A Self-Inflicted Crisis

If you walked into most American churches today, you might see a warm smile from a greeter, a few gray-haired security volunteers standing in the back, and a nice woman pouring coffee or working hospitality. What you won’t see? An army of seasoned, Spirit-filled, battle-tested elders leading the Church. Why? Because they’ve been benched.

The Grandparents, Retirees, and Wealthy of the Church—the wise ones, the stable ones, the seasoned ones—have been pushed aside. In a desperate attempt to stay “relevant,” today’s Church has traded wisdom for charisma, endurance for entertainment, and maturity for marketing.

It’s time for a reckoning. A restoration. A rebuilding. And that begins with testing and examining ourselves.

"Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?" 2 Corinthians 13:5

Imagine Elon Musk’s DOGE Team—Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency—walking into your church. A real-life Wreck-It Ralph crew smashing through bloated church budgets, cowering assistants, and empty sermons. What would they find?

They’d ask: Where are your elders? Where are the seasoned saints? Why is your most qualified generation sitting silently in the pews while the CEO-pastor brand-manages his platform?

They’d run an audit on your spiritual fruit. Your faith. Your love. Your prayer life. They’d ask the questions Jesus asked: Do you love Me? Are you feeding My sheep?

This isn’t satire. It’s prophetic. The veil is coming down. The spiritual audit has begun.

“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of indecent behavior or rebellion. For the overseer must be beyond reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not overindulging in wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable, loving what is good, self-controlled, righteous, holy, disciplined, holding firmly the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it.” Titus 1:5–9

The Biblical Blueprint - An Elder-Led, Family-Integrated Church

The early Church, as detailed in the New Testament (Acts, 1 and 2nd Corinthians, Ephesians, 1 and 2nd Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, and 1 and 2nd Peter) was led by elders—not entertainers. These elders weren’t young, flashy, or self-promoting. They were mature, tested, and Spirit-filled. They willingly laid down their lives and lost them.

They were today’s modern-day grandparents and retirees—those who had suffered, endured, and learned to lean fully on the Lord. Their homes were the churches. Their counsel was the sermon. Their lives were the evidence of God’s faithfulness.

But today, the American Church has embraced a Nicolaitan model—hierarchical, centralized, professional—and in doing so, we’ve kicked our elders to the curb. According to the Revelation 2 model, Jesus hates this.

"Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans." Revelation 2:6, 15

Grandparents and wealthy retirees were never meant to be ornamental. They are the backbone of the Church. Their wisdom is forged in trial. Their love is patient. Their discernment is priceless. And yet, they are treated like outdated relics in a digital age of distraction.

The Crime of Spiritual Negligence

You want to know how bad it is? Let’s grade the modern Church compared to the early Church:

Grandparents & Retirees

Early Church Grade: A
Modern Church Grade: D

Retirees have been relegated to folding chairs and donut duty. Told to “stay out of the way” or offered meaningless titles while true authority is hoarded by insecure, untested leaders. In truth, there is more Biblical knowledge and spiritual maturity in one-tenth of the elderly saints than in most of the hired hands combined.

Our Elders in pews are capable of mentoring young families, discipling new believers, and teaching deep theological truths—yet they’re being treated like liabilities instead of assets. Churches don’t consult them, don’t learn from them, and don’t give them meaningful platforms. It’s ageism, hidden beneath spiritual cosmetics.

This is spiritual malpractice. It’s robbing the Body of its God-appointed shepherds. It’s throwing out the treasure chest because the lock looks rusty.

We have spiritual elders who are still strong, still sharp, still full of the Spirit, who could be launching ministries, planting churches, writing curricula, and leading corporate prayer—but instead, they’re organizing potlucks.

And the wealthy? The “rich young rulers” have built empires but haven’t laid down their crowns. They hoard when they could be investing in eternity. They sponsor buildings but not brokenness. They fund stages but not sons. They’ve learned to give out of abundance but not sacrifice. Their resources could launch Kingdom revolutions, but instead, they pad endowments, bankroll institutions, and secure tax write-offs.

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Why? Because surrender is costly, and legacy is hard to let go. But Jesus still calls: “Sell all you possess and follow Me.”

This is not just neglect—it’s a betrayal of calling. And it is time to repent.

The DOGE Audit: A Holy Disruption

Picture this: the DOGE Team pulls up to your church in a blacked-out Tesla Cybertruck. Elon Musk hops out with a flamethrower in one hand and a clipboard in the other. He’s flanked by a crew of digital prophets, decentralized accountants, artificial intelligence truth-tellers, and one former Navy SEAL grandma who hasn’t missed a morning prayer meeting in 45 years.

They aren’t here to be polite. They’re here to expose inefficiency, waste, and religious charades.

“Let’s start with the elders,” Elon says. “Where are they?”

The audit begins.

They open the books—not just financials but spiritual fruit. They measure:

LOVE: 1 Corinthians 13-style. Are the saints patient, kind, unprovoked, not arrogant, not envious, and filled with Truth?

