What Does Jesus Want?

Our town has billboards in various locations that contain messages from God. Perhaps you have seen them. One of my favorites, in light of today's scourge of distracted drivers, is the sign that says

On the cell phone again? Why not try talking to me instead? It's cheaper and safer.

I'm sure that my memory of the wording is not exact, but that is the gist of it. Other signs speak of forgiveness and mercy. I always appreciate seeing the billboards because they give a good message, but are never condescending or arrogant.
There is one billboard that I especially like. I always want to say Yes! when I see the sign. It says

Not sure what I want? Try reading Matthew 5-7.

I heartily agree that Matthew 5-7 is the place to start if you want to know what Christ wants from us. Many of you will perhaps recognize that Matthew 5-7 contains the Sermon on the Mount, whose famous opening lines contain the Beatitudes.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth...

Let's think about the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew recorded the sermon as if it occured early in the ministry of Christ, but did you know that Jesus actually preached the message somewhere closer to the middle of his three and a half year ministry? The gospel of Matthew is famously out of chronological order when compared to the gospel histories of Mark and Luke. This was not because Matthew, the former tax collector, was incompetent with numbers and dates. It is rather because Matthew, guided by the Holy Spirit, wanted to show the Sermon on the Mount in a particular light.
Matthew wrote that Jesus began his preaching ministry with the message Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mat. 4:17). Immediately following this, Matthew chose to devote a full three chapters to the Sermon on the Mount (chps 5-7). This is the longest recorded sermon of Christ in the bible, and Matthew inserted it in close proximity to the statement that Jesus preached about repentance and the kingdom of heaven. It is easily seen that the Sermon on the Mount is the Lord's exposition on what true, biblical repentance and the kingdom of God look like.
The sermon begins with the aforementioned Beatitudes, which describe the character of those that God blesses. Notice that it is primarily the heart condition which is described. Blessed are the meek; Blessed are the merciful; Blessed are the pure in heart,... Those that have repented are characterized by being meek, merciful, pure in heart,..etc. The remainder of the sermon then gives various  illustrations of what it means to be meek, merciful,...etc.
For example, consider the saying Blessed are the pure in heart. Jesus went on to say,

You have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. Mat. 5:27-28

Consider also Blessed are the peacemakers. On this, Jesus said,

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you; leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come offer your gift. Mat. 5:23-24

In these and numerous other examples found in the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord emphasized the heart condition of those who would be among the blessed. A person cannot be among the blessed if they harbor a lustful, adulterous spirit, even though they may never be outwardly unfaithful to their spouse. Neither can a person be among the blessed who is hateful and unreconcilable, even though they may have never committed murder.
This teaching is in contrast to the outward only legalism of the Pharisees (and unfortunately some elements of the Christian Church today). The Lord was teaching a deeper experience than that of the legalists, so that he could say,

For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Mat. 5:20

The prominence that the Sermon on the Mount occupies in the gospel of Matthew shows us the critical importance of a moral and ethical change in the hearts of those who follow Christ. The message of repentance that Christ preached demands that our hearts be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus' message was for people to repent.
Unfortunately, the message of many today seems to be Just as I am. Now don't get me wrong--Just as I am is a wonderful song that expresses the great mercy and grace of Jesus Christ toward sinners in their fallen condition. I love singing it.  But it is a perversion of Jesus' message to teach that we can be a member of his Church and remain in our fallen, sinful condition. How foreign that is to the preaching of Jesus! Jesus taught repentance and a level of righteousness that requires our hearts to be cleansed from evil. We are to become a new creation in Christ, and this is not just theological mumbo-jumbo. True believers are changed in a way that shows up in how they live. Jesus calls to us just as we are, but loves us too much to leave us in that condition.