Ascension Evangelical Lutheran Church

Ascension Evangelical Lutheran Church Divine Service every Sunday at 9:00 am.

In the Gospel this Sunday (Matthew 18:1-20), Jesus teaches us what great lengths we are to go to rescue our brothers and...
09/05/2026

In the Gospel this Sunday (Matthew 18:1-20), Jesus teaches us what great lengths we are to go to rescue our brothers and sisters from falling away from the faith. As Christians, we will always struggle against temptation and fall into sin while we remain in our sinful flesh and live in this sinful world. But as long as we continue to hear God's Word and receive the Sacrament frequently, the Holy Spirit will continue to work repentance in us and preserve us with Christ's forgiveness unto life everlasting.

Sadly, however, many believers, when they fall into sin, instead wander away from Christ and His Church and eventually become lost (i.e., become an unbeliever). As our Lord Himself taught us in the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13), there are many things that can choke out the Word of God and cause Christians to depart from the faith. Whether it is because of their own stubbornness or because of the allure of the riches and pleasures of this world, or whether it is because Satan has seduced them into false belief, despair, or some other great shame or vice, for various reasons believers often go astray from the Church and never return.

As members of the Church, the Body of Christ, it should pain us whenever this happens. For we are members of one another (Eph. 4:25). Whenever a member of the Church, especially a member of this congregation, falls into sin and departs from the faith, God wants us to grieve as if we had just lost an arm or a leg. Although I have never experienced such bodily dismemberment, I can only imagine it is extremely painful. When one member of the body suffers, the entire body suffers. And not only is it painful for us, but it is painful most of all for Christ, who is the Head of the Body, the Church (Col. 1:18). The LORD grieves every single time a Christian falls away or a sinner refuses to repent and dies in his unbelief. As we will hear in our first reading Sunday, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live'” (Ezek. 33:11).

But God does more than grieve whenever one of His children goes astray. He takes action. Christ our Savior does everything He can to go after His straying sheep, like the man who left the ninety-nine to go to the mountains to seek after that one sheep who was wandering away (Matt. 18:12). And so Christ wants us to do more than simply grieve over those who are wandering away from the Church. He calls us to take action, just like Him. As members of the Body of Christ, it is our responsibility to do something whenever one of us is in danger of apostasy. We are obligated not only by Christ's command, but also by our love for one another. And to aid us in this work, Christ gives us the most powerful means by which we can evangelically chase down our brothers and sisters who are in danger of falling away: the Office of the Keys.

This Sunday, we will learn from our Lord not only what the Office of the Keys is, but also how He wants us to use these heavenly keys to loose (and bind) His forgiveness to those in need, for "it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish” (Matt. 18:14).

Image: Full of Eyes (https://www.fullofeyes.com/luke-1524/)

09/04/2026

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost - St. Matthew 16:21-28 (Rev. Alair)

In the Gospel this Sunday, we will hear the great Confession of St. Peter: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living Go...
08/22/2026

In the Gospel this Sunday, we will hear the great Confession of St. Peter: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16). If you remember, we observed this Feast Day earlier this year on January 18 together at church. While we celebrate the Confession of St. Peter because his confession of Christ serves as the foundation of our faith and is the Rock upon which Christ builds His church, you should be aware that the Roman Catholic Church teaches otherwise. Rome claims that when St. Peter made this great confession, Jesus chose him to be the head of the Apostles and the foundation (Rock) upon which Christ promised to build His Church (Mt. 16:18). For this reason, Rome teaches that every Christian must therefore submit to the Pope and his authority since he rules as the visible head of the Church as successor of St. Peter's apostolic office.

While Rome did not always hold to this view, it became official Church dogma on November 18, 1302, when Pope Boniface VIII issued his papal bull Unam Sanctam. This document not only cites Matthew 16 as proof that St. Peter and his successors have been given both spiritual and temporal authority on earth by Christ, but also that it is "absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff." In other words, if you do not submit to the Pope, then you cannot be saved.

