“Keep Ya Head Up:” Mental Health in a Sick World

21:03 our friends of friendship. They blessed us in a powerful way. I know you were blessed by that. And so I thank them. I thank all of our members who have worked so that this would be a production of praise where you can experience our great God right where you are. God will come through right on time. I want to share with you in these few moments from the subject, keep your head up, mental health in a sick world. Keep your head up, mental health in a sick world. I am going to read with you a passage of Scripture found in 2 Corinthians chapter 7, verses 5 and 6. I'm going to read to you from the Freddie Haynes remix of this Greek New Testament. No, I know you don't have it. It's coming soon. But in the meantime, here now, Freddie Haynes' remix of 2 Corinthians chapter 7, verses 5 and 6. When we showed up in Macedonia, we couldn't catch a break, and we were about to break down.

22:04 We were being hit from all angles, fights on the outside and fears on the inside. But God, who provides reinforcements and refreshment for those who suffer with the invisible wounds of being depressed and distressed, lifted our spirits when Titus showed up and nursed us with his presence. I hope y'all get that. I'm simply talking about keep your head up. Mental health in a sick world. Keep your head up. Mental health in a sick world. I think you know already I'm borrowing my subject from the great rap artist Tupac Shakur. Tupac has a luminous line in that phenomenal song saying, dying inside but outside you're looking fearless while tears is rolling down your cheeks. Your steady hope and things don't fall down this week.

22:59 I believe Tupac, as one woman, a scholar says, is offering through a man's eyes a salute to women. This is a womanist rap coming from Tupac Shakur. One more time, check out what Tupac says. He says about this woman dying inside while outside you're looking fearless. I hope you get the picture right there because Tupac is saying that this woman, this amazing black woman finds herself looking fearless outside. It looks like everything is okay. But wait, he doesn't stop there because inside she is dying. She is wounded on the inside, dying on the inside. I'm not even done because Tupac goes on from there to talk about the tears that are rolling down her cheeks. And then Tupac puts it like this by saying, you're hoping that things don't fall down this week.

24:00 Let me exegete, extrapolate, if you please, what Tupac is saying. And Tupac in this tribute to the strength and wonder of black women is saying that in many instances, black women find themselves dying on the inside. And that, my sisters and brothers, is a picture, if you please, of depression. Because in a real sense, all of us understand what it's like to feel stressed and depressed. All of us understand what it's like to feel like something within us. is dying. And that's what Tupac is declaring that this woman, here it is, is dying on the inside. Now outside she's looking fearless, but there are tears that betray how she really is feeling. And so the tears are coming down. And as the tears are coming down, the tears reflect the reality that on the one hand, she's dying inside, but wait, I'm not even done because Tupac looks ahead And she's hoping, here it is, that things don't fall down this week while the tears are coming down her cheek.

25:12 Do you see what Tupac is saying? On the one hand, she's fighting her own internal battle. On the other hand, she's looking ahead to a threat that threatens to allow her life to unravel. And with all of that going on, Tupac is saying that she is fighting on the outside battles, but then she's got to deal with her own battle on the inside. And my sisters and brothers, I'm simply trying to say that's an appropriate rap for what we are dealing with in this day. Because on one level, we are fighting with what's going on around us. On the other level, we've got to deal with the battles within us, and those battles within us are a battle for our mental health in a sick world. I'm still not coming through.

26:06 I'll help you with this. One of my favorite shows, please, y'all don't judge me. You didn't judge me enough for shutting down church. Don't judge me now. At least check this out. But in not judging me, one of my favorite shows is Power. I'm watching Power Season 3. Power season three, Ghost and Tommy are forced to come back together by a drug kingpin who wants to use both of them in order to get his drugs into New York City. And as a consequence, a lot is going on. Tommy's own girl, Holly, has decided that she's going to unite with someone in order to have Ghost killed. It does not happen. Ghost doesn't get killed. But when Tommy finds out that Holly has betrayed him, he strangles her and accidentally kills her in his fit of rage. And so that's still his lady love.

