Dear Restored LA
Dear Restored Church LA,
You are deeply loved by Jesus and it is such a privilege to lead and shepherd you. Sarah and I had prayers and dreams of what this church family would one day look like and it is so encouraging to see those prayers become reality. By the grace of God, I believe the trajectory we are on together is nothing short of supernatural. Jesus has been so kind to us over the past four years. I am constantly in awe of all He has already accomplished, all the while knowing that He has just begun.
As the new year begins, the Lead Pastors in the Restored Family of Churches were asked to write an open letter to our local churches to encourage our church families in ways we have seen Jesus grow us over this past year and to share where we see Jesus wanting to take us in the coming year. My desire is that this brief letter would help us enjoy more of Jesus and see more clearly the ways He is inviting us to partner with Him in advancing His Kingdom.
Stories of encouragement are many. Each week I have the privilege of hearing story after story of how Jesus’ grace is changing individuals and entire families. “I think I just got saved” or “I am just starting to grasp that Jesus actually loves me” are phrases I hear often and will never grow tired of. This is not simply because of a sermon on a Sunday or a discussion in a Gospel Community, but because we have a church filled with men and women who are constantly sharing and applying the good news of Jesus to others over coffees, meals and day to day life together.
Two beautiful ways I have seen Jesus grow our church family over this past year are in the areas of sacrificial love and generosity. It is beautiful to see the church doing life together beyond Sundays- opening up their homes and lives in a way that is sacrificial and gives others a tangible glimpse of Jesus’ sacrificial love at the cross. It is so common to hear stories of people providing meals for people in times of need, driving people to doctor's appointments or simply sitting with them in very difficult seasons, helping pay bills when times are tough, and on and on I could go. Countless church members have had others in the church move in with them in seasons of need or simply to live as the family of God. I believe Jesus is deeply pleased with the way you continue to use your homes as resources to steward for His glory and the love of others, welcoming in both the church family and those He has placed in our lives who don’t yet know Him.
When it comes to generosity, it is overwhelming how Jesus continues to use our church family to expand His Kingdom with the finances He entrusts to us. By God’s grace, in 2019 we were able to give over $170k towards church plants, missionaries, Christian organizations and social justice initiatives, both locally and internationally, who are starting or sustaining Gospel works. That means that 30% of every dollar that came in to Restored LA immediately went beyond Restored LA to directly advance Jesus’ Kingdom. I am incredibly grateful to our fellow pastor/elder, Stephen Johns, who is constantly encouraging us to give more, trusting Jesus will remain faithful. And, I am incredibly grateful to each one of you who give generously so that others can encounter our generous God. What an absolute gift it is to partner with our Father as He continues to bring mercy and justice to the world around us.
Just as Jesus has grown us in beautiful ways over this past year, He desires so much more for us. We have a good Father who loves us right where we are at, and yet loves us too much to let us stay there. My prayer is that Jesus would continue to show us more and more of our hearts in the coming year, not to shame us or condemn us, but to continually grow us into His likeness so that we might find our ultimate joy and identity in Him. As I have spent time praying over this next year, I feel Jesus specifically wanting to sanctify us in the area of speaking truth in love. One of the great difficulties of the Christian life is walking in the tension of the beautiful, but often paradoxical, life Jesus has saved us into. Are we to trust God or work hard? Both. Are we to share the Gospel through our words or our works? Both. Is God merciful or just? Both. Are we holy or sinful? Both. Are we to extend grace or speak truth? Both. As I look around our church, I am in awe of the ways Jesus has grown us into a welcoming and gracious community. The way you extend grace to one another is such a remarkable picture of the grace of Jesus. But, in His goodness, Jesus is both gracious and truthful and my prayer for us as a church in this next season is that we would be so rooted in Jesus – both His truth and grace for us – that we would be unafraid to lovingly challenge or rebuke one another. If you have felt the Spirit leading you into hard conversations with people you love, I would encourage you for the health of that person and Jesus’ bride – go and love them well so that they might experience more and more freedom in Him.
Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” I dwell often on the weighty reality that Jesus has entrusted you to my care- that one day, the Restored LA leaders and I will stand before Jesus and give an account for your souls. Thank you for making that weighty responsibility a true joy. Serving, leading and walking alongside you is one of the greatest gifts of my life. The evidences of God’s grace over us this past year are countless. He is so kind and He gets all of the glory for any fruit amongst us. What a joy it is to partner with him- let’s keep abiding in His love and trusting Him together!
Love, Brad Sarian