Be Ready to Go: From Comfort to Calling | Bethany Kilpatrick

Hello, everybody.

Welcome back to the Cross on the Creek Podcast.

We've got a special guest today, Bethany Kilpatrick.

She recently shared a word from the Lord for us here at South Kansas Church.

I'm excited to introduce her to you.

Thank you, Pastor Lee, for having me.

It is a joy to be here with you guys.

Super excited to share what the Lord has put on my heart to you for the benefit of the kingdom of God.

God bless.

Come on, let's stand one more time and just give God a praise for He is worthy.

He is worthy.

He is worthy.

He is worthy.

He is worthy.

He's worthy.

You don't have to know that book to know that he's worthy.

You have to know that he is worthy.

You have to know that he is worthy.

Who is worthy to open the scroll?

He is worthy.

He is worthy.

He is worthy.

Oh, this is not a part of my sermon, but flip to Revelation chapter 5.

Revelation 5 · chapter mention

Y'all, I love this chapter.

Stay standing, stay standing.

I'm sorry.

I love you both.

And this is not a part of my sermon, but he is worthy.

He is worthy.

It says, Then I saw at the right hand of him who were seated on the throne a scroll written written on the back, sealed with seven seals, which is seven is the number of completion.

And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?

And no one in heaven or on earth or under heaven was able to open the scroll or to look into it.

And I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scrolls or to look into it.

And one of the elders said to me, Weep no more.

Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.

And between the throne and the four living creatures, and among the elders I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

And he began to took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

And they began and sang a new song, saying, Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you are slain, and by your blood you ransom people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made the kingdom of God and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and living creatures and the elders of a voice of many angels numbering miramids of myramids and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who is slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under earth and in the sea, and all of them then saying, To him who sits on the throne and to the right hand of the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and might forever.

And the four living creatures said, Amen.

And the elders fell down and worshipped God, you're worthy.

Who else is worthy to open the scroll?

Who else is worthy to be slain with power in his blood?

Who else is worthy to heal sins and be forgiven?

No one else is worthy.

No one else is worthy.

Don't come in this church and say I'm worthy.

You're not.

He is in the mighty name of Jesus.

You may be seated, I think.

I think.

We come into this house like we're worthy.

We're not.

We come into this house like we have to be perfect, and we don't.

We come into this house like we just have to, but we don't.

He gives us free will.

And sometimes I wish I didn't have free will.

Sometimes I wish he made me do it.

He told me to.

This is not something that we should take lightly.

This is not something that we should say, oh yeah, I'm coming together to hear this young girl preach.

No, you're here to hear from the living God who was slain, who is worthy to open up the scroll.

Ah, and to see power, wisdom, and honor and wealth.

My goodness, I'm shaking.

I want to take my sandals off, y'all.

Because this is holy ground.

Do you not know where you're standing is holy ground?

Do you not know that the prayers that people have been praying in this house is holy ground?

That not a voice, not an iota, not a dot will run from his word?

Nothing.

I need y'all to talk to me.

Nothing.

So that was not my sermon, but he's worthy.

Tonight, and I hope you take notes because me myself am a sermon stealer, so I will write notes.

As my mom loves to call me.

But it's gonna be titled, Be Ready to Go.

Man, I'm so ready to go.

Go ready to see Jesus.

I'm so ready to go and see my friends back at school.

I'm so ready to go on mission again.

Y'all will find out where soon.

I'm so, so excited to go.

You know, as Americans, we live on the go.

I go to work all the time, and in case you ask me, what you been up to, I'll say, Oh, you know, always on the go.

Right?

It's not very conversational, but it gets the job done.

Why?

Because we're always on the go.

So if you know the hymn, it's be ready to go.

And it's a really, really good hymn.

And I'm going to read the lyrics to you.

It says, We're told in the Bible that Jesus is coming.

Be ready to go, be ready to go.

When he shall descend from the portals of glory, be ready to go, be ready to go.

