Traveling 1st Class Series

OPEN: A plane was on its way to London when a blonde woman in economy class got up and moved into an open seat in the first class section. The flight attendant saw her do this, and politely informed her that she had to sit in economy because that's the ticket she paid for

The blonde replied, "I'm blonde. I'm beautiful. I'm going to London… and I'm staying right here."

After repeated attempts and no success at convincing the woman to move the attendant went into the cockpit and informed the pilot and co-pilot that there was a woman sitting in first class who refused to go back to her proper seat.

The co-pilot went back and explained why she needs to move, but once again the woman replies by saying, "I'm blonde. I'm beautiful. I'm going to London… and I'm staying right here."

The co-pilot returned to the cockpit and suggested that perhaps they should have the arrival gate call the police and have the woman arrested when they land.

The pilot said, "You say she's blonde? I'll handle this.”

He went back to the woman and whispered quietly in her ear, and she says, "Oh, I'm sorry," then quickly moves back to her seat in economy class.

The flight attendant and co-pilot were amazed and asked him how he’d gotten her to move back to economy without causing any fuss.

"I told her first class wasn't going to London."

How many of you have ever flown on large commercial plane?

How many flown 1st class?

Most of us think of first class as having a little more leg room better food/ and a bigger selection of entertainment. But it’s gotten wayyy more than that.

First there’s the “kit” they give you.

British Airways offers a personalized kit by designer Anya Hindmarch. It holds a toothbrush, an eye mask, cotton socks, and a number of cosmetic products.

Then there’s the food. Delta Airlines offers Entrées from renowned chef Michelle Bernstein on select flights over 1,500 miles.

And then, there’s the seating. Many airlines now have seats that completely recline into a bed, and the beds are topped with glossy, silk-and-cotton bedspreads. You can slip into your cozies in the luxury changing room, which has a full-length mirror. And, there’s no need to push the call button when you’re thirsty:

1st-class suites come with their own mini-bars,

By comparison, everybody else sits in rows of seats that give little leg room and only recline a certain degree.

Everybody’s on the same plane, BUT first class has it better than everyone else.

Now, the Bible tells us that we’re just travelers in this world. We’re just passing through. I Peter 2 says that - We are “…aliens and strangers in the world…” 1 Peter 2:11

We’re travelers riding on the same plane as everyone else but Peter is telling us here that we’re travel here 1st Class. We have advantages and blessings the rest of the world does not have.

So, what advantages do we have?

1st – we belong to God – no one else does!!! That’s how we GET into first class. We get to sit up in front with God. Verses 9-10 says we are “a people belonging to God… Once you were not a people, BUT NOW you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

I Peter 2:9-10

When Peter wrote this, he was referring to a prophecy out of Hosea 1:9-10 where God prophesied that there’d be a day when those who were “not His people” would be called the Sons of God. That’s us!!!

Ephesians 2:12 says that before we became Christians we were “…separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.”

That’s how things used to be. But now that we’re Christians we’ve gained all of those things. We have God in our lives.

You see, once we became Christians we didn’t just become worshippers of God we became are children of God. We didn’t deserve to be children of God, but God “bumped us up” to first class

God says we were “…called out of darkness into his wonderful light.” I Peter 2:9

Ephesians says it this way: “God raised us up with Christ and SEATED US with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 2:6

We have been seated with God IN FIRST CLASS.

But now what exactly does that mean?

Peter tells us this means that we’re not in 1st Class to be pampered.

We’re in first class to be used. God has saved us to be useful and valuable to Him.

I Peter 2:5 says “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”