REV. Zachery Sarrault, Associate PASTOR
Pastor’s Corner for April 28-May 4, 2024
Know Love, No Fear
(1 John 4:1-21)
What are you afraid of? It’s a big question, one that seems to get scarier with age. When we were younger, we often responded with items. One can be afraid of spiders, cockroaches (ok, those are always scary!), the dark, heights, sharks, etc. but as we grow up our fears become a little more concrete. They’re fears you might not be able to see but that doesn’t make them any less real. We fear the future and all the unknowns that may bring. We fear for our kids and grandkids and the unknown of their lives. We fear the government for any number of reasons. We fear the future of the church. We fear the reality of the devil’s work in this world.
Our fears can be overwhelming. if we sit down and think about it, which we would rather not do, but the apostle John comes to us with an encouraging word, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (v. 18). What is this perfect love? How can it throw out, get rid of our fear? This perfect love is the presence of God living within us. Because “God is love” (v. 8) He has to be the perfection of that love. As we abide with God and God with us (v. 16) His love is also with us. Wherever the love of God abides, there is no room for fear to reside. It is thrown out, cast away, dispersed from our very presence.
This can be hard to feel since we still live in a sinful world. We still know what fear feels and looks like. Throughout His letter, the apostle John calls his hearers “little children” (v. 4). How does a little child react to fear? From what I’ve witnessed in my short time as a dad, a child is most fearless when they’re with their parents at home.
Sophia is a fearless little child at the house. One of her activities that causes me the most fear is when she runs on the couch. She climbs up there all on her own, not to snuggle, but to wildly run up and down our wraparound couch, making the turns with the recklessness of a NASCAR driver! Watching her little body twist and turn, wobbling back and forth, at a speed and joy I only wish I could attain, makes me worried she’s going to fall off the couch and hurt herself! But is she afraid?? Not even a little bit. I may wish she had a little fear, but she doesn’t. Why is she not afraid? Because she knows that mom and dad are there to catch her if she falls, as we do at times.
It is the job of a parent to catch their children, make them feel safe, and love them with all their might. That is the job of our Father God. His love is so great, so perfected, that He will always catch us, hold us, forgive us, and grace us into His presence. He lives with us all the way into eternity where we will no longer know fear.
Now if you will excuse me, Sophia is climbing the couch!
Your fearless 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!