REV. Zachery Sarrault, Associate PASTOR
Pastor’s Corner for September 27-October 3, 2026
“Turn and Live”
(Ezekial 18:1-4, 25-32)
“That’s not fair!” We heard this from the 12-hour laborers in the Good Farmer’s vineyard when they were paid the same as the 1-hour laborers. Vicar Chris reminded us that it’s a good thing our Good Farmer God isn’t fair with His gifts. Praise be to God that He doles out grace and forgiveness in unfair proportions!
It’s part of our sinful condition to need constant reminders about good things. This week, we hear the exact same complaint in Ezekial, “That’s not fair!” Except this time the complaint is a little more visceral and painful. “The way of the Lord is not just” the Israelites complain because God tells them that those who turn from righteousness will die and those that do what is right will live. “That’s not fair!” we cry out against God, especially the second part of His warning. We have to do what is right to live? I thought we lived by grace, not by works? Do I really have to change my ways if I want to live with Jesus?
Sometimes it’s good for us to stay in an uncomfortable place in our relationship with God, “hold the tension” as a Seminary professor once told me, so I’m going to let the hard question hang there for a moment. First, is God being fair with Israel (and us) or not? Is He right to punish the sinful and call us to change our ways in order to live? This is who God has always been. In the very beginning, God told Adam that he could eat everything in the garden except the fruit from one tree, if he ate that fruit he would die (Genesis 2:26-28). Adam and Eve ate the fruit and they died. What we consider unfair, God considers keeping His Word. So where is the Good News? Where is the Good Word?
The Good Word is that God does in fact keeps His Word, He does do exactly what He says He will do. “Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life” (Ezekial 18:17). If we read this as a command to work our way into salvation, we will never make it. We will stay in the wickedness of selfishness, self-satisfaction, self-serving, and self-love and never see the selflessness of our Savior. To turn from our wickedness and do what is just and right is to fall at the feet of our Savior and say, “I can’t do it, I need your help, I need you to do it for me” and every time His answer is one of love and grace, picking us up and carrying us into eternal life. God keeps His Word every time and that Word is simply this, “stop trying and let Me do that work for you. I love you too much to let you do it alone.” Praise God that He does the work for us!
Your helpless brother in Christ,
Pastor Zach Sarrault
Ordination and Installation of Pastor Zachery Sarrault (July 18, 2021):
Sunday was a great day at RLC! We celebrated the Ordination and Installation of our new Associate Pastor Zachery Sarrault. It was a beautiful service with a heartfelt sermon by his father, Pastor Joel Sarrault. Congratulations and welcome, Pastor Zach! Thank you to all who participated in this special day.
Pastor Sarrault Ordination and Installation
Pastor Zachery Sarrault Ordination and Installation Bulletin
From Pastor Zach (July 16, 2021):
Hey Resurrection Family!
Kelsey and I are finally here! We have finished up at St. Louis, seen family in Michigan, and moved into our new home. After all of that traveling and living out of suitcases, we couldn’t be happier to finally be back to something comfortable. Comfort is always something nice to hold on to. All of us have something that makes us comfortable, whether it be a family member or friend, a good book or fishing pole, a quilting machine or a wood shed, we all have our go-to comfort places. This is part of being human! We love comfort!
The thing with comfort is that sometimes we get too comfortable. We can settle in and tell ourselves that we never wish to see any change. “Life would be perfect if I could just stay in my recliner with Tom Sawyer all day.” Or whatever your comfort may be. Sadly, we know that this isn’t how life works. No matter how much we enjoy our comforts, ‘real life’ happens and it disrupts those little joys. But, is it ‘real life’ or is it God, calling us into His mission to do more than just the comfortable?
Jesus never led a life of comfort. From the manger to the cross and even the empty tomb, Jesus’ life was one of challenge and the uncomfortable. When one of the scribes declared that he would follow Jesus, all Jesus had to say was, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matt. 8:20). Kind of an odd response, one that rightly scared away the scribe. Probably would have scared me too!
So, what does this mean for us? Are we supposed to throw away all of our earthly comforts and live lives of asceticism? Not at all! But we are called to know where these comforts come from and who our ultimate comfort is. In all things, comfort or challenge, our Lord and Savior stands before us, behind us, and beside us. As Jesus prepared His disciples for life after His death and resurrection, Jesus told His followers, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
There is our ultimate comfort! Not in our little hide-a-ways or indulgences, but in the One who has overcome all sin and who has promised us peace. Our comfort is in the faith that we have through Christ’s death and resurrection. Our comfort is in the kingdom of God that has already been given to us! That is a comfort that is never changing and never ending. No matter what God has in store the Sarraults in North Carolina, we know that the comfort of our Lord will always prevail!
In the comfortable and the uncomfortable, but always in Christ,
Pastor Zach Sarrault
From Pastor Jonathan (July 15, 2021):
There's a new face at Resurrection! Seminarian Zach Sarrault and wife Kelsey made it down to Cary last Monday, and soon-to-be "Pastor Zach" is already taking part in leadership team activities here at RLC. He will serve as Associate Pastor at Resurrection... meaning he will be working full-time in all aspects of ministry: preaching and teaching, visiting the homebound, discipling others, showing up at youth events, leading school and preschool chapel services, making friends in his neighborhood, evangelizing... and doing it all as one who is privileged to be an Under-Shepherd of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. We are very blessed to have him and Kelsey in our midst!
Though the Sarraults hail from Michigan they know a little bit about our area already since Zach served as Vicar at Hope Lutheran Church in Wake Forest from 2019 to 2020. At church you can find Pastor Zach in the Associate Pastor's office, next door to the main office on the left side. I look forward to working with Pastor Zach and seeing him welcomed as warmly by all of you as Juli and I were not so long ago! May God bless and further your ministry among us, Pastor!