2024 Conference Ep. 008 Harold Warner

Hello and welcome back to the PHSA podcast.

My name is David Bigford.

I'm the pastor here at SalmonArm.

This is a very special podcast series where I'm going to be sharing with you messages

from our most recent conference in Prescott, Arizona, the Beyond Limits Conference with

a theme of to preach the gospel in the regions beyond from 2 Corinthians 10-16.

I'm going to share all of the sermons from this conference series to include Greg Mitchell,

our head pastor, Joe Campbell, Richard Ruby, Tom Payne, and many, many others during this

series.

So I'll be sharing these with you over the next couple of weeks, and I hope you really

enjoy these messages.

If you'd like to see these messages in a video format, you can go to PrescottPottersHouse.com

where all of these will be available for you to view in a video format.

So without further ado, I'm going to go ahead and move on to the messages, and I hope you

enjoy them.

God bless.

Let's welcome Pastor Juan as it comes in, amen.

Good morning.

A blessing to be here.

I feel after the first two seminars like a basketball player where I'm cutting down the

right side of the paint.

They throw it up, and my job is just simply to grab it.

And, you know, that's in, so Pastor Brown reminded me of something.

I'm debating if it's actually even going to be a title in one of the chapters of the

book I'm trying to write, but I was getting a haircut done in London years back, and I

was correcting the barber on the finer points of a flat top.

And I'd already witnessed to him, and his response is, you're pretty picky for a vicar.

And if you're not from the UK, you probably don't even know what a vicar is, but I'm

not being picky this morning.

I'm being helpful and really to put a cap on everything so far.

Second Timothy chapter 4, I'm going to read in a moment beginning at verse 9 through 13.

2 Timothy 4 · chapter mention

Recently Pastor Alvin Smith and I were reminiscing along the lines of what I wanted to preach

this morning, and he was reminding me when he was first saved, a 19-year-old airman stationed

at Davis Mountain Air Force Base in Tucson got saved.

Jesus radically changed his life, and one of the first books that he read was called

the Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman, and how soon afterwards he's blown away because

we had Robert Coleman come to our church speak Friday, Saturday, Sunday schedule, and he's

on the front row.

And he's, man, I read that.

That's amazing.

And it was a real blessing in his life.

Fast forward 40 years, and one of the brothers, Brother Taylor in our church, was helping

me with some research and sent me a text message of the portions that he's reading from that

same book, the Master Plan of Evangelism, 40 years later.

Our relationship with God, our ministry development, our ability to consistently feed the flock

of God is greatly affected by the books we read.

And anyone of that mindset knows that there is a warm association with books that have

helped shape our faith, that have revealed to us more and more of Jesus, have helped

us and taught us to correctly interpret scripture so that we are presenting people with sound

doctrine.

They have been responsible for expanding a great deal of the height and the depth and

the breadth and the length of our walk with God and the work of the ministry.

I see Steve here and Harry and Pastor Nigel.

Well, any of us that have had the privilege over the years of going and preaching in the

UK, one of our aims, not just beyond the revival or the conference, wasn't we were there to

see the Queen, we were there so we could make a trip to Book Aid.

And there at Book Aid we could get our hands on some of the classic authors, English and

Scottish throughout the last two centuries, the J.D. Jones, the J. Stuart Holden, the

William Mackay, the Clarence McCartney.

And it's why our luggage going home weighed more than when we left and it should be reversed.

Because why?

It's loaded up with books.

Now you may think you're listening to a dinosaur, but our personal, our professional and our

spiritual growth is inseparably connected to our reading.

My early Christian development, my early years in the pastorate were shaped and helped by

the books and the authors that I invited into my life, the Vance Havners, the Oswald Sanders,

the F.B. Myers, the Alan Redpath, the Clovis Chappell, the Warren Worsby, the Charles Swindoll

and Martin Lloyd Jones and R.T. Kendall, Paul Johnson and the intellectuals, Walter Isaacson

in all his biographies, David McCullough in his historical fiction, the John Krakauer

talking about the climbing and summiting of Mount Everest, William Manchester's classic

three-volume set on Winston Churchill called The Last Lion, the Malcolm Gladwells, the

