I recently heard someone who I highly respect say something I found to be in error. He said, “Jesus did away with the sacrificial system.”

Jesus did not come to dismantle the sacrificial system. This is clear. And while I agree with all of what you’re saying about the false system in the Church, etc.. however, Jesus makes it clear that he did not come to dismantle the old system, at all, not one jot or tittle. AND the early believers all continued to sacrifice in the Temple, including at the end of Paul’s life – so while what you’re saying is true, you are also missing something. I’d love to hear your thoughts about this. 

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17–19 (ESV)

When the temple was destroyed, the sacrificial system stopped functioning. But until it was destroyed, the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem continued to offer sacrifices at the temple. Both of these statements are true. The sacrifices, like the feasts, and shabbat exist to o draw us near to God, to meet with Him. Not to exchange merit for God’s grace. This is a popular Christian mistake in believing that the Jewish system was actually a pagan system. Possibly because the Jews themselves often misrepresented it.

In Him, we are all ONE, together in and through Jesus (Ephesians 1:9-10, John 17, etc.). Yet we love a hierarchical system where we can lift up someone else to be my “worship” leader, we love a meritocracy, where we get what we deserve. But that is paganism: everyone does his own will, and gets what we deserves:  death. Rather, we must die to our will, and when we do, His will (through His death) immediately takes legal effect. We then live in Him and through Him and for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (that all things will be one with Him – Eph 1:10).