Warrior Church Home Fellowship Study

Dr. Kevin L. Zadai 

Irresistible Faith

"I think that we need to get back to the basics of what real faith is; it is a relationship, not just a mode of operation."

~Kevin Zadai

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards
those who seek Him.
—Hebrews 11:6 ESV

DISCUSSION:
This week we will discuss something special that the Lord shared with me. He said that He finds people irresistible when they approach Him in faith, so I want to encourage you in your faith. We might not understand what faith really is, so I would like to clarify it by examining a few scriptures.

RELATIONSHIP-BASED TRUST
When I was with Jesus, as well as when I studied both the Old and New Testament scriptures, I discovered that faith in the Old Testament actually means trust. The emphasis is different than what we hear today. We must get back to understanding faith as a trusting relationship with God, rather than convincing Him to give us what we're believing for. This shift in emphasis may seem subtle, but in reality, it is very deceptive. In Heaven and the scriptures, I saw that we are never supposed to manipulate God into doing something for us. He has already provided all that we need (2 Peter 1:3–4); therefore, faith is coming into agreement with Him. Eventually, we will establish a track with Him, creating an unbreakable trust.

All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
—Hebrews 11:13–16 NLT

Abraham had a relationship with God that was based on trust. He received the promises of God and was known as one who had great faith (Hebrews 11:8–12, 17– 19). The book of Hebrews gives examples of different people who had faith in God's promises. Some died without seeing the fulfillment, yet they never wavered in faith. Some who looked forward to seeing the Messiah in their lifetime never did, yet they believed in Him and did their part. Many in the Old Testament didn't see the end of their faith and ours, which we know is Jesus Christ, the Messiah (Hebrews 12:2). Faith is not necessarily believing for certain things; it is trusting in God. These days, we see an overemphasis on material things because most cultures promote selfishness worldwide. They are influenced by the spirit of this world— satan—who is in control for now (2 Corinthians 4:4).

So then, forsake your worries! Why would you say, "What will we eat?" or "What will we drink?" or "What will we wear?" For that is what the unbelievers chase after. Doesn't your heavenly Father already know the things your bodies require? So above all, constantly chase after the realm of God's kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from Him. Then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly.
—Matthew 6:31–33 TPT

If we seek God's face, look to Him, and desire to know Him, Jesus promises that every other need will also be provided (Matthew 6:33). We should not seek after clothes and food. Jesus said that your Heavenly Father gives you everything that you need. The birds and the flowers don't work for their provision; it's given to them (Matthew 6:25–30). Jesus essentially said, "You are greater and worth far more than the animals and plants." We need to get back to the basics of genuine faith; it is a relationship, not just a mode of operation.

o Discuss what it means to have true faith.

YOU CAN'T MANIPULATE GOD
We should not come to God as the rich young ruler did, who listed all his accomplishments (Matthew 19:16–22; Mark 10:17–22). He told Jesus he had kept the law since childhood before asking what else he lacked. You see, he was very confident because of his riches. This was no different than worshipping idols; He was worshipping himself, which was self-idolatry. If you think about it, he was promoting himself to Jesus. You don't tell God that you have been perfect since childhood. So Jesus just pulled on one little thread that unraveled him completely. He instructed him to give up what he depended upon—his riches. He basically said, "Just give it up and come follow Me." Jesus responded to the young man this way because He loved him and saw that he didn't have faith. He trusted in the law—in being good and doing certain works, which is religion. We are not supposed to trust in our own works. Jesus exemplified and taught trusting God, which is what we are to do.

Hebrews 11:6 states that without faith, it's impossible to please God. Whoever wants to draw near to God must believe He exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him. So there you have it. Seeking God is not a mode of operation. Although fasting and giving offerings are good, your motive should never be to get something from God. You are not supposed to give tithes or offerings so that God will pay you back; that is a self-seeking cultural ideology. In the Scripture, we know that we will reap what we have sown, which is part of the kingdom (Galatians 6:7–8). However, we are supposed to give because we love God and have a trusting relationship with Him.
We must believe He is the One who provides us with the power to obtain wealth and produces the reward, not us.

We should never try to initiate God to move through our works; we are supposed to trust Him and allow Him to work through us. In other words, developing a relationship with God builds a track record of trust. I want to emphasize that He rewards us for our diligence in seeking Him; however, in that seeking, we should pursue Him personally, not His material things. We should seek the Person of God and His ways in order to know Him, which causes everything else to come together in our life (Matthew 6:33). This is the proper order that must be restored in the body of Christ.  

