Joel Osteen - Break the Chains
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I want to talk to you today about breaking the chains. We all have things that try to hold us back. It can be fear, addictions, negative things people have said that damage our self-esteem and keep us from believing in who we are. Sometimes, it’s mistakes we’ve made. We keep rehearsing them, living down on ourselves. The past is restricting us. Maybe we’re dealing with an illness, or our child is off course, or we can’t seem to get ahead in our finances. We want to move forward, but it’s like these forces keep pulling us back. And it’s easy to get comfortable being constrained, to learn to live with things that limit us. We just accept, «This is who I am, chained to this addiction or chained to my past, chained to how I was raised.»
But God did not create us to live bound. One reason Jesus came, died, and rose again was so we could be free. Not partially free, not mostly free. The scripture says you will be unquestionably free. That means there’s no doubt. You’re not having to fake it or pretend. No, you’re healthy. You’re whole. Your children are excelling. You’re living a victorious life. And yes, there will be seasons of struggle and times when you feel restricted and nothing is improving. But you have to keep this in your spirit: those chains are not permanent. That depression is not how your story ends.
Living in lack, low self-esteem, a temper you can’t control—those powers may be too much for you, but they are not too much for our God. Sometimes we’ve done all we can. We’ve prayed, we’ve stayed in faith, but nothing is changing. It’s tempting to feel discouraged or believe there is nothing more we can do. But that’s when the Most High is going to step in and do what you couldn’t do. He’s the chain breaker. He came to remove from you what the enemy put on you, to loose chains, to break the bondages.
Acts 2 says, «God raised Jesus up, having loosed the chains of death, for it was not possible that he could be held by it.» Because you belong to Christ, you need to have that attitude: it’s not possible that these chains can hold me. The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives on the inside of you. Don’t get comfortable being constrained. Don’t accept limitations as your lot in life. The forces that are for you are greater than those that are against you. «Joel, I think I’ll always deal with this addiction, or my child will always be off course, I can’t get ahead, we’ve always been broke, at a disadvantage». Try a different approach: it’s not possible that these chains can stay, for I know who my God is.
It’s not possible that this addiction, this trouble at work, or this fear keeps me bound, for my God is greater. My God is stronger. He’s more powerful, and He’s fighting my battles. You have to be free on the inside before you’ll be free on the outside. Victory starts in our thinking. As long as we believe, «Man, I’m stuck here. I’m lonely. I’m disadvantaged. I’m always going to have this problem, ” we’re going to stay there. Give God something to work with. Instead of complaining about what’s holding you back, turn it around. Lord, I want to thank You that You’re the chain breaker. That every force that’s holding me back is being broken. That I will live and not die. That I am free from this addiction. That my children are mighty in the land.
Mark chapter 5 describes a man who was deranged. He had lost his mental health to such an extent that people couldn’t control him; they had to send him away. He was living among the tombs in a desolate area. They tried chaining him up, but he was too strong and kept getting loose. He was so troubled day and night that he wandered around, constantly cutting himself. This wasn’t just a man going crazy. The scripture says an unclean spirit had come into him; these were forces of darkness trying to keep him from his destiny.
Look at how the enemy works: this man was bound, tormented, and living in a graveyard. It seemed like he was stuck. This power was too much for him, but the scripture says Jesus came to destroy the works of the enemy. You are not powerless against the forces that come against you; the power in you is greater than any power that will try to stop you. These forces come against us all, trying to bind us, causing us to live troubled, worried, and addicted. The good news is that the enemy doesn’t have the final say. Don’t believe the lies that you will always be that way. God is watching over you; He sees what’s happening. He knows the struggles, the unfair things, and what you can’t overcome. He’s not going to leave you stranded. He’s not going to let you stay bound. It may be a Friday in your life, but Sunday is coming.
For three days, it looked like Jesus was defeated; He was crucified by the soldiers, and Satan finally thought he had stopped Him, binding Him and chaining Him. I can see the forces of darkness having a big party and celebrating their victory, with music, dancing, and shouting. But one of the demons looks over and sees a figure coming toward them. His eyes are like fire, His hair white like wool, and His face shines like the sun. They’re confused; they think, „Who is this person?“ Jesus smiles and says, „I’m back.“ He didn’t just defeat the enemy, but He took the keys to death and hell. He said, „I was dead, but I am alive forevermore.“
The good news is that God has the key to every chain the enemy tries to put on you. There’s not a bondage He can’t free you from, not a problem He can’t turn around, not a sickness He can’t heal, not an addiction He can’t break, and not a fire He can’t bring you out of. Just ask the three Hebrew teenagers. There’s not a Red Sea He can’t part; just ask Moses. There’s not a giant He can’t defeat; just ask David. There’s not a door He can’t open; just ask Paul and Silas. You are not doing life by yourself; the Most High God is working behind the scenes, fighting for you, loosing chains, and bringing victory.
