Jesus...More Than a Sacrafice

Growing up in the Church as a child it often seemed that Jesus was portrayed as just a simple sacrifice for the sin of man.  This oversimplified teaching made him seem to me like the sheep that people would sacrifice to appease God in the Old Testament.  Though without a doubt I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, I think churches often don't focus enough on the fact that Jesus lived for our sins just as much as he died for our sin.  He was not a victim of the blood thirty God, but of evil men.  In my opinion the suffering Jesus experienced was allowed by God so that all of us who are suffering emotionally or physically would have someone to identify with (a Friend to relate to). In turn his life and suffering  set forth our mission as Christians.   From the prophet Isiah,  Luke 4:18-19 says "The Spirit of the lord is upon me because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release of the captives and recovery of the sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the lord."  Jesus mission on earth focused on the least of us (Matthew 25:31-46).  Jesus did not spend his time teaching the preachers, priests, clergy, or their congregations.  Jesus spent most of his time on earth with the drunkards, prostitutes, sick, poor, and everyone else that the Church of those days wanted nothing to do with. So I say it is time for Churches to wake up and stop focusing all of their effort on the saved souls that line the pews on Sunday morning.  It is time to take those Christians out of their comfortable seats and to take up the the mission of Jesus.  Take your ministry to those who are suffering and are in need.  Why is the church a dying institution?  It is because we have lost site of the real mission shown through life, suffering, and death of Jesus Christ.