#248: Living Dangerously

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Thanks for listening to the Revival Today podcast with Evangelist Adolis Shuttlesworth. To stay connected, check us out on Facebook and Instagram or online at revivaltoday.com. Now, here's Evangelist Adolis.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

Hello, everybody. It's been such a long time. It's your girl, and hey, we still have a podcast. And um today's title for this podcast is Max around? Because I think she would really she's in class and she's coming on later. Coming on for the women's thing?

unknown 0:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

Gay. Um, but if Max was here, I would like to kind of like um, you know, get her opinion on these things. But today's message, and it's one that I want you to understand with Clarity here today. Okay. It's called living dangerously. Because this is what I want you to do. In this year of 2026, it's so important for you to leave your comfort zone and and do what God tells you to do. And so I was uh reading, of course, um the story of the Israelites yesterday with Cam during devotions, and I uh I just began to have this thing kind of like unravel on the inside of me. And um it's found in numbers 14. And I want you to see it. Is this a good okay, numbers 14? How's everybody doing? If you have not yet joined our mentorship program, I want you to do so. It is absolutely free of charge. Uh we uh it's it's it's a women's mentorship program, and so you the the qualifications are you gotta be a woman. Uh, but we talk about we do like deep dives on um, you know, being a good mom, being a good wife, being a good daughter, all that kind of stuff. So um it's it's it's free to join again. I I know I said that, but it's worth repeating. This print is so big, geez. Okay, let's start it here because I want you guys to see something, and it's kind of like opened um this dialogue within myself. If I could ever get this page to open, that'd be fantastic. Okay, 14.1. And the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night, and all the children of Ismer Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole congregation. I'm I'm I'm I'm painting you a picture for those of you the guys that are not very well versed in in uh the word of God. Uh God himself promised his people, Israel, uh a land. And uh this land was called the promised land. And when they traveled out of Egypt, supernaturally God sustained them. And they he they they he led the people by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night. He parted the Red Sea, had them walk on dry ground, and literally devoured every enemy. Okay. So I I'm trying to paint you a picture because there's history here. All right. So if God says he's a do something, he's gonna do it, you know, and uh most of the time, even though we have a uh data, even though we have uh a collection of things that he has done for us and has come through for us, there's still that ability to navigate back to that old mindset. And this is uh a key example of this happening. It's like these people, they've undergone such crazy things, they've witnessed the miraculous, and God said it's time to take over the land. Now go, go, go and take it, go. Have you ever had like a pressing word from God Himself? And if you haven't, I want you to just, I want you to believe for one this year. Because that's that's there's nothing like living for God. And I know we all talk about being a good Christian boy and girl and and about watching the right things and doing the right things and speaking forth words that are good and positive and aligned with the word of God. Those are all fundamentals, but then there's this upper echelon of living that is absolutely thrilling, and only if you ever get there, because only if you ever dare to believe God for everything. I'd like to know when we get into heaven, how many things are left undone that God actually had planned for you and believed for you to do, but because of fear, because of comfort zone, because of laziness, because of whatever it is, you left it. You left it there unopened. I don't want to be that person. Like I'm telling you right now, if if if there's a series of gifts for me placed at a table and they were all mine, I'ma open every last one of those gifts up. But most people don't. Most people don't. Most people will just be okay with certain little bits. Oh, this is good enough for me. Listen, if it's if it's if it if it's something that God has in store for me, if it's something that God has planned for my life, why would I leave those things untouched? I want all God has for me. And so begins the the life of faith. And the life of faith doesn't look like what you think it looks like. See, nothing in the Bible actually uh works the way we think things work. It actually works counter what we know things uh to be in the natural sense. You know, it doesn't make sense that if you're lacking, that you're supposed to give. But that's one of the biblical principles that we live by. This ministry lives by that principle. That if there isn't it, if it's if