It’s significant that this man was living in a cemetery. A cemetery represents dead things; it’s a place we may visit, but we’re not supposed to live there. Sometimes, like him, we’re living in the cemetery of our failures, reliving all the mistakes we’ve made, the cemetery of our hurts, focused on who did us wrong, who walked away, the cemetery of bad breaks, doors that closed, and wondering why we came down with this illness. As long as your thoughts are in the cemetery, dwelling on dead things, you’re going to stay stuck. You have to get out of that graveyard mentality and come over to a place of faith, hope, and victory. The enemy would love to keep you in the cemetery, focused on all the negative, dwelling on the disappointments. Do yourself a favor: get out of that graveyard. Quit reliving all the discouraging things and thinking about how impossible it is. You may visit there every once in a while, but you can’t stay there.
When Mary was at the tomb that Sunday morning looking for Jesus, she was so distraught and upset. An angel appeared and said, „Mary, why do you seek the living among the dead?“ He was saying, „You’re at the wrong place. If you’re looking for Jesus, he’s not in the grave anymore; he is risen.“ The grave was only temporary. You have to go to where he is. Some of us are seeking the living among the dead. We want joy, peace, and new relationships, but we’re looking in dead places: what used to be, what didn’t work out, and the mistakes we’ve made. Nothing will change until you come out of that cemetery.
Shift your thoughts to things that are positive and hopeful. Start expecting some turnarounds. Start believing that your Sunday is coming. Start declaring that the chain breaker is on the way. Faith is what causes God to work. Verse four says, „No person could bind this man, not even with chains. For when they locked him up, he was so strong he would snap the chains.“ I always saw that as a negative; he was so deranged he couldn’t be chained. But maybe God was showing us a principle that no person can chain you, that no matter what they did, they can’t keep you bound. No matter what they said, they can’t stop your destiny. No matter how unfair it was, it can’t hold you back. There is a power in you that will break chains, a force that will supersede what should stop you.
Now, quit believing the limitations that people try to put on you. They’d love to chain you up to how they see you: you’re not talented enough, smart enough, or attractive enough. You made too many mistakes. You’re too far off course. You’re too sick. Those are chains that will try to limit your destiny. But no person can chain you. What they say doesn’t determine who you are. They didn’t breathe life into you; they didn’t plan your days for good; they didn’t create you in their own image. God did. He called you, He equipped you, He empowered you, and He crowned you with His favor.
Now, break out of those chains of how people are trying to define you. The only power they have over you is the power that you give them. If you believe what they said, then it can become a reality. Why don’t you tune that out and believe what God says about you? They tell you you’re not attractive—break that chain! I am fearfully and wonderfully made; I am a masterpiece. You’re not talented; you’ll never be successful—I can do all things through Christ; I am the head and not the tail. You made too many mistakes; you don’t deserve to be blessed—I am forgiven, I am redeemed, I am worthy. That’s how you break chains.
Oh yeah, but you’ve had so many setbacks. You’ve gone through loss. It’s all uphill from here. Don’t stay in that graveyard. Don’t let them chain you in the cemetery. That’s not where you live. Lord, I thank you that you have beauty for these ashes and that what was meant for harm you’re turning to my advantage. No person can chain you; no force of darkness can hold you back. You are a child of the Most High God. When my father went to be with the Lord and I stepped up to pastor the church, there were all these chains trying to stop me.
Sometimes it’s our own thoughts that try to lock us up: „Joel, you don’t know how to minister. You’re not qualified. You’re not talented enough. You’re not as smart as your father.“ Those were chains trying to keep me from my destiny. I overheard others saying, „He’s not as good as his father. I don’t think the church is going to make it.“ People were trying to put chains on me. The newspaper here in town did a big article on my father’s passing, and at one point they said the worst thing that could happen is for one of the sons to take over. They listed all these examples of where it hadn’t worked. I thought, „Thank you so much for your encouragement.“
But here’s the key: no person can keep you bound. They may put a chain on you, but you have the power to break that chain. Greater is He that’s in you than he that’s trying to stop you. You may be dealing with some chains now; people trying to limit you. You’re tempted to live in the cemetery, rehearsing all the negative. But I believe today there’s a chain-breaking anointing coming. You’re going to feel a power that you’ve never felt to break chains of depression, chains of insecurity, chains of lack and struggle. You’re about to see a supernatural release—a release into freedom, into abundance, into joy, into great relationships. It’s the power of the Most High breathing on your life, thrusting you into your destiny.
