Sermon: Sunday, 27th April, 2025
Speaker: Geoff Murray
Scripture: Acts 1:1-11
Apart from a break last week for Easter, we have been going through the vision statement for Kirkcaldy Free Church. This is super important for you as a congregation to become familiar with and own because a vision helps visualise where things, under God’s blessing can go. Without a vision it is just turning up to church and aiming at not very much.
Today we’ll be focussing on point 2 of our vision statement:
To help establish a new church in Leven through prayer, finance, and other support.
I think that’s one that can easily be forgotten especially after the summer when my family along with a few others leave Kirkcaldy Free Church. We’ll be out of sight and out of mind.
Even while we’re here it’s not immediately obvious. A vision statement for Kirkcaldy Free Church we might think is simply limited to this church family, this building, this town, and that’s it.
Yet, the vision of the gospel is much bigger than our own back yard, the vision the gospel brings compels us to look beyond ourselves.
To church plant or not to church plant?
Although there is a recent trend discovered of a sharp increase in male generation Z going to church, the general picture of church attendance and Christianity in Scotland seems bleak. Churches are closing left, right and centre.
And in the face of such attitudes which some of you might even hold, why on earth are we planting a church in Leven? Why don’t we just hunker down and try to preserve what we have? It seems a reasonable question to ask.
You think even of those who have joined Kirkcaldy Free Church over the last two years with a view to planting in Leven long term: that amounts to 21 people including children. Wouldn’t it be better if we just stayed here? Why would Kirkcaldy reduce itself in numbers for the sake of another church?
1. Jesus, the good shepherd can handle both Kirkcaldy and Leven at the same time.
‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.’ (John 10:11)
‘I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep.’ (John 10:14-15)
Jesus has a keen eye and interest on the flock of God. He knows his sheep, he loves his sheep, he gives his life for the sheep.
I love the image of Psalm 121 of God watching over his people and it says he never slumbers nor sleeps. In other words, God never takes his eye off his people. He has such a loving and constant care for them.
But it doesn’t stop there. ‘I have other sheep that are not of this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.’ (John 10:16)
Jesus, in the first instance, is speaking of the inclusion of the Gentiles into the people of God, not simply the Jews. However, I think the principle can transfer easily to the situation that we’re in.
Jesus has his eye on the flock, he loves his flock, he tends his flock, but he’s also got an eye out for those who are not of this sheep pen and crucially he says, ‘I must bring them also, and they will come, they will listen to my voice…’
Even in the metaphors Jesus is employing here assumes danger and trouble. ‘The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.’ (John 10:12)
There are wolves who want to attack the flock and scatter them and the thief, Satan, comes to steal, kill and destroy. ‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’ (John 10:10) Surely, Jesus, when there is so much danger for your people you should just focus in on the endangered flock?
We kind of forget sometimes that Jesus is the divine Son of God and limit him to what we can do. But friends, Jesus is more than able to keep his eye on the flock of Kirkcaldy Free Church as well as keeping his eye on the lost sheep not currently in the fold that he wants to bring in. Surely if he is the Son of God he should be able to manage that feat? Surely this passage tells us he can!
This is not difficult for Jesus to pull off!
2. There are sheep to be brought in
‘I have other sheep that are not of this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.’ (John 10:16)
This is like my absolute go-to verse in church planting. Especially when I’m feeling discouraged and I need a boot up the backside; ‘Listen, there are more sheep Jesus has to call, no time for moping.’
But isn’t it an exciting thought? Jesus isn’t done bringing sheep outside the flock inside the flock! Praise Jesus!
Why are we planting Leven Free Church? Because there are tens of thousands of people in Levenmouth who don’t know Jesus combined with the fact that Jesus wants to bring many more into his flock. Of 40,000 in Levenmouth as a whole, you wouldn’t have 400 in any kind of church on a Sunday. That is seriously unreached.
Say this verse isn’t in here. Is Jesus still going to be saving sinners? I don’t know. Is anyone going to come to faith? I don’t know. Therefore, we’d probably not be going because in the face of the slightest opposition we’d likely be reduced to shrugging our shoulders and saying, ‘Well, I guess that’s not happening.’ We’d likely batten down the hatches and just keep what we’ve got.