Thankfully, the LORD raised up godly men like Martin Luther and the other reformers to stand up for the truth of God's Word and show how completely baseless Rome's claims were (and still are today). When Jesus promised to build His church upon the "Rock" in Matthew 16, He was not referring to St. Peter himself but his confession of faith. That is why our Lord does not say He will build His church upon Peter, but upon "this Rock," a different word in the original Greek text (though related).
While it is true that St. Peter holds a prominent place among the Apostles, the Gospels depict him always as the first among equals. When St. Peter doubts Jesus, He represents the doubt of all the Apostles (Mt. 14:31; 16:23). When he confesses Jesus to be the Christ, he speaks on behalf of all the Twelve. Likewise, when Jesus addresses St. Peter in Matthew 16, He is addressing him as representative of all the Apostles. The authority to forgive sins on earth Christ gave to St. Peter He gave to all of them, as is made clear in Matthew 18:18. What can be said of St. Peter, therefore, must be said of all the Apostles, upon whom St. Paul says the church is built, "with Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone" (Eph. 2:20). God be praised for the salvation that we have by faith in the gospel, a gospel that depends on no man except Christ alone, whom St. Peter and the Apostles confessed and still proclaim to us through the Word of God.

The focus of our meditation this Sunday will be on the three promises which Christ makes to St. Peter (and the other Apostles with him) after hearing his confession. Christ promises that (1) He will build His Church upon the Rock of St. Peter's confession, (2) the gates of Hades shall not prevail against His Church, and (3) He will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven to St. Peter and the Apostles (Mt. 16:18, 19).

Image: Full of Eyes (https://www.fullofeyes.com/5297-2/)

08/20/2026

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost - St. Matthew 15:21-39 (Rev. Alair)

On the morning of February 18, 1546, a note was found in the pocket of the lifeless body of Reformer Martin Luther, whom...
08/15/2026

On the morning of February 18, 1546, a note was found in the pocket of the lifeless body of Reformer Martin Luther, whom God had just called home to Himself into heaven. Evidently, this note was written by Luther before he passed away and contained the final words he would ever write. The note said this: “We are beggars. This is true."

Although the LORD had used him to accomplish many great things for the sake of the gospel during his earthly life, and although he possessed a remarkable understanding of the Scriptures and displayed extraordinary courage in his defense of the truth, at the end of his life, Martin Luther saw himself, along with everyone else, as nothing more than a "beggar." As he stared death in the face and was about to meet the Judge of all the earth, Luther understood that he deserved God's wrath and damnation, and there was nothing he could do to make atonement for his sins. The only thing that mattered on his deathbed was not anything he had done for God, but only what God had done for him. Luther's faith was not directed inward to himself, but towards Christ, who suffered and died on the cross for the sins of the whole world. That was the gospel he preached to others during his life, and now preached to himself at the end of his life: "We are beggars. This is true."

When it comes to our relationship with God, we are to view ourselves as Luther did on his deathbed, as beggars in need of mercy and forgiveness. For we daily sin much and indeed deserve nothing but punishment. Great faith in God, therefore, does not boast in one's own righteousness (for we have none), but rather trusts in the righteousness of Christ and in His promise of mercy. And in the Gospel this Sunday (Matthew 15:21-39), that is precisely the kind of faith we will see demonstrated by a woman from Canaan who comes as a beggar seeking mercy from the Son of David.

08/11/2026

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost - St. Matthew 14:22-33 (Rev. Alair)

In the Gospel this Sunday (Matthew 14:22-33), we not only catch a glimpse of Jesus’ divine power and mastery over creati...
08/08/2026

In the Gospel this Sunday (Matthew 14:22-33), we not only catch a glimpse of Jesus’ divine power and mastery over creation, but we also witness how the God “who treads on the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8) responds with mercy to those who call upon Him in their hour of need.

After the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, Jesus compels His disciples to get into the boat and cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus then sends the crowds away and goes by Himself up a mountain in order to pray. And while He prays, we read that the disciples are already several miles out from shore, despite the fact that the winds and waves were making it difficult for them (v. 24).

It is important to note that the last time the disciples were found in a boat during a storm, they were so fearful of the winds and waves that they woke Jesus up and cried out for Him to save them (Mt. 8:26). Jesus then rebuked the disciples for being afraid of the storm and for having so little faith in Him. This time, however, what troubles and fills the disciples with fear is not the stormy sea, but rather that which is walking on it. They were afraid of Jesus, whom they initially believed to be a ghost. And although Jesus immediately speaks to them from the sea and offers them words of comfort, Peter doubts Christ and demands more proof of His identity. He says to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water" (v. 28).

