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Tyndale University presents a series of recorded chapel services from Tyndale's very own faculty and guest speakers.
Good morning. Tyndale. I have a big voice. I have to go slowly with this microphone. Okay. truly it is a great blessing. honor for me to be back to my first house, my first home in Canada. Tyndale. You know, when I received the invitation from George, and I met him as a juror, how much time do I have to speak, he said 16 Minutes. I feel this is the hardest thing you can give to an African speaker. I met Jesus, in my home country of Mali under a tree. When I was seven years old, we didn't have a clock. At a certain point from the tree, we went in a mud brick church building, and literally speaking had a calendar in the back. So to go from a calendar to a clock is not going to be easy today. But you know, for a few minutes we have if there's three things I would like to accomplish today is this. number one, to come and say thank you, Jesus Christ. For the many blessings you have brought dawn for me, in my country and thank you Jesus Christ for Tyndale. Tyndael has been used as a tool of blessing in my personal life, in my family life, in the life of Mali. And, yes, the second thing, to pray for Tyndale. Tyndale is not just a wall Tyndale is you, those who are following us online and those of you that are here. To say, you know, in 2002, when I walked in here, yes, I had something in my mind. But it was fuzzy it not all clear. From the seven years that I spent here from 2002 to 2009. It was still it was still not clear. But at the end through the studies, professors, fellow students, step by step, God tried to start to clarify for me what to do. And therefore my prayer is this, while you're still here, studying, learning that at the end, that God will make it clear to you the work for which he is calling you to be his worker. And yes, and to remind you when you leave Tyndale that you will never forget Tyndale, continue to pray for Tyndale to support Tyndale and yes, to be the honest, bright representative of God, anywhere you go for Tyndale, in the name of Jesus Christ. Yes, I have one small song short song in Bambara. Bambara is my trade language in Mali. God has blessed me the french language that I learned in school. English is my fourth language when I came here, Tyndale studying in mission. And I found that in my mission studies, I wouldn't have to do preaching. I was the happiest man on earth. But in the end, as God start to open door for me to be a guest speaker, many churches while I was still at Tyndale here, I went from a mission Master of Divinity mission to pastoral. I combine the two programs together pastoral mission, and it took me seven years studying spring fall overseas, and I studied here for seven years. And yes, brothers and sisters, my second language in Mali called Bambara the trade language, the song it says, the goodness that Jesus Christ has done for you everywhere you go, as you are his worker, that you will let the World know how good how gracious the Lord has been and is in your life. You won't have enough human warmth to describe all the goodness he has been to you and he is to you. Start there. And let the world know that in our sin, Jesus Christ came while we were running away from him in our sin, He came and died for us. And yes, the Holy Father, if He did not spare His one and only Son, but gave him back up for us in our sin, what else can he do for us, including our material need, and he has done that for me. And thus, what you're going to hear a little bit in the 15 minutes that we have, and we'll start with a Jimmy This is a Mallian jimmy This is made in Mali and yes we Bambara Mattia Cimi for Alia "sings song in Bambara"
Amen, amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Be a worker for Jesus Christ. Our world is sick, harassed, and helpless. You know, when you turn on radios, as I always do, because I grew up with radio in Mali, and later with television now with your social media, you turn on the world news. its a mess everywhere. And then you wonder, Where is God in all this? Where is he? talking about one of my sons who is in soccer. Because of his soccer I met many, many people in this country in this city. And I happen to run into one gentleman originally from Spain. As we're talking about our lives, he said, to whom you are a pastor say yes, I am. Why do you go to church? I say yes, well, I go to church because I need Jesus. And I said, what about you? He said, oh no I don't go in on that garbage stuff. You see all the mess in this world? Where is God? If there is any god, why does He allow evil to keep going and destroying people's live? For the sake of time, I couldn't I can't go into all of it in the conversation we have. But I know us in one way or another like this Brothers this friend of soccer player. Each and all of us might be disappointed in God in one way or another, including Christians. Because I met people who graduated from Tyndale and went their own way to get PhD. After having their PhDs. I met one of them at a men's camp in a church here in Canada in Toronto. And a gentleman came to me I studied at Tyndale I have my PhD, but Nouhoum I don't want to go to church anymore because I'm disappointed in Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters you're disappointed because somewhere somehow, you feel that Jesus God is not doing anything. Brother and sister. Yes, you're right. The world is a messy place. As you see Jesus went through all the town villages. And what did he see every disease and sickness that he saw there? What did he see? We see the crowd