It's important for you to know as a Sunday school teacher that this bible story happened near the beginning of Jesus' ministry. He was only now calling the first of his 12 disciples. This true story happened not long after he was baptized by John the Baptist.
At the beginning of this Sunday school lesson, Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John were on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. They had been fishing all night long and their large fishing nets needed to be washed.
You see, these four men were fisherman. It's not like when we go fishing to catch fish. It's not like when mommies or daddies go fishing for the weekend. This was Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John's job. Fishing is how they made money.
Each night, they would go out onto the sea, drop their huge nets into the water and pull the fish back in. The next day, they would take the fish they caught into town to sell them.
On the night when this bible story happened, the four fishermen had worked all night long to catch fish and hadn't caught even one.
As they were working to wash out their fishing nets, Jesus came walking along the shore. He wasn't alone though. Many, many people were following him hoping to hear him teach and to preach.
When Jesus came near Simon Peter's boat, he walked right up to it and stepped inside.
He told Peter to push his boat out a little ways into the water and Simon Peter obeyed.
That's when Jesus began to teach. He taught all those people sitting in Simon Peter's boat on the Sea of Galilee. After Jesus was finished, he told Simon Peter to take his boat out into the deep water of the sea and let down his net again.
Remember, these men had fished all night long without catching a single fish. They were probably tired and disappointed. They probably didn't want to try again, but because Jesus told him too, Simon Peter obeyed.
When Simon Peter let down his net into the water, the bible tells us that they caught a great multitude of fishes. It was so many their nets began to break. They called the other men on the shore and told them to come and help. When the men arrived in their boats to help, the bible says there was so many fish that both boats were so filled they began to sink.
Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John was so astonished, they realized right then they were standing in the presence of the Messiah.
Jesus told them to not be afraid. He also told them they were to not catch fish anymore.
They were to be fishers of men.
This meant instead of working day in and day out to catch real fish, they were to go out into the world to tell people about Jesus Christ so they might be saved and go to heaven one day.
We learn that just like Simon Peter, we need to obey God in whatever he says to do. Simon Peter could have told Jesus there was no fish in the sea and went about his business. Instead, he obeyed Jesus and caught more fish than ever before.
Sometimes, we may not understand what God needs us to do or why, but we don't have too. We only need to obey because God knows best.
Second, we learn that we are to be fishers of men just like the men in the story.
We should tell everyone about Jesus and how he died on the cross for us. We should let them know they can be saved and go to heaven one day if only they accept Jesus into their hearts.
When we tell others about Jesus, we are being fishers of men.
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| Simon Peter cast out his fishing net just as Jesus said. Photo: Oxfordian Kissuth, Wikimedia Commons |
Fishers of Men Sunday School Lesson
At the beginning of this Sunday school lesson, Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John were on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. They had been fishing all night long and their large fishing nets needed to be washed.
You see, these four men were fisherman. It's not like when we go fishing to catch fish. It's not like when mommies or daddies go fishing for the weekend. This was Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John's job. Fishing is how they made money.
Each night, they would go out onto the sea, drop their huge nets into the water and pull the fish back in. The next day, they would take the fish they caught into town to sell them.
On the night when this bible story happened, the four fishermen had worked all night long to catch fish and hadn't caught even one.
As they were working to wash out their fishing nets, Jesus came walking along the shore. He wasn't alone though. Many, many people were following him hoping to hear him teach and to preach.
When Jesus came near Simon Peter's boat, he walked right up to it and stepped inside.
 |
| Get the Fishers of Men Song with Lyrics |
He told Peter to push his boat out a little ways into the water and Simon Peter obeyed.
That's when Jesus began to teach. He taught all those people sitting in Simon Peter's boat on the Sea of Galilee. After Jesus was finished, he told Simon Peter to take his boat out into the deep water of the sea and let down his net again.
Remember, these men had fished all night long without catching a single fish. They were probably tired and disappointed. They probably didn't want to try again, but because Jesus told him too, Simon Peter obeyed.
When Simon Peter let down his net into the water, the bible tells us that they caught a great multitude of fishes. It was so many their nets began to break. They called the other men on the shore and told them to come and help. When the men arrived in their boats to help, the bible says there was so many fish that both boats were so filled they began to sink.
Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John was so astonished, they realized right then they were standing in the presence of the Messiah.
Jesus told them to not be afraid. He also told them they were to not catch fish anymore.
They were to be fishers of men.
This meant instead of working day in and day out to catch real fish, they were to go out into the world to tell people about Jesus Christ so they might be saved and go to heaven one day.
 |
| Get the Fishers of Men Game |
What We Can Learn from this Sunday School Lesson
Sometimes, we may not understand what God needs us to do or why, but we don't have too. We only need to obey because God knows best.
Second, we learn that we are to be fishers of men just like the men in the story.
We should tell everyone about Jesus and how he died on the cross for us. We should let them know they can be saved and go to heaven one day if only they accept Jesus into their hearts.
When we tell others about Jesus, we are being fishers of men.
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