it's not enough to meet the need, then it's a seed. Well, that doesn't really make sense to the logical uh natural mind apart from God because the natural mind is just wanting so desperately to survive. You don't want to thrive, you just want to make it. It's this animalistic tendency to just do uh uh enough to maintain and survive. It's gonna be if it's if it's okay, if me and my family are just getting by, that's enough for me. But that's counter what the word of God has in store for us. Because the word of God actually declares that we are to clothe the naked, that we are to feed the hungry. See, there's gotta be a surplus, there's gotta be an individual that dares to believe God for the increase, dares to believe God for more. But most people live in this cute little safety net, and therein lies the problem. Therein lies the problem to boring plateau living. If if you're okay with it, God's okay with it. That's that's the thing, too. You know, God's not gonna coerce you, God's not gonna fight you on these things. Whatever you think, whatever you allow, he allows. Whatever you forbid, he forbids. But I'm telling you, once you start reading the word of God, he's gonna start provoking you to do something that goes far beyond your reach, that you're gonna need the help of God. You're gonna need his arm to intervene and say, hey, take that from me, and I'll believe you. I'll, I'll, I'll, I'll wrap my faith around that thing, which is called, you know, uh expectation. I'm gonna have an expectation that you've got more in store for me. And and and too many people, they live well below the means that God has given them to live. They they live far below the the supernatural ability that God has given us, the dominion, the authority. And that kind of life is a cute life. It's a cute, glorious. It's glorious with Mama Kathy. Keeps your beverage hot. So here's the thing I want you to live dangerously, and I I I don't misinterpret that, okay? I'm not saying for you to jump off a cliff, I'm not saying for you to jump off a 20-story building, you're gonna die. You're gonna break some ribs, you know. I'm I'm I'm saying live intentionally, live the way God wants you to live. And and here's this story, and God is saying, now's the time. I want you to go and conquer. And these people, these, these, these 12 spies were sent in for 40 days to spy on the land, to check it out. So now they're submerged in in what could be the potential of their new homes, uh uh, their new uh place, their new land, their new territory. And they're looking around and they're like, this place is just too good to be true. Look at these grapes, look at this fruit, look at all the the the pastures and the animals. It's insane what what God has has given us here. And so they come back and they have the balls, sorry, they have the audacity to come and report to the people that they can't take it, that the that the enemies are too big, that the the giants are too strong, and they think that we're but grasshoppers, which was not at all the case. They actually, the Bible says later um in Numbers that Rahab said their their hearts are melting within them. That means we're scared to death about you and your God because we know he showed up for you time and time again. And here we are, yet again, going through this nonsense because people are too scared, they're they're too comfortable with where they're at. And so the whole congregation starts rising up with these 10 idiots, then they start, you know, mourning. Why didn't we just go back to Egypt? And then they start start conspiring against Joshua and Caleb and Moses and Aaron. But mostly Joshua and Caleb at the in in this chapter 14, it's like these two had the uh a good report, so let's let's let's try to destroy them because they're not following the narrative here and they're ruining it for everybody. And so the Bible says that God that provoked God's anger, God's wrath. To the point where he's like, okay, I'm gonna smite every single last one of you. Uh Moses, come over here. I'm gonna start this whole new thing. It was like a Noah experience. No, I'm gonna start this whole new thing and I'm gonna start it with you. And Moses is like, no, no, no, no, no, no. You've got a reputation, God. You you gotta you've gotta be merciful to these people of yours. I know that you've grown tired of hearing their complaints. See, because when you complain and you're bickering about life and your inability to grow and do more, you're actually coming against the God that you serve. You're actually speaking against him because it's not God's fault that those things are happening. In fact, he's told you to do the opposite. He's told you to embody faith, he's told you to walk it out in strength and dominion and authority. He's given us everything pertaining to life and godliness. We lack no good thing. All power, all authority, that it's been now handed, delegated to you and I. How fantastic is that! But we we we don't live like we have that kind of authority or that power or that strength. And so therein lies the problem. When we don't see it, then we have the audacity to start