and what did we see in the crowd? They were harassed and helpless. And sheep were like sheep without a shepherd. I was a shepherd in Africa for 5 years. When sheep are there by themselves predators come and just grab them and run away with them. Lions, snakes, its ugly to be in the light when you are like a sheep without a shepherd. And then to feel on top all that God has abandoned you But brother and sister good news is you know what? Jesus cares about this world, about the sick about the helpless about this world. As you can see in all the darkness of the crowd of the town of this cities. And yes, all the sicknesses exists you see in red. Jesus has not abandoned this whole room, he went instead of sitting down. Don't forget, in the book of Matthew, Jesus is portrayed as king, the king of Israel. And in the end after his resurrection, He is the king of the world. Kings will be sitting on the throne and let their servants do everything. Brother and Sisters, this king was not a sitting king, he went in town and villages to do teaching. to do what? proclaiming the good news. Yes, you might be disappointed in him. You might be suffering. But the good news is, he has not abandoned you. He has not abandoned the world and doing work healing diseases and healing sicknesses. And then guess what he had compassion. If there's one word that you and I as a worker for Jesus prayed that you need to take is to be full of compassion. There's a difference between compassion and pity. I'm drowning, I'm drowning. I don't know how to swim my children know how to swim they always tease me. Papa, do you know how to swim I say you know, I saw a river for the first time when I was 15 years old. I don't know how to swim, but I will take you to learn how to swim here at YMCA here. I said If you see me drowning, don't just give me a lesson on how to Survive just jump in and save me. When you jump and save me, that's compassion. You share my suffering. You jump in at the risk of your own life. To show me how well you care about me, but not trying to give me a lesson. When you should have learned how to swim when you were in Mali, you should have done no no no no. That time is not a lesson there is just jump in action at the risk of his own life. That what Jesus has on the crowd. And as he's doing this brothers and sisters You know, he wants you now his disciples to join him as one of his workers, for our world that is drowning. to you to be one of his workers. Tyndale, this is why you're here. This is why you are looking at this place this is a place where I can be one of the faithful workers for Jesus Christ. And yes, brothers and sisters in my life in Mali from here, there was one businessman from America who saw me in Senegal while I was doing mission work there. And they asked me Nouhoum what would like to do after Senegal I said I would like to go to study in this country called Canada at Tyndale. Prior to that, it was a former graduate from Tyndale who went on a shorter mission in Senegal and told me about Tyndale. She could only tell me about Tyndale. But now when I did the application to come to study, I didn't have the money. It will be on my limit. It was beyond the limit of my parents. I applied by faith. Six months later I run into this American gentleman. And as I told him, I'm planning to come to study at Tyndale and go back and do work in Africa. He said Nouhoum I'll pay for you never ask how much. As I give him a big amount of money in a freaking Husa Oh, it's too much. Let me talk to my wife because he didn't talk to his wife. He knows this. Sorry about that. I'm sorry, my mother. I don't want to do that to you. But you understand this man. You have problems he had problems with his wife at home. He said, Don't worry, I'll pay for you. Long story short. This man dropped me here. Tyndale, in the name of Jesus. A tall white Caucasian man with blue eyes. When we were at old Tyndale when he came in my bedroom. He put I'm sorry, he put his jacket like this on my chair in my bedroom at Tyndale on the third floor and start putting my sheet on my bed, in the name of Jesus Christ and I started to cry. I was weeping, in Tyndale here talking about history, Black History Month, I know winding down the clock back in the 16th century 15th, century 14th century in Africa, I will be the one making his bed here in Toronto in Canada. But in Jesus, for Jesus and because of the compassion one of his workers, he made my bed here in this country and I start to cry. And as I have wept, came out, continued to study. In the end, brothers and sisters, I met many people in this city in this school, it was the old building including George, who asked me to speak at The Chapel many times, including my professors one of the professors used to teach me preaching, he took me to his church in preparing, I preach in his church three or four times, we would drive back and go to his classroom. And some of my fellow students, Chinese, many Chinese, would invite me to the Chinese churches, long story short, in the end, I'm a pastor in a Chinese church today. And presidencies are coming from a tree, the compassion of Jesus and his disciples is true. And he wants you to be one of them. And as you become a worker, how are we going to be the workers that will go to Timothy, I just want to run through this booklet to end with the short testimony. After compassion, I want to go I want you to go home with the grace of Christ. First and Second Timothy chapter two, verse one, you than my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ, Jesus Christ, you see, to be a worker. In a messy world, you are going to be serving the Judas of your life.
