4. They abstract judgment from the glory of God.
The prophet Isaiah doesn’t see that he’s “undone” first by the horror of judgment. He sees it in light of the glory of God’s presence (Isa. 6:1-6). The Apostle John tells us the glory Isaiah saw was Jesus of Nazareth. When we preach Jesus, the glory of God breaks through (2 Cor. 4:6). Some people recoil at that light; some people run to it (John 3:19-21).
5. It’s hard to cry at Judgment Houses.
But Jesus does when thinking about judgment (Matt 23:37). And so does the Apostle Paul, pleading with sinners to be saved (2 Cor 5:20). These evangelistic tools though are meant to take on the feel of a “haunted house,” a place of thrill seeking and festivity. It’s hard to convey the gravity of the moment in such a way.
6. The Holy Spirit doesn’t usually like to work that way.
Pop quiz: How many people do you know who came to know Christ through the witness of a friend? How many do you know who came to know Christ through faithful parents? How many are in Christ due to the week-to-week preaching of Christ in a local church? Probably a lot, right?
Okay, now answer this: How many people do you know who came to know Christ through a Halloween Judgment Houses or Hell Houses? If you know one, you’re outpacing me and everyone I’ve ever talked to about this. The Holy Spirit tends to work through the preaching of Christ (Rom 10:17). That’s how he points the world to sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8).
7. They’re easier to pull off than talking to people.
Can people be saved through Judgment Houses? Sure. I have a colleague who was saved at a Stryper heavy metal concert in the 1980s. Are the intentions behind them good? Absolutely. If you do Judgment Houses and they enable you to share Christ, have at it with blessings on you.
But the fact remains that most lost people in your neighborhood are going to be saved the same way people have always been saved, by Christian people loving them enough to build relationships, invite them to church, share the gospel, and witness to Christ. The problem is that for many Christians, that’s scarier than a haunted house.