talking against God and saying, I don't know, this is happening, and I just it's just a really tough time, and I'm just really tired, and this and the other. And so look at look what happens. So, you know, Moses is like, listen, you you talked about being long-suffering, bro. You talked about being a loving God, don't ruin your reputation. The whole world's looking at us right now, and if you destroy your people out here in the wilderness, it's gonna speak more uh towards you than it is your congregation, your people, have mercy. And he's like, You're right, you're right, Moses. That's why you're in charge. Can you imagine? You you're you're you're talking, you're changing God's mind. I mean, Moses had it going on, okay? He just said talking some sense into God because God is so angry right now, he's so fed up with these people. It's like I've literally given you, he was probably twitching, you know. I'm like, I've supernaturally sustained you, and you have the audacity to say that you can't go into this, this little territory. I literally made you walk on dry ground, parting the sea. I've sustained you supernaturally with water and and and and and food to eat. I've I've I I mean, maybe the pillar of fire at night would be a sign and a wonder. I don't know. No, not good enough. Oh my gosh, what else can I do? But here it is. And so what happens later on in the chapter, we see that God speaks to his congregation, he speaks to his people, and he says, Listen, anybody over 20, you're never gonna see the promised land. Because as it was that you confess, as the 40 days uh that you went wandered in the wilderness and then had the audacity to bring an evil report, that's how long you're gonna be walking. One day for one year, or uh one year for one day of all that nonsense that you just put me through. And you will die in the wilderness, like you've you've you've said, because that's what y'all deserve. And then here's the thing, and this is what stood out to me. This is what stood out to me. Um Moses had to convince God's people to not go back into the promised land. That was that's why I'm like, you need to start living dangerously. You need to start doing something with your life. You need to start being bold and daring and getting out of your comfort zone and living dangerously. But really, the the fact is that we we we coined that term uh danger as something that's going to be um uh risky and and something that could cause bodily harm or any kind of harm, but really not doing God's will is what's living in the danger zone. And so we kind of have to reconstruct that, you know, a little bit because it's it's it's never worth you playing it safe. Just do what God tells you to do, nothing more, nothing less. And I'm telling you, you're gonna thrive, you're gonna live a life that's worth living. But here we see um in in verses 40 that the people rose up early in the morning and they got themselves on the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and we will go up into the place which the Lord hath promised, for we have sinned. Okay, so here it is. This is the amplified. This is the King James Version. I have no idea why I'm reading the King James Version, but here we are. For we have sinned. Look at verse 41. But Moses said, Why now do you transgress the commands of the Lord to turn back by the way of the Red Sea, since it will not succeed? Go not up, for the Lord is not among you, that you will not be struck down before your enemies. And here's the thing: they were like, Oh crap, we don't want the bad news. We don't want that reality to set in that, oh my gosh, we are now paying for the very things that we've kind of like uh done. You know, we've we've spread an evil report because that's what the Bible says. It wasn't a bad report, it was an evil report. It was uh uh it was a report that was against the word of God, it was full of unbelief, it was full of defeat, right? And so God said that was an evil report. Anybody that's gonna believe that evil report will die by that evil report. And now they're coming to the realization that God means business. And uh-oh, we missed it. And there is no way now we we can go back. So, you know what, we're gonna go take it. If God said it, and now you've got these people that are faking it, and they're they're no, if God said that we could do it now, now's the time to do it. And now Moses was like, no, baby, that's that's not how it works. That's not how it works. And see, here's the thing when it comes to God telling you to do something, do it quickly. See, we think that God is is is gonna wait around for us to get our acts together. No, that's not accurate, and I know that's counter what everybody tells you because they say God is our friend and he's so merciful, and if you miss it, God will redeem the times. Yeah, he might redeem the times, but will he redeem it to the point where it, you know, when he called you the first time, it's gonna be just as effective? Or, you know, I I just wish people wouldn't be so lax concerning the voice of God for their lives. I wish that people would take it and and and and do it and run