Speaker	Sermon/Lesson Title (Right Click to Download)	Audio   Video  Text    Ipod MS Word	Category
Bobby Stafford	The Plains of Ono		Christian Living

 The Plain of Ono

Introduction:

We have all heard the statement:  “Those who do not remember the past are destined to repeat it.”  God’s Word tells us that the Old Testament Scriptures were written for our learning.  (Romans 15:4)  So by examining events during the days of the Old Testament, we can be better prepared not to repeat the mistakes made back then.

Text:  Nehemiah 6:1-2
"Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), 2 that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono." But they thought to do me harm."

Body:

I.   The Background

·   Nehemiah was saddened to hear about his brethren’s affliction back home and that the walls of Jerusalem remained broken down.  (Nehemiah 1:3-4)

·   Nehemiah resolved to rebuild Jerusalem and its walls.  (Nehemiah 2:17)

·   Israel’s enemies laughed at and despised their plans.  (Nehemiah 2:19)  They mocked their efforts.  (Nehemiah 4:1-3)  They tried to stop the work by threats.  (Nehemiah 6:3-13) 

II.   Threats from the Secular World

·   Scripture warns us about not going down to the plain of Ono, not joining ourselves with the world.  (Romans 12:1-2)  Christians are to be different than the society in which they live.  Also see James 4:4.  Being friends with the world causes us to become enemies of God.   (I John 2:15-16)

·   The world wants us to compromise in several areas:

o   Alcohol – The world says social or recreational drinking is just fine.  (Proverbs 20:1, Proverbs 23:29-32)

o   Sexual morality – Sex outside of marriage is OK as long as it is between consenting adults; same-sex marriage is fine as long as they love each other.  (I Corinthians 6:18, I Thessalonians 4:3)

o   Honesty – It’s OK to bend the truth as long as no one gets hurt.  Dishonesty is expected in the workplace to “get ahead.”  (Colossians 3:9, Ephesians 4:25)

o   Abortion – The unborn are not human so ending their lives is not wrong.  (Luke 1:41, 44) 

III.   Threats from the Religious World

·   Many in the religious world want to minimize doctrine.   (II Timothy 4:1-4)  They want to just agree to disagree.  But God’s Word calls for unity, not union.  (John 17:20-21)  Real unity is based upon the word of the apostles and the inspired writers.

·   Rather than ignoring or putting aside the faith, we are to contend for it!  (Jude 3)  Scripture warns that some will depart from the faith.   (I Timothy 4:1-3)

·   The apostle Peter declared, “We ought to obey God rather than men.”  (Acts 5:29)

Conclusion:

The Lord’s people have too much work to do to go down to the plain of Ono.  We must not be influenced by either the secular world or religious world.  Too much is at stake. 

Bobby Stafford   

January 25, 2015