Be ready to go, for sure he is coming.

That day may be near, be ready to go, be ready to go with all the redeemed ones.

When he shall appear, be ready to go.

Then you stand you no longer in idleness, brother, be ready to go, be ready to go.

Be watching and waiting his coming to welcome, be ready to go, be ready to go.

We not know the day nor the hour of his coming, be ready to go, be ready to go.

Reward he has promised to all who are faithful, be ready to go, be ready to go.

Would you with millions redeemed there, be numbered?

Be ready to go, be ready to go.

Then slight not his call, nor reject thou his mercy.

Be ready to go, be ready to go.

I think the church is too comfortable.

We're not ready to go.

We want to say that we're ready to go because we're dressed up in the right outfit, but I kind of wanted myself to wear a t-shirt and, you know, shorts to see what would happen.

Right?

What would happen?

But I get looks.

What was she doing up there?

What is she trying to say?

John the Baptist couldn't even.

He looked crazy, man.

He was a part of a tribe that was small called the Essenes.

Right?

He did not look like he was preparing the way of the Lord.

He looked like a crazy person who said, Look at him.

That's the man that I've been talking about this whole time.

I'm not the man.

It's not Elijah.

It's Jesus.

This is the man who you've been waiting for.

Be ready to go, be ready to go.

Let's flip to Isaiah 40, chapter 3.

Sorry, 40, verse 3.

I'm getting too excited.

This is one of my favorite verses.

And I encourage you to read the entire chapter.

But I'm going to be reading out of the ESP.

And it says, A voice cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord.

Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low.

The uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.

Be ready to go.

Be ready to go.

Are you crying out in the wilderness?

Prepare the way of the Lord.

Because you should be ready already.

I was praying for each of you in every single seat.

And I heard God speaking to me, I am coming soon.

Be ready to go.

Be ready.

Be ready.

I was asking God, God, help me, help me, because this attack of the enemy is so strong.

God, would you help me?

And he said, I am pouring you out as a drink offering.

That's scripture.

Man, how hard it is to be poor like a drink offering.

But Jesus on the cross was poured out like a drink offering.

Even Psalms, David says, purge me with hyssop.

Right?

Oh man, Jesus, clean my heart, oh God.

Clean my heart.

So here's my big idea.

I love points.

No matter what the career choice, you should be furthering the gospel.

Man, that's some deep theology.

No, it's not.

No matter what the career choice, you should be furthering the gospel.

I'm in college.

There's a lot of careers.

There's not enough people going out to the harvest.

Amen?

Y'all gotta talk to me.

In the culture that we live in, we live out this phrase, I'm always on the go.

But the harvest is still empty.

We're always on the go for something that's not worth the going.

Oh, well, I gotta pick this up.

Oh, I gotta take care of my kids.

God, you know, all these things, oh my husband, and like all these things.

Yes, God has given you these things to steward, but they are not your idol.

God is number one.

And he will get rid of those things if that's a problem for you.

Because he asked for me.

Hitting upon the points that Daddy made this morning about rising early or staying up late.

For instance, last night, God woke me up twice.

And he said, Read my word.

I'm not a morning person.

It's 2 a.m.

I went up and got something to drink, and I said, That's good.

Then he woke me up again.

And I was like, oh, I'm just thirsty.

No, Bethany, God's waking you up.

I miss the mark.

We miss the mark too much.

We say we're fine, but we're not.

We don't repent enough.

We don't ask God for forgiveness enough because we think that we prayed 14 years ago that we're okay.

But we're not.

We need crucifixion in our bodies.

We need cutting.

If you don't think you need cutting, then you need cutting.

You need cutting.

You need to come to the altar.

Well, I'm I don't I'm not a dictator.

I'm I'm not depressed.

I don't care.

Sit at his feet.

Sit at his feet.

You don't have to have a reason, you just have to know who he is.

Because he's worthy.

