"But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus." Ephesians 4:20-21

  1. The Context of Learning Christ
    2.
    1. Christ - the embodiment of God's eternal purpose - Eph. 3:8-11
    2. Christ - the governing premise of the universe - Col. 1:17; John 1:1
    3. Christ - the pleasure of the universe - Col. 1:18-19
    4. Christ - the intelligent design of the universe - Prov. 8:12, 22-31; Heb. 1:2
    5. Christ - the reason behind the created universe - Heb. 2:10
    6. Christ - the summing up of all things in the universe - Eph. 1:9-10
    7. Christ - the consummation of history - Rev. 1:1; 11:15; 19:10
    8. Christ - our relationship with everything - John 14:6; 2 Cor. 5:14-15
    9. Christ - thinking the one thing - Phil. 2:1-2; 1:20-21; 2:10-11; 3:7-10; 4:13, 19
    10. Christ - the one unique foundation - 1 Cor. 3:10-12
    11. Christ - the one unique emphasis - 1 Cor. 2:2

  2. Learning Christ in His Person
    3.
    1. What learning Christ is not
      1. It is not simply learning the doctrine of Christ - James 2:19
      2. It is not learning Christ as the subject of instruction - Matt. 16:13-15
      3. It is not learning the objective existence of Christ - 2 Cor. 5:16
      4. It is not merely learning the example of Christ - John 13:13-15
      5. It is not learning about Christ - John 5:39-40
    2. What learning Christ is
      1. It is learning a living Person - Eph. 4:17-32
      2. It is learning the resurrected Christ - John 14:19-20
      3. It is learning what Christ is - 1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:17-18
      4. It is learning where Christ is - 2 Tim. 4:22
      5. It is learning personally who Christ is - (The Anointed One) - Matt. 16:13-18
      6. It is learning how Christ is - (The Anointing) - 1 John 2:20, 27
        1. The anointing and knowing - 1 John 2:20-21
        2. The location of the anointing - 1 John 2:27a
        3. The teaching of the anointing - 1 John 2:27b
        4. The purpose of the anointing - 1 John 2:27c
      7. It is learning Christ according to John 14-17 (14:16-20; 15:4-5; 16:13-14; 17:20-23)
      8. A "learner" of Christ is the meaning of a disciple (mathetes - one who continuously engages in learning and following.) - Matt. 16:24-25; Lk. 14:25-35

  3. Learning Christ by Touching Him
    4.
    1. Understanding the nature of touching the Lord
      1. The preparation for touching ("Don't touch Me") - John 7:37-39; 14-17; 20:17
      2. The dispensation of touching ("Touch Me") - Luke 24:39; 1 John 1:1; 1 Cor. 15:45
      3. The setup for touching - John 3:6
      4. The dynamic of touching
        1. The mingled Spirit - Rom. 8:10-11, 15-16
        2. Becoming one spirit - 1 Cor. 6:17 (NASV); Rom. 7:4, 6
      5. The transmission of touching - Rom. 8:2-6; Eph. 1:22-23
      6. A firm touch - Col. 2:19; S. of S. 3:1-4
      7. Being richly supplied in touching - Col. 2:19
      8. Drawing near by touching - James 4:8; Jer. 31:18-20
      9. Taking the initiative by touching - 2 Tim. 1:6-7
    2. His touching us
      1. The cleansing touch - Matt. 8:1-3; Mk. 1:40-42; Lk. 5:12-13
      2. The relieving touch - Matt. 8:14-15
      3. The faith-giving touch - Matt. 9:27-30
      4. The sight-giving touch - Matt. 17:5-8
      5. The compassionate touch - Matt. 20:30-34
      6. The transmitting touch - Mark 7:32-35
      7. The blessing-imparting touch - Mark 10:13-16; Lk. 18:15-17
      8. The resurrecting touch - Lk. 7:12-15
      9. The healing touch - Lk. 22:49-51
    3. Our touching Him
      1. A faith-touch - Matt. 9:20-22
      2. Open-ended touching - Matt. 14:34-36; Mk. 6:56
      3. Persistent touching - Mk. 3:10
      4. A deliberate touch - Mk 5:25-34; Lk. 8:43-48
      5. Progressive touching - Mk. 8:22-25
      6. Corporate touching - Lk. 6:19
      7. The sinner's touch - Lk. 7:36-50

