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Study 18 of 18

A Call to Immediate Action

A call to surrender all talents and resources for the immediate work of saving souls.

Hands-free narration of this study — good for the car.

Synopsis

The final session is an urgent call to action, challenging believers to evaluate how they use their time, talents, and resources. Schofield warns against the "indifference of Meroz"—the ease of laypeople who shift responsibility to ministers. He emphasizes that every individual has a unique work that no one else can do; if we neglect it, souls will be lost. The study rebukes the idea of a "quiet" witness that avoids active labor, calling instead for the zeal of Elijah and the reformers. We are settled into the truth not by idleness, but by striving to help others. True Christian living is not about self-preservation or personal salvation alone, but about planting oneself as a "dead seed" for the needs of the world. This is a call to immediate sacrifice and labor to sound the Loud Cry.

Key points

  • Every believer has a divinely appointed work for souls that cannot be shifted to others.
  • Spiritual growth in grace is impossible for those who do nothing in God's cause.
  • Being an "idler in the vineyard" makes one a hindrance to the work and a tool of Satan.
  • True settlement in the truth (the seal of God) comes through active labor for others.

Key texts

  • Isaiah 32:20
  • Matthew 23:23
  • Revelation 18:4

From the book

Chapter 18 · Matthew 25:14-30 · Read this chapter

  • “The laymen have been at ease. They have folded their hands, feeling that the responsibility rested upon the ministers.” (ch. 18)
  • “If you withhold your light, someone must be left in darkness through your neglect.” (ch. 18)
  • “He [Jesus] saved Himself by planting Himself as a dead seed in the furrow of this world’s need.” (ch. 18)

Put it into practice

  • Identify the specific mission or souls God has placed in your sphere of influence.
  • Surrender your time and resources fully to the advancement of the Loud Cry.
  • Move from "quiet witness" to active, zealous proclamation of the truth.
  1. Comprehension

    1. What is the 'indifference of Meroz' described in the text?

  2. Scripture

    2. What happens to a Christian who refuses to exercise their God-given powers?

  3. Doctrinal Clarity

    3. Can someone else do your specific duty in God's cause?

  4. Contrast

    4. How are we 'settled' in the truth so we cannot be moved?

  5. Doctrinal Clarity

    5. Is there any neutral ground in the work of God?

  6. Contrast

    6. What was the mistake of the reformers who initially sought 'great prudence'?

  7. Comprehension

    7. What does it mean to plant oneself as a 'dead seed'?

  8. Application

    8. What talent or resource have you been 'burying' that you can use for the Loud Cry now?