Breaking Free – A sermon by Terry Virgo

Last updated on: October 14, 2025 at 3:53 pm by Adrian Warnock

Breaking Free – A sermon by Terry Virgo 2025-10-14T15:53:27+01:00 Adrian Warnock

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This is the message that Terry Virgo preached at Jubilee Church last Sunday. Next week I will begin sharing my notes from his talks at 300 Leaders followed by an interview I filmed with him.

Downloads: mp3 video

Exodus 4

This is Moses’ reply to God’s call. Rather unexpected. You would expect a man to say “thanks for a great privilege.” Instead he is reluctant and slow to respond. His life was not a clean sheet. Like most of us some things are already written there. Often people are hesitant when God wants to work. Many of us have chains around our legs. When the meeting is finished we are going to walk out free into the adventure that God has for us. Moses almost missed his destiny. We need God to set us free to walk into all he has for us.

Moses’ people were slaves in Egypt. Pharaoh had been concerned about this growing nation within a nation. The boys were killed. His parents hid him by faith. He had the privilege of being born to believers. They knew that through them the whole families of the world would be blessed.

God arranged it so that Pharoah was raising the deliver in his own home! Moses has two worlds in his heart. There is an invisible world where God is real and there is a messiah coming. He is also being raised in Egypt university. He had to choose which world he would live in. He came to his own decision, Hebrews 11 says he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He identified with the despised people of God. In the OT story it doesn’t look quite as clever as that! He killed an Egyptian. Moses is said to have led the armies of Egypt to war against Ethiopia. When it was known that he had killed the Egyptian he fled. It all went wrong and he is in the wilderness for 40 years.

When God says he has a great plan for him, it is like he said, “I did it before and it didn’t work.” Terry told a story of how many years ago he had gone out on a limb for God and because it didn’t go well he had said “I will never trust God again.” Many people play safe after such experiences. Despite this comment, less than a year later Terry found himself giving up work and living by faith. God had changed his heart. Make a fresh start with God. He said, I want to be part of your global plan.

Often people live with things that never got answered. We want him to explain to us. But he doesn’t always do that. At the end of the book of Job there is no real explanation. We are just effectively told God is God, so trust him. Don’t let what happened before to hold you down.

Moses doesn’t seem to be very happy. He is carrying some resentment. Its not just that he failed, but he is sure that the people won’t believe him. He risked everything for his people but that they had turned against him. He had 40 years to think about that. A lot of God’s people get very hurt by God’s people. It can be your brothers that let you down. People live with terrible things. It is hard to just forgive and let go. You feel it is not fair. I was right and they were wrong. I had the moral high ground. Yet I paid for it. Refusing to forgive makes you feel like you are in control. But you are allowing a chain to hold you back. You can’t run. God wants you to let them go. Today, forgive. It can’t be done to you, you must do it. Walk away. God forgave you. Forgive them. Leave the chains on the ground and go free. Don’t let a root of bitterness grow up spoiling many. Obtain grace. It will free you to let go. Never allow bitterness into you heart. It doesn’t live alone. Moses’ home doesn’t sound happy.

Moses is in real danger of missing the will of God.

He says he can’t do it. I am not really good enough. God is not impressed by this apparent humility. He is angry at him. Don’t masquerade behind a religious sounding statement that is really saying no to God. If we say “I don’t think I can” when God has called you to do it. People sometimes say “thanks for the way you played the keyboard” They might reply “it wasn’t me it was the Lord” Who played the bad notes then? The deacons used to pray “hide the preacher, we would see Jesus.” Sometimes we are saying I don’t really matter, I don’t exist. People sometimes say today “God is looking for a faceless army.” No he isn’t! If that was true we could rip out the pages and pages of lists of names in the Bible. God does not love anonymity. God is not scared of names and personalities. God loves every hair of your head. Don’t hide behind false humility. You are not a nothing. One day you will give account to God. He will evaluate. If God asks you to do something you mustn’t say “no.”

There is a famous prayer that says “we do these things not looking for any reward save that of knowing that we do your will.” But the Bible doesn’t say that! 1 Corinthians 3 tells us that Paul laid a foundation of Christ and each man must be careful how we build. Each man’s work will be tested by fire. What kind of thing we did and why we did it. We will be rewarded or suffer loss. We are not saved by works but by the blood of Jesus. There are works that God wants you to do for him. God will expose the motives of our hearts. A day is coming when God will open up the whole deal and test us. Jesus is coming with his reward. We should look for that reward just like Jesus did. There is a goal, an objective.

