Few things are more American than the spirit of plucky pragmatism. It is in our genes, it would seem, to imagine every problem is solvable with a little determination and some out-of-the-box thinking.

We’ve explored the bottom of the oceans, walked on the moon, seen the rise of the world’s foremost economy, and invented more technological help for life’s challenges than we can keep up with.

It isn’t surprising, then, that this same attitude is often brought from the halls of commerce into the halls of our churches. When plucky pragmatism comes to rule a church, disaster soon follows.

This isn’t to say that there is no place for shrewdness in ministry. Far from it (Matthew 10:16; Luke 16:8)! It is, however, a warning against the inevitable results of putting impressive results in judgment over biblical faithfulness. When we are focused on merely getting to our goals as fast as possible, we start importing what we see working in the world. We use similar jargon, marketing, music, themes, leadership structures, business plans, etc. When those tactics don’t work, we then look around for the “nuclear options.” We split churches and denominations, plot leadership coups, launch online character assassinations, amass and spend exorbitant amounts of money until crippled by debt, and speak endlessly of the utopia just around the corner if only we are willing to implement the next radical scheme.

In short, the church begins to look a lot like Congress.

No full budget passed in 17 years, a speakership that is in chaos, partisanship that trades in a lot more heat than light. Perhaps even more concerning has been the ongoing pattern in recent years to take all of the brakes and skids out of government so that things can get put into action with slimmer majorities, tighter timelines, and less accountability.

The wild west of government isn’t working. The wild west of the church won’t work either.

When Paul wrote to Timothy, he was addressing the rise of prominent individuals who thought they could make the church succeed using the same principles that made Ephesus succeed. They wanted a shallow gospel that could fit with paganism, relaxed moral standards that would avoid conflict, leadership based on popularity, and influence derived from social hierarchies.

Paul knew they could have all these things and a massive gathering of people, it just wouldn’t be the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the church to remain the church, it was essential that pragmatism always be the servant of faithfulness.

The doctrines, or “command” of Scripture held to with unflinching faith and lived out with a good conscience is the way of the church. It is how the identity and life of the church will be preserved over time from the erosion of short-lived cultural influences. It is also how, slowly and inefficiently, the church will inexorably reach God’s intended end in His time.

Sadly, not everyone who wants to call himself a Christian is willing to submit to God’s pattern. There will always be Alexander’s and Hymenaeus’ that jump into the traces eager to move the sled, but then throw their weight to the left or right and will not pull in a straight line. Only as the church is willing to insist that straight ahead is the only direction we will travel, and be willing at times to release those who will not repent from our fellowship, will the church continue to conform to the fullness of Christ.

There’s still no better way than to trust and obey. The Lord knows, sadly, we’ve surely tried them all.