John Stott, the Gary Inrigs, the G. Campbell Morgans, the R. Kent Hughes and I could go

on and I could go on, but all of that was deposited in my life, number one by the Holy

Spirit and number two by my pastor for almost 50 years and his example and his library that

started me on a lifelong journey beginning with, and let me get this out of the way so

you think I'm somehow trying to supplant the Bible, beginning with, thy word have I

hidden in my heart, O Lord, that I might not sin against thee, that I rule for faith, I

rule for all of life is only one thing and that is the Bible, the inspired infallible

word of God. But when it comes to a pastor and his books, we must be very deliberate

and very strategic when it comes to our reading. Matt and Terry McDonald are here in conference

for years in our conference and they've expanded out to El Paso, I believe McAllen and other

places, a ministry called Work of Ministry where during conference he supplies and sells

people books, many of which I've just alluded to and its value is not that he drops too

grand in of profit from a week of conference for world evangelism, the value is what is

imparted to the people who say I'm going to become deliberate about my reading. So look

at 2 Timothy 4 with me beginning in verse 9 and I'm reading this from the New Living

Translation, Timothy please come as soon as you can. Demas has deserted me because he

loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescent has gone to Galatia

and Titus has gone to Dalmatia, only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come

for he will be helpful to me in my ministry. I sent Tycheus to Ephesus, when you come be

sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books and especially

my papers. So let me begin and talk about the neglected regimen because the statistics

here are not encouraging at all. This comes from Hogwarts professor but 33% of high school

graduates never read another book the rest of their lives. And before you say oh my wow

it gets worse 42% of college grads never read another book after college. 70% of US adults

have not been in a bookstore and let me clarify my bookstore is Amazon just for expedient

sake etc. but 70% of US adults have not been in a bookstore in the last 5 years and 80%

of US families did not buy or read a book last year. And it gets worse as you look at

Gen Z the first generation of what is called digital natives who have never known a world

without social media they are reading less than previous generations and I have a graph

that shows a 20% drop in avid readers from the baby boomers to the Gen Zers. Now it is

very easy to say oh yeah the culprit and to put blame on screens and obviously they have

had an immense impact on reading proficiency and all kinds of other things but like so

much in life you can't just grab the low hanging fruit you have to look a little deeper

there was an article that stood out why aren't kids falling in love with reading and they

didn't spend all the time talking about screens what they said is it is a lot about the way

they are being taught they are no longer being taught to read for fun. Now just that statement

alone if you don't get it read for what? Fun? That's why I am preaching this. Enjoyment

the percentage of 8 to 13 year olds who said they read daily for fun has dropped by double

digits since 1984 and so to pirate a phrase inquiring minds want to know and here is our

text as Paul is writing from a Roman prison these are many believe 2 Timothy was his final

epistle these are some of his last words what is at the forefront of his thinking the first

is obvious it is Timothy's companionship Timothy please come as soon as you can Timothy

I don't know for sure but it feels like my time is running out and if we are going to

communicate face to face you need to make this a priority come quickly. He says bring

John Mark with you the glowing mark of restoration in the New Testament and we are in the restoration

business physical needs you know what you know the coat that really nice soft leather

one that I left with the carpets at Troas make sure you do a little detour pick up that

coat he doesn't need it I am in jail I need to stay warm bring that coat and then also

bring my books and especially my papers I won't just preach at you I will preach at

me if I was in a Roman prison would that be my request bring my books and especially my

papers and he is writing to Timothy his son in the faith and he makes reference to Timothy's

own life long regimen 2 Timothy 3 how from childhood you have been acquainted with the

sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ

Jesus all scriptures breathed out by God and profitable for teaching for reproof for correction

and training and righteousness that the man of God may be complete to equip for every

good work if that is to in any way resemble you and I then we must like Timothy develop

a life long reading habit.