On Sunday, we will meditate on this strange encounter that took place on the Sea of Galilee and learn how we can respond with faith when it seems like God is distant from us and even appears at times as a “ghost" to us during the storms of this life. What is more, in the Gospel reading, Jesus will show us how He is always there to save us whenever we become afraid and call upon Him for help.

08/04/2026

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost - St. Matthew 14:1-21 (Rev. Alair)

When we meditate upon God and His great love for us, we often think primarily in terms of the spiritual blessings we rec...
08/01/2026

When we meditate upon God and His great love for us, we often think primarily in terms of the spiritual blessings we receive from Him through faith in Christ Jesus. We think of things like the forgiveness of sins, freedom from Satan, peace with God, eternal life, the gift of the Holy Spirit, our adoption as sons of God, and the heavenly inheritance that awaits us. And we do this for good reason. For it is all these blessings that St. Paul himself extols in the opening of his letter to the church in Ephesus: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). It is right for us to give thanks to God our Father because there is no spiritual blessing that He has held back from giving to us for Christ’s sake through faith.

However, sometimes when we meditate upon all these spiritual blessings, we do so to the exclusion of the bodily blessings that God also graciously gives to us. In our desire to be spiritual, we often minimize God’s faithfulness to “give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). While He does not promise us health, wealth, and success in this world, God has promised to provide us “richly and daily with all that [we] need to support this body and life,” as we learn in the First Article of the Creed. The bodily blessings God provides each day demonstrate His love and compassion for us just as much as His provision of spiritual blessings. In fact, these two kinds of blessings, bodily and spiritual, should never be seen in competition with one another but rather as two sides of the same coin. God cares as much for our bodies as He does for our souls.

In the Gospel for Sunday (Matt. 14:1-21), we will see this multifaceted divine love on display as Christ provides bodily nourishment for five thousand men, besides women and children, with only five loaves of bread and two fish. And while this miracle offers us yet another proof of Jesus’ divine nature and power, more than that, it shows us His merciful compassion towards those who are in need (bodily and spiritually) and powerless to help themselves. As sinners, every blessing we receive from God, whether bodily or spiritual, we receive because of Christ and His great love for us.

Image: Full of Eyes (https://www.fullofeyes.com/colossians-115-20/)

In our first reading this coming Sunday, we will hear from Moses a word of admonition and encouragement to the children ...
07/25/2026

In our first reading this coming Sunday, we will hear from Moses a word of admonition and encouragement to the children of Israel as they are about to enter the Promised Land. Moses first tells the people that, when the LORD God delivers them from the hand of their enemies, they are not to make any covenants or intermarry with them lest they be led astray to worship and serve other gods. God’s righteous wrath was about to be poured out upon the pagan nations for their idolatry and wickedness, and Moses wanted to make sure that the children of Israel kept themselves holy (set apart) so that they would not fall under the same condemnation.

This is a sober reminder of not only how severely God deals with sin, but also of how we must choose our friends wisely. Although Jesus calls His disciples to engage this world with His truth and to be agents of His mercy and love, we must always keep in mind that the more time we spend with unbelievers, the more vulnerable we are to their sinful influence. If you are always hanging out with people who gossip or use foul language, it is only a matter of time before you join in with them. As St. Paul writes, “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Cor. 15:33).

But after admonishing the children of Israel to remain set apart from the pagan nations, Moses then offers a word of encouragement. He says to them, “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bo***ge, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8).

Moses here reminds the children of Israel of the great love with which God has loved them, a love not based on how lovely or great they are, but a love based solely on God’s grace. As they are about to embark into the unknown and face every obstacle imaginable, Moses wants the children of Israel to find their identity and strength in God’s love for them as His special treasure. And in the Gospel this Sunday (Matthew 13:44-58), we will learn that our Lord Jesus Christ also wants us, His church, to find our identity and strength in the very same place—in His love for us as His special treasure and pearl of great price.

Image: Full of Eyes (https://www.fullofeyes.com/crowned-with-love-and-mercy/)

Address

1412 Neva Road
Antigo, WI
54409

Opening Hours

Wednesday 6pm - 7pm
Sunday 9am - 10:30am

Telephone

+17156272232

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