Betting on the come from early position

Question for you all:

I've been thinking about a play I've had a lot lately that I wanted some general feedback:
- EP (e.g., UTG)
- s00ted A or K (nut or near nut draw) OR connectors
- Medium-sized party (3-5 callers) see a flop
- flop hits me to a 4-flush OR strong OESD (assume uncoordinated board with OESD)

Question: Do I bet out to build a pot, or wait for someone to bet so I can later ambush the field if I hit?

Here are examples of the tactics I employ here:
- If I check the flop, and EP/MP bets and several callers follow, I might c/r to build it at a calling table.
- If I check, and a raising war ignites, I will often begrudgingly fold.
- If I bet, and I get some callers and a late raise, I will over call to encourage MP callers behind me.
- If I bet, and I get raised right behind me, no matter the number of callers, I will just call to see a turn.
- If I bet and get a raise and re-raise behind me, I will overcall if I have near-pot odds (implied)

I've been in these situations alot lately, and often feel like I'm betting into a field blindly, when a medium sized field might check around, or build the pot for me. In this situation, I figure I have good pot equity to bet out with a medium field behind me. However, often times I ignite a raising war behind me, as people step up to fight the coordinated board. Then, I end up cold-calling to see a turn, sometimes with questionable odds ("Implied odds", I often say to myself). If I don't hit the turn, then I might again be faced with 2 bets to see a river depending on board texture. Clearly, implied odds come into play here, but this type of hand often seems to stoke my variance quite a bit.

So, I'm thinking that when I bet out on the flop, I'm often committing myself to see turn and river cards and I want to know if I should avoid doing so. Perhaps this is simply "Odds Calculation 101"? Thanks...

Why shouldnt you be committed to seeing the turn and river cards with an OESD or 4 to a flush? Thats the whole point of pot building. Thus, you want to bet out here to try and get as many callers as possible. By check raising you face limiting the field in which you want the most players in it. You also hope to be raised by someone in LP fishing for a free card. You can then reraise and trap everyone inbetween for two more bets. If you do hit, your pot will be huge.

Hence, always bet your draws. Try to get as much money into the pot as possible on the flop and see the river for as cheap as possible (but do not check, still bet but do not raise).

I agree. rarely will it get 2-bet then 3-bet behind you. Don't worry about it. Bet out. You have to bet your draws because you get guaranteed action now, and action when you hit because you were betting before the flush hit. If you wait till you hit it and then bet you'll get a dry mass folding session after a check around. On a 2/4 table your talking about losing like 20 bucks assuming a modest 4 callers on flop, 2 on turn, 1 on river. That would be tragic.