Ezra 5B

A follow-up sermon from Zechariah 1:1–6

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THEME: God Who Rules and Overrules All

Sermon Title:

"Return to Me, and I Will Return to You"
Text: Zechariah 1:1–6
Series: God Who Rules and Overrules All

Sermon Goal:

To show that God not only calls His people back to the work, but first calls them back to Himself—because revival is not merely about rebuilding structures, but about restoring relationship with Him.

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Introduction

Church, last week we heard God speaking through Haggai, while he called the people to “consider their ways” and rebuild the temple.

This was a rallying cry to get back to the work of God.

But today, as we turn to Zechariah, God’s tone shifts.
It’s as if He’s saying: “Yes, I want the temple built… but I want more than bricks and stones. I want you.”

You see, before God ever fixes the outside, He always starts with the inside.
Before He overrules the enemies around us, He overrules our hearts.

(Bridge): Imagine a married couple who live in the same house but haven’t spoken meaningfully in months. The husband is faithfully providing, but the heart connection is gone.

That’s what God is confronting in His people, While Haggai’s message focused on getting back to work, Zechariah’s first message focused on getting back to God. Because you can have a rebuilt temple but still have a distant heart.

God wanted the people’s hearts restored, even before they thought of serving Him.

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Outline:

1. God’s Call To Return (v.1–3)

The first prophetic words out of Zechariah’s mouth aren’t, “Pick up your tools!”
They’re not, “You’ve wasted enough time.”

God says: “Return to Me… and I will return to you.”

(Illustration): The case of the prodigal Son.
That’s God here.

And notice — the call isn’t just to return to church work or religious habits… it’s to Himself.

Application to the church:

• God’s call is personal and urgent. He says “Return to Me”; not “Return to the temple project,” not “Return to religious duty,” but to Me.
• We can be here every Sunday and still not be with Him.
• We can serve, sing, give, and yet our hearts have drifted.
• The greatest danger isn’t that we stop working for God; it’s that we work for Him without walking with Him.

Before God wants your labour, He wants a relationship and fellowship with you.
Before He wants your service, He wants your surrender to Him.

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2. God’s Warning From The Past (v.4–5)

God says, “Don’t be like your ancestors.”

They heard the prophets; they knew the truth; but they brushed it off.
And in the end, judgment came, just as God said it would.

(Illustration): Think of traffic signs. You can ignore a speed limit for days, maybe weeks, without getting caught. But eventually, that police officer with the radar gun will be there. And it’s not the sign’s fault — it’s your choice to ignore it.

God’s Word, He says, “overtook” them — like a shadow catching up no matter how far they ran.

Application to the church:

• Spiritual history is a gift — if we learn from it.
• What patterns in our own lives is God warning us to change now before they catch up to us?
• And it is dangerous to say, “I’ll respond later" when God is calling.
• Don’t wait for God’s Word to “overtake” you in judgment — let it overtake you in grace.

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3. God Promise To  Fulfill His Will (v.6).

God says His words and decrees overtook the ancestors. That means His Word is unshakable;  it always accomplishes what He says.

Here’s the beauty:
The same Word that brought judgment in the past is the Word that now brings restoration.

(Bridge): Story of Exile and restoration after 70 years.

And for us, His ultimate promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ — the Living Word.
Jesus took the judgment we deserved so we could receive the mercy we could never earn.
Jesus is proof that when God says “Return to Me, and I will return to you,” He means it — even if it cost Him His Son’s blood.

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Conclusion:

Zechariah’s first message reminds us:

• God’s call is not just “Build My house,” but “Return to Me.”
• The greatest work God wants to do is in our hearts before it shows in our hands.
• Before He overruled the enemies outside, He overruled the sin in their hearts.
• He’s calling some of us to stop hiding behind activity and start coming home to intimacy.

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Call to Action:

• Are you busy in God’s work but distant from God Himself? Return to Him; not just to church attendance, but to the Lord Himself.
• Are you ignoring God's calling? Learn from history
• Do you still doubt the Bible? Trust God’s Word still stands, still saves, still transforms.

• Face your rebellion – What sins have you tolerated so long that you’ve stopped calling them sin? → Return to the Lord before those sins ruin you.
• Stop delaying repentance – What are you waiting for? Another warning? Another loss? → The time to turn back is today, not when it’s convenient.
• Break the cycle – Will you repeat the stubbornness of those before you who refused to listen? → Learn from the past, don’t relive it.
• Trust His welcome – Do you doubt that God will receive you if you truly turn? → Run to Him; His promise is “Return to Me, and I will return to you.”