with it quickly. Because here's the thing when God tells you to do something, and I know this for myself, when I feel to help an individual, it's happened to me more than a dozen times in in the last 20 years of ministry. When God tells me to help somebody and they don't they don't receive it, or they don't like let's say um I feel to help somebody, um, I feel to pay for somebody's Bible college or whatever. So I say, hey, if you if you sign up for that Bible school, I will pay for it. I will pay for for your whole ride if you go in there. Well, I I just want to finish my nursing degree. It's like, okay, well, all right. And then three, four, five years down the line, after they're all said and done and still miserable, nothing's panned out in the nursing fields because all they wanted to do was please their mommy and daddies, they come back and say, Do you think that's that you you can you can pay for that? And be like, absolutely not. The grace has lifted, and it happens all the time. So for me as an individual, how much more for God? You know, God sets us up with these moments, these, these, these, these specific, incredible moments where once that opportunity is there, it's not gonna come back. So you gotta seize the opportunity and run to it because that's where the grace of God is, that's where the favor of God is, that's where the power and strength of God is. It's in that moment, in that yes of obedience, where all of a sudden the momentum begins. And then what most people do is they sit on it and say, Well, let me just figure it out in my own strength. And then they they they they suffer the consequences of doing it later in life, and then it's just like this uphill battle. And that's what we're experiencing in in Numbers 14, where Moses is like, don't do that. What are you doing? Like, don't you understand? Like, that's not that's you're now you're you're fighting against God. Like before he was behind you, now he's against you. There's a big difference. And disobedience will always will always do that. Disobedience will always get you to a place where you miss it. And there's no there's no time to miss it. That's why if we're gonna live dangerously, do it. Just take God out of his word. If he tells you to give that amount, give it. It's really risky. It's risky not to do it. Because you risk having to to to toil and and and and and be, you know, run around in circles. Jeez, like look at the map of what the what where they were going for 40 years, for zero, for 40 days. So here's the first thing I want you to see. Number one, comfort will never ever produce the promises of God. Every person that's had something fantastic happen to them in the Bible, they always had to leave um their comfort zone. They always had to do something that was difficult, that was um out of their comfort zone. And Hebrews 11, 8 says, By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he could receive as an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing where he was going. I mean, to leave your family, to leave what's what's what's what's uh you know what's comfortable and to start a whole new life. That takes some guts. And you know what? I'm sure there was a lot of people trying to tell him, like, don't do that. You got too much much to risk. Aren't you trying to get pregnant? Like, it's better if you just like you know, lay low here for a second. Why don't you just try to start your family here and then do what God tells you to do? But he did, God spoke, and all of a sudden it was done. And that was one of the things that was was was was so amazing about Abraham. Whenever God said to do something, he just immediately did it. And he received the promises by faith, and it was done to Him. That's what the Bible says. So that's what we've got to do. We have to leave what's familiar and cling on to what God tells us to do. And at times we don't fully understand it. That's okay. There's a lot of times where God says, do this, do that. We don't fully understand it, but we do it anyway. Because we we are we are uh bold enough to understand. Now I don't even know if it's bold, but dangerous enough to take that risk and say, you know what? If I miss it, I miss it. But but if I miss it, at least I'm moving forward. At least we're going in the upper trajection. We're not continuing to do and uh uh stay small and do the same things we've done uh last year. And so I remember it was like back in 2008 or 2009, Jonathan was like, we're never gonna have a worse last year. Like we're always gonna start being intentional. And at the beginning of the year, we're gonna believe God for the increase, we're gonna believe God for direction, and we're just gonna do it. And at times it was just as simple as getting a camera and doing a podcast or uh recording our meetings or, you know, uh uh getting a pamphlet, writing a book, whatever it might be. But it was always on the path to growth. And so uh I want you to understand sometimes it's gonna require you to deplete your entire bank account. We had at that time$250,$300 when God called us to buy a camera. And I was like, well, the nice ones, if