In this 9-part series, Dr. Michael Youssef walks you through the life of Jacob—demonstrating how the grace of God overrules in the lives of His people. The Almighty God is able to bring His perfect will to bear, even in the midst of our mistakes and shortcomings. Therefore, to Him be all the glory, honor, and praise!

grace. That word has been used and abused has become a word to mean whatever the person wants it to mean. This series of messages is going to be challenging to every one of us. You will see how the grace of our Lord overrules even the most blatant failure, you can learn the fresh how to cherish the grace of our Lord, jesus christ instead of wallowing in your pain and guilt up next on leading the way. Right. Mhm. You know, this is the most unusual title of any book that I’ve ever written. If God is in control, why is my life such a mess? I know I’ve said that in my own life in the past and I’m sure some of you have said that too. Get this book is going to help you understand how God works. It’s human to have questions. Why are we here? What is our purpose in life? Why does suffering exist? If God is so good? Why do bad things happen? Have you found yourself asking those questions when tragedy strikes and good people are beaten down? We are tempted to wonder if God really is in control in his book. If God is in control, why is my life such a mess? Dr yusuf explains, God’s sovereignty, no matter how wicked or dangerous or victorious the world around us may seem in the midst of the struggles and challenges that we all face. Be encouraged with this practical and enlightening book and gain a better understanding of God’s compassion for the spiritually exhausted for your gift of any amount leading the way we’ll send you a copy of if God is in control, why is my life such a mess? Visit us online today at L T W dot org. Right. Yeah. Mhm. Grace, I know and you know that that word Grace has been used and abused. Grace is a word that sometimes banded about without proper understanding. Grace has become a word that is used to mean whatever the person wants it to mean. Grace is used to justify the lack of spiritual discipline and lack of spiritual alertness. Today I’m starting a whole new series of messages entitled fear deceives but Grace freeze will set you free. Now the object lesson and a series of messages is not other than Jacob Jacob, a man who was renamed by God’s Grace and called Israel. It’s the same person to my knowledge. I just want to be safe to my knowledge. It’s the only time that God called an entire race of people by a man’s name. The people of Israel. The people of Jacob please hear me out on this very important. This series of messages is going to be challenging to every one of us, but it’s going to be comforting all at the same time. And the story begins with a tale of four people, Isaac. Abraham’s son who is a son of promise. Isaac was a miracle son of Abraham and Sarah at their old age is a son of promise and Rebecca. His distant cousin wife supernaturally in a miraculous way. God provided her. Here’s the problem husband and wife. God brought together Isaac and Rebecca. one favored 1 son and the other favored the other. And so in this first, in a series of messages fear deceives but grace set you free. We will see how the grace of our loving God, overwhelmed and overruled failures. Every time you’ll see it in their life, you’ll see it in your life. And I hope that this is going to bring those memories of their overwhelming and overruling grace of God in your past that you can rejoice in thanksgiving for his grace. You will see how the grace of our Lord overrules and overruled even the most blatant and personal sin and failure. Amen. Let’s begin at the beginning, Isaac was a miracle son of Abraham and Sarah’s old age. Isaac was a miracle baby At the age of 37. Again through the God’s intervention and a prayer by uh ELISA the Damascus which was the Chief of staff of Abraham’s business. God brings about this distant cousin Rebecca to be married to Isaac. Rebecca like her mother in law. Sarah was better. And so Isaac begins to intercede on her behalf and he began to intercede on his own behalf. And they began to cry to God and God answered their prayers even a little bit late in life. But nonetheless, he gave them twin boys. But the turmoil between those two boys began in the womb started in Rebecca’s womb, two boys were born and they came out of the womb fighting as we’ll see throughout the series of messages how the Grace of God overruled in all four lives. It is more magnified and we will focus more on Jacob. But the Grace of God overruled in all of their lives, all four of them. You’ll see how the Grace of God broad, good and a blessing out of scheming and deceiving and treachery. You see when Rebecca experienced the turmoil inside of her inside of her womb, God graciously graciously gave her a divine revelation. God revealed to Rebecca what is really happening inside of her womb genesis. Chapter 25. I want you to look at verse 23, the Lord said to Rebecca. two nations in your womb and two people from within you will be separated, one people will be stronger than the other and the older will serve the younger. Now, that’s what I want you to underline the older will serve the younger. This is very important because this fighting between the twin boys, Jacob and Esau is more than just sibling rivalry, which happens at the best of families. Right? Why? Because here the sovereign Grace of God reverses the cultural norm. The cultural norm at the time is the older boy, The older sibling rules over his younger siblings. And when the time came for Rebecca to deliver the twin boys, You find that not only there were not identical twins. Not only they looked so different like day and night, but they came out fighting. Ah Isso came out first, but Jacob was not gonna be outdone. He came out grabbing of his heels immediately was even not a second between them, beloved as I said, this is not mere sibling rivalry. The power struggle between those two boys continued for a long time and I dare say continues to this day, only Jesus can change lives. Jesus christ can melt any wall of enmity that there is no matter how bad it may look. Question, where did Isaac and Rebecca fail in their parenting responsibility? Before I answer