I am intrigued by what Jesus said in John 14:12, “Whoever believes in me…will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” What could be greater than walking on water, feeding 5,000 people, or raising Lazarus from the dead?
Yet here we are experiencing things that would have left the disciples utterly amazed. We live in the most dramatic and fruitful chapter of redemptive history. Let me mention some of the dynamics which I believe will continue to shape the future of global missions.
- Multiplication: God’s worldwide family is growing. Prepare to be amazed as momentum continues to build.
- Mobilization: God is answering our prayers that He would “send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2).
- Collaboration: The Great Commission has always had a global scope. Now it also has a truly global workforce. We have unprecedented opportunities for partnership.
- Disruption: God is shaking the nations socially, geopolitically and economically. Are we ready for the harvest God is bringing in unlikely places?
- Opposition: Opposition is not new, and it won’t stop until the Lord’s return. The testimony of persecuted saints will continue to be a powerful force in global missions.
- Celebration: Jesus promised that “people will come from east and west and north and south and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29). What a celebration that will be!