TRUTH: Not doctrinal statements, but actual behavior. Do your actions match your theology? Is Jesus being lifted high, or is the pastor’s brand front and center?

PRESENCE: Is the church led by those who live in the Secret Place, or by platform addicts obsessed with growth metrics and likes?

BROKENNESS: Where are the tears? The intercessors? The foot washers? The people whose lives radiate surrender?

And when it comes to the Grandparents, Retirees, and the Wealthy—DOGE is not amused.

“Wait… you’ve got a hundred Spirit-filled elders sitting in pews doing nothing, while the youth pastor is on TikTok trying to explain Leviticus?”

“Excuse me… this woman led a Fortune 500 company for 30 years and she’s stuck in the church kitchen peeling potatoes while your executive pastor has a degree in marketing and zero fruit?”

“Sir… you have $8 million in your investment portfolio, and Jesus still doesn’t have access to your RADICAL GENEROSITY?” What is wrong with this picture? The hireling is in the way.

The audit results are in. The modern church fails.

And DOGE doesn’t mince words: “You have the talent. You have the time. You have the treasure. But you lack the Truth. Repent. Or we wreck it.”

This is not just funny—it’s prophetic satire. The DOGE Team is a mirror. It’s what happens when Kingdom people start asking Kingdom questions:

What would happen if we measured discipleship, not attendance?
What if budgets were aligned with the Book of Acts?
What if wisdom replaced celebrity?
What if elders took their rightful place?

DOGE is not the enemy. It’s the wake-up call. It’s the voice crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord.”

And in that cry is the truth we all must hear: Your legacy is not your 401k, it’s the disciples you leave behind.

Replace the Sauls. Call Forth the Davids.

Grandparents, Retirees, and the Wealthy—now is your time. Not someday. Not next season. Now. The world may tell you to retire. But Jesus is telling you to reign.

You were not saved so you could coast into heaven on a cruise ship. You were redeemed to rule and reign with Christ. The Church doesn’t need another flashy influencer or brand-savvy preacher. It needs seasoned saints who carry the aroma of Christ and the battle scars of faith.

Don’t go on autopilot. Don’t spend the rest of your life trying to stay comfortable while the Kingdom cries out for laborers.

Get off your butt and get on your knees.

This isn’t about shame. You’re too seasoned for that. This is about calling, and the Holy Spirit won’t let you sit idle any longer. You are not irrelevant. You are irreplaceable. You are not a benchwarmer. You are a Kingdom general. Your generation carries the stories, the tears, the testimonies, and the tenderness of God.

You’ve got time. You’ve got treasure. You’ve got wisdom. You’ve got fire. And you’ve forgotten more truth than most modern pastors have ever preached.

You can pray with power. You can disciple with depth. You can lead with love. You can walk into a house and change the spiritual climate in five minutes.

So what should you do?

Start a Grace Home. Open your doors and lead a house church where Jesus is King and people are known.
Adopt a young family. Walk with them. Encourage them. Be the elder they never had.
Step into leadership. If your church is off course, don’t wait for a revival—be the revival. Speak up. Step in. Show the way.
Take over a dead church. Revive it. Restore it. Rebuild it with truth, love, and Scripture.
Fund the Gospel. You’ve accumulated wealth. Now deploy it. Don’t fund comfort. Fund confrontation. Fund Kingdom disruption.

Let the wolves and hirelings tremble, because the true elders of God are rising. The Davids are stepping out of obscurity. They’re emerging from retirement homes, backyard gardens, front porches, and prayer closets.

Let the Sauls cling to their spears and positions. Let them pace their platforms and rehearse their TED Talks. God is done with charisma without character. He is raising up those after His own heart—those who know how to worship, weep, war, and wait.

If you’re a grandparent, retiree, or wealthy saint, this is not the season to be invisible. This is the season to be invincible. You are God’s secret weapon. You are Heaven’s remedy for a fatherless generation and a powerless Church.

Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” You were never supposed to leave the field. You are the laborers we’ve been praying for.

Rise. Speak. Build. Restore. Reign.

We don’t need another church program. We need a generation of elders to burn with holy fire, to pray until the heavens shake, and to teach with tears in their eyes and power in their voice.

You are not done. You are only beginning.

This is your moment.

King Jesus is calling. Answer.

Test Your Self. Examine Your Self. Step Into the Fire.

The roadmap to revival doesn’t start with a stage. It starts in the mirror.

Before you build a Grace Home or call out the wolves, you must first ask the Holy Spirit to search you. To shine the blinding light of God’s holiness on every inch of your soul. This is not optional. It’s not suggested. It’s commanded.

“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

This is not a one-time test. It’s a daily surrender—a love-driven examination led by the Holy Spirit in the Secret Place.

