
son. The father identified that person
in Bethlehem's manger when he sent the angels down here to
declare, Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord. At his baptism the father identified
him further when he said, this is my beloved son, listen to
him, hear ye him." At his transfiguration, as he stood in heavenly glory
between Moses and Elijah, the father once again said, this
is my son, hear ye him. At his death, all the signs confirmed
his claims to such an extent that the Roman centurion stood
back after Christ died and said, This man was the son of God. Job said, Lord, I've heard of
you. Everybody here tonight can say,
Lord, I've heard of you. For God speaks to the whole world,
the whole Adamic race in creation, leaving us without excuse. He
speaks to all the sons of Adam in his written on our hearts. He speaks to us by his prophets. God hath not left himself without
a witness. God speaks through his Son, and
then God speaks through his Word. The Bible has been translated
into over 1,000 languages all over this world. It's been for
many years the world's bestseller, and I guess will remain so. His
Word is preached His word is preached in some places in competition,
in contention, and in pride. His word is preached in some
circles in sincerity, unselfishness, and humility, but Paul said it's
preached, and I rejoice that it's preached. His gospel is
good news, glad tidings, and where the word of God is preached
and where it's believed, in the nations where the word of God
has free course, The people of those nations live in a measure
of freedom, some peace. There is love shown, there is
joy, there is mercy, and there is an element of hope. In the
nations where his word is not preached, there is hate and fear,
darkness, unrest, slavery, despair, and war. men are without excuse. They have heard of God. And Job
sitting here said, and he can speak for every one of us without
exception, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the air. God
is no stranger to you. God is no stranger. You've heard
of God. You've heard of Christ. You've
heard of the Holy Ghost. You've heard of heaven. You've
heard of hell. You've heard of good works. You've
heard of righteousness. You've heard of all these things.
They are words in your vocabulary. They are words in your creeds.
They're words in your doctrines. They're words in your religious
exercises. You have heard these words. But
there's very few men, very, very, very few men who can say what
Job said next. I've heard of you by the hearing
of the air, but now mine eyes see it thee. Mine eyes see it thee. This is
a sight that few men have seen. It took Peter years and years
and years before he ever saw this sight. The Apostle Paul
was wrapped up in religion for 40 years before he ever saw the
Lord. Job was a man upon whom God himself
begged, but he hadn't seen the Lord. Isaiah was a prophet and
never had seen the Lord. Nearly all have heard of God
or are aware of God, but few have seen him. I'll tell you
what happens when a man sees the Lord. If you'll turn with
me to Luke chapter 2. In the second chapter of Luke,
Mary and Joseph brought the child Jesus to the temple at a certain
time in his life to go through a certain ceremony. And there
was a man in the temple whose name was Simeon. Verse 25, he
was a just man and a devout man. He was waiting for the Messiah.
He was waiting for the Lord. He was waiting for the revelation
of God's mercy and redemption. Verse 27 says, he came by the
Spirit into the temple. It might have seemed just like
another day to him that day, but it was a special day. It might have seemed to him just
another time to go to the temple and go through certain ceremonies.
Some mother was going to bring her boy over there that morning,
and he went over there to take part in the service of consecration.
The Spirit brought him there. And when the parents brought
in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law,
Simeon took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord,
now let thy servant depart in peace according to thy word,
for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. He lost all interest in this
world. And his heart took on a desire
to depart and to be with the Lord. He saw the Lord. He said, I'm ready to die now.
There's nothing left here in which I'm too much interested,
because I've seen thy salvation. Job said, I've heard of you.
All these years, Lord, I've heard of you, I've heard of you, I've
heard of you, but now mine eye seeth thee. I'm not speaking
of seeing the Lord with a natural eye. God said you can't look
upon me and live. Scripture says no man hath seen
God at any time. I'm talking about seeing the
Lord with eyes of faith. I'm talking about seeing the
Lord in the way in which our Master said, or referred in John
6.40, He that seeth the Son, and believeth on him, hath everlasting
life. He that seeth the Son, and shall
not come into condemnation, but is purged from death unto life. I'm talking about seeing the
Lord as And Ananias spoke to the Apostle Paul after his visit
with the Lord Jesus and said, God hath chosen thee that thou
shouldest see the just one, see him. What is it to see the Lord? It
is to see him in his deity. Finally, as Thomas saw him after
all that time and fell on his face and cried, my Lord and my
God! Thomas who was filled with doubts,
Thomas who was filled with skepticism, Thomas who was filled with all
manner of fears, Thomas finally saw the Lord. He saw him in his
deity. It is to see him in his sovereignty
as the centurion who came to him and said, Lord, my servant's
sick. And the Lord said, I'll go to your home. He said, you
don't have to go to my home. I'm a man of authority. I know
something about authority. I say to this servant, he goes,
so that one comes, this one goes, and that one comes. Lord, you
don't have to go to my home. Just speak the word and my servant
will be made whole. And our Lord said, I haven't
seen faith like that even in Israel. It's to see him in his
sovereignty as the leper when he came down from the mountain
and the leper fell at his feet and said, Lord, if you will,
you can make me clean. It's to see him in his redemptive
character as the Apostle Peter who said, We believe and are
sure that thou art the Christ. Or as Isaiah has said, he was
wounded for our transgression, he was bruised for our iniquity.
