Mensa Otabil - Rise Up And Walk (09/27/2025)
Well, last week I started teaching, and I said that I would focus my teachings on «rising,» so I would do messages that include the words «rise,» «rising,» or «arise.» I began with the message «Let God Arise,» and I believe God has arisen over your life because when He arises, He also empowers us to rise. God does not just arise; He empowers us to rise. When God arises, His enemies scatter before Him; they are blown away like smoke in the wind; they melt like wax in fire. So today, I’m speaking on the topic «Rise Up and Walk.» Rise up and walk! For those of you who are very particular about the English language, some might say you don’t need to say «rise up» because nobody rises down. So «rise» means the person is up. I understand all of that, but I use «rise up» for emphasis, almost like saying «rise» and «walk.» So, rise up and walk! If you’ve read the Gospels, you would have encountered this phrase, «Rise up and walk.» Jesus issued that command a few times. Today, we’ll consider the stories of three people who couldn’t rise and walk, and each of them was told to «rise up and walk.» Two of them met Jesus Christ, and the third one met two of His disciples. Each of them was stuck in a position of weakness and had difficulty walking, but each one of them ended up walking. I don’t know about you, but today somebody will rise and walk. If you’ve been stuck at any station in your life, God is lifting you up. He’s not just rising; He’s lifting you up with Him and bringing you to a place of victory. Somebody say, «I receive it!» Because when God rises, His people also rise with Him.
Now, I’m going to talk about three people, each of whom received the same instruction: «Rise up and walk.» Maybe you will identify with one of them, and that message will be for you. The first person we will consider who received the instruction to «rise up and walk» is the man who had no one to help him. His story is in John’s Gospel, chapter 5, verses 5 to 9. It reads: «Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been in that condition a long time, He said to him, 'Do you want to be made well? ' The sick man answered Him, 'Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I’m coming, another steps down before me.' Jesus said to him, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk.' And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. That day was the Sabbath.» It was a church-going day like today, and this man rose, took up the bed he had been lying on, and walked.
If you know the background of the story, the man was at the Pool of Bethesda, where people would go to receive healing because, at certain times, an angel would come and stir the water. According to the scripture, this man had also gone there. The first thing we notice about him is that he had been afflicted for a very long time. He had suffered for many years; he had been in that place for a very long time. The passage states that he had his infirmity for thirty-eight years—that’s a very long time! For much of those thirty-eight years, he had been at the Pool of Bethesda, waiting to receive his healing. He came to Bethesda because it was a place of hope—a place where God visited, the waters stirred, and people would get healed.
The passage indicates that the man had an infirmity, but it doesn’t tell us exactly what kind. If you read a bit earlier in verse 3, the people who were at Bethesda had three kinds of infirmities: they were either blind, lame, or paralyzed. We can safely rule out blind in this man’s case; I don’t think he was blind, and probably not lame either. If he were lame, he would have been able to move, even a little, with his lameness. We can conclude that the man probably fell into the category of being paralyzed. The Greek word translated as «infirmity» in this passage means feebleness or weakness. The man was in a state of weakness; something had weakened or paralyzed him. His condition showed that he had been there for a very long time because the passage says that Jesus noticed he had been there for a long time. Perhaps while he was there, he acquired a lot of baggage around him—clothes and things showing he had survived for a very long time.
I believe that in the first year he was there, he expected to be healed, then the next year, and the next. By the time Jesus met him, hope had dried up. When Jesus asked whether he wanted to be healed, there was no enthusiasm in his life. The second thing to note is that he had no one to lift him into the pool. Opportunity presented itself many times during the years he was there, but he needed someone to lift him, and no one was there. The people who brought him to the pool left him. Sometimes, people help you halfway; they take you somewhere and leave you alone, and you have to fend for yourself afterward. That’s what this man experienced; he had been brought to the pool but left alone.
The reality is that being at the pool is not enough; you must be ready when the waters are stirred. They had only done half the job and didn’t complete it, so any time the waters were stirred, he made an effort to get into the pool. But because he couldn’t predict when the water would be stirred, he might have been very close but could never get it right. There are times in life when you just can’t seem to get it right; nothing clicks. The man complained that when he tried to get into the water, others stepped over him and moved ahead. It was as though he had become a stepping stone for their breakthroughs. Because he had been in the situation for so long, it’s easy to lose hope. The worst part is when you see others bypassing you.
I don’t know whether you’ve ever been there—especially when people who just came along seem to do better. It can happen in many areas of life. For example, you may be waiting to get married and find others getting married, especially when you are a believer trusting God and living righteously, while someone who is an unbeliever comes to church and gets married right away. Or perhaps you are married and expect a child—first year, no child; second year, still no child—and then people you knew have children. You find yourself stuck at that station, unable to get into the flow. I don’t know if you can relate to this story, feeling stuck, never moving, never seizing opportunities, with others jumping over you. But Jesus came to this man and said, «My friend, get up, take up your bed, and walk out of this place.»
