FISHERS OF MEN

Matthew 4:17-22

The life of every child is important to God. He does not want any soul to be lost. How do you feel when you loose your toy or pocket money? Very unhappy isn’t it? When you eventually find it you will be very happy. If you don’t find it, that toy will be lost forever. Just as your toy belongs to you, so also, everyone in this world belongs to God. He created us and does not want anyone to be lost forever. That is why He wants us to be “fishers of men”. He wants us to ‘fish’ for sinners everywhere as fishermen seek for fishes in the sea. If we do not bring these sinners to God, they will be lost for eternity. Are you a fisher of men? Our topic is divided into three parts.

1. WHO ARE THE ‘MEN’? Matthew 4:19.

The ‘men’ in our study refers to everyone in the world, the young and old, male and female who are sinners. They are lost in their sins and we need to go out and preach to them so that they will not perish in hell fire. Sinful children are everywhere, in your neighbourhoods, schools, market, street, bus etc., you need to ‘fish’ them out of sin so that they can repent and accept Jesus as Saviour.

2. CONCERN FOR SINFUL CHILDREN: John 3:16; Matthew 9:35-38.

To be concerned means to be worried or unhappy that something is not right. Then you do all you can to make it right. Are you happy that your friends who are sinners are heading for hell fire? Do you want your neighbours to be lost forever? They may die at any time or rapture may take place. What must you do now that they are still around? Go and fish them out for Jesus!

3. FISHERS OF MEN: Matthew 4:17-; Mark 16:15.

Jesus has commanded us to go and preach the Good News to the lost. He wants us to bring them out of sin to the truth. And the truth is that God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son to die for our sins so that we may not end up in hell fire (John 3:16). Are you preaching the gospel? Remember that it is only born again friends of Jesus that must preach the gospel. If you are a sinner, you must give your life to Jesus first before you can preach the gospel. As a friend of Jesus, if you fail to preach the gospel, God will require the blood of sinful children from your hands. Are you ready to go? Arise and be fishers of men for Jesus. There are many ways you can ‘fish’ for sinners. It can be through person to person evangelism, use of tracts and other Christian literature and through prayers. This is the time to arise and do the work.

QUESTIONS:

1. Who are the ‘men’ referred to in our study?

2. How did God show His love for sinners?

3. How can you ‘fish’ for sinful children?

4. Will God be happy if sinful children die and go to hell?

ACTIVITY: Children should pray to be fishers of men and go out during the week for evangelism.

GOOD SUCCESS

Joshua 1:8

The will of God for every child is to have good success in all they do. But there are some important things that you must do before you can have good success. God does not want His children to fail. The Bible is full of God’s promises of blessings for us. All you have to do is to believe God and claim these promises. The topic is in two parts.

1. THE PROMISES OF GOD FOR GOOD SUCCESS: Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:3.

God has promised to give His children good success (Joshua 1:8). God will surely fulfill all His promises to His children. However, you have a part to play in order to achieve good success in life. First, you must be born again. That is, confess all the bad things you have done, forsake them and accept Jesus as your Saviour and friend. Secondly, you must be diligent in your studies. A lazy child who does not read his books or do his assignments, cannot have good success. Also, you must believe and claim the promise of God for your success. Good success will surely be yours in Jesus’ name!

2. THE SUCCESSFUL CHILD: Daniel 1:11-20.

The successful child is one who achieves success through diligence and hard work. He depends on God completely for his success. His success is based on studying hard, preparing adequately for his exams and claiming the promises of God. A child who cheats and copies the answers of others in the exam and eventually comes out in flying colours cannot be said to have “good success”. His success comes from cheating and not diligence.

If you lack wisdom for success, ask God to give you. Daniel and his three friends were “ten times better” than their contemporaries because “God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom” (Daniel 1:17).

Therefore, to have good success, you must be a hardworking child, pray and believe the promises of God. Good success will be yours and you will pass your examinations in flying colours in Jesus’ name!

Rise up and pray for good success.

QUESTIONS:

1. The will of God is for every child is to have good success. Yes/No.

2. Does God want His children to fail?

3. Who is a successful child?

4. Can laziness and cheating lead to good success?

5. What must you do to have good success?

ACTIVITY: Children should identifying the things that had being hindering then from achieving good success. Then pray to achieve good success in their 

BIBLE STANDARD OF LIVING RIGHT

James 5:1-6; 1 Timothy 6:17-19

         There are lots of books written by great men of the world which have been read by many people in the University. But none of these books can change a naughty child into a good child neither can any of them help friends of Jesus to live a life pleasing unto God.

