I know what you’re thinking: how can this be, God not wanting religion? Doesn’t he want a group of people to worship Him over everyone and everything else on this planet, and isn’t that a simplified definition of a religion?

According to Pastor Brian Classen of First Baptist Church of Warrensburg, MO, it goes so much deeper than religion.

One of the key ways Classen engages his congregation is to ask thought-provoking rhetorical questions, and one of the first questions he asked was, “Have you ever created your own plan and asked God to bless it?” During the service, I remember thinking, Well I’m sure I have multiple times. What’s the big deal?

He then reads 1 Samuel 4:1-11, 15-22. This is the story of how the Philistines stole the Covenant Box from the Israelites. This is the Covenant of God, so of course the Israelites were bound to freak out. But Eli drops dead at age 98 and his daughter-in-law went into sudden labor and named the child Ichabod. All because a box was stolen. In verse 22, the new mother says “God’s glory has left Israel, because God’s Covenant Box has been captured.” The Philistines end up defeating the Israelites.

So they made a big deal about a box? Wouldn’t you do the same, especially if it was the Covenant of God? Classen says no we shouldn’t look at it like that. He says “the Israelites thought God would be on their side [during the battle] only because they had the Covenant Box.”

This is when Classen says the Israelites fell into the sand trap of religion, and we do the same thing in our own lives.

Classen says what God wants more than anything is for us to have a deep and meaningful relationship with Him, not a ritualistic religion. You might be thinking Whoa this is crazy, organized and ritualistic religions have been around since God’s Creation essentially, and now he’s saying no way to it?

Well, not quite. The rituals are good, and God does see them as a way to honor and worship Him. But what Classen emphasizes (not only in this sermon, but in practically every sermon he gives) is that if your relationship with God doesn’t go deeper than the rituals you do in church, then it means nothing to God. He wants something deeper and personal, a private relationship with you. A relationship where you go to Him with all of your struggles, heartbreak, praise, and exciting news (that He already knew about)!

For those of you struggling with the concepts surrounding organized religion, trust me, I’ve been there. I once belonged to a different church, and by the time I was finishing high school, all I saw were rituals. I knew deep down God wanted more from me than the rituals and simply showing up at church. Once I found that personal relationship with God, I found myself enjoying church and hoping my heart and mind up to learn more about Him.

This is what Classen sees as well; so many people are like me and walk away from God because they don’t agree with the religion. He summarized the problem best when he said “If you are trying to follow a religion (without a relationship, you are going to be frustrated, disappointed, and ultimately angry at God...the answer isn’t church but it’s Jesus!”

So what are some differences between religion and relationship? And how do we know which one our heart is pulling towards? Here are two powerful quotes from Classen on the difference between religion and relationship:

“Religion has us making the plans and asking God to bless them, but a relationship wants God to lead the plans He has in store for us.”

“Religion finds power in the rituals, while relationships finds power in God alone.”

Classen also says there are two ways to figure out if your heart is leaning towards religion and not a relationship: you are focused on the right rituals and not the right lifestyle; and you focus on what you get, not the Giver.

This is why God says “no thank you” to religion. It’s not as personal and meaningful as a relationship is, which is what He wants with each one of us. He sees so many of His children walking away from Him because they don’t agree with the rituals, or they think that’s all that He is about. But He’s crying out to us, pleading with us to get to know Him more personally. Your Bible is the best place to go to start forming this relationship. He speaks to us best through His Word. So open your heart, your mind, and your Bible, and let Him tell you what He wants you to know.

It will take time to change your habits, but give God your time and your attention. It doesn’t necessarily mean going to church. But it doesn’t have to mean you have to run from church either. Let God tell you where you should go, what you should do, and who you should go to. Your heart will change, and you will feel your love for God and His people grow as your relationship with Him grows.

“If they pray to me and repent and turn away from the evil they have been doing, then I will hear them in heaven, forgive their sins, and make their land prosperous again.” - 2 Chronicles 7:14