Mat 25:35-36 (NIV) For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me.’

Jesus, is telling us through Ephesians 6:17 (NIV) to take the...sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. If we do this, we will be accepting Jesus’ Bible as our only source of truth. If we read or hear anything that disagrees with it, we reject it by using our sword and shield against it.

Mat 13:8 (NIV) Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Jesus goes on with the parable of the sower sowing his seeds in his field. He explains that other seeds fell on good soil. Soil represents the condition of our heart. A hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown represents the quality of the condition of certain people’s hearts. They have a good soil heart; but, some of them have areas where the soil isn’t all that great.

The first three illustrations of soil were people whose hearts were so contaminated with bad material that they failed to pass Jesus’ final exam. The fourth soil represented the only people who had hearts that weren’t so contaminated that they failed. Two of the good-soil Christians had contaminates, but also had enough good soil to pass the final exam. Those contaminates kept them from producing a hundred...times what was sown. That meant that they didn’t conduct their lives as well as other Christians did. We will now look at rewards for those who did conduct their lives well.

1 Cor 3:11 (NIV) For no one can lay any foundation other than the One already laid, which is Jesus Christ. We now go from an illustration of planting seeds in soil to one of building the structure of our lives. There is one aspect of our soil material or building material that isn’t optional. If Jesus isn’t the major part of our lives, the other material or deeds of our lives will cause us to fail the final exam. If our soil or foundation isn’t made out of Jesus, then we will fail His final exam. But, there are some optional materials as you go about constructing the elements of your life. It all has to do with the paths, careers, jobs, relationships, deeds, and educational training for your life. The sword of the Spirit is designed to keep ANYTHING from coming into the building material or soil material of your life that isn’t good for you.

Now we are about to look at a special exam for God’s children that takes place after Jesus’ final exam. It has to do with what you build on your Jesus-foundation. And it has to do with what kind of contaminates you have in the soil of your heart.

1 Cor 3:12-13 (NIV) If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. The final exam we have been looking at decides WHERE each person will spend eternity. Mat 25:34 (NIV) Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” We have been spending a lot of time trying to lay out all God’s provisions for helping you be one of these people.

Mat 25:41 (NIV) Then He will say to those on His left, “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” We have been spending a lot of time trying to lay out all God’s provisions for helping you NOT be one of these people. Now that you are doing what it takes to pass Jesus’ final exam, we need to start helping You WIN as you prepare for His second exam that deals with rewards. Once you pass Jesus’ final exam, you are in! That will never be an issue throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity.

A hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown: Some people will go into God’s Kingdom who really applied themselves. Others will go in who just met the basic requirements. Some will make major sacrifices now so they will be greatly rewarded later in God’s Kingdom. Others will spend most of their time getting their rewards here on earth. This second exam, that is only for Christians, will establish who gets what rewards in eternity. All your sacrifices, commitments, suffering, and being persecuted for Jesus’ sake will NOT go unrewarded.

The important thing for us to notice is that gold, silver, and costly stones are not flammable, but, wood, hay, or straw are. As we go through the reasons for why some Christians produce a hundred...times what was sown, while others produce sixty...times what was sown and still others produce thirty times what was sown, you will be helped to see how to live your very best for Jesus.

1 Cor 3:14 (NIV) If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. This only has to do with rewards AFTER YOU ARE ALL READY ACCEPTED INTO GOD’S KINGDOM. We will be taking a look at what kind of thoughts, feelings, words, and deeds are made out of gold, silver, and costly stones. And, we will be examining which ones are made out of wood, hay, or straw. We won’t have time to do this today; but, we will spend plenty of time on it next week. You will learn how to use your shield and sword of the Spirit to keep yourself producing nonflammable deeds. 1 Cor 3:15 (NIV) If it [the person’s building material] is burned up, he WILL suffer loss; he himself WILL be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.