I. The phrase “moment of truth”
- The phrase “moment of truth” first appeared in Earnest Hemingway’s 1932 ” Death in the Afternoon,” a book about bullfighting.1
- The “moment of truth” in a bullfight is when, “to end a bullfight, the matador takes his sword and must get the bull to charge straight at him, so that he can lean over the bull’s horns and kill him by stabbing just behind the back of the head. Many matadors can do very graceful and artistic moves with the cape and the maleta (the red cloth-on-a stick used to lure the bull) but lack the nerve to do the final killing properly. The ‘moment of truth’is when he and the audience find out if he really has what it takes.”2
- People use this phrase to mean a moment when you are challenged or tested and you find out if you have the strength, integrity, and courage to do the right thing.
- For the one who follows God, the phrase as come to mean a time in which we are tested by a temptation or a situation in which we see how strong our faith is, how obedient we will be, and if we really depend on God.
- In a time of trial or temptation, our character is revealed.
II. Biblical examples
- David facing Goliath
- 1 Samuel 17:23-24 – Goliath defying the armies of Israel
- 1 Samuel 17:31-37 – David’s confidence
- 1 Samuel 17:41-47 – David on the plain was proved to be a young man of faith and courage
- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego
- Background: Daniel and friends had the courage to request a special diet though they were new captives under a conquering government.
- They rose to positions of power and were challenged with a test of faith: Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image.
- Daniel 3:13-19 – They had a chance to give up and live or obey God with a chance to die
- They were protected from the fire and Nebuchadnezzar was taught a lesson.
- Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
- Heavy with sorrow and struggling with the violent death He was about to face and the anguish His family and friends were about to endure.
- Matthew 26:36-46 – Jesus trusted the Father to strengthen Him in trial and take care of Him through death.
- We could give many other examples: Abraham being commanded to offer Isaac, apostles being brought before the worldly powers and commanded to quit preaching Jesus, the Christians persecuted from town to town, etc.
- These examples demonstrate how God’s people will often find times in their lives when they face a test or a temptation, a “moment of truth”, where their faith and obedience is tested.
- Their friends and family may not know they are facing the test: it may come when one is alone or around strangers away from home.
- It may be a very public test with people they love, perhaps fellow Christians, watching to see how they will act in the moment of truth.
- Your moment (or more likely, moments) of truth
- We often do not know when these times will come. Sometimes they are disguised as small decisions about whether to do the right or wrong thing.
- In high school, a friend of mine made what seemed like a small decision to hang out with some friends of poor moral character instead of the good friends that he used to hang out with.
- Soon they were involved in things like alcohol and drugs and, after being caught breaking into the school to steal some sound equipment, was sent away to live with his father in another state and to go down a different path.
- Sometimes the test is obvious and you know that this decision will send you on a path closer to or farther away from God.
- When I was a teenager I was faced with such a decision that I knew choosing one path would lead to a life of selfish and sinful living and the other path would lead to a devotion to Jesus and serving Him.
- I sat all afternoon on a mountain side contemplating my decision, counting the cost and examining my heart, with a determination that I would choose my path at sunset and live with it.
- Many times the test will come when you are bruised, broken down, tired, abandoned, misunderstood, and feel that everyone has given up on you.
- At those times it is easy to give up on doing the right thing and give into sin.
- It is when you are beat up and exhausted that you must dig deep and find the character to stand up, do the right thing, and prevail.
- Revelation 2:10 – “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
- Don’t give up, don’t quit. The moment of victory is often disguised as defeat.
- Popular superhero movies often show the hero rejected by the public, misunderstood by his family and friends, confused about himself, and doubting his ability to achieve victory but, when it appears defeat is imminent, he finds the strength to gain a victory.
- There are many real life examples of people who have been in the same position who, in the moment of truth, stood up to do the right thing amidst doubts from self and others and opposition and gained a victory for good.
- Revolutionary War Naval Battle
- During the Revolutionary War John Paul Jones, the father of the US Navy, was captain of the Bon Homme Richard. While searching for British ships, Jones encountered the larger Serapis and had to fight it alone when his other ship, the Alliance fled.
- In a fierce battle the Bon Homme Richard was damaged by the guns of the Serapis and his other ship, the Alliance, which came back and accidentally blasted the Richard.
- As the severely damaged Bon Homme Richard, lashed to the Serapis, began to burn and take on water, the captain of the Serapis yelled to John Paul Jones, “Are you ready to strike colors?” (Surrender)
- Jones replied with the immortal words, “I have not yet begun to fight.”
- Several minutes later a hand grenade fell into the gunpowder supply of the Serapis and the ship exploded, the mast shook then fell.
- The captain of the Serapis surrendered to Jones and, though the Bon Homme Richard sank, John Paul Jones won the battle.
- We must fight diligently for if we are fighting to overcome sin, God is fighting on our side—but we must not give up the fight.
- The enemy has not won
- If we are still fighting a long battle, it means that the enemy has not won.
- Our enemy may not be defeated, but he does not yet have the victory!
- We must not hand Satan a victory and must remember that he will not give up ground that he thinks he can win.
- Preparing for the trial and temptation
- How can we stand alone like young David on the plain facing the giant, courageous like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the face of the angry and powerful king, or determined like Jesus going to a violent death, or the early Christians facing persecution with great humility and resolve to do what is right?
- Wear your spiritual armor in the time of trial and temptation, Ephesians 6:10-18
- Study God’s word
- Teaches you what you should do, right and wrong, and how you should act
- Teaches you what Satan and his followers do and how they act (what not to do)
- Provides promises of God’s strength and heavenly reward to allow you to endure whatever trial knowing you have a greater reward that awaits you.
- Provides godly wisdom of how to act during the time of trial.
- Gives examples of great men and women of faith who endured great trials and overcame evil.
- Pray for God’s wisdom and strength to endure all trials
- You need God’s power to stand up under the time of trial.
- Jesus’ example in the Garden of Gethsemane
- Mark 14:38: “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”