Could it be true of us in the Church today, that we sometimes mess up on this most basic essential?

           The first question we really need to be confronted with this morning is:

                      Who, or what, is the object of my worship?

Worship necessarily has an object to which that worship is directed.

           Even if that object is…you.

           If we are more concerned about the time of worship,

                      the style of worship,

                      whether the pews are padded or not,

                      what time the service is over,

                      how many verses of a song are sung,

                      how long the preacher preaches,

                      what you wear to church, what others wear,

                      how those serving communion are dressed,

                      the version of the Bible that is being used,

                      if there is a spelling error in the bulletin,

                      etc,

                      than you are about focusing your attention on God,

                                 then you are the object of your own worship!

Even if you say that you don’t believe in any god at all,

           and that there is no spiritual realm at all,

                      and that you’re just living your life completely for yourself -

                                 you have an object of worship – it’s You.

Or you may have the trappings of being a follower of Jesus, but when it comes to what’s inside your heart, that love and devotion isn’t directed to God.

                      It’s directed towards your hobby,

                                 your family,

                                 your compulsion with sports,

                      Then it’s really all about you.

           What is the object of your worship this morning?

2. A System of Belief!

Every form of worship springs from a belief that there is someone or something of value, of worth, that deserves recognition from me.

           We say that it’s “worth-y.”

                      Our word “worship” even comes from a word that includes the word “worth.”

God is worthy to receive glory and honor and power.

Those who accept that truth, who reflect on that truth, have a response to that truth, that we call worship.

                      People worship what they believe deserves worship.

Here is something of value, of worth, that deserves recognition from me.

           Buy a CD or a movie, because it’s worth something to me.

                      We pay money for it.

           People love their favorites singers,

                      they buy all their CD’s,

                      go to their concerts,

                      hang their posters on the wall,

                      know their songs by heart,

                      even dress like them.

           People love their favorite actors and actresses.

                      They watch all their movies, over and over again.

                      They keep up with them in the Supermarket Tabloids or on Entertainment Tonight.

                      They hang on their every word, and think they are the most knowledgeable people ever.

                      They talk about them with their friends, as if they know them personally.

           These things, these people have worth to many people.

There are things we won’t spend money on.

           They are not worth it.

           What we choose to spend ourselves on, says a lot about what we believe.

                      Which also is an indicator of what or who we worship.

1 Corinthians 15:2-8 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

The whole reason for our worship comes back to this essential: what we believe to be true about God.

           Take that away, and we’ve lost the foundation.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Acts 15:11 We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

These are the essentials, these are the things that we believe.

           These truths, are what make the Father and the Son, worthy of our worship.

           Your intensity of worship is based on what you believe.

If you believe these essentials, then your worship of God will be exciting, joyful, enthusiastic.

                      If all of this is not that important to you, then your worship will be dull and boring.

What you get excited about, tells volumes about your belief system, and what is worthy of your worship.

3. A Resulting Lifestyle!

The character of a society, is a reflection of the God or God’s it worships.

           There is a lifestyle that results from worship.

           Everyone has a lifestyle that results from their worship.

           God wants people who worship Him, to have a resulting lifestyle.

           You say you worship God, is your lifestyle consistent with your profession?

Your lifestyle is a reflection of who or what you worship.

           People look to their favorite musician, actor, sports hero, etc,

                      and they tend to pattern their life after them.

                      They dress like them, talk like them, act like them, etc.

                                 People pattern their life after them.

If you appear here week after week,

           but fail to live like Jesus,

                      talk like Jesus,

                                 act like Jesus,

                                            be obedient to God as Jesus was,

                                                       then your worship of God is a sham.

           If you are not living your daily life as a reflection of the life of Christ,

that is being loving, forgiving, understanding, gracious, merciful, caring, compassionate, etc.

If you are not living your life according to His Truth, and standing up for His Truth, in the world.

                      Then your lifestyle, is saying that you do not worship God!

James 3:9-12 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Karl Rahner: quoted in the Wittenburg Door – “The number one cause of atheism is Christians. Those who proclaim God with their mouths and deny Him with their lifestyles is what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable.”

Don’t we want consistency in people?

           Don’t we want, what people profess, to match up with how they live?

           The world doesn’t like, and I can guarantee you that God hates, hypocrites.

                      Those who claim to worship God,

                                 but who pattern their lives after someone or something else.

For the Christian, it’s essential that our object of worship is God the Father and Jesus the Son.

           It’s essential that we believe that God the Father, that Jesus the Son, is worthy of our worship.

           It’s essential that our worship is reflected in our lifestyle, how we live everyday.

What is your object of worship?

           What’s important to you?

           What do you focus your attention on?

           What do you give your time too?

           What do you spend your money on?

           What or who are you devoted too?

           What do you talk about?

What is the system of belief that drives your life?

           What is it, that you believe, that your life is based on?

What is your lifestyle a reflection of?

During the first week of President Garfield’s term of office, a member of his cabinet insisted that he should attend the cabinet meeting, that had been called for 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.

           It was a matter dealing with a national crisis.

But President Garfield refused on the grounds that he had another appointment.

           The cabinet member insisted that he break his appointment,

                      since the meeting on Sunday was of national importance.

           Still, Garfield refused.

Then the cabinet member remarked, "I should be interested to know with whom you could have an appointment so important that it cannot be broken?"

But President Garfield replied: "I will be as frank as you are. My engagement is with the Lord, to meet him at his house, at his table, at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, and I shall be there.”

President Garfield met with the Lord’s people for worship.

           His lifestyle reflected his belief in and his worship of God.

                      Does yours?