Yes, I have walked out of a church service - yes in the middle of the service - no I hadn't planned on walking out before hand - and yes it while the guest preacher was still in the pulput preaching.
Here's what happened:
Our pastor allowed the brotherhood dept. to sponsor a service. The brotherhood president invited a guest speaker that he heard preach on the radio - this was a preacher no one knew but him and whose church our church had never fellowshipped with before. The pastor trusted the judgement of the brotherhood president and gave him the green light. So there we were.
Well, during the course of his message the guest preacher had the nerve to say "Some people say you must speak in tongues to be saved and have the holy ghost,
but that's just not true" I really didn't hear anything after that.... I sorta went blank (I was the youth president at the time). I always had the habit of looking at my pastor's face when a preacher (visiting or not) said something I didn't understand, didn't agree with, or knew was wrong - mostly because he was like my father in the gospel and so I searched his face in that instant, actually waiting for him to stand up
do something (what, I didn't know). Well, he didn't. When a minute or two passed by and the man was till preaching and folks in the audience began looking at each other with puzzled questioning looks on their faces, I quietly stood up and tipped out. (Not that it makes a difference, but I was not sitting in the front and I didn't make a commotion - anyone looking would have thought I was going to the ladies room). Well in the vestibule I found several other members who had done the same. The man was
still preaching and the pastor hadn't done anything. The service ended. The altar call was made, at which point my pastor then was given the mic to wrap up service and give the benediction. By that time those who had tipped out had come back in and
at that time, our pastor addressed the guest preachers' remarks by stating that we believe the bible and that the bible states in
Acts 2:38,
Acts 10:44,
Acts 19:6 etc...... and then he gave the benediction.
Needless to say, the man was never invited back, the brotherhood president was called on the carpet, and we all learned a little more about our pastor and the wisdom he used in the way he handled the situation. Those who had walked out wanted him to
do something not considering that perhaps he was praying for the Lord's leading in just what to do, when to do it and how.
Though I have moved and now worship elsewhere, to this day I thank God for my foundation and for my father in the gospel in Jesus' name.
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