Change can be something we pray for while still finding ourselves settled into familiar patterns. When disappointment, pain, or waiting lasts long enough, even the hope that things could be different can become difficult to imagine.

In John 5:1–14, Jesus meets a man who had been unable to walk for thirty-eight years and asks him a striking question: “Do you want to be made well?” Jesus then calls him to rise, take up his mat, and walk. The encounter points beyond the man’s physical healing to the authority of Christ and the response His grace calls forth in us. When Jesus enters the places where we have been stuck, His invitation may require us to leave behind what has become familiar and walk forward in obedience.

What might change if we take Jesus at His word, get up, and follow where He leads?

Sermon Notes

Big Idea: Jesus stands ready to transform our lives, but real change begins when we desire it, stop excusing ourselves, and act in obedient faith.

Overview

At the Pool of Bethesda, Jesus met a man who had been unable to walk for thirty-eight years. Rather than healing the whole crowd, Jesus singled out this one sufferer and asked an unexpected question: “Do you want to get well?” Pastor Tim used this encounter to explore why significant change is hard for us. Many people cling to familiar patterns—even painful ones—because change carries risk and responsibility. Like the invalid, we often hide behind excuses or a victim mindset. Jesus challenges us to decide: Do we truly want healing? Will we quit blaming circumstances and step forward in faith? Lasting transformation requires desire, repentance, and decisive obedience to Christ’s word.

Key Scripture

• John 5:1-14 — The foundation of the whole message: Jesus asks, “Do you want to get well?” and commands, “Get up… and walk,” showing that healing follows willing obedience.

Main Points

1. Decide if you genuinely want to be changed.

• Jesus’ question, “Do you want to get well?” probes the heart.
• Some prefer the familiarity of brokenness—attention, pity, or financial handouts can feel safer than the unknown responsibilities of health.
• True change means venturing into a new life, leaving old securities behind.

2. Quit making excuses.

• The invalid answered with complaints (“I have no one to help me… someone else goes ahead of me”) instead of a simple yes.
• A perpetual victim mindset rehearses mistreatment, blames others, and refuses personal responsibility—echoing Adam’s “the woman you gave me.”
• Healthy people own their choices; progress begins when we stop covering failure with alibis.

3. Act on Jesus’ command without looking back.

• Jesus said, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk.” The man had to obey before feeling strength in his legs.
• Obedience includes burning bridges to the old life—no “provision to go back.”
• Afterward Jesus warned, “Stop sinning or something worse may happen,” linking ongoing repentance with sustained freedom.

Application

The call: Hear Jesus asking, “Do you want to be changed?” Answer yes, drop the excuses, and take the step He sets before you today.

Head — Recognize where you have settled for dysfunction or maintained a victim narrative.

Heart — Admit any fear of the unknown and let Christ’s compassion fuel fresh hope.

Hands

1. Identify one area where you habitually blame circumstances; replace excuses with a specific act of obedience this week.
2. Remove a “bridge back” to the old pattern (e.g., contacts, places, or habits that pull you down).
3. Share your decision with a trusted believer for accountability and prayer.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life is Jesus asking, “Do you want to get well?”
2. What benefits—attention, security, routine—might you secretly gain from staying as you are?
3. Which excuses surface most often when change is suggested?
4. What concrete action would demonstrate faith in Jesus’ word right now?
5. How will you guard against returning to the former way once you begin to walk?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You see us lying in our familiar weaknesses and still draw near with mercy. We confess that we have often preferred excuses to obedience and comfort to transformation. Ignite in us a true desire to be made whole. Give us courage to abandon every crutch, every blaming word, every sin that chains us. As we rise at Your command, strengthen our steps, sustain our resolve, and let our new walk point others to Your saving grace. Amen.

Recorded August 30th, 2026
Message by Pastor Tim Ward
Scripture: John 5:1-14