That's a great question.
Stan Telchin, a Hebrew Christian author of
Some Messianic Jews say Messianic Judaism IS NOT Christianity and
Abandoned looked into that very question: How are Jews being reached with the Gospel? What are Jews responding to?
Christian friends, Jesus Christ/Holy Spirit, and A believing relative came in at spots 1, 2, and 3, with 28%, 11%, and 10%, respectively.
Without typing the whole table from page 105 of '
Messianic Judaism IS NOT Christianity', suffice it to say that 'Jewish Roots' came in next to last on the list for reaching Jews with the Gospel, with less than 1% being influenced.
From page 103-104 of the same title:
As one who holds an international office and is deeply involved with the Messianic movement, Sedaca has made some powerful statements. He clearly suggests that Messianic congregations have not been effective in reaching Jewish people with the Gospel. They have allowed their desire to receive favor from the Jewish community to dull their obedience to God's Great Commission. Their hearts are divided.
When it comes to Jews actually deciding to accept Christ, page 106 in the same title reads thus:
In 1996, I [Stan Telchin] contacted a thousand Jewish believers and asked them to answer this question: "What was the one (or two) most important factor(s) in your coming to the Lord?"
The direct mail industry observes that when one sends out a mailing piece it is normal to receive about a one percent response. My questionnaire produced a seven percent response. Some of the responders listed more than one important factor that helped them come to the Lord. Her is what the survey revealed:
[*=1]Study of the Bible 39.6%
[*=1]Testimony of believing friends 31.1%
[*=1]Testimony of saved relatives 9.4%
[*=1]Preaching of Gospel by minister 7.5%
[*=1]Prayers of the saints 6.6%
[*=1]Other 5.7%
Though this survey was modest, it again revealed the truth that "the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe, for the Jew first and also for the Gentile" (Rom. 1:16 CEV). Most often the Gospel is revealed to a person while reading Scripture. At other times it is revealed as God's witnesses share their testimony. And did you notice that none of the responders mentioned "Jewishness" as the thing that first attracted them to the Messiah, or that it was the key factor in their accepting the Lord?
From page 111, after several testimonies from Hebrew Christians:
Provoking Them to Jealousy
Clearly these responses reinforce our observations that different people are reached in different ways. Yet underlying almost all of the responses is the powerful truth of Paul's instructions: The Jewish people are to be "provoked to jealousy"(see Romans 11:11). Certainly the Jewish people quoted above were provoked to jealousy by what they saw in the lives of their friends and relatives, what they read in Scripture and what they heard from the pulpit.
What a clear reminder this is that it is not our ability that saves anyone. The Gospel is and always will be the power of God unto salvation for all who believe - for the Jew first and also for the Gentile (see Romans 1:16).
The book is full of example after example about how it's the simplicity of the Gospel that reaches people for Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles - the Gospel is the power unto salvation, not Torah observance.
-JGIG
Alright, time for some balance. DISCLAIMER: I have not read Stan Telchin's books. I would need to read his books and, specifically, examine his research methodology, surveys and results, and conclusions to have a fuller understanding of what JGIG is presenting here. However, after only examining JGIG's quotes and the conclusions JGIG is trying to draw, some things can be said.
Firstly, concerning Stan Telchin, let's not assume his work is purely objective. Most writers start off with a claim and end up with a book that supports that claim. They are often working to meet their pre-determined goal. If someone has a beef against the Messianic Jewish movement or Messianic Jewish congregations, or certain aspects thereof, then that's exactly what their book is going to end up saying. I have not read Telchin's books, but this isn't difficult to imagine. So here are some links to responses to one of his books which JGIG cites:
Irreconcilable Differences? part 1 - Jews for Jesus
DISCLAIMER: By posting a link from JFJ, I am not committing myself to agreeing to any measure of their mission or beliefs.
QUOTE: "Although Telchin repeatedly says he's not indicting the whole movement, he paints with a broad stroke, thereby giving a wide audience a distorted picture of the movement based primarily on the experiences of a few. Most of Telchin's argument is supported by anecdotes from those who've been hurt within the Messianic congregational movement."
QUOTE: "Telchin also presupposes that the majority of those in the Messianic congregational movement who use rabbinic forms are merely attempting to win the Jewish community's approval. He ignores the fact that many are actually attempting to find legitimate Jewish forms that do not contradict biblical principles."
To be fair, here is a JFJ review from a different perspective:
Irreconcilable Differences? part 2 - Jews for Jesus
Secondly, just from what JGIG posted from his book, there are already indicators of what could be suspicious methodology, measurement errors, and false conclusions. As to the first question, "
How are Jews being reached with the Gospel? What are Jews responding to?" -- what is the operational definition of the option labeled as "Jewish Roots"? If this is someone's own personal background, then it's very obvious why this wouldn't be high on the list. Jewish and Gentile background are not inherently things that would lead someone to the Messiah. If the Hebrew Roots / Messianic Jewish movement is meant, then it's even more understandable. This movement represents probably (and I'm estimating here) a fraction of a percent of congregations in the United States. One would expect the number of people reached by these movements would be equally low. Maybe he means something else by the term? It would be interesting to know. Either way, there are good reasons to expect it to be low on the list (explained in the next paragraph).