He is worthy for my time, my adoration, my career choice, everything.

I don't have a car.

My engine blew up.

Isn't that amazing?

You know what he's teaching me?

Reliance.

Try to tell a type A person that to be reliant on the Lord.

Just just it's beautiful to watch.

It's beautiful.

Don't if you look at my eye too close, it might be twitching.

But I'm serious.

Sit at his feet.

Watch him work.

Because what I've been learning is when I sit at his feet more, it seems like I can see his hand more.

Sit, be still, and know that I am God.

Always on the go is a phrase we use in every conversation we make.

It's a quick answer to a hard life.

Always being on the go makes us miss moments that God is ordaining.

Maybe church tasks are taking up too much time to sit with the father or even fellow believers.

We become logistic or sorry, legalistic in our faith, wanting everything to go smoothly.

Lord knows me and Eddie were running like chickens with our heads cut off this morning because our internet wasn't working.

And you know, hopefully next summer I'll be doing an internship here.

And uh he's kind of helping me out there.

And he was like, I need you to find sheet music, I need you to do this, I need you to do that, and I'm like pulling my hair out, and then I'm like, Jesus, you're worthy, and then God, I know he's just looking at me like, really?

You just went crazy.

Like, your anxiety was to the roof, and you haven't even sat with me yet.

And you're in my house.

Hello?

Y'all, I'm Ray Anthony Leviticus, and I want to say it was the hardest book, but honestly, it's the most interesting interesting book I've read thus far in the Old Testament.

And I love the major prophets.

But listen, Leviticus, if you want to burn.

I remember one time mama and I were on the way to work, and she sinned, Casey, this would be funny to you.

And I said, Well, now you gotta burn three offerings because you just sin.

Now we gotta turn around, go all the way from Vatumka to Camp Hill, Alabama, which you know is an hour drive if you want to know that.

And now we're gonna be late at work.

What are you gonna do?

And she just begins to laugh.

But listen, that would be our life.

That would be our life.

Poor Daddy would have to be coming over here.

You sinned again, are you for real?

Paid.

Not only that, but he had to come over to himself, pray that God doesn't kill him while he's trying to what?

Get forgiveness for his own sins.

Paid.

Thank God that we don't have to come back and say, God, I'm sorry, here's three offerings.

I'm not a farmer.

I want to be, but my parents won't let me.

But okay, I will have my house.

Kristen knows.

But man, I don't have to slaughter anything.

On the way to work.

For some reason, just in case, we have a ram.

Oh no.

A ram's back there making whatever ram noise they make.

We gotta kill them.

But chow, right in the middle of the road.

I mean, seriously.

We don't have to do that anymore.

Praise God.

Amen.

Always on the go.

So I want you to write this down.

I want to hear clicks, clicks, clicks.

What if we treated every interruption as a divine appointment?

What if we treated every interruption as a divine appointment?

I I heard this pastor say, he said, you know, I'm not a parent.

No.

And Nelson, his kids do a great job at making, you know, helping me with that problem.

But they uh I do nursery.

But man, if if I have kids one day, which I hope I will, but if I have kids, can I come down here?

Is that okay?

If I have kids, and they're coming up to me, Kristen, you're my kid right now.

And she comes up to me and she says, I want to play outside, whatever.

Whatever she wants to play.

I say, what?

I'm just ignoring her.

To the parents in the room.

I'm just ignoring her.

Is that being a good mother?

Is that being a good father?

Just ignoring your child?

Because we're always on the go.

We're too busy for our kids.

We're too busy sometimes for even the ministry.

Did you know that you can be too busy for the ministry?

Doing the ministry?

Woo! Y'all found that out to be true.

I'm leading a trip to a place, and I'm already discovering I can sense myself getting too busy even for that while I'm doing it.

Become legalistic.

Sit as his feet.

Sit at his feet.

Sit.

We have been working on the back building, which is going to be called the landing, for a little over a month now.