  4. The Details of Learning Christ
    5.
    1. The sensitive nature of learning Christ - Eph. 4:17-24 - 20"But you have not so learned Christ."
    2. Learning Christ by spending time to cultivate our touch - 1 Cor. 3:6-11 - 6"I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth... 9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's cultivated land, you are God's building... 11For an alternative (other) foundation no one is able to lay alongside of the one which already lies there, which foundation is a person, Jesus Christ." (Greek, Wuest)
      1. The background of cultivating
        1. The garden of Eden - Gen. 1-2
        2. The holy city - Rev. 21-22
        3. The church, God's garden - S. of S. 4:12-5:1
        4. The church, God's building - Eph. 2:19-22
      2. Spending time with the Lord to cultivate - Lk. 10:38-42
      3. Cultivate in secret - Matt. 6:6
      4. Times of withdrawing to cultivate - Lk. 5:15-17
      5. Cultivate morning by morning - Isa. 50:4-7
      6. Cultivate by tasting Him - 1 Pet. 2:1-3
      7. Cultivate by coming to Him - 1 Pet. 2:4
      8. Cultivate in the Word - Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4
      9. Cultivate with our heart - Matt. 13:3-9, 18-23
    3. Learning Christ in our environments - Matt. 11:25-30 - 29"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
    4. Learning Christ by processing everything through Him - Phil. 4:10-13 11Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
    5. Learning Christ in our expectations - Phil. 1:19-21 - 21"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
    6. Learning Christ in the midst of distractions - Col. 2:5-10 6"As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."
    7. Learning Christ by what you already know - 1 Thess. 4:9 9"But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are God-taught to love one another."
    8. Learning Christ by His inner movement - 1 John 2:27 - 27"But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in Him."
    9. The new covenant learning of Christ - Heb. 8:10-11 - 10"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, says the Lord; I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them."
    10. The direct learning of Christ - John 6:44-45 - 44"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me."

  5. Learning Christ in Experience
    6.
    1. Learning Christ as a disciple is a continuous dynamic - John 15:7-9
    2. Learning Christ by trial and error - Acts 16:7-8
    3. Learning Christ by coming to Him with chronic problems - Matt. 11:28-30
    4. Learning Christ by His voice - Eph. 4:21
    5. Learning Christ experientally ("taught in Him") - Eph. 4:21
    6. Learning Christ by sensing what is compatible with Him - Col. 3:15
    7. Learning Christ by the negative feelings that surface - Eph. 4:26-31
    8. Learning Christ in our nothingness - 2 Cor. 12:11
    9. Learning Christ in our weakness - 2 Cor. 13:4
      1. Weakness and all-sufficient grace - 2 Cor. 12:7-10 (cf. Isa. 40:29-31)
      2. Weakness in trying to please God - Rom. 7:18-8:3
      3. Weakness with one thing - Matt. 19:16-26
      4. Weakness during temptation - Heb. 4:15-16
      5. Weakness with inward struggles - Gal. 5:16-17
      6. Weakness through satanic attacks - 2 Cor. 12:7-10
      7. Weakness in overwhelming trials - 2 Cor. 4:16-18
      8. Weakness in knowing how to pray - Rom. 8:26-28
      9. Weakness manifested by the culture and the world - Gen. 4:16-26
      10. Feeling weak and cring "Abba, Father" - Mk. 14:32-42; 2 Cor. 13:4
      11. Dealing with weakness by the law of the Spirit - Rom. 8:1-4
    10. Learning Christ as a disciple (learner)
      1. Learning Him as the Sermon on the Mount - Matt. 5-7 (cf. Matt. 5:17 with Rom. 8:3-4)
      2. Learning Him above all obligations - Matt. 8:20-22
      3. Learning Him in unexpected storms - Matt. 8:23-27; Psa. 42:6-8
      4. Learning Him with despised people - Matt. 9:9-13
      5. Learning Him in responding to need - Matt. 9:18-19, 23-26
      6. Learning Him in recognizing faith - Matt. 9:20-22

  6. The Governing Principles of Learning Christ
    7.
    1. Learn Him as the Word - John 1:1-2
    2. Learn Him as the Word become flesh - John 1:14-18
    3. Learn Him as the last-Adam become a life-giving Spirit - 1 Cor. 15:45
    4. Learn Him as the truth is in Jesus - Eph. 4:20-21; John 13:12-17
    5. Learn Him in His continuation as the Head of His Body - Acts 1:1-3
    6. Learn Him in His relationship with the Holy Spirit - John 14:15-20; 15:26; 16:13-15

  7. Learning Christ in His Body
    8.
    1. Learning the whole Christ in all the members - 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Rom. 12:4-5
    2. Learning Christ as all in all in the new man - Eph. 2:13-16; Col. 3:10-11
    3. Relearning Christ in the new creation - 2 Cor. 5:14-17
    4. Learning the corporate nature of the image of Christ - Gen. 1:26-28; Col. 1:15, 18; 3:10-11
    5. Learning Christ in the realm of revelation - Matt. 16:13-18; Eph. 3:3-6; Rom. 16:25-26
    6. Learning Christ for the Body - Eph. 1:22-23; 4:15-16
    7. Learning Christ to supply life to the Body - 2 Cor. 4:8-12
    8. Learning Christ for the kingdom - Matt. 16:18-19; Rom. 14:17-18