this question, I want to hasten to say that it was Isaac and Rebecca’s parental failure that exacerbated detention between Esau and Jacob and now some of you saying, Michael, Michael, are you sure that both parents sinned in the same way in Isaac’s in a little bit more than Rebecca, sin is sin? Whether it’s a big sin or small sin, sin is sin. Let me tell you why they did not feed their Children on the word of God. You say, How come, Michael? If you look at verse 23 of chapter 25 book of Genesis, you see that Isaac and Rebecca both were aware of God’s revelation to Rebecca, Isaac and Rebecca were aware of God’s supernatural intervention in the life of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca understood that Isaac is the son of promise Isaac. And Rebecca understood that it is through Isaac the messiah will come. Why did they not teach and explain and train both boys regarding God’s revelation to Rebecca regarding God’s will for their life, regarding God’s plan for their life. Why did they not teach s o that God said the messiah is going to come through Jacob. Why did they not teach both boys about the promise of God and the faithfulness of God and that he kept with grandpa and grandma Abraham and Sarah, why didn’t they train Jacob to be prepared for his role and to wait for God’s timing. Why didn’t they teach them both that God has different plans for each of them and they need to know it, obey it and revel in it and rejoice in it. Please don’t misunderstand me. Don’t misunderstand me. I know this is uh somebody is sitting here and says, well, you know what about me? No, no, this is a special revelation does not apply to any of us. This was a very special revelation was given to Rebecca for for those two boys. Okay, so don’t get yourself under a whole lot of false guilt. Please please I want to make sure that the only application for all of us is this. It is never too late to tell our Children about the love of God about the importance of honoring God in their life. To believe in the promises of God And yes to believe in the timing of God. But nonetheless none of us can be placed in the category of this special revelation that is given to this special family. I just want to be sure because I know and I met through the years a lot of parents have a lot of guilt and I don’t want to add to it. Especially when parents have come to the Lord late in life and they did not have the chance to train their Children because they did not know the Lord when the kids were small young do not fill your mind with condemnation and guilt. Remember this satan will heap guilt on you but God says, trust in my sovereign timing and pray for your Children. Can I get an amen even among the God list of families, tension and conflict happen. I don’t care how Godly your family is tension and conflict happen because we’re still living in this flesh, we’re not in heaven yet we don’t have the glorified body. It is how you deal with that tension. It’s how you deal with that conflict that really matters in the case of Isaac and Rebecca instead of training their Children to know and trust God’s revelation and God’s will and God’s plan. They chose instead to follow their own emotions, their own feelings and their own preferences. So one loved one, the other loved the other Isaac favored this rugged individualist in esso essa was a guy with a ruddy complexion and the sun and the outdoor turned his red skin into leather early appearance. Now Rebecca on the other hand, favor Jacob, he was a mama’s boy, he was a thinker and a planner. He was a strategist and a schema. He was a good cook and he spent a lot of time in mama’s kitchen. Jacob always stayed home. He didn’t go out and hunt and fish and do all those kinds of good things. He stayed home and that is why he found himself at the right place at the right time. As we will see later on, see the vast difference between those two boys could have led to the sin of favoritism on the part of Isaac and Rebecca and I keep saying it is a sin I’m gonna explain in a minute verse 28 beloved this verse is a warning to all of us is a warning to all of us. Isaac who had a taste for wild game favorite is so loved. But Rebecca loved Jacob. Now I’m aware of the fact and as I see not only in my life and life of other parents That there are times in the life of parents when they are relating more to one uh than the other in growing up in different stages too because that relating changes with the stages of life. But this is very different from blatant favoritism, you Heard me say it for the second time. 3rd time, favoritism, blatant favoritism is a sin and needs to be repented of. But even so there are times because of that relating situation That you find one Sibling might feel that you’re favoring the other and they may accuse you of it, but you do that business with you and God in your heart. But I also believe that this is why parents need two really work hard, doubling their effort to show evenhandedness. They need to double their energy in showing evenhandedness. They need to double their affections in order to show evenhandedness. And yes, they need to double their time investment in order to show evenhandedness. But let me venture to say again that blatant favoritism is a sin that needs to be repented of and be repented of today. But there’s a deeper problem here. I’m taking this slowly into this. There is a deeper problem between Isaac and Rebecca. There is an element of distrust between the husband and the wife and you see it there clearly you say, well, how why else Rebecca was listening through the keyhole to the conversation that Isaac was having with S. O him rot please. Because on a deeper level this is a spiritual problem. Rebecca was right in clinging to the promise of God by focusing on Jacob but she went about it in a deceitful way, Isaac willful rejection of God’s revelation brought him a lot of heartache. You’ll see later on that. He trembled when he realized that he was going against God’s revelation, beloved. The trust between Isaac and his wife. Rebecca spelled over on the Children and brought distrust between the twin boys. Fear will always deceive. But Grace will set you free, will free you up. Grace will free your soul. Grace will free your spirit. Grace will free your mind. And yes, Grace will