         But there is one book that can do all these. That wonderful book is “The Bible”. That is why we are considering this important topic today. In our Bible passages, James and Paul by the Spirit of God wrote to correct and rebuke certain rich people who were not living according to the word of God. They made money their god by spending all their time to look for money and live in pleasure, without first giving their hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ.

         Also, they did not have time for the things of God like praying, studying the word of God and fellowshipping with other children of God. They also cheated the people who worked for them, by not paying them, so as to make more money. This attitude was very bad.

         That is why you must live your life according to the Bible which, is the word of God. The greatest wealth a child can get from God is to become saved, sanctified and, live a holy life. If you are doing naughty things like fighting, stealing, telling lies and cheating, you will say sorry to Jesus; turn from such sins and be washed in the blood of Jesus. Then invite Him into your heart. Not only that, you must continue to live a holy life and let your light shine for others to see.

         You should not be proud or look down on others because of what your parents have like houses, cars and lands (Philippians 2:5-7). Share what you have with children who are in need of clothes, shoes, toys and some other necessary things (Romans 12:13). Do not be proud because you are brilliant at school and do not seek power from secret societies like witchcraft and familiar spirit.

         The Bible also commands friends of Jesus to do the following: pray always (Luke 18:1). Read your Bible every day (1 Peter 2:2). Attend fellowship regularly (Hebrews 10:25). Tell others about the love of Jesus (Mark 16:15).

QUESTIONS:

1.      Who were the people that were corrected and warned in our Bible passages?

2.      Mention the bad things that they were doing.

3.      What is the greatest wealth that a child can receive from God?

4.      Mention four ways you can live according to the Bible.

5.      What must a naughty child do to live according to the standard of the Bible?

MEMORY VERSE: “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity”

1Timothy 4:12.

ACTIVITY: Children are to sing this song prayerfully. “Lord, I want to be like Jesus inner my heart”

THE HAPPY CHRISTIAN HOME

Psalm 32:8; Proverbs 3:5-7

         The Christian home is a place where every member of the family, father, mother and the children, are friends of Jesus. They love Jesus and His word. Jesus Christ is the Head of their home.

         For a Christian home to be happy, the following things must be seen in their family (a) Love (John 15:12) – parents must love each other and their children as well. There should be equal love among everybody (b) Unity (Psalm 133:1) – There should be unity among all the members of the family. The mother should obey and respect the father and the children are to be obedient to their parents. No one should do things his own way. True fellowship among everyone is what will make the members of the family to be happy (c) Love for God’s word (2 Timothy 2:15) – The word of God should be the most important thing in every home. Parents should train their children in the way of the Lord. God’s word should be studied every day by all the family members. Obedience to this word is also very important. (d) Constant prayer (1 Peter 4:7) – The father, mother and children should always pray together. A family that prays together stays together. No child should neglect family devotion and quiet time. (e) Peace (John 14:27; Philippians 4:7) – The peace of God should be allowed to reign in every home. Children, should behave well in the home, compound, school and in the neighbourhood.

You must not make friends with disobedient children. Live at peace with everybody. The children, are expected to follow the examples of children in the Bible like Samuel and Timothy who brought joy and happiness to their families and the church of God.

         Are you a Christian? If not, make Jesus your Friend today by confessing your sins to Him and turning away from them. As you do this, Jesus will give you the grace to live a life that will make your family happy.

QUESTIONS:

1.      The Christian home is a place where all the members of the family attend church. Yes/No.

2.      The home where the father, mother and children are friends of Jesus is called a _________

3.      A child that fights with everybody will bring happiness to his family. Yes/No.

4.      Mention five things you will see in a happy Christian home.

MEMORY VERSE: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to

dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133:1.

ACTIVITY: Children are to mention some things they have done during the week which are not good for a happy home. They should pray and promise God that they will bring joy to their families in the way they live this coming week.

ALL FOR CHRIST

Philippians 3:1-11.