we want a nice camera, it's gonna cost us, it's gonna set us back$500,$1,000 after it's all said and done. And I got$1,000 in the mail. So now we had$1,250 to work with. And you know what I did? I spent it all on the equipment. Logically, I'm like, oh, we could, you know, I'm I'm I I need my cell phone needs to be paid, I need this to be paid. But I made a uh I made a covenant with God. I I I petitioned, like if I wanna, if I wanna increase, then then tell me what to do and I'll do it. Could you imagine if I took that money and I spent it on shoes? You miss it. And here's the thing: many people will pray for the will of God, but they refuse to leave that safe place. And then when you refuse to leave that safe place, you'll never get to where God wants you to be. It's not rocket science. This is not something that like requires a lot of faith to understand. If you don't leave the comfort of your whatever it is, to venture off into uncharted territory, then you're not gonna enjoy the increase. You're not gonna enjoy the the potential blessing that lies in front of you. Number two, the promised land is always conquered by somebody that's willing. See, here's the thing. When we step into this dangerous life, I want you to understand that you're not alone. So God will always back his word up, and that's what's so glorious. When, see, I know when I hear God's word, and and when I hear God's word, when I hear God's voice, I understand that there's fruit that's gonna come about it. Maybe not right away, but that's where I have so fine-tuned my my hearing with God, and I've so operated in this in this realm of living dangerously and outside of our comfort zone that now when I hear his voice, I know it's it's undoubtedly gonna be the next best thing. It's gonna usher us into a greater blessing, it's gonna usher us into great victories and surplus. And that's the point. We've got to come to a place where we understand when I'm going out into these places, I have to be willing enough to understand that I'm not doing this alone. And when I am willing to partner up with God, that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm partnering with Him, I'm willing to do it your way. See, that takes a lot of faith. That takes a lot of submission and being humble and meek to have to throw your plan out and saying, God, I'm willing. And that's what the Bible says. If you're willing and obedient, I'll make you eat the good of the lamb. So I have to be willing enough to partner up with God and say, take me by the hand, because we're gonna do this together. But when I step out into these places, it's not that I'm doing it by myself. I know that God is backing me. And so uh I want you to understand that the Israelites, they had God's backing every step of the way. Why in this one circumstance would God have would uh would God leave them high and dry? He wouldn't have. And that's what ticked him off so much. It's like I've proven myself over and over to you. Why would I leave you right now? Why would you doubt me? Why would you doubt my integrity? And so therein lies the problem. You know, you gotta understand that when God opens a door, you have to go through it. And and you're doing it, and you've gotta be able to uh distinguish or or discern the signs of the times and say, listen, as as as difficult as this might be, as much as this as this might require of me, I know that in the long run, this is where it's gonna head, this is where the blessing is gonna stem from. So I've got to reach, I gotta, I gotta do everything I can to reach for that and understand that God is backing me up. And so in living that dangerous life, you've got to also understand that you're not doing it without the the safeguard of God's protection and and God's um uh power and his sustaining ability. You know, so many people are like, well, if I do this, I don't know how God's gonna like provide. It's not up to you to decide that. He does that all by himself. And I'm telling you, people that have heard from God that have moved to to go to the Bible school here, it's like God supernaturally sustains them. And that's the point. And every move we've ever made, God has supernaturally sustained us. In fact, when Mags and Abel were moving here, they had no connections. He had a construction company, and and when you spearhead a company, like you know, you are you are uh you're tied to your client list, right? It's like these are the people, this is my bread and butter. And now I'm moving to a completely different state. I don't have any family apart from me and Jonathan, but we don't have any connections like that because we traveled. Um so he's moving into this new place, uncharted territory, and logistically it's a nightmare. But when they move there, all of a sudden there was one connection, which led to two connections, which led to another connection, and now they're thriving. Why? Because they obeyed that still small voice. And it's not up to them to try to figure out all of those things, it's up to them to just believe for it. God didn't say you have to pay for it, he just said that you had to believe for it.

