When we see the promises of justice in the kingdom, we are given hope that every prayer for justice will be answered. We also see a pattern for how the church can work for justice in the here and now.

For the church to lead the way in justice, we must start with God and the gospel.

Jesus gave us these warnings and affirmations to set us free. He wants us to be free to speak as the Holy Spirit gives us words to say. He wants us to be free to be generous. Our Father is fully pleased to give us his kingdom!

Our hopes for government cannot go too high, nor can our fears, because what Jesus Christ can do in our hearts is our hope. Jesus can govern you and I in the deepest recesses of our hearts, down to the level of our desires.

Everyone is building a life. Our accountability is not for what we hear, but for obeying what we hear.

What we do goes hand in hand with how and why we do it. There is a way to do good works that gives praise to the Father, and he will reward that work. There is a way to do good works that gives praise to us, and that will be our reward.

This morning we take a look at the last of the Beatitudes, "Blessed are those who are persecuted..." Do we desire future, Kingdom of God reward enough that we will risk persecution and the loss of this world's reward?

Our identity in Christ is that we are new creations and adopted children of God. And with that new identity comes a ministry of peacemaking.

Today's message is from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5: Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for they shall see God.

To those who truly know their own need for mercy and who have tasted the mercy of God, God gives a heart of mercy towards others.