A Call From God

A Call From God

Zechariah 1:1-6

Purpose Statement: To encourage repentance and a right relationship with

God.

In this passage, the prophet and priest Zechariah is talking to those who have returned from exile. He is calling on them to learn from the

mistakes their fathers have made in the past. God desires to return to them and bless them, but only if they repent and obey the Lord.

Background: Zechariah began his ministry around 521 B.C.. At this time,the foundations of the temple were installed, but the temple had not yet been

rebuilt. In fact, the temple foundation was laid down around 536 B.C. some 16 years before Zechariah’s ministry started. Jerusalem itself was being

rebuilt from it’s destruction by the Babylonians. Zechariah was calling on men and women to repent and to learn from the mistakes of the past. To

walk with God, so that God would bless them. Zechariah whose name means “The Lord remembers”, was both a prophet and a priest. He was a man who

was deeply concerned about the moral decay of those around him.

I. The Heart of God vs.2-3 He was angry with their forefathers. He is calling men and women to return to Him and repent. God is ready and willing

to forgive any that call upon Him.

On a bright Sunday morning in the 28th century London, Robert Robinson was walking despondently down a busy city street in London. The

sound of church bells reminded him of years past when his faith in God was strong and the church was an integral part of his life. It had been years since

he set foot in a church-years of wandering, disillusionment, and gradual defection from the God he once loved. That love for God- once fiery and

passionate- had slowly burned out within him, leaving him dark and cold inside.

Robinson heard the clip-clop, clip-clop of a horse drawn cab approaching behind him. Turning, he lifted his hand to hail the driver. But then he saw

that the cab was occupied by a young woman dressed in finery for the Lord’s Day. He waved the driver on, but the woman in the carriage ordered the carriage to be stopped.

“Sir, I’d be happy to share this carriage with you,” she said to Robinson, “Are you going to church?” Robinson was about to decline, but

then he paused. “Yes,” he said at last. “I am going to church.” He stepped into the carriage and sat down beside the young woman.

As the carriage rolled forward Robert Robinson and the woman exchanged introductions. There was a flash of recognition in her eyes when

he stated his name. “That’s an interesting concidence, she said I was just reading a verse by a poet named Robert Robinson.”

He took the book, nodding. “Yes, I wrote these words years ago.”

The words would one day be set to music and become a great hymn of the faith, familiar to generations of Christians.

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace’

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

His eyes slipped to the bottom of the page where he read:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it-

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

He could barely finish reading the words. “I wrote these words - and I’ve lived these words. “Prone to wander..... prone to leave the God I love.”

The woman suddenly understood. “You also wrote, “here’s my heart, O take and seal it.” You can offer your heart again to God, Mr.Robinson. It’s not too late. It wasn’t too late for Robert Robinson. In that moment he turned his heart

back to God and walked with him for the rest of his days.”

What God was saying to the Israel’s was this same thing. It’s not too late to return to Me and be healed and to be forgiven.

II. The Healing of God vs.3 The desire of God is to bless, but He does’t bless disobedience. See Deut 30:2-9 The Lord desires to bring them back

from exile, to make them prosperous, numerous, circumcise of heart that they might love Him with all their heart and soul and live.

III. The Heritage of the Lord vs. the heritage of man. Their forefathers had been overtaken by the Word of the Lord. All the disaster that God said

would happen has happened. They had gone into exile, some had starved, others were killed, still others became slaves. God wishes to give them

blessing now instead. He says to them not to follow after the heritage of their fathers. Not to follow after their example, but to obey and repent and listen

to the word of God.