The Land Of Ono

Let me remind you again that Nehemiah was not prepared for such a task. He was not equipped or trained to lead and accomplish this work. Nehemiah was neither Prophet nor Priest. You don’t have to be the Pastor - Deacon for God to use you in a leadership role – don’t need to be Seminary trained – Faith the size of a grain mustard seed. So here was Nehemiah in Jerusalem with this special call on his heart. What qualified him was the fact that he was a great prayer warrior in the Army of the Lord. According to God’s book that is the only qualification that we need. The first qualification of a Leader is to know how to pray, to know the importance of spending quality time down on bended knees. It is through this time in prayer that God equips us for the task at hand.

Second Step - While in Jerusalem he meet great opposition. The temple had been rebuilt by Ezra - now it required the fortress; this was Nehemiah’s charge. Rallied God’s people, began to organize. CHAPTER 2, VS. 19 “WHEN SANBALLAT AND TOBIAH HEARD OF OUR REBUILDING, THEY LAUGHED US TO SCORN AND DESPISED US.” As we move our Church forward, in a holistic fashion, there will be those that will laugh and ridicule the Church. Enemy will try any method to divert your attention – throw ridicules things at you.

• Tell you the Preachers ain’t no good

• Tell you the Deacons need to sit down

• Tell you the Leaders are not trained

• Tell you the Church does not have any hope

• Community will laugh at Antioch Baptist Church – I don’t believe you go down there to that Church

• But that’s alright

• Laughed at NEHEMIAH

• Laughed at NOAH

• Laughed at JOB

• Laughed at JEREMIAH

• Even Laughed at JESUS

In spite of the ridicule and being laughed at they still had a mind to work. For God has a way of turning OPPOSITION -- OPPORTUNITY - PROBLEMS -- POSSIBILITY - SORROW -- SUCCESS. The Bible says the wall around the Holy City was finally complete – doors were not yet in place. Sanballat and Tobia grew Jealous and heard sent word for Nehemiah to meet them. I imagine at the local steakhouse, not want to congratulate him, but wanted to do him harm – this is why the Bible says we must be WISE AS A SERPANT AND HARMLESS AS A DOVE. Sanballat – Tobia made an attempt to stop the work, do Nehemiah in VS. 2 “MEET US IN THE PLAIN OR THE LAND OF ONO” – A city in tribe of Benjamin.

Look at what Nehemiah did and how he responded to this distraction. He didn’t go in to a firefighting mode. With this diversion, he ignored it. He ignored it. Sometimes you’ve got to stand up and fight and sometimes you just have to ignore as a way of growing spiritually. Look, at a crucial moment he sent messengers. He didn’t go himself. He realized that he was in a critical moment, so he sent messengers. He perceived the request wasn’t harmless at all. The plain or land of Ono is a whole day’s journey from Jerusalem and it is bordered by hostile territory and so Nehemiah suspected something. Something didn’t smell right to him. He knew it was a trap. He simply responded that he was too busy and would not stop the work at hand.