In 1982, the UC Berkley football team was playing the Stanford football team. Late in the fourth quarter Stanford was losing 19-17. Stanford quarterback John Elway led the team down the field into field goal range with 8 seconds left on the clock. Stanford kicks a field goal to go ahead 20-19. The only problem was they left 4 seconds on the clock and this is what happened.

Sports is an easy place to see that it ain’t over till it is over. In Game 6 of the 2011 world series, St. Louis was down 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th. There were 2 outs, 2 runners on base and the batter David Freese had 2 strikes. The Cardinals were down to their last strike and Texas would have won the game and the series, except “It ain’t over ‘till it’s over. Freese hits a 2-run triple to tie the game and then 2 innings later Freese hits a homerun to win the game. Sending the series to game 7, where the Cardinals won the World series.

Life like sports, isn’t over until it is over. Let’s read a little bit of what Paul said about the end times in II Timothy 3.

For those of you that don’t know, professional baseball only has to play 5 innings to be considered a complete game. And a game could go on and on for several innings. In 1974 St. Louis played a 25-inning game that lasted over 7 hours. In 1984 the White Sox played a 25-inning game that lasted over 8 hours and was completed over a 2-day period.

Sometimes life’s “game” is short. Sometimes it is very long. Here’s the deal. No one knows how long their game really is. Even if you knew that Jesus was coming back tomorrow, that doesn’t mean you will be around to see it. We need to live like this is our last minute, because we just don’t know.

I have asked this question before. If you knew that you only had up to a year to live, would you change anything in the way you are living? I don’t mean quitting your job. Would you be a better person, a better friend, share Jesus more? Hopefully you wouldn’t need to change anything about the way you live. Because let me tell you what point #1 is.

1. We are in the last days.

II Timothy 3:1-5

Does anyone have a friend or acquaintance that seems to be obsessed with all the “signs” of the end of times? Do they let you know the predictions that are being made and how they feel like this time is really it?

I find it interesting that many times those obsessed with the end of times, are also those that seem to be afraid of the end of times and are also Christians.

There are a few things that I would love to point out about scripture, first thing is the bible tells us almost 150 times to not be afraid. That’s almost one scripture for every 2 days, but we seem to forget that, right? Second, Jesus said, “No one knows the day or hour of His return, not the angels, not the Son but only the Father” So, anyone that predicts the time of Jesus return probably guarantees it won’t be then. Third thing is pretty much since Jesus came back from the dead, people thought Jesus was coming back in their lifetime. As far as I know, that has not happened.

So, yes we are in the end of times. So, when you least expect it, expect it. But back to my 3rd thing about the end of time. Paul thought that Jesus was coming back in his lifetime. The disciples thought that Jesus was coming back during their lifetime. The signs are there and have been for a while.

From the moment you were born, the amount of time that you have left has gotten shorter, that’s life and the only promise is you won’t get out alive. Some have more time; some have less time. One of my friends that I have made through Camp Meeting, his son, 34 has been diagnoses with cancer. He was the picture of health about 3 months ago and now, they are not sure what the outcome will be, but it doesn’t look good as far as life on earth, but his son is a follower of Jesus and loves the Lord. He is ready. Are you?

When you hear of earthquakes and wars and rumors of wars and this and that, you can know the end is near. Near on whose clock? My clock or God’s clock where a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day? Which leads us to point #2.

2. Don’t fall into that trap.

II Timothy 5, 8-9, II Thessalonians 3:6-10

Has anyone ever received that email from the Prince of the island of Imalyan? You have been selected to get $10 million all we need is your bank account number. Just mail me a certified check or a cashier’s check, right?

Why do people get scammed? I mean how many commercials, how many news reports, how much information is out there about protecting yourself from scammers? The 2 main reasons, that I see, that people get scammed, one they are greedy, or two they are scared.

They are greedy, You have won this or that, just send us $100 shipping or give us your bank account information so we can deposit your winnings. The other reason, fear. We noticed some fraudulent charges to your banking account please contact us by clicking on this link. You’re electric is about to be shut off because we have not received payment for your last bill, please click the link and pay “X” dollar amount or you will be turned over to a collection agency and your credit will be ruined. Fear.

Did you know that people lost over $10 billion in scams in 2023 alone? One in four people reported losses to the FTC from being scammed.

What I have never understood, but I am pretty simpleminded, why so many “Christians” get caught up in the end of times. It is almost like a panic in their lives that all the signs are there and we are so close to the end of times that they seem afraid. If you are a Christian, what have you got to be afraid of when it comes to the end of time? Aren’t we going to a better place? Shouldn’t this be something to look forward to? If God is for us, who can be against us? No weapon formed against me shall prosper. Being away from the body means that we will be at home with the Lord.

People can get so wrapped up about the end coming that they miss living in the now. Paul warned the churches over and over to not get lazy, don’t just sit on your porch swing looking to the sky waiting for Jesus to return.

I am excited and I look forward to heaven, but we ain’t there yet and as long as we are here there is work to be done.

3. No one knows when Jesus is coming back so be ready.

II Timothy 3:14-17, Matthew 24:45-51

I remember one time when I was on a reserve weekend with the Marine Corps. We went to Fort Leonard Wood and were told that we were going to do a “combat exercise” with one of the Army platoons that evening. We dug our fox holes. We spent hours digging and camouflaging them in preparation.

It was supposed to happen throughout the late evening (about dark) and into the night. Then we would load up to return to Springfield to clean up our weapons and gear on Sunday before we were dismissed.

As we were eating our evening chow, the Acting Company Gunny passed it down from the Commanding officer that the plan to work with the Army didn’t work out and that after chow we were to continue to work on our fox holes (kill time) and word would get to us about when we were loading up. A few hours after dark, we could see someone headed our way and we watched them for almost a minute it looked like they were lost. Finally, they get to us and said, “Is this the Machine Gun nest?” Yes, it is. They fired blacks and said, “you’re all dead.”

We said, “You’re stupid” and then we got in trouble because we were not prepared for an attack.

Whether we think we know when Jesus is coming or not, which we don’t and we have been over that, we need to be ready. We need to be ready to tell others about Jesus, we need to be ready for the enemy to attack and we need to be ready for judgment.

In Matthew 24 just a couple of verses before what I read a little bit ago. Jesus said, “43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Jesus told us to be ready. He told us that we will either be considered a faithful and wise servant or we will be considered a wicked servant.

It’s a simple choice, either you are faithful or you are wicked. Jesus gives us the opportunity to be faithful servant.

It Ain't Over till It's Over