I’ve always loved music and I wish I had more musical skill and ability than I have. But the truth is, I’m just a hack. And sometimes being a hack is good enough – it’s gotten me by! But where it didn’t get me by was when I tried out to play drums for my high school jazz band. I had never taken any drum lessons. I didn’t even own a real drum set. I just watched drummers in music videos and I sat on the edge of bed playing “air drums” to my favorite songs on the radio. That was the extent of my drumming experience and training. Which I assumed would translate to a real drum kit! Sitting down to audition for the jazz band was the first time I’d ever sat behind an actual drum kit. The instructor had given me a simple piece of music (which I couldn’t read) and asked me to play (which I couldn’t do). It was extremely embarrassing! The look on the instructors face and his tone said it all, “You do not belong here!” It was one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had. I’d been caught. I was a fraud; nothing but a hack. Honestly, sometimes I have those same kinds of worries when it comes to being a Christian! I feel like a hack. Satan often whispers to me, “You do not belong here!” And I know I’m not the only one. When it comes to faithfulness, none of us are experts. We’re all hacks at this Jesus thing! And sometimes we come to a worship gathering like this and, like me in that jazz band audition, we think, “What am I doing? I don’t belong here.” I believe Jesus has a message we need to hear in Revelation 3:7–13. No matter what the enemy, or anyone else, says, “YOU BELONG HERE!” Let’s hear what the Spirit says to us this morning!
