In his sermon, Scott Aniol draws from a passage in Jeremiah to illuminate the New Testament Church's dual identity as exiles and citizens in the present world. He emphasizes that although Christians are ultimately citizens of a heavenly city, their actions in this world are significant. The sermon argues against the temptation to withdraw from worldly responsibilities, highlighting the biblical theme of Christian faithfulness. Aniol encourages believers to engage in meaningful activities such as building homes, cultivating gardens, and nurturing godly families. These actions not only glorify God but also benefit society, including unbelievers, potentially leading to gospel discussions. The sermon underscores that what Christians do on earth matters for both the present and future kingdom of God.

I think this passage in Jeremiah is really helpful for the New Testament Church because it helps us to understand our current status as both exiles but also citizens in this present world. So the New Testament often describes us as exiles. Peter says that we are exiles and sojourners on this earth. Our ultimate citizenship is in another country, a heavenly city, very similar to Israel in exile in Babylon. That's where our ultimate identity is.

We are redeemed people of the Kingdom of God. But sometimes when we recognize that, there's the temptation to say, well, then what we do in this world doesn't matter. We just withdraw. All we need to think about is our future home in heaven and that's all we need to worry about. But the New Testament doesn't portray it that way either, and Israel in exile is a perfect picture of that with this particular command by Jeremiah.

Even though our citizenship is in a heavenly country, This world is not ultimately our home. We are citizens of this present world, and what we do in this world matters. God cares what we do. He wants us to build. He wants us to raise godly families.

He wants us to be faithful in our vocations. And that's really, I think, the New Testament picture. We are pilgrims, but we're supposed to be faithful. Christian faithfulness is a dominant theme in the New Testament concerning what we ought to do in this present world. And so God cares, God cares what we do.

It matters. What we build is good. Building houses, planting gardens, getting married, raising godly families. These are all things that matter for the glory of God. And that also are of benefit not only to ourselves and to our families, but also is of benefit to our fellow man.

What we do in this world in our vocations and culture does have some common grace benefit for even unbelievers and may actually lead to gospel conversations and show them that we have a hope that they don't have and would lead us even to welcome them into the citizenship of a heavenly kingdom.