The key phrase to this message is "When Israel was strong, they did not drive them out."

1. March 28, 2010 Praise God anyway! He is worthy!

2. Judges 1 1-2 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand. Send Judah first, And the battle shall be won.

3. As we learned Sunday night, Judah means praise or celebration . Psalms 100 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name. Send Judah first, And the battle shall be won.

4. Hebrews 13 15 By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His Name. Some have believed and taught that praise and worship must be compelled by the Holy Spirit; That's simply not true! We are commanded to offer praise to God.

5. That which it taken or compelled is not an offering . Psalms 119 108 Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me Thy Judgments. God doesn't want us to be a puppets on a string.

6. 1 Chronicles 28 9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve (work and worship) Him with a perfect ( complete ) heart and with a willing mind : for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off forever. God desires our love , freely given. When we love Him with our whole heart, we will freely worship Him and serve Him.

7. Some would say, "Wait until you feel it." As long as we live by our feelings , We will do much wrong, And do very little that is right.

8. Psalms 150 2 Praise Him for His mighty acts: praise Him according to His excellent greatness. According to God's Goodness and Mercy.

9. Psalms 42 (NIV) 4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God , with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng . David knew how to go to church. God's Goodness

10. 3 And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.

11. John 15 12 (Jesus) This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Romans 12 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; Galatians 5 13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

12. Just as the Tribe of Judah called on the Tribe of Simeon to help with the battle: We must call on one another for help. Just as Simeon readily went with Judah, We must be always ready to respond to a call for help.

13. We are all one family, The family of God.

14. No lone wolves in this family. This is the church age . All that the Lord wants to do , He does through the church .

15. 1 Corinthians 12 13-14 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. 1 Corinthians 12 21-22 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

16. The apostles were always part of a church . They went over the world establishing churches . The local churches are all part of the universal church. Each church has its role in fulfilling God's Will. Universal church

17. Whether large or small, each church has a specific purpose in the Plan of God. We are not in competition with one another. We are all part of the same body.

18. Rather than competing, God's Plan is that we work together to accomplish His Will on earth.

19. God does not call men and women to work outside the church, and certainly not against it. To see God's Will done in our local church, And the Will of God accomplished in the world. We must each do our part to have a church that is doing the Will of God . No you

20. Men's Fellowship and Meeting Saturday Morning, May 8 8:00 at Dinner Bell in Flintstone March 28, 2010