REV. Zachery Sarrault, Associate PASTOR
Pastor’s Corner for February 22-28
Life with the Father
(Matthew 4:1-11)
“I can do it myself!” Yes, we’re in that stage in the Sarrault house. One of our two girls (you pick who it is!) is feeling very independent lately, and most of the time it’s ok. I’m proud of her for growing up and feeling more independent. After all, that’s how you figure things out in the world, giving her more responsibility can be helpful too. But then there are the times when it’s dangerous for her to do it on her own; walking through a parking lot, climbing into a full bathtub (with little sis already there), getting daddy’s tools from the shed, spraying products in the toilet. If we let her do these things on her own, she’s bound to get hurt. When we stop her, she might get mad and try to do it anyway or run away, screaming and crying. As much as she thinks we’re being mean and holding her back, it’s because we love her and want her to stay safe (and alive).
We never really grow out of that do we? No matter our age, we think we can do this life on our own. I’m not just talking about “Do It Yourself” projects (that we use YouTube for anyway) but living life without God. We think we can survive in this world, and the next, without walking with Jesus. We neglect Bible reading, prayer, and weekly worship. We tell God, “I can do it myself!” and when He tries to reign us in, we run away screaming and crying. We forget that God’s only goal is to keep us safe and alive. To do that, we need to do life with God.
This is what we see Jesus living out when He is tempted by the devil. The first thing satan tells Jesus in the wilderness is, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” The temptation isn’t to eat breakfast, it’s to do life without the heavenly Father. “You don’t need God because you are God” is what the devil’s saying. Jesus responds, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” If the Son of God needs God the Father to resist temptation, stay safe, and live life well, then so do we.
This Lenten season, where is God calling you to stop doing life on your own? Oddly enough, sometimes the best way to let God do the work in our lives is by doing nothing at all. Just be there with God. Where is God calling you to do nothing and just be with Him?
Your ever-reliant 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!