THE DAY OF PENTECOST AD 2024
TRINITY EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
KURTZVILLE, ONTARIO
REV. KURT E. REINHARDT

Text: John 15:26-27 & 16:4-15

"But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who
proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. [27] And you also will bear witness,
because you have been with me from the beginning. [16:4] But I have said these things to you,

that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.

"I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. [5] But now I am
going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' [6] But because I
have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. [7] Nevertheless, I tell you the truth:
it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you. [8] And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning
sin and righteousness and judgment: [9] concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; [10]
concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; [11]

concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

[12] "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. [13] When the Spirit
of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but
whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. [14] He
will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. [15] All that the Father has is

mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
--

What’s old is new again. Home delivery is as much a part of our lives today as the Sears
Catalogue was not that terribly long ago. Back then you could order just about anything from
Sears and have it shipped to your door - including honey bees. My dear friend, Pastor Bugbee
will tell you that you always knew when his grandpa was getting new bees because his house
was always the first one that the mailman went to that day. I haven’t tried ordering bees from
Amazon yet, but I’m sure that if I could and did that I’d be the first delivery on Sarjeet’s list and
that they’d be waiting at my door the next day, like so many other things that I’ve ordered in the
last few years.
Home delivery is back and I doubt its going anywhere anytime soon. So many have come to
depend on it for just about everything. At times it can be a real Godsend - like it was during the
pandemic. A Godsend that reflects how God Himself works in many ways. No, He is not a self
service God. He is full serve all the way. Home delivery is so important to God, that One Person
of the Holy Trinity is especially in charge of it. What the Father wanted us to have and what the
Son earned for us the Spirit personally delivers to us. Jesus is absolutely clear on this today. The
things of the Father that Christ has for us are declared to us by the Spirit. “Declare” with God
means to deliver. When God sends forth His Word that Word is filled with His Spirit that
accomplishes what He says.
God’s Word is always a Spirit filled Word because just like our own words, His Word goes forth
with His breath. God’s Word is always filled with His Spirit simply because it is His Word. Even
when it is spoken by a lowly man like me, the Spirit fills that Word. If it is not the Lord’s Word,
then it can, and will do nothing, no matter how well it might be spoken. And if it is the Lord’s
Word, then no matter how poor and lowly the speaker might be, it will always have great power
and do great things. The Spirit in that Word will accomplish what the Father sends it out to do.
I cannot tell you what a great comfort this is to me, as the Lord puts that Word in my mouth to
speak it. It should be a great comfort to you as well, beloved, that the effectiveness of that Word
does not rely on my poor abilities to deliver it, as it should comfort and embolden you as well,
when the Lord puts that Word in your mouth to speak it too. We make a terrible mistake,
beloved, when we focus at those times on how well we speak that Word. No, no, at those times
we must say to ourselves that the Spirit is in this Word, no matter how poor a speaker I might be.
The Lord will do what He wants with this Word and I must and will leave it up to Him.
This truth should make us bold to speak, beloved, but sadly we are not or at least I know that I
am not. Why? Because I let myself get in the way. In a horrible form of idolatry, I somehow let
myself believe that I, with my poor flesh, could hinder the Spirit in His work. If Amazon can get
my parcel to me, what on earth including me, can stop the Spirit from delivering Christ’s things
through the Word? When you think about how many ages and people He has passed through to
bring what He brings to us this day in all of its fullness and purity, how can we doubt Him?
No, we should not doubt Him when it comes to our speaking and giving, as we should not doubt
Him when it comes to our hearing and receiving. And yet doubt Him we do. The Spirit Himself
came to us in Holy Baptism, beloved, He hovered over those recreating waters and by His
almighty power was at work in the Word of God spoken over us to make us beloved Children of
God in whom He is well pleased.

Home delivery. That’s what it was to each and every one of us who were brought to the font -
the fullness of all that Christ won for us was delivered to us. Nothing was sent to the wrong
address. Nothing got lost or damaged. No porch pirate stole it. The fullness of Jesus and all His
gifts was given to each of you in the water when God spoke His Spirit filled Word over you.
Jesus was placed right at your door with your name and address on Him. Jesus and everything
that comes with Him delivered right to you for you.
His complete and full forgiveness for all of your sins. His holy perfect life to cover up all your
faults and failings. His promise that He will never leave or forsake you but one day carry you
home to the place that He has prepared for you in His Father’s house. His help for all your
troubles. His comfort for all your sorrows. His peace for all your worries and cares. And yet
how hard it can be at times to believe in and live in this truth when we look to ourselves and
what we think, say and do instead of looking to what the Spirit has said and done.
In these joyful Day of Pentecost, the Lord wants to ground and enrich you in the truth of the
Spirit’s work, even as that Spirit is truly at work in the Word that the Lord sends to you to teach
you about Him. He is at work in this very moment in this very Word to pass through your ears
into your hearts to comfort and strengthen them in what He has done, is doing and will do for
you and through you.
You cannot by your own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ or come to Him, but the Holy
Spirit has, is and will, call you by the Gospel, enlighten you with His gifts, sanctify and keep you
in the true faith. What the Father wanted to give to you and what the Son earned for you, the
Spirit will deliver to you, brothers. This is our only hope and security when it comes to the life
of faith. None of it rests on us. None of it remains in our hands. God does it all for us and all
those under our care.
Yes, God specializes in full service home delivery. Any doubt about that is put to rest here at the
altar, beloved, with the Spirit filled Words, this is my Body and this is my Blood, take and eat
and drink - the gift of the Father, won for you by His Son delivered to your ears, lips and heart by
the Spirit. Yes, the Holy Spirit always has and always will do Person to person Home delivery -
because He knows how badly we need it our whole lives long.
And that, beloved, is something for poor sinners like you and me to rejoice in and give thanks
and praise for this day and forever! Amen.