Brad East wrote an article called who are young Christians reading today and he specifically

has in mind the 15 to 25 year old age groups who are the people they are reading and he

is asking it in a questioning way he is not postulating to have all answers but he said

the first answer that came to my mind is they are not reading most Christians in this age

range are not reading anything at all much less something that has thoughtful theology

and genuine spiritual content to it and then the second thing that came to mind he said

was well reading is being replaced with quote consuming content so now we do not have writers

we have content creators on YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, Spotify and so obviously people are

listening they are watching they are scrolling but is anyone asking you know who are they

listening watching to what is it any good or is it complete drivel and then the final

answer is that a few of these 15 to 25 age group are actually reading real books good

books from authors that help connect you to Christ broaden your thinking challenge your

understanding the kind of books that push and prod you in your spiritual life stimulates

you to think and to dig deeper motivates you to reach out more determinately who are they

reading you say well why should this be a concern why is this fitting well if you just

heard that sermon on people's minds you understand this should concern us big big time because

so much success growth and enjoyment in life is connected to a lifelong reading regimen

and if it is missing from your life you are missing out on so so much there are lots of

platforms today yes and I am not against them but reading a book is different from scrolling

a website it is different from watching a video or even listening to a podcast put yourself

in a position where 90 minutes I would make it longer but listen I don't want to be you

know go 90 minutes you don't move there is no screen and there unless you are reading

off of a Kindle give me a break I am not parsing things that where there is no sound except

the sound of you turning pages and I could go on and on the verified benefits of reading

books how they can positively affect your life but let me be cognizant of time and move

on and talk to you secondly about the ministry parentheses life requisite and very strong

but very very true words were spoken by the great revivalist John Wesley who told young

ministers in his age either read or get out of the ministry he believed this was essential

for lifelong ministerial development and you know what I am looking around the best I can

there is no one who stands out with a sign I have already arrived I may be preaching

to the choir to a great deal but I like preaching to the choir too as well as others.

A.W. Tozer commented about Wesley and said quote he read science and history with a book

propped against his saddle pommel as he rode from one engagement to another Oswald Sanders

in his classic book spiritual leadership devotes a whole chapter to the subject of the leader

and reading and he insists quote the leader who intends to grow spiritually and intellectually

will be constantly reading and I could list all manner of people that have deeply influenced

my life and ministry G. Campbell Morgan where I developed a love for breaking down scripture

verse by verse almost word by word Philip Greenslade in his book leadership servanthood

and greatness delved the deepest I have ever read into the subject of discipleship and

leadership Joseph Tosini who just wrote with such clarity about how central the church

is to the purposes of God in the earth and what I am saying this morning is we must set

the bar high.

Pastor Foley I don't mind repeating the verse Colossians 3 16 let the word of Christ dwell

in you richly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom singing psalms and hymns

and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Books are tools and I use my

tools. There is an adage amongst builders you don't ever lend out your tools. And it

didn't just say in a casual way it said let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. It's

not talking about a sparse bank account but a burgeoning overflowing deposit of God's

word and wisdom in your life and ministry. If I could put it another way pastors must

be voracious bookworms because it means you understand your vocation which entails wide

and deep and consistent and sustained reading. The only way you're going to consistently

impart sound doctrine and understanding is if you take this aspect of life very seriously

and more than that you even develop an enjoyment. It was Harry Truman who said not every reader

is a leader but every leader is a reader. Harry Truman was considered a dark horse in

his political party as a candidate to follow FDR. He took office in April of 1945 and within

months he was going to face the greatest trial no human being up until that time had ever

faced a trial like Truman did which was the nuclear decision. He was going to have to

deal with the rebuilding of Germany and Japan. Now the challenge of the new atomic age the

beginning of the cold war and you ask how important was this man's life long reading

habit started as a young boy in his later role as the President of the United States

and his own words tell us he said quote our public library in Independence Missouri had

about three or four thousand volumes including encyclopedias believe it or not I read them

all maybe and I'll just clarify or I'll interpret maybe I was a darn fool but it served me well

when my terrible trial came. General James Mattis was an avid reader and wherever he

was stationed in the Marine Corps across the globe he would bring books with him and I

want you to hear why he did that because recently he wrote how unconscionable it is for a military

leader to be quote filling body bags while they learn by trial and error. He said they

owe it to their soldiers to learn as much as humanly possible from the experience of

history before trying to learn on their own to not pick up a book is a dereliction of

duty. Thank God that you know we're not sitting here you know facing the same kind

of trials that a Harry Truman or James Mattis but the point stands and that is whether it's