People that have trusted with all your heart with the purse of your life. they will betray you, like Judas betrayed Jesus Christ, and you call to serve them as a worker. Without grace you can't do it. you being called to the work of Jesus Christ, you will be serving the pillars of your life, those words, "will be with you, I'll be with you." And when hard things came, they runaway, I don't know you, you will be serving people who have abandoned you.
Without grace, you can't do it. And you will be serving people in this world. The 10 other disciple when you're being crucified, they all disappear. And to go back and serve them. It's not going to be easy. That's why it's about God's grace. I know there's a lot of racism going on in this world. But understand, that our world's problem is not race our problem is sin. Sin is the problem. And you know, what is the solution? Grace, not race. Grace is the solution. In Grace, what you deserve was death. Christ came and gave you forgiveness. In your sin, you deserve punishment. But Christ came and gives you mercy. In the same way in the world where you're going to be serving people and God in this country and the rest of the world. Because of the evil. You need to come with God's grace, where in God's grace, you see people not through their skin color, but you see them through the image of God that he put in each and all of us. Without that image of God, this gentleman would have never never put on his jacket now. He would have never spent one penny on me in whom did you work for me that I had to pay for your education in Canada? No. But God's grace. He's not a preacher. He's not a teacher. He's a business man who has made Jesus His law, and he knew for his business and his success. I may not be standing at Tyndale in Canada, but I can send one young man, young man to be there. I don't know what God is calling you for to be preached pastor to be a missionary, but in the marketplace that most of you will end up let Jesus Christ still be the Lord of your life in that marketplace, and like this gentleman, even farther from your wife, you can just support the want of God and smooth up with your wife there. And yes, brother and sister for the sake of time, as you go in God grace. Guess what? be a learner. As you're here Tyndale continue to learn about Jesus Christ and His compassion. And yes, an African proverb says this teacher must be humbled to learn a proverb from Mozambique say if you do not sit down to learn, do not stand up to teach and they read one part the greater of a position of leadership we Hold or want to hold the more we need to be learning by reading books, meeting with mentors, inserting God's will do this while you're here that's what happened to me. and yes, brothers and sisters be a personal character You see, Paul talking to Timothy reliable people are you reliable? God is not saying be perfect we're not looking for perfect people here there's nobody perfect in all your imperfections can you be a reliable person? Yes, be a personal competent with the talent, natural talent and spiritual gifts God has given you. I brought my Jimmy from Africa never learned a music lesson once in my life. My children are going to music school, I see them, my daughter, youngest daughter, I see a note I'm lost. I have my eye my voice. That's enough for me. That might not retell it. And then this school, God used Tyndale to teach me how to preach. And that's what I'm using my spiritual gifts how to teach that what I'm using through tyndale, I told you, I didn't want to do preaching at all because I was afraid to be in front of people. But am I afraid now? I'm not. Thank you Tyndale. And yes, my brother and sister be in personal compassion. Thinking always about others and not about you, others. And yes, it's all about suffering. You see, it's like you and I, we work as a butcher you know, slaughtering animals. As a butcher, you cannot work there and run away from blood. To be in a world of a mess of suffering and trying to be avoiding suffering won't work. You will be suffering. And yes, suffer brothers and sisters. Like a soldier. Give up all the security in your group, be disciplined and be courageous to face and overcome challenges. As an athlete. You all have a line to run don't run to the other person's line, and a farmer and yes, brothers and sisters your work will never be in vain. The law that will call you is the Almighty God who will have everything in store for you. And yes, brothers and sisters, my family. This is my beautiful family. I came with one suitcase and one Jamie today. This is a family that God has given me. My wife, Karen, Dr. Karen Estelle, I met her here when I was at Tyndale as the international student for health, they give her in the Student Book missional health that's how I went. I didn't have a doctor. I followed Tyndale instruction and went in there and met my doctor several times. He's always on a mission. I decided to have a new