Sermon Series Blog: Life in His Name Pt.3
Do You Want to Be Well?
When Being Stuck Becomes Normal
We’ve been in this series Life in His Name, and every week we’ve seen the same truth: belief in Jesus doesn’t leave you the same.
In John 5, we meet a man who had been stuck for 38 years. Not a bad season. Not a rough patch. A lifetime.
Day after day—same place, same condition, same reality.
And when something lasts that long, it doesn’t just affect your situation… it shapes your thinking. It reshapes what you expect, what you believe is possible, and how you see your future.
Eventually, what was once a problem starts to feel normal.
You don’t just deal with it… you start to live with it.
“This is just how it is.”
“This is just my life.”
“This is just who I am.”
The man was lying by the pool of Bethesda, surrounded by others just like him—waiting, watching, hoping for something to change. It wasn’t just a place of healing. It was a place of routine. A system people built their lives around.
And that’s the danger: when you stay in something long enough, you don’t just live in it—it starts to live in you.
Jesus Confronts Before He Changes
When Jesus sees this man, He asks a surprising question:
“Do you want to be well?”
At first, it sounds obvious. Of course he does. But Jesus isn’t asking for information—He’s exposing the heart.
The man doesn’t say “yes.” Instead, he explains why it hasn’t worked:
“I have no one to help me…”
“Someone else gets there first…”
He points to his limitations. His circumstances. Other people.
And that’s where this hits home.
It’s often easier to explain why we’re stuck than to step into change.
But Jesus wasn’t just addressing his physical condition—He was addressing his life. His patterns. His mindset. His direction.
Because it’s possible to:
Experience relief… and stay the same
Have a breakthrough… and not grow
Encounter God… but not change your life
Real healing doesn’t just start externally—it starts internally.
Before Jesus changes your situation, He will confront your heart.
Healing Requires a Response
Then Jesus says something simple—but powerful:
“Get up. Pick up your mat and walk.”
And instantly, the man is healed.
For 38 years he couldn’t walk—and now Jesus doesn’t carry him. He speaks—and expects a response.
That mat he carried? It represented everything:
His past
His identity
His limitation
For years, it carried him. Now, he carries it.
What once defined him… no longer does.
Here’s the truth:
Change doesn’t just happen to you—it requires a response from you.
Think about Naaman in 2 Kings 5. He wanted a dramatic miracle—but instead, God gave him a simple instruction: wash in the Jordan River.
It didn’t make sense. It wasn’t what he expected.
But when he finally obeyed, he was healed.
The power wasn’t in the method—it was in the response.
So… What About You?
Jesus is still asking the same question today:
Do you want to be well?
Not just feel better.
Not just manage it.
Be changed.
At some point, you have to stop explaining… and start responding.
Your Next Step
What is Jesus asking you to “get up” from?
What have you gotten used to… that God never intended you to live in?
You don’t have to stay where Jesus found you.
This isn’t just about improvement.
This is about transformation.
And it begins the moment you respond.