27:05 And so now he is grief stricken. He is heartbroken because Holly is dead. But it's complicated because Holly had tried to have his boy Ghost killed. And so Holly is dead. Ghost was almost killed because Holly betrayed him. But I'm not even done because now my sisters and brothers, check out what's happened in the very next scene. Tommy is kidnapped in his depressed state. He's down and downcast. He's depressed. He's kidnapped by those drug kingpins and they begin to beat Tommy down. Tommy first tries to fight back, but in the midst of fighting back, it's almost Shakespearean because there are more of them than him. And so as a consequence, he's getting hit in the front, hit on the side, hit in the back. He's being hit from so many angles.

28:03 He does not have what it takes to protect and defend himself. It's Shakespearean because y'all know that line in Hamlet by Shakespeare's play of the same name. Hamlet says to be or not to be. That is the question. Whether it is nobler to suffer in the mind from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing in them. Are y'all getting that? Hamlet, don't miss this. It's facing a sea of troubles. But wait, that's not all because Hamlet is pondering if he should quit or if he should go on. And so it's all in his mind, whether it is nobler to suffer in the mind. Are y'all getting that? He is fighting his own fear within, but he's also got to fight a battle without. And that is where all of us are in these days of unprecedented craziness.

29:01 We are fighting battles on the outside, but we've also got to deal with our own fears on the inside. And I just came by to say with Tupac, keep your head up because God offers us mental health in a sick world. And y'all will agree this is a sick world. The world is sick because the coronavirus is now spreading. It has hit the shores of the United States of America. And the sad reality is the sickness has already hit Italy. It has devastated China. And now it has come to our shores. And what's really, Jack, is that our government is woefully unprepared for this crisis because leadership was so busy trying to dismantle the CDC. And now it's blaming President Obama for his own bad decision making.

30:03 And because of his bad decision making, we've got to watch the politics that are going on now. Because of the fact the government wasn't ready for this crisis, it lets us know that America needs to come into the 21st century and have free health care for every citizen of the United States of America. We've got to quit playing games with health care because right now we've got a sick system and we need real health care. Preach, Freddie Haynes. I'm about to do that. I think the camera just said amen. And so I've got to go ahead and preach this thing because the sickness is spreading in this world. But I'm so glad as we're fighting our battles on the outside, at the same time, we've got what it takes to fight our fears on the inside.

31:00 Now, I'm going to keep it a buck. This is a scary time in which we live. If you listen to social media, if you listen to some of the hacks out there, they're doing everything in their power to scare us and make us feel like this is something that is going to take all of us out. I get that. But please understand that when you are a person of faith, you recognize we serve a God who is bigger than coronavirus. We serve a God who is able to heal. We serve a God who can snatch something good out of this evil. And so I couldn't wait to share this text with you Because in our text, the gospel globetrotter and trailblazing theologian from Tarsus, watch Paul as Paul testifies to the Corinthian community. When I showed up in Macedonia, all hell broke loose.

31:56 I was catching it from all sides. And as a consequence, I'm having to fight battles on the outside and my fears on the inside. But the good news is, but God, because that's the next line there in verse 6. Verse 6 begins with a conjunction, but, and then it adds, watch this, the subject, God. Conjunction, but, subject, God, comma, I'm about to shout you. But God is able, I'm trying not to shout myself, but God who is able to comfort those who are distressed and depressed because they have those invisible wounds of depression. I think I'll stop right there because if you're not careful, this thing can overwhelm you and intimidate you. It can weigh heavily on your spirit and get you down. It can toxify your mind.

32:52 It can poison your psyche. It can sabotage your spirit. And see, we serve a God who is able to comfort those who are suffering from those invisible wounds of being depressed and distressed. And then he testifies because God sent Titus his way. And that's what I want to unpack in these few moments I have to share with you. And that is God says to all of you, whatever life is trying to do to you, Tupac says, keep your head up. Keep your head up because if God is with you, who can be against you? Keep your head up because no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Keep your head up because all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to God's purposes. I'm going to keep my head up because the Lord is my light and my salvation.