Or as Paul, who said, he who is without sin was made sin for
us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
It is to see him as Lord. As Paul saw him when he wrote,
I'm a prisoner of Jesus Christ, I'm a bondslave of Jesus Christ. It is to see him as mediator.
As Paul, who said, he ever liveth to make intercession for us. I've heard of you. few who haven't. But Job said, Now, now, Lord,
I've heard of you by the ear, but now, now mine eyes seeth thee. Mine eyes seeth thee. I see the Lord. With eyes of
faith, with a heart of understanding, I see the Lord. I see the Redeemer,
I see the Sovereign, Master, Christ, Messiah, I see Him." When did Job see the Lord? Now
this might be interesting to you. When did he see the Lord? Job was a man of prominence,
honor, wealth, prestige, power, family, all these things. religion, morality, but he hadn't
seen the Lord. But one day he did. But something
happened before he ever saw the Lord. First of all, he saw the
Lord in the midst of great affliction. He saw the Lord after God was
pleased to take every sheep he had away from him. every oxen, every camel, every child, after God brought
him down to the place where he said, I'm naked now, this is
the way I came into this world, naked, this is the way I shall
depart from this world, naked. But it was worth it, for he saw
the Lord. Sometimes it may not be necessary. In your case, it may be. It usually
is. Sometimes God has to remove the
things that we so delight to look upon so that we can see
Him. Sometimes God has to remove those
things in which we put so much importance so we can look on
Him. God permitted Job to lose everything
he had. He had nothing to look upon to
call his own, and finally he saw the Lord. But I'll tell you,
and I'll ask you this tonight, could you tonight, do you want
to see him badly enough that you could pray this prayer, Lord?
Whatever thou art pleased to bring my way, whatever thou art
pleased to take away from me, whatever infirmity or affliction
you are pleased to send my way, let me by thy grace see the Redeemer
with eyes of faith, so that I have eyes only for him." I'll tell
you something else. You turn to Job 19. When did
he see the Lord? He saw the Lord in days of affliction. But then he saw the Lord in days
of loneliness. Look at Job 19. Now listen to
this, verse 13. This is Job talking. He hath put my brethren far from
me. Mine acquaintance are verily
estranged from me. My kinfolk have failed, my familiar
friends have forgotten me. They that dwell in my house and
my maids count me for a stranger. I am an alien in their sight.
I called my servant, he gave me no answer. I entreated him
with my mouth. My breath is strange to my wife,
although I am treated for the children's sake of mine own body.
Yea, young children despise me. I rose, they spake against me.
All my inward friends abhorred me, and they whom I loved turned
against me. But I saw them no more." Did you know that before Isaiah
saw the Lord, King Uzziah had to die? I don't know who King
Uzziah was or what he was to Isaiah. I just know that Isaiah
wrote in chapter 6, verse 1, in the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw the Lord. Sometimes well-meaning friends
keep us from seeing the Lord. It may well be that there is
some individual keeping you from Christ, some well-meaning individual,
some religious individual, someone who thinks he's doing you a favor,
someone who speaks in a well-meaning way, trying to find you a way
of comfort. But that person is keeping you
from God. So before Job saw the Lord, he
went through the valley of affliction. And before Job saw the Lord,
he went through the valley of loneliness. I tell you, when
men have no one else to turn to, they'll turn to Christ. That's
what's wrong with some of you. You've got an arm of flesh to
lean on, and you don't need Him. We're rich and engrossed with
goods and have need of nothing, but if God ever lets you come
to the place where you're naked, miserable, poor and blind, you'll
call on Him. And it may be in that hour he
will reveal himself to you in the valley of loneliness.