FAITH IS FROM YOUR HEART, NOT YOUR HEAD
So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast in the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them."
—Mark 11:22–24

Warrior Church Home Fellowship Study

Dr. Kevin L. Zadai 

Mark 11:22–24 is profound. Did you notice the verse emphasizes that believing is from the heart, not the head? After Jesus charges us to have faith in God, He says that whoever doesn't doubt in their heart, but believes what they speak with their mouth, shall have it. There you have it: heartfelt trust is about relationship, rather than head-knowledge.

If you have money in your bank account, you can go to the bank and make a withdrawal. That is an example of receiving based on head knowledge because the bank is impersonal. You may or may not know the person who will help you with your transaction. You may be familiar with the branch manager, yet your interaction is still part of a banking system. You can access the money by making a transaction if it is available. The individual who assisted you with your deposit may not be the same person who helps with your withdrawal. My point is that it's impersonal—it's a system. Many people view God this same way. They may determine to give a certain amount in the offering, expecting a 100-fold return. They might think they have a relationship with the Lord, but may be operating systematically without even knowing it.

These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

—Matthew 15:8

You may be worshipping God with head knowledge without realizing your heart is not engaged with Him. Jesus was always emphasizing the importance of the heart. Faith is of the heart; it is more than just trusting in the system. With God, you can't just trust in a mode of operation. When I give in the offering, I am worshipping God. Although I am also sowing, I don't give with the motive of getting something back. As I give, I am honoring and loving God in a relationship of trust; this means I can't buy Him. I understand I couldn't do anything to make Him like me more. When we sow into our relationship with God in the area of trust, we supernaturally participate in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3–4).

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

—Hebrews 11:1

SUBSTANCE THAT STARTS IN THE SPIRIT REALM

The kind of faith that Jesus and the apostles taught was based on trust and relationship, not a system. Over the years, I've noticed that teachings on faith and the covenant have become impersonal. I realized the reason why we're not seeing results and answers to prayer is that we have gotten off track and didn't know it. The course correction is found in Hebrews 11:1, which states that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. At first, you cannot see the evidence of your faith in the physical realm, but it is very real in the realm of the spirit. The spiritual realm is where you partake of it by trusting God.

Faith is a real substance; it's a title deed for something you cannot yet see.

• For example, even if you haven't seen a house you closed on, you know it belongs to you because you have the title deed.

• If you have the deed for something, then it exists. Faith is that title deed.

• The only way you could obtain the deed is if it were purchased. The transaction of faith has been made because of the covenant. It is the will of God; you have it because of your relationship with God.

• Faith is trusting that if God says it, it is yours. This doesn't mean an entity like a bank does not keep its word. The difference is that faith is based on trust in a relationship with a Person—God Himself.

• Romans 4:3 states that it was credited to Abraham as righteousness because he believed God. The word for believed is trusted, which means he had a relationship where he knew the Person personally.

Ask yourself if you are really operating in a heartfelt faith that causes you to be irresistible to God, or are you trying to convince yourself mentally. Are you trying to convince others of something? I did this for a long time and didn't know it; I was just taught wrong. I believe that those who have been teaching faith wrong didn't realize they were off. Whether or not it was intentional, the body of Christ has gotten off course, and God was to align us with the truth. God wants a relationship with us. He wants us to come up to His mountain just like He wanted His people to meet with Him in the Old Testament. He invited them to meet with him, and they wouldn't, so He was hurt (Exodus 19:1–25; 2:18–21). Moses and Joshua met with the Lord, but that was not His perfect will; He wanted to meet with all His people.

God called Moses, Abraham, and David His friends (Exodus 33:11; Isaiah 41:8; 1 Samuel 13:14). Why? Because they all had a relationship with Him. That's what I want for you. I pray that you switch from your head down into your heart so that you may start to have heartfelt trust and faith in God. Out of that place of trust, believe for mountains to be removed (Mark 11:23).

PRAYER:

Father, in the name of Jesus, thank You for my family all over the world. Thank You, Lord, for helping us to learn to trust You and the Holy Spirit. I pray for all the provision that is needed and thank You for it in advance. I ask You, Lord, to do miracles, signs, and wonders in my family all over the world. We are thankful that You are a miracle-working God and that You're working wonders and miracles in the areas of supernatural healing, provision, deliverance, and understanding, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

1. Matthew 6:33 teaches that if we seek God's face and want to know Him, everything else we need will be added. Discuss how genuine faith works.

2. The body of Christ has gotten off track concerning faith. What is the difference between making a transaction and true heartfelt faith, according to Hebrews 11:6?

3. Are you operating in heartfelt faith that causes you to be irresistible to God or trying to convince yourself mentally? 

4. Hebrews 11:1 expresses that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of what is unseen. Discuss how faith is a title deed.

5. Discuss how we can cultivate heartfelt trust with God and shift from head knowledge to true faith.