And I feel like I can just say this for everyone: we're ready to be done, Nicole.

Michael, all those who have been included in this project, we are ready to be done.

Hallelujah.

I have a certain amount of budget, and then God just kept providing, and I was like, Well, Lord, I just got done with the online class and I'm doing work, and I'm just like, okay, we're doing this thing because he laid it on my heart, and I was like, okay, God.

And so ever since I have been feeling like the Lord has told me to consecrate that place like Solomon's Temple.

Didn't know I was going to be consecrated myself.

Working, praying, fasting.

God, what do you want for this space?

God, what are you doing in us while we are making this space what you want it to be?

Constant communication, constant prayer, constant fasting, right?

God, what do you want?

One night, Mama and I were talking to Nicole and Michael, and time just completely got away with us because we love to yap.

We are yappers, we love to talk, right?

It's like maybe, huh?

I don't know what I'm talking about.

Sorry, my bad.

You're right.

Um but so we were just talking.

And then next thing I know it's like eight o'clock.

And we got work in the morning.

And I'm like, shoot, like, and we we go to bed.

Mom and I go to bed at 9 p.m., y'all.

I love an early bedtime, especially when we got to get up for work at 5:30.

But, anyways, so I'm looking at her and she's looking at me, and I'm like, I'm exhausted.

I know, Michael, I love you.

You're so strong.

You're stronger than me.

But I'm like, man, look, what are we gonna do?

And I'm just sitting there and I'm type A, and I'm like, and I just sit there and I'm just quiet.

And Mama, in all her wisdom, goes, I know you're mad.

I was like, I'm mad.

She said, because I know we talked longer than you thought.

And I mean, I even went away.

I was like, I gotta paint.

I don't want to paint for a long time, y'all.

I was like, I gotta paint.

She said, but ministry is sitting and talking with those who need it.

And I was so humbled.

I sat back in my seat and I was like, Lord, forgive me.

Because I yap to you all the time.

But I don't see that as a problem.

But when it's someone else, I'm like, you are taking up a lot of my precious time, and I need you to hit the curb.

Oh, sorry.

Didn't mean to step on your toe.

So let's read a story about two women together.

Luke 10, 38 through 42.

I love this story.

It is not a parable, it is a real story.

They had a brother named Lazarus, who's not mentioned, but he is a brother of these two women.

Luke 10, 38 through 42.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house, and she's she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.

But Martha was distracted with much serving.

And she went up to him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?

Tell her then to help me.

But the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.

But one thing is necessary.

Mary has chosen the good portion which will not be taken away from her.

Amen.

So I'm a physical, visual person.

Anybody like to learn visually?

Alright.

Nicole, can I borrow you?

Mama, can I borrow you?

Oh.

Which one do you want to be?

The saint or the sinner?

I'm kidding.

Since your mom's got on black, you know, I'm just saying.

Alright.

So you being married, I guess.

You called it.

Alright, sorry, Martha.

I'm kidding.

So this is Mary.

Aww.

This is Martha.

Awww.

I'm saying oh.

Alright.

So Mary, I'll you know, I'll be Jesus if I have to be.

I'll be Jesus.

Okay.

And you'll be Martha.

And you're Mary.

Alright.

So I'm here and I'm teaching.

I want you to work, girl.

Alright.

Hey Mary, how are you doing?

You're good.

So good to see.

Yeah.

Um, so I had these like really cool loaves and fishes.

You'll never believe it, bro.

What?

Tell her to get out.

Get up.

I don't want to.

I just want to listen to what you have to say.

You just want to listen to me?

I just want to listen to what you have to say.

Hey! You know I love you, Martha.

But you're troubled about many things, and it's not my kingdom.

Thank you.

You hear what I said there?

You're worried about many things, but not my kingdom.

Woo!

Y'all, that was the Holy Spirit because I didn't write that down.

You're worried about many things, but not the kingdom.