Because I died and I saw the Lord. You may have too many friends,
you don't need God. You have too much fellowship.
I read these ads in the paper, the church with a sweet, sweet
fellowship. Not anything in the world is
getting more way for God to have preeminence and glory than for
somebody to have a sweet, sweet fellowship. They don't need God. They don't need God. I'll tell
you when Job found sweet, sweet fellowship with God is when he
didn't have any human flesh to turn to. He turned to Christ. Do you know what I'm talking
about? In the valley of loneliness,
he saw the Lord. There wasn't anybody else to
turn to. And then in the pain of suffering, now here's a verse,
and this is what God will do, Job 19, verse 8. Let's everybody
take a good hard look at this, because this is going to happen
before we see the Lord. I'm not talking about this ten-cent
store of God that they're preaching today. I'm not talking about
poor little Jesus, I'm talking about the God, the living God,
the true and living God, the God with whom we have to do,
the God before whom all things are naked and open in His sight.
I'm talking about the God of judgment and the God of grace,
the God of righteousness and the God of mercy, the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not the Baptist God, or the Methodist
God, or the Fundamentalist God, or the Arminian God, or the Calvinist
God, or the premillennial God, or any of the rest of them. I'm
talking about the God of this world, and the God of this universe. In Job chapter 19, it says, verse
8, "...he hath pitched up my way, I cannot pass." There's
not a door open for me. Not a door open. He has set darkness
in my path." Have you ever been there? Have you ever had your
way fenced up? No way to escape! No one to whom
I can turn, no arm of flesh to lean upon, no foundation to build
upon. He fenced up my way and I couldn't
pass. And then look at verse 9. Here's
the word, He stripped me of my glory. He stripped me of my glory. My brethren, don't ever despair when you lose
your reputation among men. It may be God's way of stripping
you of your pride. Old Job, everybody, his friends
came, they heard about this. He lost everything he had, sheep,
donkeys, camel, oxen, family, children, wealth, got balls all
over him, sitting over there on an ash heap, scraping himself
with a piece of glass. And some of his friends came,
three of them, and sat down around him, sat there, how long? Seven
days? Never said a word, just looked at him. Just looked at
him. Finally, one of them said, after
several days, What did you do, Joe, that made God do this to
you? And then Job started defending
himself, oh my soul, he started defending himself. But I'll tell
you this is the happiest time in a man's life, when it may
please God, verse 9, to strip him of his glory and take the
crown off my head. I don't know what it is. Maybe
your integrity is your self-righteousness. You're proud that you're such
an honest man. Maybe it's your beauty. Maybe
God will have to make you ugly to take the crown off your head.
Maybe it's your talent. Maybe you can do something a
little better than somebody else and you got the crown of righteousness
on your head. Maybe you're a good man, a moral
man, a fine, outstanding man, and God Almighty had to humble
you with the folks you live with and work with. He had to strip
you. He had to strip you of your glory and take the crown off
your head. Look at verse 10. He hath destroyed
me on every side, and I'm gone. I'm gone. And mine hope hath
he removed like a tree. We'll never see God's glory under
a strip of our own glory." Now you can put it down, you can
be religious, and you can hear of the Lord, but I'll tell you,
as long as you can wiggle your little finger in pride and arrogance
and haughtiness and self-righteousness, he hadn't taken the crown off
your head yet. But old Job was down there in the valley of affliction,
in the valley of loneliness, deserted, forsaken, God had hedged
him about, there was no way to turn, he was sitting in darkness,
in the pain of suffering, and God stripped him of his gold! And then he revealed himself
to Job. It was when Israel cried out
in slavery down in Egypt when the demand for the bricks was
doubled and no straw was provided, they said, we can't do it. God
help us. It was when Jonah was in the
belly of the whale, not when he went down to catch the ship
to run from God, not when he lay in the belly of the ship,
but when he was cast overboard into the bottom of the sea and
swallowed by the whale, it was then that he cried unto the Lord
in his trouble. He was plumbed shut up. That's
when God met him. It was when Peter stepped out
of the boat, started walking on the water. Peter was about
as high then as he could get, but a few seconds later he was
just about low as he could get. I imagine the disciples were
all laughing at him because he began to sink. And when he began to sink beneath
the waves, he cried, Lord, save me or I'll perish. I'm flown
gone. The thief cried actually from death's door. Lord, remember
me. I'm getting what I deserve. I've
justly earned these afflictions, but remember me when thou comest
into thy kingdom." And it was in that moment that God revealed
himself to him. He stripped me of my glory. But,
oh, I tell you, it's well worth it if he'll reveal his glory
to me. It's well worth it. God's not
going to mix His glory in your glory. God's not going to mix
His Son in all of your friends. He's not going to mix His grace
in your doctrine. He's not going to put that new
wine in old bottles. He's not going to put that patch
up your robe of righteousness. He's got to destroy the flesh
before you can see the Lord. You can have religion But that's
not what I want. Job had religion. He said, I've
heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth
thee. And I'll tell you something else.