Here’s how you start:

Step 1: Ask for Light

Begin by inviting the Light of Christ into every room of your heart. Not the Sunday morning version. The real, raw, holy spotlight that exposes motives, wounds, fears, pride, and secret rebellion.

“Search me, God, and know my heart; put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there is any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:23–24

Step 2: Confess with Courage

Don’t wait for a sermon to convict you. Don’t brush it off with a Bible study. When the Holy Spirit highlights sin, pride, or idolatry, stop. Acknowledge it. Say what it is. Don’t rename it. Don’t hide it. Don’t sanitize it.

The spiritually mature are not those who sin less, but those who confess quicker.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Step 3: Return to Your First Love

The greatest sin of the American Church is not her programs or her celebrity pastors—it is that she has forgotten her first love.

Go back. Sit with Jesus. Talk with Him. Listen. Rediscover the joy of being loved, and the terror of becoming lukewarm.

“Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first.” Revelation 2:5

Step 4: Embrace the Refining Fire

Don’t run from the test—run into it. Spiritual examination is a forge. It purifies. It hurts. But it heals. Don’t fear the fire. God is in the fire.

“For You have put us to the test, God; You have refined us as silver is refined.” Psalm 66:10

Step 5: Get Real About Fruit

What fruit is your life producing?

Is there love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?
Is there repentance? Is there power? Is there real spiritual authority?
Are people being discipled around you? Or just entertained?

“You will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:16

Step 6: Recommit to the Secret Place

Every revival begins with one bowed head. Every reformation begins with one person who refuses to leave the Secret Place until they’ve heard the whisper of the Lord.

The DOGE Team may be funny, but their clipboard is real. This is Heaven’s audit, and Jesus is looking for those who are willing to be wrecked, refined, and restored.

This is the roadmap. It’s not flashy, but it’s fire-tested. It’s not complicated, but it costs everything. If you follow it—if you test yourself, examine yourself, and embrace the refining—you will rise from the ashes with glory on your face and Kingdom in your hands.

You will become the answer to your own prayer.

So let the testing begin.

He is faithful. He will complete the work. Just don’t fake it. Don’t run. Don’t delay. Get on your knees. Stay there. Let the fire do its work.

“‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, and yet you are dead. Be constantly alert, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. So remember what you have received and heard, and keep it, and repent. Then if you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.’” Revelation 3:1–3

The Greatest Revival May Begin with the Oldest Saints

Grandparents, Retirees, and Wealthy Saints:

You are not an afterthought. You are the Kingdom’s secret weapon. You are the Remnant.

You have weathered wars, buried friends, fought disease, endured heartbreak, rebuilt homes, and walked with Jesus through valleys darker than most can imagine. And you’re still standing. Still praising. Still carrying His light.

That makes you dangerous—in a holy way. You are not fragile. You are forged.

Your back might ache, but your spiritual spine is titanium. You’ve walked with God longer than most pastors have been alive. You know His voice. You’ve heard His whisper in the hospital room. You’ve seen His power in the storm. You’ve experienced His faithfulness when everyone else left. You know how to pray when all hell breaks loose.

And now, the Church needs you.

The children are watching. The young families are faltering. The wolves are prowling. And the pulpits are shaking.

This is not a retirement plan. This is a resurrection. This is your comeback story—the one Heaven’s been waiting for.

If you are breathing, you are appointed. If you are alive, you are anointed. Your days are not winding down—they are catching fire.

“After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’” Acts 13:22

You were made for this hour.

Let’s tear down the Nicolaitan system. Let’s drive the hirelings off the stage. Let’s put the shepherds back with the sheep. Let’s fill the homes with holy laughter and the altars with weeping grandfathers and fire-filled grandmothers.

Let’s plant House Churches led by Spirit-filled couples in their seventies who have nothing to prove and everything to give. Let’s raise up intercession centers in retirement communities. Let’s mobilize wealth for eternal rewards, not temporary applause. Let’s see the Davids take down Goliath one last time.

We don’t need more Sauls—tall, impressive, insecure, and disobedient. We need Davids. Humble. Hidden. Honed in the fields of faithfulness. We need the overlooked. The underestimated. The ones with a sling in their pocket and worship in their lungs.

And where are the Davids?

They are sitting in our pews. They are sipping coffee in quiet corners. They are flipping through photo albums and wondering if their best days are behind them. They are YOU.

So here it is:

Arise. Get up. Shake off regret. Cast off disappointment. The King has called your name.
Lead. Step forward. Don’t wait for a microphone. Take responsibility. Start in your living room.
Build. Lay a foundation that cannot be shaken. Teach the next generation how to suffer well and rejoice better.
Finish. Run hard. Don’t slow down. Let the trumpet find you on the front lines.

This may be the most powerful generation the Church has ever ignored. But Heaven hasn’t. The Spirit hasn’t. And Jesus surely hasn’t.

The King is returning. Let Him find you faithful, fruitful, and fierce.

This is your moment. This is your mission. This is your mantle.

Amen and Amen.