REV. Zachery Sarrault, Associate PASTOR
Pastor’s Corner for September 17-23, 2023
The Goodness of God
(Genesis 50:20)
In the back of my Bible, I’ve written about a dozen devotional questions that I got from a pastor a few years ago. They help direct my thoughts after I’ve read my Bible when I don’t know where to go next. Some are easy and some are hard. One of the most uncomfortable and difficult questions is this; how might my life change if I believe/live that? I’d rather ask the easy questions; what confuses me? what do I agree with? what is God doing? These are easier because there’s no action required, but sometimes the hard questions are the ones we need.
A verse that recently brought that question to mind comes at the end of Genesis when Joseph is speaking to his backstabbing, jealous brothers, saying, “you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Gen. 50:20). How might my life change if I believe/live that?
Amid evil, great or small, it can be awfully hard to believe that God can use it for good. Looking back, we can see the truth of it, but to live it on a day-to-day basis can be hard. Honestly, I would rather not believe/live that while I’m walking through evil. I would rather be angry at the evil, let loose my frustration and scream at the sky. I’d rather heap up my own level of evil and start a fight than recognize that God is actually at work there, but when we take a moment, stepping back to see what God is doing, we can see something amazing about who God is. It is in those moments, living amid evil (whether self-inflicted or brought on by outside sources), that we really see who God is.
Thinking on this verse, and what it is like to live it, I’m reminded of a self-inflicted evil from 7th grade. I had just failed my first ever test. Failing a test wasn’t an option in our house and I was terrified to tell my parents. Luckily for me, the teacher always offered retakes, so I figured I could get away with quietly retaking the test, passing this time and my parents would never know the difference. Long story short, it took a couple weeks to complete the retake, and, of course, my parents found out that I had lied to them. I was horrified! What would they do with this evil that I had created, this lie I had dug myself into for over a month! Surely, they would kick me out of the house, force me into hard labor, starve me, I won’t see the light of day for a year! I expected the worst, but they didn’t do any of that. They forgave me and still loved me. Sure, they were disappointed and there was a punishment, but it didn’t change their love for me as their son.
God used the evil for good. Even though I was a bad son and lied to my parents, God used evil to show that my parents would still love me, no matter how many tests I failed (and there may have been a couple more later…). God uses evil for good. He doesn’t always take away the evil in our lives, but He will use it to show us who He is. He is the God of unending, unfading, enduring love and grace, no matter what we do. Our God is the One who has used the evil of the cross for the good of salvation available to all people. That is the greatest evil for good!
Your failing, yet forgiven, brother in Christ,
Pastor Zach Sarrault
Outdoor Worship at Ritter Park!
As the weather begins to cool, we look forward to worshiping in God’s creation at Ritter Park on October 1 for the 11:00 service! The worship schedule will change slightly on October 1, we will not have a 9:30 service or Adult Christian Ed. classes during the 9:30 hour, though Sunday School for the younger kids will be held at Ritter Park during the 9:30 hour. We invite everyone to pack a picnic and hang out when the service is finished, games will be provided for everyone to enjoy. The change in worship scenery is a great opportunity to invite a friend to join you in worship!
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!