I Quit: When God’s Mightiest Servants Reached Their Breaking Point, Lost Their Courage And Discovered That Their Calling Was Stronger Than Their Discouragement
“I Quit” are two words that nearly every servant of God will be tempted to say at some point in the ministry. The Bible does not airbrush its heroes or pretend that men of faith never collapse beneath the burden. Jeremiah decided to stop preaching, Peter returned to his fishing boat, Elijah asked God to let him die, John the Baptist questioned Christ from prison, Moses could no longer carry the people, David became convinced that Saul would eventually kill him, and Paul despaired even of life. These were not weak men playing at ministry; they were mighty servants who discovered that calling does not make the flesh indestructible. The difference was not that they never reached the breaking point—it was that God met them there and refused to allow their darkest moment to become the final chapter. Christian, do you feel like quitting today? This message is for you.
“O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.” Jeremiah 20:7 (KJB)
The Bible Believers Sunday Service: I Quit
I Quit
“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;” 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (KJB)
God’s calling does not make His servants immune to exhaustion, fear, disappointment, loneliness, or doubt. God sometimes allows His servants to reach the end of their own strength so they will learn to trust “in God which raiseth the dead.”
MAIN POINT: The breaking point does not have to become the quitting point.
Dispensational Note: Jeremiah and Elijah ministered to Israel under the law and the prophetic program. John the Baptist and Peter ministered in connection with Israel, Messiah, and the kingdom. Paul is our apostle and doctrinal pattern for the present Church Age. These men did not occupy the same dispensational position, but the spiritual principle remains: God’s servants are weak, but God remains faithful.
I. Jeremiah: When Faithful Preaching Brings Reproach
“O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me. For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” Jeremiah 20:7-9 (KJB)
A. Jeremiah was faithful, but faithfulness did not protect him from discouragement
Jeremiah preached exactly what God told him to preach. Instead of producing repentance, his preaching produced mockery, opposition, persecution, and reproach. His discouragement was not caused by disobedience. It came while he was faithfully carrying out his calling.
B. Jeremiah allowed his circumstances to distort his perception
When Jeremiah accused the LORD of deceiving him, he was speaking out of anguish, not giving a doctrinal statement about God’s character. God had already warned Jeremiah that the people would fight against him. Jeremiah had not been deceived; he had become overwhelmed by the cost of obeying God.
C. Jeremiah attempted to resign
Jeremiah said:
- “I will not make mention of him.”
- I will not “speak any more in his name.”
- I am finished preaching.
- I will remain silent.
D. The Word would not release the prophet
Jeremiah could close his mouth, but he could not extinguish the Word burning inside him. The pain of holding back the message became greater than the pain of delivering it. Jeremiah tried to silence the message, but the message would not release the messenger.
II. Peter: When Personal Failure Makes You Go Backward
“Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.” John 21:3 (KJB)
A. Peter had once appeared fearless
Peter had promised to follow Jesus even unto death. But when confronted during the Lord’s trial, Peter denied Christ three times. His confidence in himself was shattered. That’s a great starting point for the Christian, to have your self-confidence broken. You must decrease, He must increase.
B. Peter returned to something familiar
Peter did not formally say, “I quit.” Nevertheless, his actions indicate retreat. Not knowing what place remained for him, Peter returned to the occupation he had known before Jesus called him.
He could return to the boat, but he could not return to his old life as though Christ had never called him.
C. Peter’s retreat influenced other people
When Peter said, “I go a fishing,” the others answered, “We also go with thee.”
A discouraged leader rarely retreats alone. Other people are watching, and they may follow him into his withdrawal.
D. The Lord allowed Peter’s nets to remain empty
Peter had years of fishing experience, but “that night they caught nothing.” The empty nets demonstrated that Peter could accomplish nothing independently of Christ. Jesus already had fish and bread waiting on the shore. Christ did not need Peter’s catch; Peter needed Christ’s provision.
E. Christ restored Peter through love and recommissioning
“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.” John 21:15 (KJB)
“He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” John 21:16,17 (KJB)
Jesus did not ask Peter whether he still felt brave. Peter’s self-confidence was gone. The question was, “Lovest thou me?”
Peter’s restoration was followed by a renewed commission:
- “Feed my lambs.”
- “Feed my sheep.”
- “Follow me.”
Teaching Truth: Failure said, “Go back.” Jesus Christ said, “Follow me.”
III. Elijah: When Exhaustion Follows a Great Victory
“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” 1 Kings 19:4 (KJB)
A. Elijah’s collapse came immediately after his Mount Carmel victory
Elijah had confronted 450 prophets of Baal. God had answered by fire. The people had confessed that the LORD was God.
Then one threat from Jezebel sent Elijah running.
- Yesterday, Elijah faced 450 prophets.
- Today, he was afraid of one woman.
- Yesterday, he prayed for fire to fall.
- Today, he prayed for his life to end.
- Yesterday, he stood before a nation.
- Today, he sat alone beneath a tree.
