At revival on last night, Rev. Jamison of Greater Mt. Moriah preached on the subject of “Can I buy you a drink,” from John 4:3-11. For some reason I could not get this text out of my head and even when I prayed this morning for a subject, still this came to mind. So I am being obedient to my Father.
This particular scripture of passage is talking about Jesus stopping at a well on his way through Samaria. While passing through this town, Jesus sat down at Jacob’s well to rest. While there a Samaritan woman comes to get water from the well and in those times Jews and Samaritans didn’t associate with one another and wouldn’t be caught talking. But while at the well, this Samaritan woman came and Jesus asked her for a drink of water. Now, I would assume that she was shocked because she asked in verse 9 “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” But this didn’t stop Jesus (again, assuming) because he doesn’t have a respect of person because his mission is to save. Isn’t that great news? But Jesus answered and said “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
Now, the living water in which this passage speaks is the Holy Spirit. This living water is not like regular water because as God explained in verses 13-14, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (This verse should make you feel good even if you don’t read on.) So she asked Jesus in verse 15 “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” So God told her to go and call her husband. You do know this Samaritan woman had a husband at home in her bed, but it wasn’t her husband, right (John 4:17-18)? But she was honest with Jesus and he told her so and because of this, she received his favor and her testimony brought others to him as believers.
But, as Christians, we treat God as if he is a one night stand. We meet him and then we use him for what we want and then we sneak out, never wanting a real relationship. We go to his bed when we need guidance and help (church, bible study, Sunday school, and the bible), get satisfied and then we get up, get dressed, leave only to come back when our need and want needs to be satisfied again. We don’t get satisfied to go out to be a testimony and to bring others to him but only for our own selfish needs. Take for an example; you get your light bill in the mail that is due Monday, you don’t get paid until the following Friday and you’ve used up all the extensions they will give. You go to church on Sunday and everybody can tell that you’re going through because you are the loudest one shouting and you’re out dancing Shouting Shirley when normally you hardly say amen. Then Monday comes and you get a special blessing just in the nick of time to make the 3pm deadline to pay your bill. You’re so grateful and thankful to God for seeing you through just one more time. But oh, the next Sunday comes and because you don’t need God at the moment, since you don’t have any pressing issues that need his immediate attention, you don’t even bother to get up and go to church. You press ignore on him just like you do your phone when it’s that one night stand calling because you’re need has been met and you’re no longer thirsty for his guidance. But Jesus says in John 4:23 “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”
God doesn’t need or want sometime Christians. You know the kind that only comes to him when they need to satisfy a want, but God is looking for true worshippers. John 4:24 says “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” See many of us have favor from God while others only have flavor. With favor you’ll praise God in and out of your storm but with flavor you only praise him with the storm is raging. With favor you’ll praise God when you’re sick and when you’re well but with flavor you’ll only praise him when the doctor gives you bad news. With favor you’ll praise God with or without money but with flavor you’ll praise him until the income tax check comes. With favor your praise is the same no matter what your circumstance but when you have flavor your season is only good when your situation is hard. It’s like cooking spaghetti; everybody knows that spaghetti’s flavor is at its best the next day after it has had time to marinate through but after 2-3 days, it’s just plain old leftovers that nobody will eat. Well, Christians with flavor, they are the same way. They are only good when they are going through something but after a few days, their fire dies down and they are no longer worth the shoes they walk in. They come dragging into church, complaining about how long service is, gossiping about what folk are wearing, who is sleeping with who and usually texting throughout the entire sermon. But oh, when the friends walk away, boyfriend/girlfriend is gone, momma/daddy sick, bills are due & money is few, kids acting crazy and the car won’t start they come to church ready to show out. Baby, God is not falling for your mess. Proverbs 12:22 says “A good man obtains favor of the LORD: but a man of wicked intentions will he condemn.”
Aren’t your intentions wicked and evil when you use God for your own personal gain? Evil is defined as the quality or an instance of being morally wrong; wickedness. When you have favor you never lose the taste for God’s word, you’ll be willing to go even when you don’t feel like it, you’ll tell folk of God’s goodness no matter where you are and you’ll offer a helping hand even when you can hardly make it yourself. But when you have flavor you’ll only use God until it is no longer beneficial to you. You know when you help because you want to get the Pastor’s attention, you sing loud so folk can hear you, you talk loud so folk notice, you show up to show off your short dress or you do so you can get the credit.
Favor is mercy; Flavor is messy
Favor is grace; Flavor is greedy
Favor is praise; Flavor is pity
Favor is gratitude; Flavor is gossip
Favor is worthy; Flavor is worthlessness
Favor is helping; Flavor is hindering
Just know that flavor don’t last long. If you don’t believe me try using some seasoning you’ve had in the cabinet for a while because even salt loses flavor if it is diluted in water. If you, Christian folk, are being diluted in water (filth of the world) you will also lose your favor. We all know that is it not possible to serve God and the world because one will eventually win. It’s like holding something in both hands. You will soon let something go because your nose, head, arm or leg will begin to itch that you have to scratch. If you don’t trust my thinking read Matthew 5:13 that says “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.” I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want is to be thrown from God’s presence. So I choose to have God’s favor because it’ll last long after the flavor is gone.
Lakisha, the Author 