33:48 Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be? I'm going to keep my head up, y'all, because the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul, leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. I'm going to keep my head up because God is my father, Jesus, my savior, the Holy Ghost, my power. I'm going to keep my head up. And that's what I say to every one of you. Keep your head up because when you keep your head up, God gives you mental health. In this sick world, what does that look like? I'm almost done. Watch the text. The text lets us know we can keep our head up to begin with because God has an amazing way of blessing us. Here it is with a faith.

34:44 This is shouting me right here with a faith that enables us to win by rebuilding us from within. I do that because that's really a remixed response to who is it? My girl, Lauren Hill. Lauren Hill puts it like this. She says, how you gonna win if you ain't right within? And if you ain't right within, then what's around you is going to get to you. And Howard Thurman says, what happens to you can't defeat you unless you allow it to get inside of you. So Lauren Hill, Howard Thurman, help us with this thing. Lauren says, you can't win if you ain't right within. And Howard Thurman says, what happens to you can't get to you unless you allow it to get inside of you. And whatever else I've discovered, my sisters and brothers, and please hear me well, faith is what is needed for such a time as this.

35:38 I'll give it to you one more time. If you don't have a God you can hold on to who gets inside of you and strengthens you from the inside out, how you going to handle the hell all around you? How are you going to handle the difficulty, the discouragement, the disease, all of the stuff that's going on around you? You need to have something within. Is that not what faith does? Faith rebuilds you from the inside out. Faith lets you know that just because you're down right now, you ain't got to stay down. Y'all recall when Muhammad Ali got knocked down in the early part of his career by Henry Cooper. Cooper hit Ali, caught Ali off guard. He goes down, but then he popped right back up. And when he popped right back up, he was able to recover the next round. He wins the fight by a TKO against Henry Cooper.

36:35 After the fight, check out what happens. The reporters ask him, champ, why is it that when you got knocked down, you didn't stay down, but you popped right back up? You didn't even wait for the mandatory eight count to get back up. You pop right back up. You know what Ali said? He said, because the ground is no place for a champion. And when you're standing up on the inside, the ground is no place for a champion. And that's all I'm trying to let you know. Whatever has knocked you down in this world, please know we serve a God who will give you what you need on the inside. And what you have on the inside will say the ground is no place for a champion. My daughter, Avani Jo Haynes, when she was just a toddler, loved to have in the bathtub these rubber ducks. And one time she said, Daddy, watch this.

37:30 And she put her hand on the rubber duck and tried to drown it. But you know while she's trying to drown that duck, it was sneaking up and out from under her hand. And the duck popped up when she was trying to hold it down. I'll give it to you again. The duck popped up while she was trying to hold it down. Ibanez said, evidently there's something inside this duck that won't let it stay down when I'm trying to hold it down. Here it is. When you know God for yourself, God puts something in you. And what God puts you in you says, I ain't going to stay down. It may knock me down, but I refuse to stay down. What do you have that God puts in you? Peace that passeth all understanding. Joy. because the joy of the Lord is your strength, long-suffering or endurance, which means you hang on in there when other folk are falling apart. That's what you have on the inside.

38:26 Is there anybody watching me? I see you shouting, camera, and the camera is shouting because the camera says when you got something on the inside, you can withstand the battles on the outside. That's what faith does. faith rebuilds you on the inside so you can handle the hell on the outside that's why I love this text the text makes me shout you see what the text says the text says here it is the text says but God who comforts those who are downcast I knew I'd be preaching to you worldwide and so I did my homework etymologically unpack the word downcast it really it really means depressed and it's a picture of one who is trying to get up but they are still being held down and that's what happens God says I comfort and the word for comfort here's your shout right here it means refresh but it also means reinforce. And so what God does, God refreshes us and God reinforces us. No, I didn't come through. God refreshes us when you're going through a dark place or a desert place. You need refreshment or you'll get dehydrated. And so God refreshes us, but also God gives us reinforcements to keep on going. So you're not in this thing by yourself. And so I love this passage because the passage lets us know that God has a powerful way of showing up and standing by our side and giving us what we need to keep it keep it moving I guess I illustrated like this last year I had to speak don't miss this in Omaha for the 100 black men of America they they had a banquet they wanted me to speak for check out what happened they had me picked up by ground transportation man picks me up and as soon as we leave the airport here's what goes down and don't miss this we are in a BMW SUV so on the outside this thing looks fly it looks hot it's a BMW SUV it's fly it's fire but as soon