free your heart. You’ll see this in this series again and again and again and again. And to make things worse esos impetuousness led him to devalue his birthright. And so he sold it, sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for about a buck worth of soup. Let me ask you this. How many of you? No, and s o those who have created shipwreck of their lives and of the reputation. All for the sake of instant gratification. But listen carefully. But for the Grace of God, there go. I for a momentary satisfaction esso’s life become a shipwreck Jacob, on the other hand was not blameless. He was not blameless. Had he trusted God, Had we trusted in God’s promise to his mommy. Had he trusted God’s timing, will keep repeating this. The results would have been very different. But once again, thank God for his overruling grace. Let’s say it again. Thank God for his overruling grace. Listen, there are very, very, very few of us who can really have the long view of things. Very few. We often jump to conclusions based on current circumstances and make the wrong decisions, but once again, thank you. The thing about our Goddesses. You see, he sees the beginning and he sees the end all at the same time. He sees the unseen, he sees what’s around the corner, which we can’t see. He sees what’s in our blind side. And that is why my daily cry to the Lord. And several times a day. And you can join me in that prayer if the Lord lays it on your heart is my daily several times a day, Lord permit me not to make a choice that is inconsistent with your perfect will in my life, beloved, taking matters into our own hands, make us feel that we’re doing something. You know, we’re just busy, We’re doing something. We’re busy doing something, but it causes a whole lot of pain in the long run. Grace sets you free from sin and leads you to obedience. How grace will cause you to see obedience, not as a duty, not as an obligation, not as something. You’re going to grit your teeth and say, I got to obey God, I gotta obey God. And he kept failing. And he said, oh God, oh God, I’m sorry God had no pay. It’s not supposed to be that way an era. But obedience comes naturally out of gratitude, out of thanksgiving for the sovereign grace of God at that moment. Obedience becomes a delight and enjoy, it becomes natural becomes second nature who could not be moved by such love, Who would not want to love and obey such a loving God, it was out of sovereign grace brought us to himself and sustains us until we see him. And maybe actually from all this stuff is going on. Maybe sooner than we think everyone, whether you’re here or watching around the world, I am praying that this begin to develop such gratitude, such thankfulness to God that you could not help it. We want to obey him. There’s a battle raging as never before for the hearts and minds of the next generation, only 18% of millennials find Christianity relevant to their lives. Teens are twice as likely as adults to identify themselves as atheist and half of professing christian millennials believe evangelism is wrong. A vital part of our vision. 2025 initiative is reaching the next generation with biblical truth leading the way launched a podcast to reach the next generation. Candid conversations with Jonathan yussef dr yusef youngest son addresses the deepest questions and needs of the next generation while speaking Biblical truth in an authentic way, visit L T W dot org slash candid today to subscribe. Yeah. Mhm One of the main concerns of my generation is that we want instant gratification over long term happiness. Everybody wants to do something. Now that will have a good effect now, but not later, we’re in a really falling world now with all that’s going on and you can have all the money in the world, you can have all the cars in the world. But if you don’t have God, you don’t have true happiness. My Christianity has matured primarily over the last year. I’ve just been lucky to have a pastor like Dr Yousef teach the way he does. I feel like dr Yusuf, he pours his heart into the sermons and he takes it straight out from the bible, which I really do appreciate. Hear the voice of the Lord saying I am with you, be strong, be courageous for I promise never to leave you nor forsake you. The uncompromised truth Doctor preaches is significant because it’s straight from the bible, encouragement strengthens, the weak encouragement uplifts the fainthearted encouragement gives hope to the hopeless I think that ultimately God laid on his heart to do what he does now. His main goal is to save as many people as he can and reach as many people as you can. The longing I have is that I want to take as many people to heaven as possible, asking you and the fact that we were able to translate into different languages and different types of media, whether it’s radio, video or you know, another language is very important. The question is, is your life lived in christ, We don’t change people’s hearts God changes our hearts. Faith comes by hearing and by hearing Dr Yousef sermons, he can definitely put an impact on someone else’s heart. Leading the way is on the air at crucial moments for listeners and viewers that need to hear, uncompromising Biblical truth. Consider a generous gift today. You can call write or visit us online at L T W dot org. It’s human to have questions, why are we here? What is our purpose in life? Why does suffering exist if God is so good? Why do bad things happen? Have you found yourself asking those questions when tragedy strikes and good people are beaten down? We are tempted to wonder if God really is in control in his book, If God is in control, why is my life such a mess? Dr Yusuf explains God’s sovereignty. No matter how wicked or dangerous or victorious the world around us may seem in the midst of the struggles and challenges that we all face. Be encouraged with this practical and enlightening book and gain a better understanding of God’s compassion for the spiritually exhausted for your gift of any amount leading the way we’ll send you a copy of If God is in control, Why is my life such a mess, visit us online today at L T W dot org. Mhm passionately proclaiming, uncompromising truth. Leading the way with Dr Michael Yousef Thanks you for your faithful support through your continued prayers and gifts