being the best employee the best investor the best spouse the best friend the best fellow

citizen the best ourselves is not just learning by trial and error when we can also pick up

a book and accelerate that process. Pastor Foley movingly talked about troubled minds

and the like but if good leaders are going to have a mind for God and that is not an

automatic by the way if we're going to have a mind for God there must be a ceaseless appetite

for learning for self improvement for wisdom and for books that improve you as a human

being. We're without excuse. I know that not all reading is created equal. I have enough

books in my house to last four lifetimes. Have you read them all pastor? No but I have

a serious book. Jones. One of the questions that needs to be asked at times is what books

have changed your life? They're not all equal. Greek philosopher Epictus said that he spoke

about books worthy of the focus of my energy and it was Sir Francis Bacon who really this

is brilliant. He said some books are to be tasted meaning you read the first chapter

you've read the whole book. Others are to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and

digested. Those are the books that you get your pen out and as you're reading you're

underlying and me you know if I put a star and if it really moves me I put a double star

and sometimes just to shake it up I'll put an exclamation point and if it really you

know jacks me up I'll put triple three exclamation points and then you know if I like it I just

circle the whole sentence. Some you mark up those are the books that you don't just read

right once you reread them and this is why H.L. Mencken said no one gets anywhere in

this world in any really an endurable manner without some recourse to books and I could

put it this way as leaders what we're reading is leading us and before we segue you know

all of this relates to something critical why we are even gathered here this week and

that is the essence of who you are and who you are becoming especially Jesus' invitation

to become a disciple. The biggest mistake people make about discipleship and the words

back in vogue everybody uses it now where years back nobody would touch it with a hot

like a hot potato it was mentor but you know the biggest mistake is thinking discipleship

is something that you're receiving something that happens to you but the word Jesus used

many of you know this is the word methodes which means learner and you can only be a

learner if you are the one doing the learning. If you are a disciple as in a learner that

means you are to be actively engaged in learning and it is your responsibility to take up

the mantle of self development not some kind of passive well I'm not being fed if you're

not being fed get out a fork and spoon and knife cook yourself some food and feed yourself.

You know I've only been saved 25 years dear Lord. I'm just leaving church I've been a

Christian for 30 years three decades I'm just not being fed feed yourself brother sister

teenager. Let me close and talk about establishing another parenthesis enjoying a rhythm. Now

I am preaching this from a place of experience but also from a place of need because I haven't

arrived and also I'm preaching it from a place of guilt because trying to write a book has

completely upset my normal rhythm my normal pastoral reading rhythm. That's why at the

beginning of 2024 one of my goals slash resolutions mock resolutions but I do want to improve

those to have better discipline to be intentional to work at several related things. I brought

a picture first three real quick that is my office hold it there just for a minute that

is the right side just the right side of my office. Yeah that's a called a working man's

office number two okay that's the left side of the office number three and that's my desk

and I believe that is me son peri a ultimate meaning the natural right there empty cans

because if you're going to work you're going to stay hydrated in the desert. It made it

into the picture that may even be the servant I'm preaching right now on the screen I don't

know now having seen all that I wonder where did I pick that up.

And there's impartation because he did that Pastor Mitchell never taught me you know the

secret is piles and piles and piles go back you know go back a couple let's go back and

just see you know there's maybe not as many as he had but I'm still in the running and

okay so and so I mentioned this because I know where in my house and in my office and

in my desk books are located on my desk on the whether it's my desk right or left whether

it's the two tables in the office the dining room the bedroom the butcher block where my

espresso machine for not somebody said four shot now this is for six shot you know only

once a day that's all and so but I know where these are and you know what it's like you

know cats my cat takes things and hides things all over the house well I've done that I can

go and I know my pipeline right now on my desk on the left hand side is a book called

the self aware leader and it's in my pipeline because I want to read that because I have

been shocked by the lack of self awareness that many leaders have and even in my own

life and you know what if you know the Greek said know thyself while we know that secondary

to the primary command which is no God but knowing God you better know yourself you better

be developing a degree of self awareness about who you are not read your own press clippings

or anything you better know who I am that's on the left side of my desk and then also

on back left are numerous books on finances and investments about 40 years too late but