Before Job could see the Lord, there had to be a special manifestation
on God's part to him. Turn to Job 38. A special manifestation. Now, my friends, there's nothing
worse than for God just to leave a man alone. And I'm afraid in
most cases, that's what God has done. If you be without chastisement,
you're bastards and not servant. God just left them alone. I think
most men, God left them alone. To follow the natural line of
their talents and so forth, some have prospered, some haven't
prospered, some live a long time, some don't, God just leaves them
alone. But some men, God puts His love upon them, His affections
upon them, God seeks them out, God chooses them, there are many
called but few chosen, and God in a special manner deals with
them to give them a sight of Himself, and a vital, living,
personal relationship with Him. It seems that they're singled
out for adversity. It seems that they're singled
out for affliction. It seems that they're singled
out for loneliness. It seems that they're singled
out for special visitation of God's judgment. But God's got
to judge before he sells grace. God's got to strip before he
clothes. He's got to slay before he makes
alive. He's got to humble a sinner before
he exalts him. He must. Men, they listen to a preacher
preach. You want to go to heaven when you die? Yes, sir. You don't
want to go to hell, do you? No, sir. Can you save yourself? No, sir. Do you believe Jesus
died for sinners? Yes, sir. Will you accept him?
Yes, sir. Join the church, you're saved.
There ain't no such thing. They haven't seen the Lord. They
haven't met God. When a man meets God, It's a catastrophic experience. When a man meets God, it's a visitation of majesty. When a man meets God, it's a
new birth. When a man meets God, it's a
new creation. When a man meets God, it's lightning
flashing through the darkness. When a man meets God, he can
never be the same. When a man sees God, we've seen
some doctrine, but not God. We've seen some religion, but
not God. Not yet. Not yet. In Job 38, then the Lord answered
Job, out of the way! Out of the world, man. Then the Lord answered Job. It
was a... Almighty God's going to reveal
himself to this man, Job. God afflicted him. God stripped
him. God broke him. God put him out
there by himself. God took everything away from
him. God stripped him of his glory. God took the crown off
his head. And then God spoke to him out
of the whirlwind. Here I am, Joe, I'm gonna reveal
myself to you. I'm not a God that you can put
on a shelf and come visit on Sunday. I send the snowflakes, he said.
I send the rain. I walk about in the wind. The
lightning goes forth from my fingers. I kill and I make alive. I wound and I heal. I make poor
and I make rich. I bring forth even the young
birds. I teach them how to build a nest.
I'm God, Joe. Just like our Lord revealed himself
to the Apostle Paul. Paul said, God who separated
me from my mother's womb, but God let me go down the path of
religion. I exceeded many my equals. Considering
the law, I was blameless. I knew all the doctrines. I was
orthodox, fundamental. I had it all. I had the answers.
I had everything. And then one day God broke me
and stripped me and blinded me and put me in the dust. Thank
God he revealed his son in me. And Paul had to unlearn everything
he'd learned. God took him off into Arabian
for three and a half years. He taught him the gospel. And
when he came back, he wasn't the same proud, arrogant individual
that he was when he went down there. He came back a broken,
humble, obedient, hardened slave. special manifestation. I have
not seen, you have not heard. Paul didn't say men aren't religious,
he said they hadn't seen God. Neither hath it entered the heart
of man the things God has prepared for them that love him, but he
hath revealed them unto us by his Holy Spirit. Now what happens
when a man sees God? Look at the next statement that
Job made. He said, But now, man, I seeth thee, wherefore I hate
myself." When men see God, they see themselves,
and they don't see themselves till they see God. They can't
see themselves in a doctrine, they can't see themselves in
a law, they can't see themselves in religious rules, ceremonies,
denominational pride. Men never see themselves until
they see God. And when they see God, the first
thing they acknowledge is this, they are unclean and they are
vile. God himself is the only measure
of holiness. We'll never know sin as long
as we compare ourselves with others, and we'll never know
sin as long as we compare ourselves with ourselves. I'm better, but
you're not good. Well, I'm better than I used
to be, you're still evil. God sets himself up as the only
measure of holiness. And when we see his perfect love,
we see our selfishness. When we see his true humility,
we're ashamed of our pride. When we see his perfect faith,
we mourn our unbelief. When we see his absolute submission
to the Father's will, it makes us ashamed of our rebellion.