unknown 29:13

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 29:14

That's what um Jesse Duplata said. And so that the what when God takes you into increase and takes you into these new places, you think, well, how am I gonna do this? How am I gonna pay for it? Who's gonna do this? Who's gonna take care of me? God is the one that sustained you, God is the one that partners up with you. Stupid. Number three, this dangerous faith is what unlocks the supernatural. Matthew 14, 29 says, so he said, Come. And when Peter had come out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. Understand that there was other disciples there, and they heard that word too. But there was only one person that was gutsy enough to take Jesus at his word, and that's the rock that God built his church on. Petrus. Peter. And uh he was he was bold enough to see that miracle manifest. And why is it? Because he took God at his word, and so I want you to see that. You are never gonna experience a miraculous, uh, the miraculous by by playing it safe. You are never going to see the the supernatural abundance of God by staying in the boat and just watching. See, I don't want to be the person that's watching these things happening all around. I want to be right there in the middle. And that's what I've been praying that for years and years. Like, God, don't let me be on the sidelines. I want to be in the game. Put me in the game, coach. But if if I'm gonna be in the game, then I've gotta, I've gotta make sure that I'm elevated. I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm working out, that I'm physically fit, that I'm I'm uh of a sound mind, that I've got the right focus, that I've got the right energy, that I've got the the right sustenance, that I've that I've pre-qualified. You know, I've I've I've studied the playbook. I'm doing what he tells me to do. See, you can you can you can uh put yourself in a different kind of level where you're the person, you're the go-to person. It's like, okay, say whatever you want about this team, but this person is a star player, and if we've got them on our team, we are bound for success. You know, I want God to look at me like that. And it starts with you being bold enough to take him at his word and just doing it. And you know what? It might start as something so stupid. Like, you know, sew your shoes. Those are shoes, those shoes are precious. Sew that ring. You know, give it to that person that that you know, your one co-worker's talking about he doesn't have enough to, he's a young kid, wants to get married, doesn't have enough for a ring, and you got two, and this was just really precious. So, you know, I don't I don't know what that's gonna look like to you, but but just do what he tells you to do. And then therein begins the the the path of a beautiful life, where it's like, oh, if if I could trust you with the little, then I could trust you with the big. And so, okay, now I want you to step into this place, and now I want you to go here, and I want you to say this, and I want you to do this, and all of a sudden you're like, this is crazy, but I'm gonna do it because I'm I'm I'm just gonna obey the the voice of God. And then all of a sudden you start seeing the miraculous, all of a sudden you start seeing like, you know, what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard. Now you're experiencing that for yourself, but it's there's a starting place for that. And the starting place is you leaving the comfort of your own cute little life and doing what God tells you to do. It's way more risky for you to just sit back and watch it unfold. I don't want that for you. I want you to be in it, I want you to experience it for yourself. Don't miss it. And then later on, maybe it's maybe I'll do it now that I've gotten out of death. No, you, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're missing it and you've missed it. And yeah, God can can can redeem the times. And I'm not trying to make you feel bad for missing it, because I've missed it sometimes too. But I'm like, you know, make up your mind that from this moment forward you're not gonna miss it again in Jesus' name. And Father, in the mighty name of Jesus, I pray that for every person that's watching, that they'll never miss it again, and that they would live this life that's so worth living. Yeah, is it risky? Yep. For the natural mind, is it dangerous? Yeah, for the natural mind, but we're not natural. We are supernatural beings, we're spirit beings, and we understand that there's a way to play this game that we're gonna see and reap the benefits of it. And all we have to do is disregard that safety net, disregard the comfort zone, and just do what we uh what we're told to do. Do whatever it is that that you're telling us to do. And and and we'll see the miracles and we'll see the manifestation of those things in the mighty name of Jesus. And all God's people said, I love you. Thanks for tuning in. Make sure that you're joining the women's mentorship program if you're a female. If not, just keep watching the podcast. I love you, and I'll see you next time. Bye.