I figure I better educate myself and then over on the right is a book by Adam Grant

called think again which is all about the critical art of rethinking you think you know

this or you don't know that you better practice rethinking what I believe I better rethink

and make sure that I'm on track and then there are books on that table on Hosea Habakkuk

and first John which is the next books of the Bible that I want to do a deep dive into

and then on my butcher block on top of the expresso machine are two devotionals so I

can sit there and you know sip my morning coffee read these devotionals and then in

my bedroom next to my bed is a book by John Krakauer called when men win glory all about

them on the name just slip the football player Pat Tillman thank you Pat Tillman who played

for the Arizona Cardinals who left it all and joined the military became an army ranger

was shot and killed in Afghanistan but the tragedy that followed is his higher ups covered

that up because he was actually killed by friendly fire and then next to that and this

is for those rare occasions I haven't even you know it's been probably a year and a

half sitting there is a novel by Daniel Silva all about an Israeli spy Gabriel Alon that

when I want to do some brainless reading like I don't care if I remember a single word

I just want to enjoy myself relax a little bit that's there and then hundreds of others

I haven't mentioned the point I'm making and then on oh I forgot the dining room table

I said I better up I better up my game here and one of the classics by Leo Tolstoy the

death of Ivan Ilyich because there is in there a powerful narrative on forgiveness.

It's why Aaron Thornton said they are the best friends we can ever have it is through

books that we open our minds improve ourselves and are strengthened in our intelligence broaden

our horizons acquire wide and varying knowledge and are inspired to change our lives and the

world around us and there is beloved a guideline we can all follow there are varying degrees

you know they told me about this Savanta that he can actually read he actually reads the

left page out of his left eye and the right page out of his right eye and he can read

you know a whole page in eight seconds listen you may be like most of us slogging through

but here's the guideline Psalms 119 103 how sweet are your words to my taste sweeter than

honey to my mouth what I'm saying is we can all improve no you don't have an eidetic memory

a photographic memory you may struggle to remember what you read the not just the you

know not just the specific words but the title you may even struggle there but the point

and then you may read slowly but you know the mistake is to say well why bother oh

be encouraged brothers and sisters we can all improve our reading skills and there is

a perspective and an encouragement to the man of God that I want to leave with you as

I hope a powerful takeaway because I don't know about you I've been I've read something

and then forgot 99.76 you get discouraged but I read about two things I'm going to tell

you about the power of the 1% and the power of the 99% the power of the 1% came from 1981

when John Piper was a young pastor and he's trying to encourage his Sunday school teachers

who felt hopeless you know here we have a measly one hour to try to help these kids

who watch countless hours of TV every week this is even before social media they'd be

in absolute utter despair today and he talked to them about the immeasurable moment and

here's what he said to them I do not remember 99% of what I read I don't remember books

whole and then here's what he went on to say it is sentences that change your life

not books what changes the life is a new glimpse into reality or truth or some powerful challenge

that comes to us or some resolution of a long-standing dilemma that we've had and most of those the

insight the challenge or the resolution are usually embodied in a very short little space

a paragraph or a sentence and whammo it hits home and we remember it and affects us for

our whole life long it's the power of the 1% let's get real it's the power of the point

1764% but then flip that over the other side of the coin and you have the power of the

other 99% I don't I hope I'm talking to real people and generally you know a thousand

or more pastor eyeballs on me freak me freaks me out but today I knew I'm right I'm right

on you know all I have to do is grab the ball like I said after pastor Brown pastor Foley

and just with authority you ever get discouraged that the people in your church you preach

what you think should be enshrined for generations to come a message you slaved over it and you

know I don't know about these guys who you know they put messages together in an hour

and a half takes me days weeks and you preach it and then 10 days later they don't remember

anything you said what am I doing this for they didn't appreciate the brilliant alliteration

that I just used regimen requisite rhythm oh and they don't remember that at all the

only one who is impressed is you and your and my tiny pea brains I'm gonna live with

the illusion that every words just bursting through with explosive dynamic power don't

don't you know love is blind let me stay blind you know but here is the quote furthermore

did we think the parts of the sermon of a church member doesn't remember has no formative