My father was raised very poor. They were farmers and lost everything during the Great Depression. At 17 years old, Daddy gave his life to Christ, the first one in the family. He felt God calling him to become a pastor. He told his parents he was going to leave home and start ministering. They meant well, but they said, „John, you don’t know how to minister. All you know how to do is work on the farm. You’re going to get out there and fail. You better stay here with us.“ They put a chain on him, locking him up to who they thought he was.
People will try to define you into the version of how they see you. The problem is, they can’t see the greatness God put in you. They can’t see the gifts and talents; they can’t see the books, the businesses, the influence, the abundance. They’ll try to lock you up into what they see right now, but they’re not seeing the full you. They’re seeing a partial version of who God made you to be. Don’t let their limited view keep you from growing, stretching, believing, and dreaming. They may try to chain you. The good news is that no person can keep you bound. You can break the chains. The power God put in you is a chain-breaking power. It’s greater than any force that’s trying to stop you.
Now, you have to do your part. You can’t live with a defeated mentality, believing the lies that you’ve reached your destiny—man, I’ll never get well, I’ll never own my own house, I don’t think I’ll ever meet the right person. Do yourself a favor: come out of that graveyard. Quit looking for the living among the dead. God didn’t bring you this far to leave you. You wouldn’t be hearing this if you weren’t about to break some chains. You have to rise up. I know circumstances may have put you in the cemetery; someone tried to lock you up. The right attitude is that I’m not staying here. I am coming into freedom, into wholeness, into health, into abundance, into victory. Yes, we go through some Fridays, but the chains can’t hold you. Sunday is coming.
In 1996, a star basketball player was drafted right out of high school into the NBA by the Charlotte Hornets. He was so excited—a dream come true! But before he ever played a game, the Hornets told him he was of no use to them, that he wasn’t what they wanted after all. They traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers. This young man was taken aback. He believed he was good enough to play, but their opinions were like chains: „You don’t have what it takes. You’re not talented enough. You’re not going to make it in the NBA!“ You can’t stop people from putting chains on you, but you can break the chains. You have the power to unlock what they said, to dismiss it, to not dwell on it. That’s what he did; he didn’t pay it any attention. His attitude was, „Your opinion doesn’t determine who I am. I am not limited by how you define me. I am who God says I am.“
Eighteen years later, after winning five world championships, making the All-Star team 18 times in a row, four times being the Most Valuable Player, and two times the scoring champion of the league, Kobe Bryant posted a picture on social media. He was holding his jersey, wearing a pleasant smile. The caption read, „Eighteen years ago, I was told I was of no use.“ Don’t let the chains people put on you keep you from your greatness. Break out of those chains! Get out of that graveyard thinking: „Can’t do it. Too big. Challenge too great.“ You and God are a majority. The chain breaker lives in you—the power that raised Christ from the dead. Think about how all the forces of darkness tried to keep Jesus in the grave. The enemy did his best, but his best was not enough. God is fighting for you! His power is stronger than what someone said, stronger than a chain of addiction, a chain of anger, a chain of lack. The enemy wouldn’t be trying to chain you if he didn’t know you were a threat. He wouldn’t try to hold you back if he didn’t know you have greatness in you, that you’re destined to set new standards and take your family where they’ve never been.
This man was living in the graveyards, and to ease the pain, he would cut himself using rocks to scrape and injure himself, leading to blood infections and scarring. We may not cut ourselves physically, but sometimes we’re cutting ourselves mentally, devaluing who we are, thinking we’re not enough—this negative recording playing in our minds. You would think that since the enemy has this man isolated in a graveyard, tormented in his mind, he would leave him alone—that that would be enough. But the scripture says he comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus said, „Don’t get me mixed up with him. I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly.“ Not just to make it through, not just to regain your sanity, but to have an abundance of joy, an abundance of peace, a great family, and seeing dreams come to pass.
