Have You Lost Your Flavor?

Mark 9:50
Salt is good, but if the salt loses its’ flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.

“I’m kicking the brand new flava in your ears, Mack’s got the new flava of the year…”That song by Craig Mack back in the early 90’s was the bomb! Then they came out with the remix, L.L. Cool J, Black Rob, Biggie, and Busta Rhymes, whew!! The thing about hip Hop then was you were always looking for who could come up with some new flavor, to say it like nobody else has said it, to be an originator not a duplicator. Flavor was a distinct style, it made you stand out. Hip Hop started getting boring when everybody started going commercial and everybody sounded alike, for a minute it lost its flavor. Even Flavor Flav lost his Savor in all those episodes of Flavor of Lust, I mean Love…LOL.

More than Hip Hop Christians are in danger of losing our flavor. You could tell who Christians were in the first Century because they took care of one another, they sold property to give money to the poor, they stayed behind during the great plague in Rome to take care of the sick. Getting sick and dying themselves, they testified and stood up for what was right. That was before being a Christian went commercial. Now, we have Hollywood Christianity that has been reduced to spiritual sound bytes “WWJD…translated by Madea as, what would Jermaine Dupree do?” Our Pop culture Christianity has been reduced to Goosebumps on Sunday, but no transformation on Sunday. Christians are beginning to sound like everybody else. Preaching has been exchanged for motivational preaching. Gospel music has traded substance for style. What happened to our flavor?

Salt ought to transform whatever it is applied to. It ought to season whatever it is put on, but what good is Salt when it’s lost its flavor?

Tell me what’s your flavor neighbor?

1. It’s your distinct Christian Character. People ought to be able to tell by what comes out of your mouth and how you treat people whether or not you belong to Jesus.

2. It’s the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives you a distinct glow and flow. People know you are a Christian when the Holy Spirit begins to transform your old character into a new creation.

3. It’s the gospel of Jesus. Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power unto salvation.” Every opportunity you get you ought to be ready to give an account for what you believe.

4. It’s the ability to love. They will know we are Christians by our ability to love other people. I’m talking about that Agape love. agape (ah-gahʹpay), the principal Greek word used for ‘love’ in the NT. Of the three words for love in the Hellenistic world, it was the least common. The other two words were eros, which meant sexual love, and philos, which meant friendship, although their meanings could vary according to the context in which they appeared. Agape, because it was used so seldom and was so unspecific in meaning, could be used in the NT to designate the unmerited love God shows to humankind in sending his son as suffering redeemer. When used of human love, it means selfless and self-giving love.

5. It’s the way you communicate through your personality. Nobody can beat you being you. Stop trying to be everybody else and be comfortable being you and letting God speak through your unique personality.

If you are salty, you ought to make other people thirsty for God after having been around you. If people are comfortable being in sin with you in their lives you might have lost your flavor. If you are comfortable getting in where you fit in you might have lost your flavor. After you lose your flavor you are in danger of losing your favor.

The other day I tried to use the salt shaker at home. My son had gotten water in the salt shaker doing an experiment in his room. The crystals had solidified and wouldn’t allow the salt to come out. What is blocking you from being a salty Christian? What experiment or experience has hardened you to the point you can’t get out to witness and make a difference in the lives of the people around you? Don’t lose your flavor.

Dear God restore my flavor. Guard me against spiritual commercialism. Keep my faith real. Keep me Hungry for Righteousness. Help me to be in the world, but not of the world. Use me as an agent of change, so I can kick some “new flavor” in their ear.

In Jesus Name.

Amen.