effect surely the quote forgettable parts still matter how the pastor treats the text

carefully explaining its meaning adorning it with good illustrations seeing in light

of the wider world of Christian teaching driving toward an encounter with God all these practices

shape the listener in imperceptible ways and then it goes on the same is true for books

you don't remember Austin Carty says quote uploading information to our brains is not

the main reason for reading and he makes this brilliant analogy anybody got an iPhone up

here the first row somebody help me real quick okay let me see what's you know I don't want

to case on it come on I want to give me you can tell okay so I can't go into a time I

did this Sunday in my church the first phone only had one lens I thought oh that sister

is and she was older she was a white hair like me because when you got this you don't

need 55 lenses just take the picture and then the second person I asked gave me their phone

it has two lenses well this has three and then when I was done somebody came up to me

and showed me his phone it's got five lenses but the point is is that in the days when

there was only one lens there's the image take it but now with various lenses the depth

Aaron Rodgers I get the quarterback you know that used to play for the Packers is calling

it okay sorry but with the different lenses there is what there's a depth there is a perception

there is a richness that wasn't there before and that's what reading does to you and I

and he goes on to say the filters on your phone's photo app older phones had only the

image and nothing more no other lens to see it through but the variety of filters now

available allow you to see the images in ways that draw out its richness and he ends with

this the point is this the primary purpose of reading is not to be able to consciously

recall what we have read it's to constantly keep refining the lens through which we see

reality I had Michael tell me you know it was our IT guy that and media guy that every

time someone asked you can you take a picture of it the first thing he does is clean the

lens I haven't cleaned the lens in my phone for 30 years I don't know what you're talking

about but it even though we don't remember 90% of what we read it still gets inside of

us in ways we're unaware of and at depths we don't know we have it still enriches our

filter even when we don't realize it's happening

my closing statement mic drop time because you can debate what I'm preaching but you

know what excited me the most is I saw I preach this Sunday morning I thought you know I don't

always have the luxury of trying out my conference sermon rarely but I did and I'm seeing 12

and 13 14 year olds at the altar I'm thinking oh talking about you talking about Jesus is

mine for the rest of their life but let me take you to a scene un-eclipsed in its grandeur

and its majesty Revelation 20 11 and 12 then I saw a great white throne in him who was

seated on it from his presence the earth and sky fled away and no place was found for them

and I saw the dead great and small standing before the throne and books were opened then

another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged by what was

written in the books according to what they had done you know it's a sin to even say

this when I haven't even finished my first book but this is book number two the books

were opened what books the books contained in God's library which contains everything

you've ever done every thought you've ever entertained every tear you've ever shed every

achievement that he's enabled you to accomplish every soul that has been eternally impacted

for Jesus Christ that when this time finally arrives the books are going to be opened and

in light of that Lord let my lifelong habit whether I'm a teenager young pastor and OG

or part of the silent generation which is me and those older than me me and pastor Campbell

that's about a few others sprinkled but a lifelong habit I forgot to tell you my title

the title has to be because how are they going to post this without a title I did forget

it's called read to lead and I want you to bow your heads with me this morning no accident

God's handiwork is always so astounding the messages this morning God being a father to

the fatherless the almost unparalleled miracle of the Gataring sitting cloth and in his right

mind God desiring to give us a right mind and one of the tools at our disposal to do

that is our reading habit I'm preaching largely to pastors if you think please let's get

the record straight if you think everything I preached comes mysteriously out of the synapses

and pastor Kevin you gave me a new word you're going to have to tell me later rather connected

or whatever you know if you think all of it just mysteriously pops out of that and here's

brilliant revelation to pop your balloon it is the fruit of a life long habit of reading

and from all kinds of different sources I don't want to stay in an echo chamber I want

to broaden my understanding always grounded in scripture always grounded in the will of

God but one of the tools to having a sound mind my passion my pastoral passion is Romans

Romans 12:2

12 verse 2 let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think it guides

so much of my ministry something I deeply care about and have tried to impart to people

at every level of service in our congregation are we thinking biblically are we coming more

and more into possession of the mind of Christ and whether it is God revealing to you that

unparalleled revelation that he is our father or whether it is the necessity of a sound

mind

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