40:39 as we exit Omaha airport it started to uh uh uh jump and before you know it it stuttered and stopped And here I am in a BMW SUV sitting in the back, digging the scene with my preacher lane. Woo, woo. But something that looks good on the outside evidently is broken on the inside. And you know what that driver did? The driver said, don't worry. I'm going to call the owner. He calls the owner on the loudspeaker, says to the owner, the BMW just broke down. It sputtered and stopped. And the owner said, oh my God, that's embarrassing. Is Dr. Haynes in the car? I gave the answer. Yeah, I'm right here. And this is jacked up. He said, well, don't worry. My son is a mechanic. I'm going to send my son and my son is going to see what's wrong. And if that can't get fixed, my son is going to bring another vehicle to make sure you get safely to your hotel.

41:38 Can I tell y'all what happened? The father sent the son. The son shows up at the scene where we had sputtered and stopped. And then the son gets out of his car. He tells my driver, pop the hood. He goes under the hood and says, I see what's wrong. This cable ain't connected. He connects the cable. And then he says, go ahead, start it. The power turned on. He says, drive on. And y'all, can I back up and tell you what went down? Because the man who was driving had a connection with the owner. The owner then found out what was wrong, and the owner said, I'm going to send my son because my son specializes in what's inside a car. And so I'm sending my son. The son came to the scene of where we had broken down, and the son hears your shout went under the hood and reconnected what was disconnected. Boom. Your shout right there is I serve a great God who is able when you are disconnected and you break down on the road of life.

42:45 If you call up to heaven, I serve a God. The old folk used to say Jesus is on the main line. Call him up. Tell him what you want. God has sent the son. The son knows how to work on what's wrong on the inside. I got to give you something else. This is getting too good to me because the text lets us know further. Here's your shout right here that God has a way of using the crisis around you to bring out the hero that's inside of you. Don't you love the text? He says, but God, don't miss your shout, but God who comforts those who are suffering from the invisible wounds of being depressed and distressed sent Titus who showed up at just the right time. Do y'all see that? God says, I'm going to use a person as an answer to solve the problem that Paul is experiencing. Now, I'll simply give it to you like this.

43:42 When peril strikes, Christians, here's your shout right here. When peril strikes, you know what Christians recognize? That peril pulls your trigger. And whatever explodes depends on what you're loaded with. I'm going to do that thing one more time. Peril pulls your trigger. A crisis pulls your trigger. But whatever explodes, it depends on what you're loaded with. And when you're loaded with the joy of the Lord, when you're loaded with the peace that passeth all understanding, when you're loaded with faith, when you're loaded with the power of the great God, then when perilous periods strike, it brings out of you the hero that God has already placed in you. You know, I love that. I love that because during perilous times, it can immobilize you. Immobilize you.

44:35 I don't know what to do, but get on social media and hate on other people. I don't know what to do because that's what peril and stress will do. But here it is when you're a person of faith. You ain't got time to be immobilized or hating on what other people are doing. But instead, here's what you do. You use peril and stress as a stimulant, as an inspired incentive to step up and do what's needed to make a difference for such a time as this. I'm just trying to say in the words of D Smoke, praise black Jesus and play black Moses. I got to back up because y'all ain't familiar with D Smoke. D Smoke is about to do this thing. You know what D Smoke says? He says in black habits, praise black Jesus. I like that. because D Smoke at least gets the color scheme right. He knows what Jesus really looks like.