doctor. All due respect, I said I need a new doctor. One day I'm sitting in my senior class Tyndale classroom. One of my fellow students, a female, some Korean girl, she's Korean Canadian, family doctor, her husband was a surgeon, Chinese surgeon. We're studying together. I know them. I came to say I'm looking for a new doctor. Can you find me a new doctor they said because we're studying in the same classroom. My wife cannot be your doctor. She promised to find me a doctor. The following week. The second week she came in to class, we're in the class I said, Did you find a doctor for me? She said yes. Here's a piece of paper. He have a number of a doctor. When I call it's the same doctor's office I was running away from true story? I say oh no, I should have told her where I was going. But you know what? I don't respect. I went in there. Not happy. And I'm sitting there and then I'm sitting there as this lady doctor walks in with a chart in her hand. Have I ever met you before? I say, I don't know. But you know, one time I came here. A female doctor came in and gave me prescription and I left. I don't remember. She said I see my handwriting in your chart. I see. Well, that would have been you then. And then she said, I see your last name. Coulibaly. Where are you from? I say, oh, Doctor, you won't know where I'm from. But you know what? I'm from Mali. She said, You know, the first African country I went to is your country Mali. I'm shocked. And then she said I see your last name Coulibaly. I say yes. I met the pastor in your country. I say what was the first name of that pastor? She said pastor Timothy Coulibaly. I said, Doctor, I'm the first son of pastor Timothy Coulibaly. True story. She met my father in 1995. While she finished McMaster University, applying for medicine University of Toronto to be a doctor, for the sake of being a doctor missionary in Africa, you know this very well, in this country. Doctors by God they make a lot of money. The idea that you pay a lot of money for your medical school, and then for the sick you go to be taken $2,000 a month of a mission in Africa. I see that's how she went, met my father in 1995. And now 2004 Nine years later, we're meeting here and she said I'm filling in for a doctor today's my last day I'll be going to Africa to do mission work and after that I'll come back two years later, I say may I know the doctor you're filling in for Guess what? The same doctor I was running away from Long story short, after she came back two years the following day, I proposed results six children later. And then you know what? And then the son the boys closer to me is our Timothy to remember our this isare Timothy? And yes after that, guess what? I became a pastor in the Chinese church against things to my fellow student here at Tyndale while you're here. Don't be, be colorblind, look at people as created in God's image. That's how you're goin to enriched your life. It's the Chinese community that have blessed me here to be a pastor today. And I'm talking to all my fellow Black people don't buy into a bias that everybody is against us. They're not.
If they were against me, nobody would put a jacket like this and send me to a Chinese Church. You show them dignity and grace that will show back to you because of Jesus Christ. Let's do that. And yes, brothers and sisters, as I began the speaking this was when I was just going to Quebec in Montreal. As you know, French is my official language to teach perspective class. The Preaching Class I took here at Tyndale. Little did they know that I will be the first teacher of that in Quebec in French. The three would say go and yes, brothers and sisters. In the end it will fruit Tyndale that God helped me to serve organization to build a Christian school in my home country today 1157 Students are there. And lastly, my home village where the first Canadian couple came as a missionary in 1933. And my great grandfather give them a plot of land 1933 My great grandfather gave a plot of land to Mr. And Mrs. Bell from Canada. And 2021 I came back from Canada to build the third cemment block Church building, and to have more than 1000 people celebrating November 21. I will stop here I have overdone your clock. But you understand brothers and sisters. Whatever the length of life God has given you use it in your imperfection. To have Christ compassion in your view, to serve your peers, to sell your Judas to serve the unknown the stranger to put your things all because Christ had done all this for you on the cross. When everything is said and done, you might not receive Your Money Your salary from Judas and Peter's, but the Lors has called you. He is faithful enough, powerful enough, eternal enough to take care of all your needs. Go and be a servant, a worker in your family first in your local church at Tyndale, where you are here now and later on if God is sent you to Timbuktu in Mali, you go and serve him there all in Jesus name. Amen.