B. Great victories can be followed by dangerous emotional lows
Spiritual victory does not make the flesh indestructible. Elijah had expended tremendous physical, emotional, and spiritual energy. When the excitement ended, exhaustion, disappointment, fear, and isolation descended upon him.
C. God addressed Elijah’s physical exhaustion
“And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.” 1 Kings 19:5-8 (KJB)
God did not begin by rebuking Elijah. He allowed him to sleep, provided food and water, and allowed him to sleep again. Sometimes a servant does not immediately need another sermon. He needs rest, nourishment, and time in the presence of God.
D. Discouragement distorted Elijah’s perception
“And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 1 Kings 19:10 (KJB)
Elijah felt alone, so he concluded that he was alone. But feelings are not facts.
“Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:18 (KJB)
Elijah saw no one. God saw seven thousand.
E. God restored Elijah in five ways
God gave Elijah:
- Rest for his body.
- Food for his strength.
- Truth for his distorted perspective.
- Work for his prophetic calling.
- Elisha for companionship.
MAIN POINT: Elijah’s juniper tree was a terrible moment, but it was not the conclusion of his ministry.
IV. John the Baptist: When Circumstances Contradict Expectations
“And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” Matthew 11:1-6 (KJB)
A. John had been a mighty and fearless preacher
John had publicly identified Jesus Christ:
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29 (KJB)
John had seen the Spirit descend upon Christ. He had identified Jesus as the Son of God. Yet confinement, uncertainty, and approaching death brought him to a moment of doubt.
B. John struggled to reconcile his circumstances with his preaching
John had announced:
- The coming King.
- The approaching kingdom.
- The axe laid to the root.
- The fan in Christ’s hand.
- The coming judgment by fire.
Yet Herod remained on the throne, and John remained in prison. The King had come, but John was still bound. Other people were receiving deliverance, but John’s prison door remained shut.
C. John did not understand the interval between the Advents
John belonged to Israel’s prophetic and kingdom program. He saw the prophecies concerning Messiah’s coming, His kingdom, and His judgment, but he did not yet understand the gap between the First and Second Advents or the still-unrevealed mystery of the Church Age.
The prophetic timetable was unfolding differently than John expected.
D. John took his question to the right Person
John did not send his disciples to Herod, the Pharisees, or public opinion. He sent them directly to Jesus Christ.
Faith is not the absence of painful questions. Faith takes those questions to the right Person.
E. Jesus answered John with scriptural evidence
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” Matthew 11:4-6 (KJB)
Jesus did not explain every detail or promise that John would be released. He directed John back to the evidence of fulfilled Scripture.
The answer was essentially: Do not judge who I am by the bars surrounding you. Judge who I am by the Word of God.
F. Jesus did not define John by his weakest moment
“Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Matthew 11:11 (KJB)
John was questioning Jesus, but Jesus was not questioning John’s faithfulness. Christ knew the difference between hardened unbelief and a faithful servant suffering through a dark hour.
MAIN POINT: John’s question did not erase his calling, his courage, or his entire ministry.
V. Moses: When the Burden Becomes Too Heavy
“I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.” Numbers 11:14,15 (KJB)
A. Moses became overwhelmed by responsibility
Moses was attempting to carry the burden of the entire nation. The work truly was too heavy for one man.
B. Moses saw death as his only escape
Overwhelming pressure can narrow a person’s thinking until he can no longer see any solution except escape.
C. God provided shared responsibility
God instructed Moses to gather seventy elders. The LORD did not remove Moses from his calling; He provided other men to help carry the burden.
MAIN POINT: Sometimes the answer is not quitting the work but sharing the weight.
VI. David: When Fear Becomes Greater Than the Promise
“And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.” 1 Samuel 27:1 (KJB)
A. God had promised David the throne
Saul could not kill David without overthrowing the promise and purpose of God.
B. David listened to his heart instead of God’s promise
The verse begins, “David said in his heart.” David looked at Saul’s repeated attacks and concluded, “I shall now perish.” His circumstances appeared more powerful than God’s Word.
C. Discouragement drove David into enemy territory
When a servant stops resting in God’s promises, the world begins to look like a place of safety. David fled into the land of the Philistines because fear told him there was “nothing better.”
MAIN POINT: Discouragement causes us to calculate the future without including the faithfulness of God.
VII. Paul: When a Church-Age Servant Reaches the End of His Strength
“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:” 2 Corinthians But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:” 2 Corinthians 1:8,9 (KJB)
A. Paul was pressed beyond his natural ability
Paul did not say that God would never allow something beyond human strength. He said that he was “pressed out of measure, above strength.” The pressure exceeded Paul’s natural ability to endure it.
B. Paul “despaired even of life”
This was not an immature believer. This was the apostle to the Gentiles. Yet he reached a place where death appeared certain.
C. God was destroying Paul’s self-reliance
The purpose is stated plainly:
“But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:” 2 Corinthians 1:9 (KJB)
God brought Paul to the end of himself so that Paul would place his complete confidence in the God of resurrection.
