JD Hall Interview

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, �But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn�t for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we�re called by the Divine Trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here�s our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth. Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry.

Weekly Programming and the Interview Format

My name is Mike Abendroth. And as you know, if you�re a regular listener, we have a little theme for every day of the week. And so Mondays, it�s usually a sermon that I preach at Bethlehem Bible Church in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Tuesdays, I talk to Pastor Steve Cooley and we discuss issues in the church. Thursdays, it�s kind of a positive K-love, you know, this is the doctrine of forgiveness or confession or assurance of salvation.

And Fridays, I usually try to critique someone or some doctrine so you can think through it clearly. But my favorite days are Wednesdays. And Wednesdays, I like to interview pastors, teachers, authors, men that God has raised up for His church, the church that Christ has purchased.

I like you to get to know these men better so you can understand their ministry. It also helps me because there�s lots of people who believe what we believe. We just don�t notice them, especially here in Massachusetts.

So today, we�re privileged to have on No Compromise Radio, J .D. Hall. J .D., welcome to No Compromise Radio. Yeah, thanks for having me. It�s good to be with you. J .D., tell us a little bit about the church that you�re pastoring before we move into the conference in Reformation, Montana.

Tell us about the church there, how long you�ve been there, and how did you get there? How do you get to Montana?

J. D. Hall’s Call to Montana and the Church in Sydney

Well, it�s kind of a long story, but I pastor the Fellowship Baptist Church here in Sydney, Montana. We have church plants also that we�ve started in the last couple of years on the North Dakota side of the line.

We�re only a few miles from North Dakota here, a couple hours south of Canada. The Reformed Baptist Church, we�re affiliated with the SBC very loosely. I wound up here in Montana because I was in sales back in the day.

When you�re a bivocational pastor, sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get by. One day, as I was the manager of Car Lot, I was reading the Bible online actually and came to Romans chapter 9, and it changed my life.

It changed my view of God. I was a believer before, but I didn�t see God in all of its fullness until then, and it just opened my eyes to a lot of things. I grew very passionate about the study of God, and one of the things that I struggled with in Romans 9 is having to believe the Bible the way it was written.

I struggled with that. I wanted to believe the scripture as I wanted to believe the scripture and see God as I wanted to manufacture him in my head. Part of that, coming back to the Bible and saying, �Okay, what does the scripture say?

What does the scripture teach I discovered a little-known thing called church discipline. Being a young pastor, I decided to implement that into my church, or at least try, which ended up in me being released from the pulpit about two weeks later.

I thought, �You know, there�s a lot of baggage in the Bible belt. I want to get out of the Bible belt and be freed from some of that that the cowards lay out but that�s what I did. So I wound up in Montana, where there�s very little baggage.

There�s very few Baptist churches at all, mostly Lutheran and Catholic churches. I came here to Sydney a few months after that. That was about eight years ago, and I�ve been here ever since.

Ministry in Montana and North Dakota

J .D., when I think of North Dakota, I think of the place where Machen got sick and died, so there�s life there, is what you�re telling me. There are believers in Montana and North Dakota, and the Lord�s Building is a church there, too.

J .D. There are. I got here about three years before the oil boom, and so if you hear about the North Dakota oil boom, I�m in it, kind of my town is at the epicenter, and so you hear about the North Dakota oil boom, but we�re right across the line, and there�s just as much production here.

So, you know, we�re giving a command to disciples of the nation, people from every tribe, tongue, and nation, and it�s interesting, because here in my little town in Montana, if you were to stand in my church park, you�re going to see probably 30 or 40 different license plates drive by.

People from all over the country are here. So, pastoring the church in Sydney here is kind of like pastoring a church on an Air Force Base or in a tourist town, because there�s so much turnover, people coming in and out, but we�re privileged to share the gospel with the disciples and send them back out.

But there�s certainly believers in Montana and North Dakota, and it�s a privilege to minister to them.

