Religion or Relationship? (Video Jam)

This video jam titled "Religion or Relationship?" comes from a sermon preached by Dr. Vincent G. Artese titled "I Delight to Do Your Will O My God".

Religion places the emphasis on the external, the superficial, and removes the heart from sincere worship. True worship comes from the heart. Any heart that is refusing to allow God's Word to be written upon it is not a citizen of Heaven. If God is our Father than by relationship we are His sons and daughters. God showed His love for us through sending Christ as a sacrifice. Sacrifice means suffering. Letting go and surrendering our rights to ourselves. Superficial religion will put the weight of the problem on another and annuls the relationship. Christ is about relationship, not religion at all! He rebuked the Pharisees for their external religion. God sent Christ to restore our relationship with Him and to create a new nature within us. Our hearts and minds were once enemies with God, and cannot be restored through outward religion! Those in the flesh cannot please God. Children of the flesh are full of religion and cannot walk in a relationship with God. God will only write His law upon a new heart that has been made new through the Holy Spirit. One who desires to follow Christ as Lord must remain upon the altar and remain surrendered to Christ. One will not have joy in serving God unless they have a relationship with God. The heart must be fully given over to Christ. Will you take up your cross and follow Jesus?