45:31 And so he says, praise black Jesus. Why do you praise black Jesus? Because black Jesus was born homeless in the hood. Black Jesus grew up in the hood called Nazareth. Black Jesus under genocide and a death sentence hid in Mother Africa. Black Jesus grew up in a desert place. Black Jesus used the gifts that God had given him to minister to those on the margins. Look at my black Jesus taking a two-piece and five biscuits and setting up a pop-up cookout in the wilderness. Look at my black Jesus being used by God to give free health care even to people with pre-existing conditions. Look at my black Jesus in the midst of the peril of living under the threat of the Roman Empire. Jesus did not stop, but he stepped up because Jesus discovered that in this life, when everything is going wrong, you don't just sit there and become paralyzed and critique others, but you step up and do something.

46:37 And that's why D Smoke says you praise black Jesus, but then you play black Moses. You know what black Moses did. Black Moses hears your shout right here. Black Moses says this. I'm going to use my power for those who are powerless. I'm going to go tell Pharaoh and speak truth to power. Let my people go. I'm going to emancipate the enslaved from their Egyptian enslavement and take them to the promised land. Because in the midst of peril, I'm going to do something. That's what I've been trying to get to. Now is the time for people of faith to step up and do something. because God is going to use this to bring out the hero that's already inside of you. Don't you see God doing that right now? Zion Williamson, thank you, because Zion plays for the New Orleans Pelicans.

47:35 But you know what he did? I'm going to use my salary to make sure that all of the workers who work at Smoothie King Arena are paid during the time the NBA is not playing. What is he doing? He's doing something. God give us the kind of faith that does something. As a matter of fact, you know I'm in the Bible because faith without works is dead. Thank you, Representative Ilhan. You did something and you went ahead and had passed legislation where 22 million children will not suffer because of this crisis when they are out of school. So I'm saying to y'all, if Ilhan can do it, if Zion can do it, Black Moses says, get up and do something. Because children still need to be fed. Do something.

48:28 Because the homeless are most vulnerable. Do something. Don't talk about what folk are doing. Get up off of your blessed assurance and do something and make a difference during this crisis. Do something. Do something. do something because the hungry need to be fed do something because those who are sick need to be healed do something make sure you get up and do something after all aren't you the light of the world after all aren't you the salt of the earth it's time for us to do something when life is at its worst that's when the people of faith are at their best i hope you won't just talk about it, but that you'll be about it and do something in the name of our great God. I got to quit. I've held you far too long, but in the final analysis, I love this text because the text lets us know, finally, there's a, but God for whatever you're going through. Now I ran through that, but you know, I wasn't going to, I wasn't going to leave it there because the text says that Paul testifies I was catching hell from all sides.

49:42 Everything was falling apart. I was fighting haters outside of me and fear inside of me. But God. But. Friendship West knows where I'm about to go. But is a conjunction. Conjunction, junction. What's that function? Function of a conjunction is to connect what's before with what's after. If you have an adversative conjunction like, But yet, however, how be it, it means whatever's on the front side is about to be overruled by what's on the backside. What's on the backside, here it is, is negative, a nightmare. It's painful. It's problematic. But here's your shout on the front side. It is, but God. And God can overrule whatever mess is out there. And that's why I simply say as people of faith, what we have that other folk don't have, we have a but God. and our but God is able to give us strength when we are suffering.

50:41 I'm glad I have a but God testimony. My but God says when you're under attack, God has your back. My but God testimony says when you find yourself in trouble, God is a bridge over troubled waters. I got a but God testimony. When you find yourself in the midst of a crisis, he'll be your peace in the midst of that crisis. My but God testimony says in the midst of danger and difficulty, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in the time of trouble when evil decides to strike and rear its ugly head. My but God testimony lets me know that if God is with us, who can be against us? Whenever you're frustrated, my but God testimony says, I have a faith that will overrule and break out in the midst of my frustration. I've got a but God testimony.

