In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called his followers to look at things from an eternal perspective, in other words...“think differently.” That different thinking should lead us to “different actions” too. The Beatitudes explain that a Christian must experience a transformed character. That new character can create a refreshingly new relationship with God, family friends, community and our world.

As Christians, we have been called to refresh our world like sunlight or season it as salt (among other applications). To accomplish this, we must have an appetite for righteousness or –"right living, “ implementing God’s standards in all we do. When that does not happen, the Christian message loses its appeal. It is no longer salt or light and no longer attractive to anyone.

Sunday, we start a new section, Matthew 5:17-48, where we read how Jesus addressed the big problem of “disconnection between our actions and our hearts.” It is easy to talk a good game, but quite another to live it. Jesus was not satisfied with the outward appearance of a “good religious game.” On the other hand, actions without right thinking don’t make the grade either. He wants all-in commitment. We gain understanding about what this means as God puts his law within us and writes it upon our hearts.

We have been on this journey to discover this Blessed Life that Jesus has been teaching us through the Beatitudes. But, what is the impact that kind of life has on us as his followers and the way we impact the rest of the world? Listen in as we talk about Jesus’ call to be salt and light for the world around us.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”  Matthew 5:9

“Peace” and “making peace” sound good. Although many people talk about peace, few find it. The world ostensibly wants it. The United Nations is supposedly all about world peace. They deploy armed troops with the latest weapons and distinctive blue helmets with the purpose of helping countries in conflict create conditions for peace. These soldiers are called “peacekeepers,” and even though they don’t make peace, the hope is that their presence will stop the conflict and loss of life long enough so that conversations for peace might begin. Such “peacekeepers” are scattered all over the world, holding conflict at bay, hoping for peace.

Achieving peace is no easy task. Jesus said it is the business of every Christian to be a “peacemaker.” The Psalmist said that “whoever would love life and see good days must seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14) Peace is elusive and doesn’t come easily or automatically; it must be actively pursued. We find another admonition to pursue peace in I Peter 3:11.

When the United States first entered World War I, the president of Columbia University in New York City sent a questionnaire to the entire faculty asking them what they proposed to do to help with the war effort. One member of the faculty, a pacifist, sent it back with this answer: "Mind my own business." That may be what a pacifist does, but it is not what a peacemaker does. A peacemaker knows that dealing with the conflict is his business. Peacemaking is not a passive job. The language Jesus uses is active; a peacemaker is one who attacks, who faces the situation, who confronts it head-on. Listen in as we try to follow His lead.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

Pascal, a 17th century Christian, said the heart was the “hidden spring of a person’s life.” He also said, “The heart has reasons that reason does not know.” He was not suggesting that we should bypass the mind or succumb to our feelings. He was acknowledging that a person’s character and behavior is determined by more than just a person’s mind. There is a deeper inner source that directs a person’s life—the heart.

"Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7.

Jeremiah said, “…the heart is deceitful above all things…" Jeremiah 17:9. We have a big problem. Who on earth will ever see God? Could “purity” mean something else? Like the other Beatitudes, this one raises all kinds of questions. Who are the pure in heart? Why will they see God, and how will they see God? And the most unsettling question of all: how pure is my heart, and how pure is yours? Do we have a chance to see God? Listen in for some open-heart surgery.

“People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

The fifth beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy,” is short and to the point. If you have a healthy relationship with God going on the inside it will be seen on the outside. It’s been observed that “A Christian IS something before he DOES something.” What is the “is”? Acknowledging poverty of spirit, mourning over our sin with a repentant heart, expressing meekness and being hungry and thirsty for righteousness. When we get those things going, the result will be mercy to others.

We are all in need of mercy. We all need it from God, and we need it from others. Why are we easily unmerciful to others? The book of Proverbs says, “The merciful man does himself good…” (Proverbs 11:17) The Apostle Paul mentioned that a characteristic of a godless society is… being “unmerciful.” (Romans 1:29-31)

In this message we’ll see that a lot is on the table… your happiness and the society around you. People don’t care how much you know about Christianity, or how many times you have been to church, but they do want to know if we care. Mercy can be a powerful expression of our care for them.