That headline is not the cry of someone trying to avoid listening to the music of a certain British rock group. Read on.

Which of the following assertions is true?

• God has selected and called individuals to be firstfruits—not solely for their salvation now, but in order to do His work now. Therefore, these individuals should take very seriously the responsibility—the "burden" (to use a biblical phrase)—to do His work. They have been called to do it, and it must get done!

• The work of God in these "last days" will get done. The work of God always has gotten done. Nothing can stop it. What God has foretold in the Bible will come to pass. This world will be warned and witnessed to and given hope through the preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom, whether there is a single human willing to perform that task or not.

Well, which is it? Should those who have been called to be firstfruits recognize a palpable responsibility to do what they've been called to do—shine spiritual light into a darkened and deceived world? Or, is that light going to shine, whether those God has selected to be His instruments carry out their responsibility or not?

Actually, it is not either/or. Both are true! It is a great privilege and a very real responsibility to do the work God has given His chosen ones to do. But, if some or all of a group that has been called to do God's work resist that calling, the job will be done nevertheless!

Christ said as much! He stated that God's work will be accomplished even if He has to use inanimate objects—stones—to do it. In the sad event that the people God would prefer to use to do His work, in any generation, fail to do it, it will be done nevertheless!

It was God's will that His Son would be praised when entering Jerusalem at the end of His physical life, prior to being rejected. When many did cry out worshipful praise to Him as He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, others criticized. In response, Jesus said, "I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:40, KJV).

On an earlier occasion, John the Baptist expressed a similar thought. He preempted those in His day who took pride and false comfort in their "uniqueness" and "special standing" before God from believing that they were exempt from responding to the truth of God or that God was somehow dependent on, beholden to or limited by them—and their uniqueness.

"And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham" (Matthew 3:9, KJV).

It is a great calling to be a firstfruit—and a great responsibility. God desires that the firstfruits respond to their calling and yield to Him as instruments in doing His work. But His work will be done!

Let's do it, and let the stones rest! UN