Not only did these women have divine interruptions, but as did the 12 disciples.

Do we have 12 guys in here?

How many guys do we have?

Who are willing?

Or women.

Anybody willing?

No?

Nobody willing?

Okay, I'll read them out to you.

So we have Peter, Simon, fishing with his brother Andrew.

Jesus called them to leave their nets and follow him.

That's in Matthew 4, 18 through 20.

Andrew was fishing with Simon Peter.

He was casting a net into the sea when Jesus called them.

Matthew 4, 18 through 20.

James mending fishing nets in a boat with his brother Zebedee and a brother John.

Jesus called to follow him.

Matthew 4, 21 through 22.

John was mending fishing nets with his brother John.

Sorry, James and their father Zebedee.

He left the boat and followed Jesus.

Matthew 4, 21 through 22.

And then it goes to Philip, Matthew, Levi, Thomas, son, James, son of Alphaeus.

Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, right?

And he calls all these people who were on the go.

Who were doing something?

For what?

To have a life.

Is there anything wrong with working?

No.

No, there's not.

Is there anything wrong with trying to pay your taxes?

No.

Pay your taxes.

But there is something wrong with saying, no, I will not follow you, God, because what I'm doing is more important or more.

How do I say this?

Comfortable?

But I have this amount of money coming in, so I should stay.

Well, my group here at work is really good, you know, and they're Christians, Lord, so I should stay.

Hmm.

No.

No.

You know, as a missionary, I will not be making money on my own.

God will be sending me money.

That is crazy.

I'm learning about crazy faith, and I was talking to Mama this morning, and I said, you know, it's crazy to have some crazy faith that God will give you a car.

And I said, but think about this.

Isn't it crazy to even believe in Jesus?

Yeah.

It is crazy.

Blessed are those who have not seen yet belief.

That's crazy.

Hello?

Are y'all just like not?

Is this crazy?

Like I feel like Anna and Frozen, like, this is crazy.

So always on the go.

What if disciples decided they were too busy for Jesus who was calling them?

How are you?

Oh, you know, just on the go.

Just fishing.

I just find it funny that Jesus didn't even let one time when Simon Peter was on the boat, he didn't let them catch anything at all until he came.

And Jesus was basically probably smirking at him like, so you coming or not?

Because I'll give you everything I need, but you won't have everything you want.

Don't misunderstand me, the gospel is always on the go.

But are you?

Are we?

I do believe for a fact that God calls people to the mission field, but we are all called to the mission field.

I am 20 years old, and I just went on my first mission trip to Alaska, and it was amazing.

Many times I was aggravated with God and myself because I had not gone on a mission trip before now.

And my boyfriend, who God used as an instrument, said, God has called you into preparation.

I was like, This is beautiful.

I've been in preparation for years.

How much more can I be prepared?

Right?

Do you feel that way?

How much more can I be prepared for this season?

But this is my point.

We stay in our preparation season too long.

Comfortability, security, convenience.

Any more words you want to add?

Oh no, but God's got to give me like this extravagant word.

No.

He says, go therefore and make disciples of all many nations.

It's on the wall.

You know how many times God has used that for me?

You don't have to be called into full-time missions to go.

Find a group, find a church saying, we're gonna go this place, and we're gonna go.

You don't need any extra words.

God already commanded you.

That's a command, that's not a suggestion.

So the cost is a joy to me.

We have a new song from SU Worship, The Cost is a joy, and it's so good.

Please listen to it.

But in Luke 9, 57 through 61, and I'm closing.

We're gonna read that real quick.

It says, As they were going along the road, someone said to him, I will follow you wherever you go.

And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

To another he said, Follow me, but he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father.

And Jesus said to him, Leave the dead to bury their own dead, but as for you, grow and proclaim the kingdom of God.

Yet another said, I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say well farewell to those at my home.

Amen.

That verse is stuck with me.

I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say well to those at home.

Farewell.

I'm going to be a little bit more.