51:38 You know why? I ain't walking around with my head down to the ground. I'm going to keep my head up because I've got some mental health in this sick world. And in this sick world, my mental health says, but God, but God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory. But God, when you mean it for evil, but God will work it for good. But God has the ultimate trump card. I don't know about you, but my shout for right now is I've got a but God shout. Is there anybody watching me behind that camera that wants to say, I ain't going to let the camera shout for me. I'm going to get my shout on myself because I've got a but God testimony. I was down, but God raised me. I was sick, but God healed me. I was depressed, but God inspired me.

52:31 I almost gave up, but God picked me up. I've got a but God testimony. Here it is. I'm so glad. Jesus lifted me singing glory. Hallelujah. Jesus lifted me. Satan had me down. But Jesus lifted me singing glory. Hallelujah. Jesus lifted me. Tupac, I feel you. Keep your head up because that's mental health in a sick world. Hallelujah. and bless the name of our heart fixer and mind regulator. Let me cover you in prayer. God, it's a sick world we are living in. God, there's so much brokenness and so much fear.

53:29 I pray your blessings now of peace, restored joy, inspiration, faith, and endurance upon all of these your children. oh God in the name of Jesus I pray first of all for healing for those families who already experience the death of loved ones God comfort them I pray for those who've been stricken by the virus God heal them I pray oh God for this government to get its act together and I pray oh God for politics to be banished and that everyone will have access to testing, health care. But more than that, I pray, oh God, that all will have their bodies immunized against this virus. Give us the wisdom and the sense to take good care of ourselves. Give us the wisdom and the sense to build ourselves up from the inside out, both spiritually and physically.

54:46 We trust you. And we know that all things work together for those who love you and are called according to your purposes. And so we're going to believe you to show up in but God fashion in Jesus' name. Give these, your children, strength and the faith to keep their head up. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen and hallelujah. Please make sure that you call in to our prayer line. Our prayer warriors are waiting to pray with you. I'm praying for you. Please know, Friendship West, I miss you so much. Love you, and I'm standing in the gap for you. We're going to be staying connected this week.

55:41 And for however long this crisis lasts. And we are going to make sure that we reach out to you, minister to you, so your spiritual needs will continue to be met. Thank you for cooperating with us. This is a hard decision to make. But listen, as a shepherd, one part of my job description beyond feeding the flock, the word of God, is to protect the flock. I got to feed and protect. And protection sometimes means taking a step of faith to make sure the flock is protected and taken care of. So thank you for cooperating. No, I'm standing in the gap for you. And the good news is, you hear it playing in the background. No weapon formed against us is going to prosper.

56:38 It won't work. It won't work. Now, before I close, if you have yet to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, the good news is you can do it right now. I'm going to pray for you in just a moment. Feel free to call into our prayer line. Let our prayer warriors know the decision you've made, and they're going to seal your decision in prayer. Or your thing is, hey, I'd like to join a church like this. That choir was on fire. I want to be a part of this kind of witness if that's you call up our prayer warriors I promise you they will direct you as they pray for you and then your thing is hey I just need prayer I'm trying to get myself together if that's you come on call us up God is able if your deal is preacher my deal is in all honesty I need Jesus in my life or I'm ready to join church I'm praying God thank you for salvation Thank you for salvation that heals the broken and that sets free those who are captive.

57:45 Thank you for salvation. Pray your blessings upon those who are lost and don't have a relationship with you. Please save the lost. Bring home to your church those who don't have a church home. Right now, Holy Spirit, move with power and save and bring to your church a connection that your people can grow from in Jesus name thank you Lord amen God bless you God keep you would you join me you online okay and they can't hear you but we're gonna believe by faith you're gonna cooperate with us uh number one don't you thank God for this friends of friendship young adult choir they threw down a camera are you clapping even the camera is clapping And then not only is the camera clapping, y'all who are watching, I know you're praising God for this great music ministry. Listen, next week, same church time, same church channel.

58:46 I hope y'all show up. We're going to be back with the word from our great God. Now, the Lord bless you. The Lord keep you. The Lord cause God's face to shine on you and be gracious unto you. the Lord. Lift up the light of God's countenance upon you. Grant you God's peace. Now in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit, keep your head up with mental health in this sick world. In Jesus' name, peace.