A PERSON is smart. PEOPLE are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it.

We continue with our series based on The 10 Dumbest Things Christians Do, by Mark Atteberry. The following are some notes from the Sunday school lesson at Providence Church.

DUMB MOVE #2: Winning People to the Church Rather than to the LORD

According to Gunny, there are 2 ditches into which people can drive, with regard to church importance:

1. 1. Church is an option
2. 2. Church is an idol

It would seem Atteberry is particularly dealing with those for whom (their) church becomes an idol that is prioritized over Christ. People put their faith in church, rather than in Christ.

Could part of the problem be the expectation that people expect the church do or be what only Jesus can? Is the church oversold and Jesus undersold?

“They come into the body with all kinds of false assumptions and unrealistic expectations. They begin their faith experience with their hopes and dreams pinned on a group of imperfect people rather than the Lord of the universe. How can they help but be disappointed? How can we be surprised when they leave?”

Like with medication from the pharmacy, there are certain warnings people need to know about church.

What people need to know about the church:

• Warning #1: You will encounter some difficult and unpleasant people.

“I frequently say that I’ve met some of the greatest people in the world in church. What I rarely say (but what is just as true) is that I’ve also met some of the weirdest, most irritating people in church.”

“Some people are shocked when they get their feelings hurt at church. Considering the odd assortment of people who make up the average congregation, I’ve always thought it would be a lot more shocking if they didn’t get their feelings hurt!”


• Warning #2: The church you join is not always going to be like it is today.

“So change is inevitable, but nothing to be afraid of.”

Changes in pastor, music, location, and fellowship (but what happens when factions arise & a fight breaks out?) are those most likely to most difficult for members to deal with.

“… even good changes can seem bad if you aren’t expecting them.”


What people need to know about Jesus:

• Jesus, not the church, is the way.

• Jesus, not the church, is the truth.

• Jesus, not the church, is the life.

“… our witnessing needs to be Christ-centered and not church-centered.”


“We should never be surprised when there are defections among the Lord’s followers. Nor should we panic. After all, Jesus Himself didn’t have a 100 percent retention rate.”

“But we must take responsibility for the many people who became disillusioned because we misled them into thinking that the church would be the answer to all their problems—that it would save them, transform their lives, and meet all their needs.”


Remember Gunny's 2 ditches?

1. 1. Church is an option
2. 2. Church is an idol

Atteberry tells the story of how Michelangelo fashioned his statue of David. He did so by first constructing a house around the stone in which to work. Similarly, the church is the house/environment in which the Lord does His work of sculpting.

"Many people come into it possessing no spiritual form or beauty and emerge sometime later completely transformed. But it isn't the house that brings about those changes, it's the Master Sculptor."

Getting people into a church is important, but their hope lies in the one who makes the transformation.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the dangers in making the church an idol, expecting the church to do what only Christ can? How do you know if you or others have fallen into this trap?
2. The primary relationship for the Christian is with Christ. But why must we remember that the secondary relationship to the church is not expendable or optional? What are the dangers of making the church optional, unnecessary in the process whereby God makes us more like Christ? How can the story of the statue of David help keep the proportion right?
3. Why might a church “market” itself in such a way that the church is oversold and Jesus is undersold?
4. Of Atteberry’s two “warnings” about the church, which is more vital for visitors of Providence Church to know? How can those warnings be communicated honestly, but without scaring everyone away?

(Click to buy a copy of The 10 Dumbest Things Christians Do, especially if you want to read along.)