2022 State of the Church Address | Press On
2022 State of the Church Address
“PHILIPPIANS 3:12-17 PRESS ON”
Dr. James Marocco
January 23, 2022
I. Introduction
A. Just as the President gives the State of the Union Address each year, and the governor gives the State of the State Address, each year, I give the State of the Church Address.
B. Not only do I report what God did the previous year and where we are to _____________,
but I pray that God would give me a _____________ for the church, a _____________ word for us to stand on all year.C. Last year, the word was “_____________,”
and on a personal basis, God fulfilled many of the things we prayed for, and the same goes for the _____________.1. In spite of covid and nations being closed, we ____________
in the number of extensions to ___________: 307 internationally in 18 foreign nations and 153 in the US in 21 states.2. We grew in weekly attendance, which I estimate at
around _____________.
3. We grew in the number of people that were saved and
transferred by God’s redeeming power.
4. We prayed specifically for __________ ___________________ _____________
a month to come into the U.S. church, and God graciously _____________ our people and put it on their hearts to ___________, thus answering our prayer and having over $25 million be given for the work of the Lord in 2021.5. Our staff grew in number, and so did the number of people.
6. New _____________
were bought, and the ten-acre property we bought in 2020 and the Molokai facility were both paid off and are now _____________-_____________.7. Many of our building projects moved forward, and some we are looking to moving into this year.
D. In 2021, God began the process to fulfill what He put in our hearts, and it will be concluded in the days to come.
E. That brings us to the word for this year.
1. It is a _____________.
2. It is a _____________.
3. It is a _____________.
F. The word is “DIO’KO” in the Greek language, which is used 45 times in the New Testament and translated eight different ways.
1. It is translated as “_____________”
the most times (30).2. It is translated “_____________”
the second most times (5).3. Two times, it is translated, “_________ _________ __________.”
4. It is translated only once four different ways (try, practice, go running after, follow).
5. Here in our text, it’s the word translated “________ ____”
twice.G. It means _____________
pursuing, making every effort, ________ ____ on toward the goal.II. A look at the text.
A. Checking out the context of this passage.
1. Paul is reminding them as a safeguard, things he has
said before.
2. Paul is concerned about the _____________
and, in the process, shares what he was before he became a Christian, a person with a lot of confidence in his ________ righteousness.3. When he met the _____________,
he realized all of his _____________ conceptions of religious righteousness were _____________ in comparison to knowing Christ and becoming righteous by faith in Him.4. His passion was to _____________
Christ intimately in every aspect of his life.B. Paul shares the _____________
of his life: “I press on.”1. The _____________
is ever before him.2. He realizes that he hasn’t obtained all that God has for him to _____________
and ________.3. His goal is to __________ __________
of that which God __________ __________ of him.a. The New Testament was originally written in Koine Greek, and it is hard to translate some things into the
English language.
b. Jesus revealed himself to Paul on the Damascus Road while he was on his way to persecute Christians.
c. As a result, his _____________
became two-fold, which is seen in Acts 22:14-15, “to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth.”1) To _____________
Christ.2) To be a _____________
of Christ to all people.4. The focus of his life, the __________
thing Paul did, was to ________ ____, and he wanted to continue to do so until the Lord would take him home.a. To do this, he must forget the _____________.
b. Strain toward what God has for him in the future.
C. A _____________
Christian has the same “________ ____” philosophy as Paul did.D. We all need _____________,
people that help us to see things we would not have seen without them, _____________ to follow. Paul tells them to follow him and “take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”III. God is speaking to us.
A. It is easy to _____________
what Christianity is: it is a relationship with the living Lord.B. On the Damascus Road, Paul was given a vision, a mission by Jesus.
C. God has given us a vision—we will stretch, press on, passionately pursue to see God’s church become all He wants it to be.
D. We cannot focus on our future if we allow our past to limit us.
1. Past hurts, get rid of the bitterness, forgive.
2. False fixation.
3. Other people’s expectation.
4. Past failures.
5. Past habits.
6. Past excuses.
E. The important ONE things.
1. One thing thou lack, said Jesus to a self-righteous, rich young ruler. Mark 10:21
2. One thing is needful, Jesus said to a busy Martha when she criticized Mary.
3. One thing I know, exclaimed the man who received his sight. John 9:25
4. One thing I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after. Psalm 27:4
F. Be the example to others of what God requires.
G. Press On – A CHALLENGE – Stop being lazy, stop waiting for another time, break out of your discouragement, God sees you – PRESS ON.
1. Live a PRESS ON lifestyle – You are in a race; stretch with all you’ve got to fulfill God’s will for your life.
2. A promise: If you press on, you will be rewarded.
H. What is Paul’s eye fixed on? The prize. Paul doesn’t tell us what the goal or the prize will be.
1. “Well done.” Luke 19:17
2. “The crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day.” II Timothy 4:8
3. The unending presence of the Lord. I Thessalonians 4:17
4. What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him. I Corinthians 2:9