THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF PILGRIM
It is with great expectancy that we share with you our primary purpose of planting Pilgrim Christian Center. Sarah and I have entered a period of our lives where the need for making disciples for the kingdom of God is overwhelming. However, it’s saddening to note, that in this period, the main thing of the gospel, which I called “people business” is no longer the main thing, but secondary thing in some segments of the Christian community. People business was the main peak in what I called the “inaugural address” of Jesus recorded in Luke 4:18-19.
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In this address, Jesus defied the Pharisees and announced the main purpose of the gospel. He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” No doubt the focus of this inaugural address, as I see it, through the lenses of the Holy Spirit is people business—lives being transformed and life being lived to the full.
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Through the writing of an author; Jesus did not mention he was anointed to speak in tongues, or to have prophetic revival, or to build wealth. He says nothing about sowing seeds to get God’s blessings. None of these is included in Luke 4:18-19. He said, however, these things in themselves are not bad.
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In fact, speaking in tongue helps deepen our relationship with God in the spirit. Prophesies are words from God, and money is needed to conduct ministry. Nonetheless, they are not the focus of the anointing of the Spirit, at least as seen in Luke 4:18-19. They are, in his opinion meant to be secondary to people. Instead, they are being made the main thing or focus points of the gospel in our today’s generation by many. As a consequent, the church of Jesus Christ is becoming “wealth focus” rather than “people focus.”
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So, we believe and feel that all is not lost. There are still the faithful few who are focus on the main thing—people business. We want to join them to strengthen the church for which Christ shades his precious blood on Calvary by focusing on that main thing, people business. That is why we are convinced that the Holy Spirit has led us to plant a church with holistic vision—a vision that would focus on transformation of lives both spiritually and physically in the Twin Cities areas of Minnesota and beyond.
WHY WAS PILGRIM ESTABLISHED?
Pilgrim has been established to do mission. Someone wrote, “Mission is the meaning of the church.” The church can exist only insofar as it is in mission, insofar as it participates in the act of Christ, (bringing people into God’s Kingdom) which is mission. The church becomes the mission, the living outreach of God into the world. Without this mission, there would be no church. Pilgrim agrees and does desire to be a mission church. Hence, we embrace leading people to Christ, serving humanity, and transforming lives so that they may reach their world for Christ as our missional calling.