This man had a family back home. No doubt, there were children who loved to see him and longed to be with him. „Mom, when is Dad coming back? Can we go visit him?“ This mother was distraught; the man she loved is not in his right mind. I can see his parents weeping, heartbroken at seeing their little boy, the son they raised now in this terrible condition. Sometimes we can’t change things on our own. We prayed; we believed, but it hasn’t worked out. In the scripture, there were times when the disciples prayed. They did what they were supposed to, but the person didn’t get well; Jesus had to come.
The good news is that God knows when we’ve done all we can. We tried to break it, but it didn’t happen. We did our best; we stood in faith, but nothing is improving. We can feel hopeless. What more can we do? This is how that family felt. When Jesus was in Galilee teaching the people, at the end of a long day, he said to the disciples, „Let us cross to the other side of the lake.“ They were tired; they wanted to rest. But Jesus had an agenda that they knew nothing about. The other side of the lake was the tombs where this man lived. While they were sailing that night, you remember the huge storm. They ran and woke Jesus up. „Don’t you care that we perish? We’re about to die!“ And Jesus stood up and spoke to the storm; everything calmed down.
In a few hours, they reached the shore. Jesus got out of the boat, and the first thing that happened was this man came running—no clothes, bleeding, hair disheveled, thin, frail. He fell at Jesus' feet. The scripture says Jesus said to the unclean spirit, „Come out of this man!“ In the unseen realm, chains were broken, and forces of darkness left him. Instantly he was healed. The scripture says, „They saw the man sitting, fully clothed, totally sane, in his right mind.“ Look at the goodness of God! For years he had been deranged. Then the chain breaker shows up. Now he’s whole. Now he’s free. Now he’s going back to his family. I can see his children running out to hug him. „Daddy’s home!“ His wife is weeping. His parents never thought they’d see this day.
But God is fighting for us when we can’t fight for ourselves. He’s going to break chains that you couldn’t break on your own. It’s going to happen sooner rather than later—things that have bogged you down, taken your joy, and caused you heartache. Your time is coming. It’s going to be unusual, out of the ordinary, something you can’t explain. After the man was healed, Jesus got back on the boat and went back to Galilee. In other words, he traveled all night across the lake and endured a storm just to get to this man who couldn’t get free by himself. God knows when it’s too much. He’s not going to leave you helpless. You may have done what you can, but you can’t seem to get free from the trouble, the bitterness, the addiction.
Can I encourage you? God is crossing the lake right now. He hears your cries. He sees the pain, the injustice. He’s on his way. He’s going to break chains that you couldn’t break. It’s not that you didn’t have enough faith or that you didn’t work hard enough or made too many mistakes. No, some chains only God can break. Other times, He’ll give you the power to do it. But when you can’t, don’t lose heart. The chain breaker is coming. If Jesus will spend all night crossing a lake just to get to this one man, He’ll do what He needs to do to get to you. He’s not going to leave you lonely, broken, or addicted. He’s headed your way. Peace is coming. Freedom is coming. Joy is coming. Health is coming.
This is one of the principles we celebrate on Resurrection Sunday. We couldn’t free ourselves from our sin; we were separated from God. There was no way for us to be redeemed or restored. Jesus didn’t cross a lake, but He went to a cross. He gave His life for you, for me. Nobody took it from Him; He laid it down. The nails didn’t hold Him on the cross; love held Him there. He defeated the enemy once and for all, paid the price for our sins, went to the grave, didn’t stay there, and came out alive with all power in His hand. Just like He rescued this man who was stuck, God rescued us. Now we can live free, whole, and victorious.
Are there chains holding you back today? Have you gotten comfortable being constrained, learning to live with things that are limiting you? Don’t settle there. Don’t live in that cemetery looking for the living among the dead. Get your passion back. You are more powerful than you think. The Spirit of the Most High God is on the inside of you. Break those chains of what people have spoken over you. You are not who they say you are. They don’t control your destiny.
„Well, Joel, I’ve tried to do this in the past, and I wasn’t able“. This is a new day. You are stepping into a chain-breaking anointing. You’re going to feel a supernatural power to do what you couldn’t do before, where God releases you from what’s holding you back. And I believe and declare chains of addiction are being broken right now. Chains of defeat, mediocrity, and lack are being broken; chains of insecurity, generational limitations, and family baggage—those chains are breaking. I declare freedom, wholeness, abundance, and the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name. And if you receive it, can you say amen?