The book of Philippians was written by Apostle Paul to all the saints in Philippi. He focused on making them to discover the joy in living for Christ. ‘All for Christ’ means giving all for the sake of possessing Christ, at any given time and in every situation. From the moment he became saved, Paul resolved to follow Christ, do His work and get to heaven at last. He counted all his knowledge of the law and attainment in religion as nothing to be compared with following Jesus till the end. None of your good works can save you except you give your life to Jesus Christ and surrender all on the altar for Him. Our study is divided into three parts:

1. JESUS OUR ALL IN ALL:  Isaiah 53:4-6; John 3:16; I Peter 1:3.

         Jesus is our perfect example, He gave all for mankind. He died on the cross at Calvary to save us from sin and eternal damnation. He is our Saviour, sanctifier, power, healer, provider; indeed He is our all in all. No wonder, the song writer says “ALL THAT I NEED IS IN JESUS, HE SATISFIES, JOY HE SUPPLIES”. Have you given your life to Jesus Christ? If not, you need to do so because life will be worthless without Him. What you desire is what you will acquire. Just as simple as ABC: Admit, Believe and Confess your sins to Him. Ask Him to forgive and cleanse you with His blood. All that you need is in Jesus Christ. Accept Him today and surrender to Him.

2.      SURRENDER ALL TO JESUS: Philippians 3:7,8; Psalm 73:25; Matthew 19:27.

         Anything that has value will attract a price. God is our maker and Redeemer, we belong to Him and all that we have. Paul the Apostle forsook his position, wealth, fame and everything that would have hindered him from being useful to Christ, His work and heaven. He gave them up to serve Jesus. These are some of the things you need to surrender for Christ: Your Life: It belongs to God, you must be saved, set apart for God’s use and be a good example. Your Time: for God’s service; preaching the gospel. Your Talent: Drawing educative pictures, singing in the choir, working as an usher, prayer warrior, teaching and encouraging others. Your Treasure: Money and all valuable material things that belongs to you.

         As you surrender everything to Christ, He will definitely bless you.

3.      BLESSINGS OF GIVING ALL FOR CHRIST: Matthew 19:28,29.

         The first and most important thing that God demands from you is your life. Have you given your life to Christ? If not, repent, confess and accept Him as Lord and Saviour today. Then you can begin to give all other things to Him.

         When you willingly give all to Christ and count all other things as nothing, God will bless you abundantly. You will have: (i) unspeakable joy (ii) success (iii) provision (iv) peace (v) answers to your prayers and (vi) everlasting life with Jesus in heaven. Have you given your all for Jesus? Rise up and pray.

QUESTIONS:

1.      _______________________ is our all in all.

2.      Can our good work save us?

3.      Mention three things you can surrender to Christ.

4.      Mention four blessings you will receive when you give all for Christ.

5.      Have your given your life to Christ?

MEMORY VERSE: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” (Philippians 3:7).

CONGREGATIONAL SONG: GHS 92 - I SURRENDER ALL

ACTIVITY: The teacher should read the wordings of the congregational song to the children, and lead them to pray for grace to surrender all to Jesus.

THE PROMISED POWER

Joel 2:28, 29; Micah 3:8; Luke 24:49

God has promised to give the power of the Holy Spirit to all His children who are willing to do His work and win in battle of life. The Holy Spirit gives you power to reigns over the devil, the world, the flesh and over all the powers of darkness. One who will receive the Holy Spirit must have totally repented from all naughty behaviours and be holy in his heart. He lives daily by the word of God, loves God, wants others to be saved and always preach the word of God. The spirit-filled child is like a tree planted by the rivers of water. He is fruitful, victorious, prosperous in whatsoever he does and successful in all his ways (Psalm 1:1-3). As you listen to this message, the Lord will fill you with His spirit and power in Jesus’ Name.

1. THE HOLY SPIRIT: John 16:7-15.

The Holy Spirit is the third person in the trinity, or the God-Head. He is the spirit of grace and of power whom Christ promised to send to believers. The Holy Spirit (1) Helps us to preach the gospel with boldness and power (Acts 1:8). (2) Helps us to know and believe the truth which is the word of God (John 14:26). (3) Changes our lives from ordinary to extra ordinary and fills us with power to do difficult and impossible things (1Samuel 10:6). (4) Cleanses our hearts and helps us to live a holy life (Psalm 51:10-13). (5) Guides us to avoid the ways of the world and to live a separated life (Romans 8:5-8; Galatians 5:16-17). (6) Helps us to overcome temptations and be obedient to God’s Word and comforts us in times of persecution (John 14:16). (7) Helps us to pray very well (Romans 8:26-27) (8) Teaches us the truth (John 16:13). You cannot do without the Holy Spirit in your life as a friend of Jesus. Jesus knows His friends cannot fully enjoy the Christian life without being filled with the Holy Spirit. You need Him to help you in your Christian journey to heaven.

2. RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT: Acts 1:4-8; Luke 11:9-13.

You need the Holy Spirit to live for God and do His work. God has promised to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit. However, there are some steps you must take: (1) You must be born again. That is, become a friend of Jesus (John 3:3). (2) You need to pray for God to sanctify you and make you holy (1Thessalonians 5:23). (3) Have a strong desire and thirst for the experience then pray in faith and wait for the promise to be fulfilled in your life (Isaiah 44:3). The Holy Spirit power is a promise for true friends of Jesus. If you faithfully follow the steps according to the word of God, the Lord will surely fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit. He will bless you and use you mightily to bless other children.

3. WINNING BY THE SPIRIT’S POWER: Act 1:8; 2:4,37-41; 8:5-13. 

God wants all His children to have victory and always win in all the battles of life. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will have the fullness of the power of God to be a winner in every area of your life. He gives you the power to do the work of God and have dominion over the devil. You will overcome satanic afflictions, witches and wizards and all evil works of Satan.

The Spirit of God also guides and protects you from the evil activities of false prophets and teachers. He helps you to walk daily in holiness and readiness for the coming of the Lord. The Holy Spirit is only for believers who are true friends of Jesus. As a sinner, the Lord is calling you to repentance. He wants you to forsake all your bad ways and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. As a believer, the Lord wants you to pray through and be sanctified so that He can fill you with the Holy Spirit. Desire and strongly thirst for it and pray in faith to receive. Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? Today, you can receive the Holy Ghost as you pray in faith.

WALKING DAILY WITH JESUS

Genesis 5:21-29; Romans 12:1, 2; 1 John 2:15-17.

The system of this world and their sinful activities are against God. Satan is the prince of this world. He controls most of the activities of this world. He promotes evil thoughts, immorality, wickedness, murder, occultism, drug abuse, smoking, drinking, hooliganism, gay marriage and all kinds of unrighteous behaviours. Many boys and girls today have given their lives to work for Satan and they continue doing evil without caring for their souls. Satan has captured many and he is working very hard to take every boy and girl with him to hell fire. He knows he is surely going to hell fire and he has already missed heaven. He is therefore jealous and he does not want anyone to go to heaven. Satan has no good plan for anybody.

The only way to escape and not go with Satan to hell fire is to reject Satan and all his works. Turn away from sin and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, Master and Friend. You must continue to walk with Jesus in holiness of life till the end.

We shall consider three sub-headings:

1. SATAN, THE DECEIVER OF MAN: Genesis 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-10; Revelation 12:9

Right from the Garden of Eden, Satan has done much evil, to deceive man to sin against God. He wants us to miss the good plans and blessings of God. He even tried to deceive Jesus. He tempted Him three times but failed (Matthew 4:1-10). Because Jesus overcame him, you also will overcome in Jesus Name. Satan is a bad. Through many crafty ways and false promises, he keeps people as slaves and servants to sin: (i) He deceives people to commit sin (John 13:2) (ii) He captures them by twisting the word of God to suit his purposes and by cunning plans (Matthew 4:6): (iii) He blinds the minds of unbelievers and (2 Corinthians 4:4) (iv) Inspires lying wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9). He successfully makes people to love evil more than good because of the way he presents it. Without the help of God and His deliverance, no one would have had the power to be able to overcome the lies and deception of the devil.

  

2. JESUS SETS YOU FREE: John 8:34-36; Romans 3:23, 24:

God knows that man cannot set himself free from sin and satan. He therefore made provision for our freedom through our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no reason why any boy or girl should remain in the bondage of sin and Satan. Jesus Christ died for our sins as an expression of the love of God to us (John 3:16). We receive total freedom by the

mercy of God through the sacrifice that Jesus paid with His body on the cross at Calvary (Isaiah 53:4, 5). If you come to Jesus, you will be saved, healed and delivered from all the bondage and wicked works of the devil. Take these steps and be delivered now. (i) Realize that you are a sinner (ii) confess and be sorry for your sin (iii) turn away from them (iv) ask God to forgive you and cleanse your heart with the blood of Jesus (v) accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour by faith. Then you will receive power to become a victorious child of God and (John 8:36) be completely and totally free!

3. ABIDING AND WALKING DAILY WITH JESUS:

    Genesis 5:22-24; Psalm 24:4-6; John 5:1-11.

To abide and daily walk with the Lord is to constantly stay with the Master Jesus Christ and daily obey His commandments. When you abide in the Lord you receive the power to become a child of God and live a holy life. (John 1:12). You are separated from the world and would not copy or love the evil ways of the world. To daily walk side by side with the Lord Jesus Christ and constantly enjoy the blessings of His presence and power, a child of God must daily read, meditate on and obey the word of God and live in Holiness of life (Luke 1:74, 75): As you abide in Christ and walk daily with the Lord must always be:

Ø    Humble and Honest,

Ø    Obedient and Opposed to ungodly counsel,

Ø    Loving and Labouring for the master,

Ø    Innocent and Incorruptible by the world,

Ø    Nurtured in the word and Noble in character,

Ø    Exemplary and Enduring persecution,

Ø    Submissive and Saintly in friendship,

Ø    Separated from the world and Single minded.