When we see his perfect praise, it makes us ashamed of our murmuring. When we see his perfect peace,
we're ashamed of our covetousness. I've heard of God all my life. I've sat in church. I've made some changes, too.
I heard this doctrine, I thought it was right. My mother and daddy
brought me up as a certain denomination. Then I heard another doctrine,
I figured that was more right than the other, so I switched. And I improved my life, and I
studied the Bible, and I got to where I could pray, and got
to where I could preach, and got to where I could discuss
intelligently some doctrines. I heard of God, but I've never
seen him. Hmm? Because Job said, when I saw
the Lord, I saw myself. And I hated myself. I hated myself. I didn't set about to justify
myself. I didn't set about to make excuses
for myself. I didn't set about to instruct
God. That's what he said over here
in that scripture I read a while ago. If you come to the place
where you can condemn God, that you may be righteous. If you come to the place where
you can actually condemn God and condemn his word in order
that you might be righteous, a man can go a long ways to defend
himself, but when he sees the Lord There's just one way, and
that's down. I'll tell you a time when men
are going to see the Lord, all men. At the judgment when the
scripture says the king came in, and he saw this fellow sitting
there without a wedding garment, and he said, how did you get
in here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Men who
see God in grace are speechless, men who see God in judgment are
speechless. But both ways, God shuts men's
mouths. That's what it said over here
in Job chapter 40. He said, Behold, I am vile, what
shall I answer? Verse 4, I lay my hand on my
mouth. spoken, but I will proceed no
further. When a man sees God in grace,
and when a man sees God in judgment, he speaks for him. All right,
the fourth thing in closing, I've heard of you, but now, Lord,
I see you. I see you. And I hate myself,
and here's the last thing, and I repent, I repent, I repent. A true sight of self will lead
to a true sight of God. A true sight of ourselves will
lead us to true repentance and a cry for mercy. Repentance puts
a man in the lowest place, in the dust and the ashes. Repentance
puts God in his rightful place. I know he said back here in verse
2, you can do everything. Repentance put Job in dust and
put God on the throne. Repentance is the other side
of faith. I can't turn to God till I turn
from my idols, whatever they are. Maybe flesh, maybe material,
maybe spiritual. But I won't turn to God till
I turn from my idols. I can't have both. No man can
serve two masters. He can't be his own master, flesh
can't be his master, materialism can't be his master, philosophy
can't be his master, human fame and righteousness and integrity
can't be his master if God's not there. Lord, take the crown
off my head, strip me of my glory, bring me to Christ. Now I'll
tell you this, repentance leads to comfort. Listen to verse 10
of Job 42, and it says, And God turned the captivity of Job when
he prayed for his friends. Also the Lord gave Job twice
as much as he had before. Twice as much. The captivity
of Job. Old Job came into this captivity
a proud, self-righteous, religious individual. And he came out of
this captivity with a vital living union with God. He'd seen the
Lord. And God brought him in. God revealed
himself to him. But I'll tell you this. Job said,
I repent. I repent. I repent. Our Father in Heaven, O that we might say with simeon,
Mine eyes have seen the Lord. Mine eyes have seen the Lord.
And when these eyes are turned upon Christ and look full into
his wonderful face, the idols of this world, all
of its vanity and materialism, evil, grow strangely dim in the
light of his glory and his grace. Whatever it takes And our Lord,
we pray, knowledgeable of the fact that thou hast dealt severely with
all whom thou hast saved, knowledgeable of the fact that God must strip
before he clothes. knowledgeable of the fact that
thou hast dealt drastically with some men, yea, even with Job. But we consciously and aware,
with an awareness of what we're saying, some of us pray, Lord,
whatever it pleases you to do. give us a sight of thy glory.
In whatever way thou art pleased to work in our lives, we don't
want to go through life and death and face the judgment without
a sight of Christ. Let us see the Redeemer. Deal
with us, O God, in a very special way. We pray for Christ's sake. 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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