Worship at First Baptist Church and the Regulative Principle

J .D., we�re similar in the aspect that we have radio shows and other ministries that stem from the church, but I know you have a heart for the local church, and I know you think that�s the place of God�s blessing, and this is where your heart is, in a local church and preaching.

What would our listeners expect to find if they were to show up for the Lord�s Day worship service at First Baptist Church in Sydney?

Yeah, if they were to show up, they�re going to see, first of all, a lot of friendliness, a lot of people that are eager to show their love. Part of that has been ingrained into our people, because again, the turnover, we�re used to greeting new people in faces that we haven�t seen before.

But, you know, we subscribe to the regulative principle of worship, and so even though we have what some would call, I guess, the contemporary worship service, we do hymns mostly, but usually set to contemporary music.

We�ve got a drum set, and somebody plays the djembe, and I�m not exactly sure what that is. Thankfully, I�m not the worship guy, and I�m very lacking in that area, but we have gifted people. And so, you would be surprised if you heard the first song, then, for us to turn to the Scripture and between each song, read lengthy passages of Scripture, because Paul told young Pastor Timothy that as the Church gathers, it should devote itself to the public reading of the Word, and so we do that between each song.

And then a sermon, of course, that is done in an expository fashion from the Word of God. Right now, I�m in a sermon series different than anything I�ve done before. I�ve been in it for about a year, maybe a year and a half, called �The Sixty-Six Gospels.

As we�re working our way from Genesis to Revelation, at each point along the way, we see a type or a shadow of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The point is to convey to the congregation that there aren�t just four Gospels.

I think it�s been a week, five years or so. I picked up Joel Beasley�s book on Puritan doctrine. I don�t have a different reason. First of all, I didn�t really inherit any when I came here. I grew up in the churches, local people here working, so they�re of the working age.

So, very few gray-headed folks, with lots and lots of children running around.

Preaching Christ in Esther and the Gospel in Sixty-Six Books

J .D., I have a question regarding the Sixty-Six Gospels that you were talking about, or the Gospel in Sixty-Six Books. When you got to Esther, tell our listeners what you did with Esther, because I�m always struggling with �I want to be a pastor who preaches every Sunday about the person and work of Jesus Christ.

After all, we are Christians. But I also don�t want to find Jesus in every adverb found in Scripture. So, of course, with Esther, it has its unique challenges. Tell our listeners how you approached that book and what you said.

Well, it does have unique challenges, because it certainly appears that Esther is a foreshadow of Christ, but she�s a woman that Christ Jesus is not. That makes us, especially if we�re complementarians like we are, makes us very uncomfortable.

And sometimes I�ll be in a book of the Old Testament for, like, 12, 13 weeks. Other times I�m there for one week. I actually preached Esther in one week, from one particular chapter. I mean, I went through an expository passage, or, you know, a passage in an expository way.

But here�s what I did with the book of Esther, pointing out that Mordecai tells Esther, �If you�re not faithful, God will raise up salvation from some other way, but you will have been unfaithful. And so we turn to the concept of evangelism, that like Esther, in a way, is a foreshadow of Christ, because she helped to redeem her people.

God providentially used her to redeem her people. We, like Esther, should imitate our Savior, Jesus Christ, to bring salvation to people. God uses us in His providence to preach the gospel, to free us from the consequences of our own sin, to free us from the plot that has been hatched against us by Satan in this world.

And so, like Esther, we also need to imitate Christ in that fashion. And that if we�re unfaithful to preach the Word of God, if we�re unfaithful to do our best to help deliver the people, that God will rise salvation from some other way.

Reformation Montana and the Conference in Billings

Talking to J .D. Hall today on No Compromise Radio. J .D., you are known for, hey, let�s hold Lifeway accountable and other issues like that. But on the flip side, you�re known for wanting to teach the truth, not just there locally, but in Montana as well, and so you�re part of Reformation Montana.

Tell us what your goals are for Reformation Montana, and also, selfishly, tell me what I should expect since I think I�ll be there in June.

