MY WILL IS NOT TO STAY HERE | Pastor Michael Jackson | St. John 5:1-9
📍Key Takeaways
• Time does not cancel God’s power
• Excuses can delay deliverance
• Jesus heals by His word, not just by methods
• Faith moves before results appear
• God’s will is progress, not permanence in bondage
🟢 Pastor Michael Jackson taught from the story of the man who had been paralyzed for 38 years and lay by the Pool of Bethesda. The pool was known as a place of healing, but the man remained stuck—not just physically, but mentally and spiritually.
Jesus approached the man and asked a powerful question:
“Do you want to be made well?”
This revealed that healing requires more than opportunity—it requires desire and decision.
The man responded with excuses, explaining why he couldn’t get into the pool. Pastor Jackson emphasized that long-standing conditions can create a mindset of limitation, where people become comfortable explaining why they can’t change instead of believing that they can.
Jesus did not help the man into the pool. Instead, He spoke a word:
“Rise, take up your bed, and walk.”
This showed that God’s will was never for the man to stay where he was, and likewise, God’s will is not for us to remain stuck in places of pain, fear, sin, or stagnation.
The command to take up the bed symbolized leaving behind the place of defeat. The man had to act on Jesus’ word before he saw the full result—teaching that faith requires movement and obedience, even when healing doesn’t make sense yet.
Pastor Jackson concluded that “My will is not to stay here” must become a personal declaration. No matter how long someone has been in a condition, Jesus has authority to interrupt the cycle, change the narrative, and call them forward into wholeness.