D. Paul also experienced abandonment
“At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” 2 Timothy 4:16,17 (KJB)
Every human companion may leave, but the Lord remains.
MAIN POINT: When no man stood with Paul, the Lord stood with him. As it turned out, that was all he needed.
Spiritual Application
- Recognize the Different Causes of Discouragement
These servants became discouraged for different reasons:
- Jeremiah: mockery and rejection.
- Peter: personal failure and shame.
- Elijah: exhaustion, fear, and isolation.
- John: confinement and unmet expectations.
- Moses: overwhelming responsibility.
- David: prolonged persecution and fear.
- Paul: suffering, pressure, and abandonment.
The cause may differ, but the temptation is the same: stop, retreat, isolate yourself, or abandon the calling.
- Do Not Make Permanent Decisions During Temporary Collapse
Jeremiah decided never to preach again.
Peter decided to return to fishing.
Elijah asked to die.
David fled into enemy territory.
None of them was seeing clearly at that moment. Exhaustion, fear, humiliation, and loneliness are terrible counselors. Do not make a permanent decision while standing inside a temporary storm.
- Distinguish Between Rest and Retreat
Elijah needed sleep and food. Moses needed help carrying the burden. Peter needed restoration. John needed reassurance from Scripture. Rest is not quitting. Receiving help is not weakness. Stepping back long enough to regain strength is not the same as abandoning God’s calling.
- Do Not Turn Feelings Into Facts
Elijah felt alone, but seven thousand remained.
David felt certain that Saul would kill him, but God had promised him the throne.
John felt confused by the prison, but Jesus was still the Messiah.
Peter felt finished, but Christ still intended to use him.
Feelings are real, but they are not always reliable.
- Return to the Word of God
Jeremiah had the Word burning inside him.
Jesus directed John to the scriptural evidence.
David needed to remember God’s promise.
Paul learned to trust the God who raises the dead.
Discouragement grows when circumstances interpret the Bible. Faith returns when the Bible interprets the circumstances.
- Take Your Questions Directly to God
Jeremiah poured out his complaint before the LORD.
Elijah spoke honestly to God.
Moses cried unto the LORD.
John sent his question directly to Jesus.
God already knows the condition of the heart. Honest anguish brought into His presence is better than silent bitterness carried away from Him.
- Accept God’s Provision
God may provide:
- Rest, as He did for Elijah.
- Help, as He did for Moses.
- Correction, as He did for David.
- Scriptural reassurance, as He did for John.
- Restoration, as He did for Peter.
- Strength in loneliness, as He did for Paul.
- Renewed fire for the message, as He did for Jeremiah.
Do not reject the form in which God sends His help. He knows best, let HIM do it.
- Remember That Your Retreat Can Affect Others
When Peter said, “I go a fishing,” others followed. Leaders must remember that their responses to discouragement can influence families, churches, ministries, and younger believers. This does not mean pretending to be invincible. It means taking weakness to God before that weakness becomes a path others begin following.
- Do Not Define a Servant by His Weakest Moment
Jeremiah was more than his complaint.
Peter was more than his denial.
Elijah was more than his juniper tree.
John was more than his prison question.
Moses was more than his frustration.
David was more than his fearful retreat.
Paul was more than the moment when he despaired even of life.
God recorded their weakness, but He did not allow their weakness to write the final chapter.
- Understand What God Is Accomplishing
“But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:” 2 Corinthians 1:9 (KJB)
The ultimate purpose is the destruction of self-confidence. God does not need invincible men. There are none. He uses weak men who have learned that His grace, His Word, and His strength are sufficient.
Closing Challenge
Jeremiah tried to silence the message, but the Word burned within him.
Peter tried to return to fishing, but Jesus stood on the shore.
Elijah asked to die, but God fed him and sent him back.
John questioned Christ, but Christ answered him with the Word.
Moses wanted to escape the burden, but God sent men to help him.
David feared he would perish, but God’s promise remained unchanged.
Paul despaired even of life, but the Lord stood with him.
The common thread is not the strength of these men. The common thread is the faithfulness of their God.
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9 (KJB)
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJB)
Final Questions
- Are you interpreting God through your circumstances, or your circumstances through the Word of God?
- Are you calling yourself alone when God still has seven thousand?
- Are you returning to old nets because of one terrible failure?
- Are you making permanent decisions while physically and emotionally exhausted?
- Are you looking at prison bars instead of the works of Christ?
- Are you trying to carry a burden God never intended you to carry alone?
- Are you trusting in yourself, or “in God which raiseth the dead”?
Final Challenge: Do not quit in the dark what God called you to do in the light. Rest if you must. Receive help when it is offered. Pour out your heart before the Lord. Return to the Word. Then arise, go back to the work, and continue in the strength which God supplies.
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38,39 (KJB)
Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church
- HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page
When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.
But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)
“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB
The post THE BIBLE BELIEVERS SUNDAY SERVICE: I Quit appeared first on Now The End Begins.