The Church That Nauseates God

In this message centering on Revelation 3:14–22, Chuck Swindoll addresses the seventh and final letter to the churches: the letter to Laodicea. Swindoll identifies the core spiritual cancer of this congregation as apathy—a “lukewarm indifference” that does not anger God, but literally makes Him sick to His stomach [7–9]. While Laodicea was a prestigious, wealthy city known for its banking, textile industry, and medical advancements, the church had adopted the culture’s self-sufficient attitude. They believed they were rich and in need of nothing, yet Jesus exposed their true spiritual condition as “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” [9–12, 20].

Swindoll explains the vivid imagery of being “spit out,” drawing on the local geography of the Lycus Valley. While neighboring Hierapolis had therapeutic hot springs and Colossae had refreshing cold springs, Laodicea had to pipe in water that arrived tepid and nauseating. Jesus uses this physical reality to illustrate that He prefers a church to be burning with zeal or cold and refreshing; spiritual neutrality is intolerable [21–23].

The message concludes with a tender invitation despite the harsh rebuke. Swindoll clarifies that Jesus does not kick the lukewarm believer out; rather, He knocks at the door, seeking re-entry into a life that has shut Him out. Swindoll challenges the listener with three distinct responses to this knock: if Christ is outside, open the door for salvation; if He is inside, give Him the throne for lordship; and if there is a secret burden, release it to Him for relief [31–35].

Message Key Facts:

• The Sin of Apathy: Swindoll argues that hate is not the opposite of love; the true opposite is apathy. Quoting George Bernard Shaw, he notes that indifference is the essence of inhumanity. To illustrate, he shares a story of a teacher who wrote “APATHY” on the board, only for a student to ask, “What’s apathy?” and another to reply, “Who cares?” [7–8].
• The “Amen” of God: Jesus introduces Himself as “The Amen.” Swindoll connects this to Isaiah 65:16, where God is called the “God of Amen” (Truth). This establishes Jesus as the ultimate authority on reality, standing in contrast to the Laodiceans’ false perception of themselves [13–14].
• “Beginning of the Creation”: Swindoll clarifies that the title “Beginning of the creation of God” does not mean Jesus was the first created being. The Greek word arche refers to the “origin” or “source.” Jesus is the planner and implementer of creation, giving Him the sovereign right to evaluate His church [16–17].
• Laodicean Wealth vs. Spiritual Poverty: Swindoll highlights the irony of Jesus’ advice:
  • Gold: The city was a banking center, but Jesus offers “gold refined by fire” (faith through testing).
  • White Garments: The city was famous for black violet wool, but Jesus offers white garments of righteousness to cover their shame [10, 27–28].
  • Eye Salve: The city produced “Phrygian powder” for eyes, yet Jesus offers spiritual salve because they are blind to their own condition.
• Thermodynamics of the Soul: Swindoll quotes Warren Wiersbe to explain that a “closed system” (like the self-sufficient Laodicean church) eventually decays. Without the outside energy of Christ, spiritual power dies, leaving only a “rotting corpse” disguised by glowing statistics [25–26].
• The Door Knob: Describing Holman Hunt’s famous painting of Jesus knocking at the door, Swindoll notes the absence of a handle on the outside. This signifies that the door to the heart must be opened from the inside.
• The Vomit Imagery: Swindoll notes that Revelation 3:16 is the only place in the New Testament where the verb “to vomit” (or spit out) is used. It underscores the intense physical reaction God has toward indifference.

Message References:

• Revelation 3:14–22: The primary text containing the letter to the church in Laodicea.
• Isaiah 65:16: Referenced to explain the title “The Amen” as the “God of Truth”.
• 1 Samuel 16:7: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”.
• Psalm 139: Referenced to show that God scrutinizes paths and knows thoughts from afar.
• Colossians 4:13: Mentions the neighboring cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis.
• John 1:1: Referenced to support Jesus’ role as the eternal Word and Creator.
• 2 Corinthians 4: Referenced regarding the “god of this world” blinding the minds of unbelievers.

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll