Yasharn Smith opens with a thought-provoking tension: the unsettling perspective, posed in the film 'The Island', that God is "the guy who ignores you" when you pray. Yasharn asks listeners if they have ever felt ignored by God, drawing a parallel to the Israelites who endured a very long period of Babylonian exile, feeling that God had turned His back on them. 
Drawing on the powerful narrative in the Book of Ezra, this sermon explores the profound theme of God’s steadfast faithfulness, demonstrating that He sees His people right where they are.
The exile narrative confirms that He is a promise-keeping God whose unchanging nature ensures He can always be taken at His word. Furthermore, God demonstrated that He is in control by moving the hearts of mighty world rulers like Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes to carry out His divine purpose. Most importantly, the physical restoration of Jerusalem and the second temple ultimately points to Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, as true restoration and freedom are realised only through the cross.