Well, yeah, you�ll be at the conference this year, which is June 25th through 27th, and it�s going to be in beautiful Billings, Montana. It�s just a short drive down the interstate from Yellowstone. The theme of the conference this year is the Church.

We started doing the conferences four years ago. Last month began because we were a little bit concerned that there was a very hostile attitude in the Montana Southern Baptist Convention towards churches, and so we decided, well, let�s fellowship together and see if we can kind of build a very non-threatening but helpful coalition of like-minded churches.

What we discovered, actually, very quickly, is that there were many more churches like us than what we knew about, so there are about 19 churches in Montana that currently fellowship with us. The goal of Reformation Montana, or I should say �goals.

It�s plural. On the website, which is ReformationMontana .org, are things like equipping pastors who don�t have access to higher education, courage, and then beyond that, you may be several hours late from a like-minded church.

The church needs something financially, they�ll reach out to us, and we�ll do the denomination that they�re looking for. At this conference, we had Paul Washer, and so that�.

Now when I�m up there in June of this year, Phil Johnson�s going to be there. Is there any way you can give me some advice regarding Phil? Should I watch my back? Do I have to be aware? Is there anything like that to give me any warnings?

Let me say this about Phil Thompson. He is genuinely the kindest person I�ve ever met. He has a reputation of being a bit of a like his wife, Darlene, named my baby boy, Augustine, but probably don�t have to watch out, but we can put all of you at my bidding among the.

Well, I just think it�s going to have to be alphabetical, J .D. That�s all we have to do. Just go alphabetical, by last name.

You know, I�m really looking forward to finding out about having all of your favorite people.

Well, of course, I was joking about Phil. I, too, see Phil and John MacArthur as men who stand up for the truth, and they can be very polemical and very biblical and exacting, but when I meet them personally, I just am impressed by, and I also say to myself, the way they act toward other people, I want to do the same.

When I�m in the pulpit, I�d like to proclaim the truth with authority and boldness, but around folks behind the scenes, to just be nice and kind and warm, and so I think Phil is a good model of that.

Yeah, I think so, too, and I think that�s how it has to be done, and a lot of people, when you�re a public figure, don�t understand how you are in person. They assume that the lion in the pulpit is a lion everywhere else.

I�m going to be honest with you. With Reffmont, we�ve come into contact with a lot of well-known guys that have spoken for us, whether it�s James Widener�s pastor, Bode Bauckham, you name it. I think I�ve always been taken aback at how much different they are in person than in the pulpit, because it requires listen, when you�re standing in the pulpit, you�re saying, �Thus says the Lord not because of what you�re saying or the word you�re adding or even your exposition, but because you�re actually reading, literally, the Word of God.

And you don�t need to be saying, �I think, I guess, I suppose because if you�re saying those words, you should say them outside of the pulpit. The pulpit�s not the place for your opinions, it�s the place to preach the Word of God.

But outside the pulpit, often you�ll find these lions become lambs when it comes to dealing with the Bride of Christ, individual believers, and it�s encouragement to me to be able to see this personally, that we�ve had at Reformation Montana.

Pulpit and Pen and the Work of Warning the Church

J .D., tell us a little bit about pulpitandpen .org and describe it. The name speaks for itself, but tell us about the ministry there that you have, and what�s your goal, and what kind of topics you regularly address.

Well, pulpitandpen, we have a few different purposes lined out on the website. I think we did a post seven or eight months ago, �What are we trying to accomplish Someone called it the other day, �The Rolex of Watchblog.

I�m like, �Well, I appreciate the Rolex part. I think we�re more than a watchblog. We do deal with a lot of corruption issues, particularly within the SBC. We deal with a lot of this. People know that if they have something that they want to get out, if they bring it to the pulpit and pen, we�re not going to hide from that.

We�re not out there to try to impress anyone. When I say �we I don�t really write there anymore, but there are five contributors, actually. Alan, Dustin, Landon, Gene, aka TheScore, and Kofi from over in London.