But no, Jesus is still at work still wanting to bring folk in who are not in his flock currently. Surely then this increases our confidence and certainty that we should be going to plant a church in Leven. If Jesus is still saving sinners, lets go! Lets go to the roughly 40,000 who don’t know Jesus.
And although this is primarily about the church plant in Leven, I don’t want you to think that this is only something for church plants to do. I want you to go to your friends, family members and neighbours who don’t know Jesus, go all over the ‘lang toun’ (Kirkcaldy) with the gospel. Brothers, sisters, Jesus is still at work saving lost souls, you need to go!
Perhaps you’re anxious about whether or not people will believe. Whilst you don’t know who will, you know that some will! Let your anxiety melt away. You’re not pursuing a lost cause, you’re not wasting your time, there are 50,000 folk in Kirkcaldy the vast overwhelming majority of whom don’t know Jesus. I’m going to hazard a bet and say Jesus has folk in this town that he’s yet to call. The call, whether in Leven or in Kirkcaldy, is to go.
3. There is a Shepherd who brings them in
But we have yet more reason for confidence friends. First of all we have a crucified shepherd.
‘… just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.’ (John 10:15-18)
Jesus died on the cross, he gave up himself, he laid his life down to make a way for the tens of thousands of Levenites, the tens of thousands in Kirkcaldy to know God! No crucified saviour, no mass evangelisation. No shepherd laying his life down for the sheep, no sheep. But friends, Christ is crucified! The nail marks on his hands and feet, the spear wound in his side, the crown of thorns on his head, the midday sky going dark, judgement falling upon him.
‘He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’ For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.’ (1 Peter 2:24-25)
The way has been made not just for us to come, but the way has been made for all who will believe in him for eternal life to come! The blood of Jesus tells you and me today that going out to plant a new church in Leven is not a waste of time, is not doomed for failure. The blood of Jesus tells you and me that there are lost and wandering sheep out there who Jesus has died for that he wants to bring in and therefore we can go knowing that for all who will believe, the way has been made open!
‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.’ (Romans 1:16)
The blood of Jesus is power! Power to change lives, power to draw the wandering sheep to the fold! Power to plant churches!
Why are we planting Leven Free Church? Because Jesus is crucified! More than that, Jesus is risen and is alive forevermore! The gates of the sheep pen is wide open for sheep who are not in the fold to be brought in.
Also, notice in verse 16 Jesus doesn’t say, ‘I have other sheep, you go and bring them in.’ Jesus says, “’ will bring them, they will listen to my voice.’
Of course, this isn’t Jesus saying we sit on our backsides and don’t invite folk to church, don’t share the gospel, it is to say that the power to carry out this work ultimately resides in Jesus. This is saying as we go out and share the gospel with friend and neighbour that Jesus makes his appeal through us, he is the one speaking to lost souls.
But nonetheless what this means is that folks becoming Christians is not down to our intellect or our wisdom or ability to convince people. It’s in the power of Jesus to call the sheep.
Which for you and for me is good news. I mean this in strictly the most Apostle Paul type way possible: The congregation in Leven and in the same way, the congregation here are a lovely bunch but we are nothing special.
‘Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’ (1 Corinthians 1:26–31)
Why plant a church? Because Jesus delights to use weak people to show his strength and power. He delights to speak through broken vessels all cracked and chipped. Jesus could just zap people and save them that way but he uses us who are weak and speaks strongly through us that many might hope in him.
That’s why we have confidence to go out and to plant a church.
1. Jesus isn’t done bringing lost sheep into the fold.
2. Jesus died to bring wandering sheep into the fold.
3. Jesus speaks powerfully through his people to call wandering sheep into the fold.
Friends, that is why we are planting Leven Free Church because though we are weak, Jesus is mighty to save! Though we know our inabilities, Jesus is more than able to work through us! Though with our eyes we may not always be able to see a way forward, with the eyes of faith we see the shepherd who has made a way by laying down his life for the lost and wandering sheep to come in!
What can you do to support Leven Free Church?
• Prayer
• Resources
• Friendship
• Faith