So don’t take the apparently humble line that says “I am a nobody I cant do it” If God says he wants you to do something, guess what, you can!

Then, later on God wanted to kill Moses. It doesn’t tell us whether there was a sickness or whether an angel appears. Immediately his wife circumcised their son. God has only given one law before now- on the eighth day he was meant to have circumcised his son. He is a hypocrite. He didn’t do behind closed doors what he knew he should have to. There is something wrong, and God doesn’t even have to tell them what is wrong they know. When they fix it, everything is fine immediately. Jesus is back in his life. Christian life is going with Jesus. Presumably he let it go because his wife didn’t like the idea. God knows what happens in the quiet place. God has ambition for you, he wants to use you. Moses is going to be one of the most famous names in history, and he almost missed it. Leave that chain behind so you can walk free.

God wants to bless you. God is going to do more and more great things. God hasn’t finished with this nation. He can take the likes of you and I and enlist us in his plan. But you must step out of those chains. I forgive. I know I tried it before, but I Am going to believe you again. I am going to step out of anonymity. I am going to deal with the secret things that I have accommodated. Cut away those things.

Previous Post

June 17, 2011

Tweets from 2011-06-17

Next Post

June 18, 2011 Keller, Piper and Carson on aging graciously and transition

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 and 2 Corinthians 1 and 2 Thessalonians 1 and 2 Timothy 1 John 300 Leaders A Life of Joy Abortion Acts of the Apostles Adrian on radio Adrian on TV Adrian's Story Albert Mohler Amazing Grace Arminocalvinist Spectrum Assurance Atonement Atonement Series Attributes of God Barnabas Best of the Blog Bible Bible Software Bible Translation Biblical Inerrancy Billy Graham Bob Roberts Books C. J. Mahaney Calvinism Cessationism Charis Warnock Charismatic Spectrum Charles Simeon Charles Spurgeon Church Leadership Colossians Complementarian - Egalitarian Spectrum Complementarianism Conferences Culture Daniel Debates Deuteronomy DGM08 DGM13 Discernment Doctrine Don Carson Ed Stetzer Eddy Leo Ephesians ESV Bible Translators Interview Evangelism in a Post-Christian World evolution Exodus Expository Preaching Ezekial Faith and Feelings Family Florida Galatians General Genesis Get Wisdom - Proverbs sermons Gifts of The Holy Spirit Gifts of the Holy Spirit 2006 Global Faith Forum Godly Attitudes Gospel Gospels Grace Greg Haslam Grudem vs Piper: The Baptism Debate Healing Heaven Hell and Rob Bell Hebrews Henry Tyler Henry Warnock Holy Spirit Holy Spirit Baptism Hope Reborn Hugh Palmer Irresistable Grace Isaiah J. I. Packer Jack Hayford Joel Joel Warnock John John Lanferman John MacArthur John Newton John Owen John Piper John Smyth Jonathan Edwards Josh Harris Justification Justin Taylor Kenneth Ulmer Leadership Leadership Lessons from 1 & 2 Samuel Lex Loizides Liam Goligher Lig Duncan Limited Atonement Lou Fellingham Mark Dever Mark Driscoll Martyn Lloyd-Jones Matt Chandler Mental Health Missionary Methods: St Paul’s or Ours? My Story N. T. Wright Nehemiah NWA08 NWA09 NWA10 Opinion OT History Books Pentateuch Personal Personal Revival Philippians PJ Smyth Podcast Politics Preaching Prophecy Proverbs Psalms Raised With Christ Reformed Charismatic Regeneration Relationships Resurrection Resurrection & Salvation Revival Rice Broocks Rich Man and Lazarus Rick Warren Rob Rufus Roland Allen Romans Sam Storms Sanctification Series Sermons Sermons on Philippians Serving Jesus at Work Sexuality Sin St Paul Steve Chalke Strange Fire Suffering T4G T4G Statement TAB09 Tamasin Warnock Teamwork Terry Virgo The Atonement Debate - Chalke book The Soulwinner The Spirit-Filled Church The Traitor Within Theologcial Spectrums Theosis Tim Challies Tim Keller Titus TOAM06 TOAM07 TOAM08 TOAM09 TOAM10 TOAM11 Todd Bentley Tope Koleoso Total Depravity Video Water Baptism Wayne Grudem Worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 May 2025 April 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 August 2023 May 2023 April 2023 February 2023 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 August 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 June 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 June 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the king of Israel known for his wisdom?

Select your answer to see how you score.

David Saul Solomon Hezekiah

Books by This Author Books by Adrian Warnock

See All Titles »