• Right Answer; Wrong Question, based on John 3:1-17
  by Rev. Randy L Quinn
     

• THAT'S THE SPIRIT  Romans 8:12-17, by Dr. David Rogne
     

• Welcome to God’s Family! Romans 8:12-17, by Rev. Randy Quinn
   

• Born again, John 3: 1-17, by Thomas Hall
   

• Conversion is a Comma, Not a Period, John 3: 1-17, by Rev. Thomas Hall
   

•  Worship Is . . ." Is what?,  Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13) by Rev. Thomas Hall
   

• Come Follow Me, John 3: 1-17, Brad Hall, (also: Isaiah 6:1-6)
   

• Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God of Hosts, John 3: 1-17, Is 6, S.A. Taylor
   

• God Loved the World, John 3: 1-17, by Dan Christ

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Right Answer; Wrong Question
based on John 3:1-17
by Rev. Randy L Quinn

Near the end of what is commonly referred to as “the Dark Ages,” when people began to travel further than they had before, there was a man who lived alone near a frequently traveled road.

As it happened, a man came to his door once. He was carrying a rather large duck he had just caught. He said he was a cousin of his and had just caught this duck; so he wondered if they could make some duck soup and share the meal.

So the two of them shared the duck soup and told stories about their families. After an enjoyable evening together, the cousin stayed the night and continued his journey in the morning.

Two days later, a man came to the door and introduced himself by saying he was a friend of his cousin who had brought him the duck. He wondered if there was any leftover soup he could share. Well, in fact, there was still a little left, so they added some vegetables and a little broth and shared a meal before the friend of his cousin left.

Three days later, another man came to the door and introduced himself by saying he was a friend of the friend of his cousin who had brought him the duck. He wondered if there was any leftover soup he could share.

Not wanting to be rude, the man welcomed the friend of the friend of his cousin and added more vegetables and broth to the soup and they shared a meal before the friend of the friend of his cousin left.

Well, it happened again, the next week, that a man came to the door and introduced himself by saying he was a friend of the friend of the friend of his cousin who had brought him the duck. He wondered if there was any soup he could share.

Not only was the man’s sense of hospitality wearing thin, so was the duck soup. But he added some more vegetables and broth and they shared a meal before the friend of the friend of the friend of his cousin left.

Two days later, another man came to the door and introduced himself by saying he was a friend of the friend of the friend of the friend of his cousin who had brought him the duck. He wondered if there was any soup he could share.

So the man warmed some water and put it in a bowl and offered it to his guest. His visitor looked at it in dismay and asked what it was.

“That, my friend, is the soup of the soup of the soup of the soup of the duck that my cousin brought me.” 

And he never had another traveler stop to ask for duck soup again.

Too many people, I’m afraid, have the faith of the faith of the faith of their fathers – or their mothers. There is little substance left as we accept what we have been told and never ask questions and never allow questions to be asked.

Too many of us are like Nicodemus; we have read the scriptures and come to believe what we have been taught to believe rather than exploring the scriptures for the answers God has to offer us. We rely on teachers or preachers or authors. We rely on the advice of the advice of the advice of an expert – but we don’t really know why we believe what we believe.

Last fall I was asked to publish a newsletter article warning people in our church to not be enticed by the soon-to-be-released movie based on Dan Brown’s best seller, The Da Vince Code. I didn’t make the announcement because I hadn’t read the book and didn’t think it was my job to be a censor of any particular Hollywood production – any more than I think it’s my job to promote any particular Hollywood production.

Now, however, there are churches doing series of sermons on the book and the movie – the same one I was being advised not to read! [continue]