 By these you will be kept by the power of God and your life will be

abundantly satisfied. Rise up and let us pray.

GOD’S FAITHFUL SERVANTS

Philippians 2:19-30.

God’s servants are people who work in the house of God. These include boys and girls who are saved from sin and are serving the Lord as ushers, choristers, and preachers of the gospel.

     Timothy, is an example of God’s servant and an obedient worker. He was very faithful and diligent in the work of God. He was a man of good character, beloved, dependable and devoted to the work of God. Today, Jesus is calling boys and girls to work for Him. The harvest is plenty but the labourers are few. If you surrender your life to Christ now, He will save you and enlist you in His service.

     The study is divided into three parts:

1. CALL TO BE A FAITHFUL SERVANT: I Corinthians 4:2; John 1:12; 3:3.

     The chorus of this song describes the call of Jesus to every boy and girl. It goes thus “He has called us too, He has called us too, we are His disciples and His work we must do (2x)” During His earthly ministry, Jesus chose twelve disciples and sent them out to preach the gospel. Later, He chose other seventy people and also sent them out two by two to spread the good news of salvation to all men. Now, Jesus is calling boys and girls to work for Him. The population of the world is increasing every day. People need to hear the gospel before the world comes to an end. Therefore, you must surrender yourself now for God’s service.

     To be useful in God’s service, a sinner must first repent, ask for cleansing in the blood of Jesus and accept Christ as Saviour and Lord. Now that Jesus is your Lord, you must be ready to answer His call to serve Him.

2.  CHARACTER OF GOD’S FAITHFUL SERVANTS: Philippians 2:9-23; I Timothy4:12.

     God’s faithful servants are holy in word, thought and actions. Their behaviour shows that they are Christians. There are some examples in the Bible of faithful servants of God. God testified of Moses to be faithful in his house (Numbers 12:7). Apostle Paul gave the testimony about Timothy as an obedient, beloved and faithful servant who always preached the gospel. Also, Epaphroditus even at the point of death still served the Lord.

     The following are therefore some of the character of God’s faithful servants:

(a)  Saved from sin (John 1:12; II Corinthians 5:17).

(b)  Eager and obedient learner of the word of God (II Timothy 3:15).

(c)  Holy and righteous (I Peter 1:15).

(d)  Good example to others (Acts 16:1, 2; Matthew 5:14-16).

(e)  Sincere and dependable (I Corinthians 4:17).

(f)  Devoted to the gospel (II Timothy 4:2).

(g)  Concerned about others (Philippians 2:20-23).

     Learn from the character of these faithful servants and work for God Be a shining light and brighten your community. Jesus is depending on you.

3. CONTINUE TO SERVE GOD TILL THE END: Philippians 2:24-30; Matthew 24:13; II Timothy 3:14.

     You must make up your mind to continue to serve the Lord at all cost and in all situations. Epaphroditus was sick unto death because of God’s work, but he continued to serve God. “For whosoever shall endure unto the end shall be saved.” You will continue to the end in Jesus’ Name.

     To continue as God’s faithful servant you must: (i) read, think on the word and obey it. (ii) pray for the church of God, His ministers and sinners around you. (iii) care for new converts. (iv) visit and give to the needy. (v) be in fellowship with other believers. (vi) desire to know more about Christ. (vii) seek for the good of others and progress of the gospel. (viii) humble yourself, watch and pray. (ix) preach the word of God in season and out of season.

     The Lord is calling every boy and girl who are His friends to be faithful, selfless and dependable followers. They will enjoy God’s blessings in this present world, get to heaven where they will receive great rewards and live with Jesus forever.

QUESTIONS:

1.  Who is a servant of God?

2. Mention two examples of God’s faithful servants mentioned in our study today.

3.  (a) Can a sinful child be God’s faithful servant. Yes/No?

     (b) What must he do to become God’s faithful servant?

4.  Mention three characteristics of a faithful servant of God.

5.  To continue as God’s faithful servant, a friend of Jesus must __________, _________ and _________.

MEMORY VERSE: “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. “(I Corinthians 4:2).

CONGREGATIONAL SONG: GHS 109 - TO THE WORK