I feel like repeating those words of Jesus to someone here in this auditorium: «Rise, take up your bed,» because this is your day of visitation. An angel may have missed you, but Jesus will never miss you. Jesus believed that this man could rise up and walk, even though he had been in this situation for a long time. He said, «Rise up and walk. Nobody is going to help you; no one is there for you, but God is there for you. You might not have what it takes, but God has what it takes.» Today, He says to you, «You are rising up!» When God rises, those who are His children also rise up with Him and walk.
That’s the first man. The second person who was told to «rise up and walk» is a man who had people to help him. The first man had no one, but this next man’s situation was very different. Mark chapter 2 tells the story, but I will read selected portions: verses 3 and 4, then 9 to 12. «Then they came to Him bringing a paralytic man who was carried by four men. When they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. When they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.»
What really amazed me while studying this passage is how often the word «they» is used. In verses 3 and 4, «they» is mentioned five times. So, it’s not just about him; it’s about them. This gives the impression that this story focuses more on the helpers than the paralyzed man. The Bible talks about «they» repeatedly. When Jesus saw what had happened, He saw their faith—not the man’s faith—and He said to the man, «Your sins are forgiven.» The people argued and were unhappy that Jesus would say this. Jesus humorously responded to their complaints, asking which was easier—to say, «Your sins are forgiven» or «Rise up and be healed»? To prove He could do both, He then said, «I say to you, rise, take up your bed, and go to your house.»
Jesus was saying to the man, «You are in my house now; leave this place.» The man arose, took up his bed, and went out in the presence of all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, «We never saw anything like this!» The first thing to notice about this man is that he couldn’t act for himself; he was totally incapable because he was paralyzed. If you study that word, «paralytic,» you find it refers to muscle paralysis, not just an inability to walk. This man was suffering from a condition where his body shook uncontrollably, and he couldn’t talk or react. He was completely inactive.
Sometimes, people reach such stages through sickness or addiction—be it alcohol or drugs—or through spiritual control, where they can’t help themselves. It can also stem from mental illness, where a person cannot act or think rationally. This man was totally incapacitated, yet he had people who carried him physically and spiritually. They might have been family or friends. They didn’t give up on him. Even though he couldn’t believe in himself, they stood firm for him. Sometimes, in life, people need you not to give up on them. It could be your friend, your child, or even a relative. They may be in situations where they cannot help themselves, but you must carry and support them through prayer and love.
These friends took risks to bring him to Jesus. They uncovered the roof and lowered him down in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, He responded. This shows us it’s possible to have faith for someone else. Can you pray for someone who doesn’t believe in prayer? Yes! Jesus saw their faith, and your faith for someone could make a significant difference in their lives. Jesus stated, «Your sins are forgiven you.» This might have been the first time Jesus forgave sins before healing, likely because the man had sinned and that was the root of his problem. Jesus knew the mistakes he made to end up there. Jesus declared, «I know what you’ve done, and your sins are forgiven.»
The people complained, but Jesus asked, «Which is harder?» To demonstrate His power, He said, «Rise up and walk!» Despite the earlier disbelief, the man who had never acted responded. Jesus spoke to a hopelessly dead situation. Interestingly, Jesus didn’t speak to the friends but to the man. Just as He spoke to Lazarus when he was dead, He asked this man to rise, and he did.
Now, the third story involves the man who needed just a little help. The first man had no help, and the second had many helpers. This third man’s story is found in Acts chapter 3, verses 6 to 9. Peter said, «Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.» He took him by the right hand, lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. He leaped up, stood, and walked into the temple with them, praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God.
The previous verses stated that the man was born lame from his mother’s womb and had been begging daily at the temple. Jesus had been in and out of this place during the times this man was there, so it would be easy to sarcastically say, «The boss himself walked by and I didn’t get healed; who are these disciples?» Of all the three characters we’ve looked at today, this is the only one who was doing something—he begged for a living. When Jesus and Peter approached him, he had the ability to do something, but his condition limited how much he could do.
The first two men were not doing much at all. This man was, but when Peter said to him, «Rise up and walk,» he didn’t rise. He was the only one who was told to rise but remained sitting. Strange things happen in this world; people you think will respond don’t, and you give them opportunities, but they remain idle. So, Peter lifted him by the right hand, helping him rise. This man needed just a little help.
Whether you need no help, a lot of help, or just a little help, the instruction is the same: «Rise up and walk!» I want to speak those words over your life today. Wherever you are—in any situation of your life—whether you need a little help, a lot of help, or have no one to help you, I declare to you, «Rise up and walk!» The same God who rises up on your behalf will lift you, and you will walk—walk into victory, walk into abundance, step into your destiny. You’re going to leave this place and go home with a testimony—a story of recovery, deliverance, and favor. Even if you’ve never walked before, this is your season of walking. Rise up and walk! And as you do, you will take up your bed—the thing that used to carry you—you will carry it, you will overcome it, and walk into your destiny! In Jesus' name, somebody say, «I receive it!» Say it one more time, «I receive it!»