I have similarly informally surveyed or heard testimonies from Jewish members of the Messianic Jewish congregations that I have attended. Some of them were followers of the Messiah before attending the congregation, others after (i.e., the ministerial outreach effort to them was effective). Even these people, who choose to attend a Messianic congregation and consider themselves Torah observant, cite things like God/Christ/Holy Spirit, studying the Scriptures, testimony of believing friends and/or relatives, etc., as the primary reasons for accepting the Messiah. The reasoning is simple: They give the glory and honor to God and/or recognize those who personally reached out to them. And in their cases, things like the Jewishness of the Messiah, a Messianic congregation being a comfortable space for Jewish believers, and other similar things were often part of the ministering and outreach, and/or part of the reason they accepted the Messiah or decided to attend a Messianic congregation. Ultimately, we know it is the not us but the Spirit, but our witness and ministerial presentation is the practical point being discussed.
My point: Even people for whom these were things were part of the ministering and outreach, they are not necessarily going to list them as the most important factor that convinced them to accept the Messiah. Part of the package: yes. Most important factor cited: no, and for easily understandable reasons (especially in a survey format!). For example, someone who is presented the Jewishness of the Messiah from a friend can study the Scriptures to determine if this is indeed the truth, and then will cite "Scripture study" or "friend" as the most important factor, not "Jewish roots" or "Jewishness". If you want a better understanding of what led a Jew to the Messiah or to a Messianic congregation, you'll get a much fuller picture by talking to them, and interviews are a valid statistical methodology.
Thirdly, even Telchin admits different people are reached in different ways, so now he's talking about the practical aspect of outreach. Of course the Gospel message is the power unto salvation, as JGIG mentions. What is simply talking about Torah observance devoid of the Gospel message to a Torah observant Jew going to do? Convince them to keep doing what they are doing? Or even a secular Jew, for that matter? Convince them to start going to synagogue? The Gospel message must be the core. But let's not pretend here that things like Jewishness of the Messiah, a comfortable space for Jews to worship God in a Jewish manner, etc., are not important to some Jews. This idea that they must drop everything connected to their identity and become like the non-Jew is what holds some back from accepting the Messiah, let alone accepting what is perceived as a very foreign Messiah, under whose name their people have been persecuted or killed by non-Jewish "believers" for thousands of years.
The JFJ link above states: "Telchin fails to grasp what some in the Messianic congregational movement believe is God's mandate. Telchin would be the first to say that God wants a distinct Jewish people to exist until the end of time as a perpetual witness to His faithfulness. The question is, how will that distinction be made? The Messianic congregational movement answers by saying that to be distinct, we must live as Jews, and to some that means more than just eating bagels." AND "The job of the Messianic movement is to redeem that [Rabbinical Jewish] heritage through a biblical grid."
If you want to bring the Gospel to Jewish people, show them love and be a witness to what God has done in your life as a believer. Understanding their history, culture, concerns, fears, etc., can go a long way. Helping them recognize the Jewishness of the Messiah can be effective in connecting them to their Jewish Messiah. If you're from a Messianic congregation, letting them know a comfortable place exists for them to worship in a Jewish manner in connection to their heritage can also be an open and inviting door for them to experience the power of God through His Son. Is this necessary? No, but they can be helpful. If you want sources to help in this manner, there are books on Amazon, and Dr. Michael Brown is a leading Jewish evangelist on the topic of introducing Jews to the Messiah and answering Jewish objections to the Messiah.
And to JGIG, that's good for you that you've presented testimonials to support your view. But testimonials do not equate to truth. I can bring just as many testimonials from people who have found freedom and joy in the Messianic movement. Catholics can bring similar testimonies, etc. The imbalanced picture that you and others on this board present of Messianics being arrogant, self-righteous, unloving, or whatever you've all said so far, is a huge disservice and destructive to the body of believers. Those kinds of people exist outside of the Messianic movement, as well, and for me to make a statement about that would be equally useless. The Messianic movement includes many caring, loving people who genuinely worship God and demonstrate their love for others in meaningful and impactful ways. Your personal experiences do not dictate the truth of the matter, nor do they paint an accurate picture. My experience has been radically different and I have been involved in the movement for long enough. Likewise, my personal experiences do not dictate the truth but at least providing them helps paint a fuller picture than what you alone present. Are there problems with the Messianic movement and some people in it? Of course, but that can be said for the wider body of Christianity. And Telchin's survey results do not support your case against the Torah observant lifestyle. One is talking about outreach, the other about the lifestyle of a believer after accepting the Messiah. I don't personally witness about Torah observance to unbelievers; I save those sorts of conversations on the topic of the "Christian walk" for discussion among believers. But, unbelieving Jews are approached by those in the Messianic movement, and observe what goes on in Messianic congregations, and for some this is positively impactful.