Aim to learn about the Foundation of Substance
Aim
* to learn about the Foundation of Substance
* to learn what fallen nature is and how to get rid of it
Materials
* Visual Aids – large picture of Joseph and his brothers
– large picture of mother and boy washing dishes
* Bible passage – Genesis 45 (Joseph’s brothers bow down before him)
* worksheet
Lesson Outline
1. Review Foundation of Faith
2. The Foundation of Substance
3. Fallen Nature
4. How to Remove Fallen Nature
5. Example from the Bible – Joseph
6. Example from Today
7. Activities – worksheet, out
8. Conclusion
9. End with a prayer
1) Review the Foundation of Faith
* Remind the children that in order to receive the Messiah we need to make a foundation of faith. Adam and Eve failed to believe in God’s word and disobeyed the commandment. To restore this, God asks fallen people to make an indemnity condition called the foundation of faith. This is to restore the vertical relationship between God and man.
We have to show that we love God first and are willing to follow God’s plan for our life. This is why Jesus gave the commandment to love God first.
* It has three parts: 1. Central person 2. Offering 3. Time period
2) The Foundation of Substance
* In order to receive the Messiah we also need to make a Foundation of Substance. If Adam and Eve had obeyed God’s commandment, they would have grown and perfected their character. They would have become filled with God’s love substantially. Instead, they developed a self-centred fallen nature from the angel and lost the correct horizontal relationship with each other.
* To restore the second mistake a Foundation of Substance is needed. This means to make indemnity conditions to remove fallen nature, so we can become people with original nature. Once again, it means the mistakes have to be reversed. What were the mistakes and what is fallen nature?
3) Fallen Nature
Fallen nature is basically a selfish nature, which came from Lucifer, and was passed on to Adam and Eve and to all their descendants, including ourselves. There are four kinds of fallen nature, which come from the mistakes Lucifer made at the time of Adam and Eve.
1) Self-centred thinking
Lucifer failed to see Adam and Eve from God’s viewpoint. He failed to love them as God loved them. He was jealous that Adam and Eve received more love from God than him. He was only thinking of himself.
He couldn’t see the whole picture. Strong feelings of jealousy blinded him.
Example
– a courtier feels jealous of the king’s favorite instead of respecting him as one whom the king loves.
– a child says “It’s not fair,”because his brother got more presents than him, rather than sharing his brother’s happiness
2) Leaving your Proper Position.
Because he wanted the same position of love as God’s children, Lucifer left his position of servant. Because his love was self-centred he no longer respected Adam and Eve’s position of children.
Example
– taking ice cream from the fridge, instead of asking permission from parents
– leaving the classroom without asking the teacher
3) Dominating Others
Lucifer dominated Adam & Eve. The angel was supposed to be under man’s dominion, yet he dominated Eve. She was supposed to be under Adam’s dominion, yet she dominated him.
Example
– children disobey parents, refusing to wash dishes when told to
– dominating parents by demanding they buy them a game. They keep asking and asking until they get what they want. The correct order is completely reversed.
4) Multiplying Sin
Lucifer caused Eve to fall. Then Eve passed her sinful action onto Adam. Because of this tendency, it is much easier to multiply wrong actions than good actions.
Example
– many students come late to class By getting others to come late you can justify your own mistake. You blame others rather than yourself. You can say, “Every one else is doing it.”
4) How to Remove Fallen Nature
* In order to remove fallen nature someone must stand in the position of the archangel, and someone in the position of Adam to reverse the mistakes. Cain and Abel were the first people in these positions. After that the names Cain and Abel are used instead of Lucifer and Adam
1. Love Abel from God’s viewpoint
We must see with the eyes of love. Mother Teresa once saw a dying man on the street in India. At first she was disgusted by him, but when she looked into his face, she saw the face of Jesus. Then she felt tremendous love for him. All people are God’s children. When we see each person from God’s point of view, we will feel God’s love for them.
2. Receive love through Abel
We must respect Abel as God’s mediator. Then we can receive God’s love. That’s why children must respect parents position. If children don’t respect their parents they cannot receive God’s love
3. Obey and follow Abel
The reason God gave the the 10 commandments is because we must learn the way of obedience. When the Israelites obeyed Moses, they received God’s blessing. When they disobeyed they lost God’s blessing. Even if we don’t know the reason, we should do what our parents tell us. Don’t question, don’t think too much, just do it. Then God’s blessing will come.
4. Learn God’s way from Abel
We must study God’s word, to learn God’s way. When we do this goodness multiplies. Children must learn goodness from parents and not learn bad attitudes from others.
5) Example from the Bible
The fallen nature of Joseph’s brothers led them to self him as a slave. This was later restored when the brothers, in the position of Cain, bowed down before Joseph, in the position of Abel
6) Example from Today
Look at the picture of washing dishes. Discuss how the first picture shows fallen nature and the second how to remove fallen nature
Removing fallen nature at home
1) Showing he loves his mother with an unselfish heart, from God’s point of view. He understand she works hard and needs help.
2) Receiving mother’s love by keeping the child’s position. All children must respect their parents in order to receive their love.
3) Obeying and following mother’s direction brings God’s blessing and protection
4) Learning God’s way from his mother. It is important to help others, especially parents. Learning this becomes a habit and it is easier to do it again and it can influence his siblings.
Fallen Nature at Home
1) Not loving his mother from God’s viewpoint. The boy is only thinking about himself
2) Leaving his proper position as a son. by refusing to wash dishes. Showing no respect for his mother’s position
3) Reversing the order of parent and child. Disobeying his mother and walking away
4) Multiplying bad actions. Once he has refused it is easier to refuse next time. He can also influence his siblings through his bad example.
5) Activities
* Acting out
1. Fallen nature grows through vices such as arrogance, complaint, disrespect, accusation and disobedience. Act out the pictures to demonstrate the words, through speaking or mime.
2. When we make a foundation of substance we need develop virtues, such as humility, gratitude, respect, forgiveness and obedience. Act out the pictures to demonstrate the words, through speaking or mime.
* Worksheet
Write 4 ways to remove fallen nature. Draw and write your own example of fallen nature and a condition to remove it
7) Review the aims
* to learn about the Foundation of Substance
* to learn what fallen nature is and how to get rid of it
A Foundation of Substance means to make indemnity conditions to remove fallen nature, so we can become people with original nature.
Fallen nature is a self-centred nature, which comes from the archangel
1. Self-centred thinking
2. Leaving your proper position
3. Dominating others
4. Multiplying sin
To remove it we must go the opposite way
1. Love Abel from God’s viewpoint
2. Receive love through Abel
3. Obey and follow Abel
4. Learn God’s way from Abel
8)End with a prayer
