Yogi Berra, the legendary catcher for the New York Yankees from 1946 through 1963, is considered one of the greatest catchers to play baseball. He won 10 World Series championships, more than any other player in history. He is also one of only 6 players to capture the American League Most Valuable Player award 3 times. He was an 18 time All-Star as well. Even with his impressive career as a baseball player, he is known by most for his famous paradoxical quotes. He once told a reporter “I really didn’t say everything I said.”
As manager of the New York Mets in 1973, his team was in last place in the National League East midway through the season. A reporter asked him in July if the season was over, to which Yogi replied, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” In which case, turned out to be true because the Mets went on to win the division!
Baseball is a game that is not over until it is over. Unlike other sports, either team can win until the last out is made. In sports such as football and basketball, there is a clock that will expire and sometimes, there just isn’t enough time to score the number of points needed to win before the clock runs out. In golf, you have 18 holes and in bowling you have 10 frames. You know when you approach that last opportunity whether you have a chance to win or if it’s over.
I think about this from a spiritual standpoint. I cannot tell you how many times, while talking to people about Jesus and salvation, I have heard, “It’s too late for me.” Nothing is farther from the truth. As long as people have the breath of life in them it’s not too late.
I know many people look back at their lives and realize that it in no way aligned with what the Bible teaches and so they feel like that God cannot or will not forgive them. That is the complete opposite of what we learn from the word of God. Take the Apostle Paul as an example. He was a persecutor of the church even approving of the death of Christians such as Stephen in Acts 8:1. Paul’s mission was to destroy the very church that Jesus had bought with His blood and yet, God called Paul to preach the gospel to the gentiles! If God can cleanse a man like that from his sins and use him to promote the kingdom of God, He can do the same for anyone.
Jesus relates a parable in Matthew 20 about a landowner who goes out early in the morning to hire workers to work in his vineyard. He went out again at the third hour and hired more workers. Then he went out at the sixth hour and the ninth hour and hired even more workers. Then he finally went out at the eleventh hour and hired more workers. At the end of the day, all the workers were paid the same. What we learn here is that salvation is available to all who will answer God’s call no matter if it is early or late.
Friends, as long as this world exists, people will have the opportunity to be saved. As long as a person is alive, they can be obedient to the gospel. So, what I am saying is, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over!”
Read Luke 15:11-31