Extraordinary Strength For A Empty Season

1Peter 4:12-14

TEXT:

v.12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:      

                                          v13. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.     

        v14. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

INTRODUCTION:  

An elementary teacher by the name of Phyllis I. Martin, teacher told this story that happened in spring of 2000. She said:

“Storm clouds and strong gusts of wind had come up suddenly over Columbus, Ohio. The Alpine Elementary School radio blared tornado warnings. It was too dangerous to send the children home. Instead, they were taken to the basement, where the children huddled together in fear. We teachers were worried too. To help ease the tension, the principal suggested a sing-along. But the voices were weak and unenthusiastic. Child after child began to cry—we could not calm them.

Then a teacher, whose faith seemed equal to any emergency, whispered to the child closest to her, “Aren’t you forgetting something Kathie? There is a power greater than the storm that will protect us. Just say to yourself, ‘God is with us.’ Then pass the words on to the child next to you.”

As the words were whispered from child to child, a sense of peace settled over the group. I could hear the wind outside still blowing with the same ferocity of the moment before, but it didn’t seem to matter now. Inside, fear subsided and tears faded away. When the all clear signal came over the radio sometime later, students and staff returned to the classrooms without the usual jostling and talking.

Through the years I have remembered those calming words. In times of stress and trouble, I have again been able to find release from the tension by repeating, ‘God is with us.’ ”

BIG IDEA:  

Our suffering refines us, shaping our faith into a stronger reflection of Christ’s character, enabling us to glorify God even amidst trials.

SERMON OUTLINE

I.     GUARENTEE EXPERIENCE:

Biblical Examples: Empty Seasons That Produced Growth

Throughout Scripture, we see God's pattern of using empty seasons to prepare His people for greater purpose. Consider Joseph - sold into slavery by his own brothers, falsely accused, and forgotten in prison. For 13 years, Joseph endured what must have felt like an endless empty season.

Yet Genesis 50:20 reveals the purpose: 'You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.' Those years of emptiness prepared Joseph to save nations.

David - anointed as king, then forced to spend years running for his life in caves and wilderness. Psalm 63 was written in this period: 'O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.' That empty season produced in David a dependency on God that shaped his kingship.

Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness before God called him from the burning bush. Paul had his three years in Arabia after his conversion. John the Baptist grew up in the wilderness. Jesus Himself spent 40 days fasting in the desert before beginning His ministry. In each case, the empty season wasn't punishment - it was preparation. The wilderness wasn't wasted time - it was a workshop where God shaped His servants.

Modern Testimonies: Finding Strength in Today's Trials

Ten years ago, I faced a health crisis that left me bedridden for months. I questioned God's plan and my calling. Yet in that forced stillness, I discovered a depth of Scripture I had rushed past in my busy ministry life. The sermons that emerged from that season of suffering continue to be the ones many of you reference as most impactful.

God's Purpose in Empty Seasons

INTERROGATIVE: 

So what is God doing in these empty seasons? Why does He allow - even appoint - these times of suffering?

First, empty seasons reveal what's already within us. C.S. Lewis wrote, 'God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.' Suffering strips away pretense. When comfort is removed, we discover what we truly believe.

Second, empty seasons create space for new growth. Consider a garden - pruning appears destructive, cutting away seemingly healthy branches. Yet the gardener knows this temporary loss leads to greater fruitfulness. John 15:2 reminds us that God 'prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.'

Third, empty seasons develop spiritual muscles that ease cannot build. Romans 5:3-4 tells us that 'suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.' Just as physical resistance builds physical strength, spiritual resistance builds spiritual strength. Finally, empty seasons prepare us for ministry to others.       

In 2 Corinthians 1:4, Paul writes that God 'comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.' Our suffering equips us to minister to others in ways that theoretical knowledge never could.

Cultivating Extraordinary Strength Through Suffering

So how do we cultivate extraordinary strength during these empty seasons? Let me suggest four practical steps:

1. Embrace the reality of suffering. Peter says, 'Don't be surprised.' When we expect trials as normal, we're less likely to be derailed by them. This isn't pessimism; it's biblical realism that prepares us to respond in faith rather than shock.

2. Look for God's presence, not just His purpose. Sometimes we're so focused on asking 'Why is this happening?' that we miss asking 'How is God with me in this?' Psalm 23:4 reminds us, 'Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.' Before seeking answers, seek His presence.

3. Practice gratitude deliberately.

In Philippians 4:11-12, Paul writes, 'I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content... I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.' This wasn't automatic - Paul says he learned it. Begin each day naming three specific blessings, even in your suffering.

4. Connect with community. Hebrews 10:24-25 instructs us to 'consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together.' Isolation amplifies suffering. Even when you don't feel like it, stay connected to your church family. Allow others to support you now, knowing you'll support them in their seasons of trial.

II. GLADENING EXPEREINCE:

Rejoicing in Sharing Christ's Sufferings (1 Peter 4:13)

Peter concludes with a remarkable command: 'But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.' 

Notice he doesn't say 'rejoice because of your sufferings' but 'rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings.' Our suffering connects us to Christ in a unique way.

The empty seasons become sacred ground where we experience fellowship with Jesus that prosperity alone could never provide.

 And this rejoicing isn't just positive thinking. It's forward-looking faith that sees beyond the present trial to the coming glory.

The empty season isn't the end of the story. Remember, the cross - history's darkest moment - was followed by resurrection morning.

 The empty tomb followed the empty season. And so it will be for us.

 As we close, I invite you to reframe your perspective on whatever empty season you might be facing. That health challenge, that relationship struggle, that financial hardship, that spiritual dryness - it isn't meaningless. It's preparation. It isn't punishment. It's pruning for greater fruitfulness. In the hands of our loving Father, no suffering is wasted. No empty season is truly empty - for in it, God is at work, cultivating in your extraordinary strength for extraordinary purpose.

II.   GLORYFYING EXPERIENCE V14

 As we close, I invite you to reframe your perspective on whatever empty season you might be facing. That health challenge, that relationship struggle, that financial hardship, that spiritual dryness - it isn't meaningless. It's preparation. It isn't punishment. It's pruning for greater fruitfulness. In the hands of our loving Father, no suffering is wasted. No empty season is truly empty - for in it, God is at work, cultivating in your extraordinary strength for extraordinary purpose.