These guys do a good job of adding new material, warn the church where there needs to be warning, to reprove, to rebuke, and to exhort. Reproving is really warning people before they go astray by bringing them the evidence of scripture.

There�s rebuking that has to be done, and they�re also exhorting, which is a combination of teaching and encouraging. We broke the Alex Polarky story, the boy who did not come back, and the logo on the �Today� show.

Reason With Me on the Doctrine of Election

Now, at thepulpitandpen .org, your book there, �Reason With Me on the Doctrine of Election.

You can get a Kindle, iPad, or PDF. I love the subtitle. The subtitle is, �For those terrified, flabbergasted, horrified, distressed, or disturbed by God�s sovereignty over salvation. J .D., it sounds like that was an autobiography of you when you were reading Romans 9.

Yeah, it is. And I think, you know, in accepting the doctrine of election, it�s almost like stages of. And then you accept it, but you don�t necessarily like it, and then finally,. �And so, I�ve been there.

I actually wrote the book over the years, with family for several months, but then they heard the doctrines that Grace preached, and they did the same thing the multitude did. And you know, I talked to them, and I said, �You know, aren�t you, we give percentage-wise more commissions than any church that I know of.

We teach men how to do evangelism, and all of those things. And so, I thought, �You know, there are so much about what it means to believe in the sovereignty of God over salvation. I wanted to write this short view of God�s sovereignty over salvation so I go over what it is, and explain the last well beyond the recipe to this view.

And in no way has it hindered evangelism or anything to give to church people, not members, but attenders, who really freak out, you know, if you know anyone that it raised that risk, or what have you.

It�s just designed to help the church at large.

Andy Stanley, the Resurrection, and the Authority of Scripture

J .D. Hall is on No Compromise Radio today, we�re glad to have him. J .D., we�ve only got a few minutes left, but I would be remiss if I didn�t kind of ask you, you know, this has all been so nice, and kind, and uplifting, and we�re not critiquing anybody.

I saw a tweet by Andy Stanley, and it says, March 26th, �We don�t believe� this is their Easter service promo. �We don�t believe Jesus rose from the dead because the Bible tells us so. It�s way better than that.

�We don�t plan to spend Easter with us. So, they don�t believe Jesus rose from the dead because the Bible tells us so. What�s your response to that?

Off the top of my head, it seems like he did an article a year ago.

Well, what rang a bell to me was, you asked me how I know he lives, he lives within my heart, it�s some kind of subjective pietism, but I don�t know what he�s trying to do.

With that. It could be someone else, but I think I�ve corrected, he elaborated on that. It�s some type of thought, and I think I remember covering it on the Pulp and Pen program, so I don�t think it�s anything new from him.

But what is often said is, we don�t need to say we believe it because the Bible says it. We need to believe it. In part, because Paul said it. I think that�s what he said previously, �The Bible says. He even appealed to Billy Graham, because Billy Graham, that�s one of his favorite lines, �The Bible says.

We do believe it, because there�s anyone, but I don�t know what our conviction is regarding the inerrancy. Even more than inerrancy, I call it the four legs of Scripture. Believing that the Bible overlooks doctrine, and we believe that the Word of God is authoritative over us.

And I don�t know what�s going through Stanley�s head, maybe he met some Jewish people who provide some historical evidence that it�s good and true, but as Christians, when the Scripture says it, we don�t need to believe it.

Closing Thanks and Ministry Sign-Off

Talking today to J .D. Hall. You can also access �Lots of Faithful Preachers� on wildernessradio .com. The subtext is �Faithful Theology, Faithful Preaching, Faithful Radio. And so J .D., thank you for being on No Compromise Radio today.

Thanks for the ministry there at Ref Mont, and from the pulpit and Wilderness Radio pulpit and pen, I don�t know how you get any sleep, but we�re thankful for your ministry to the Body of Christ. Thank you very much.

Mike Abendroth with J .D. Hall, No Compromise Radio.

No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life-transforming power of God�s Word through verse-by-verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at 6. We�re right on Route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.

The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management.