Vertical Church Band's live worship albums have been highly anticipated since their first release Live Worship From Vertical Church, which included the hit songs "Not for a Moment (After All)" and "Open up the Heavens," featuring worship leader Meredith Andrews. They followed that up with more songs for the church, including "The Rock Won't Move," "Found in You," "Lamb of God," "Spirit of the Living God" and "Frontiers."

Frontiers is the fourth full-length worship album by Vertical Church Band and is one of my Top 10 Worship Albums of 2016. The group is a ministry formed out of Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago, composed of worship leaders Meredith Andrews, Jacob Sooter, Andi Rozier, Kyle Fredericks, Jon Guerra, Lauren Smith, Tara Stutes and Gabe Finochio. I had the chance to speak with Andi Rozier about "Exalted Over All."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

Jason Ingram has been part of Vertical Church Band before we started writing songs, and he understands our vertical philosophy of worship. We start out a service with gathering songs, we sing testimonial songs about the valleys we go through and we are committed to singing vertical songs. Before that term was around, we had this philosophy, and we want to write songs that turn our affections towards God. 

Every song is a hand, and on that hand is written awesome things about God, and where the finger points directs our attention on different aspects of our relationship with Him. Songs like this point only towards the Lord, like "How Great is Our God" and "Lamb of God." Like those songs, this song is based on the Gospel. The characteristic of the song is purely vertical. 

Jason and I got together to write this song, and we also wrote with Jess Cates. He wrote "Even So Come" for the last Passion album. It was nice to sit with him, and the conversation was "let's write a Gospel song that tells the story of Jesus." We made a note about "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High" in writing this song. We moved to Philippians 2 and the awesome concept about how God made Himself nothing, and God exalted Him. Jesus went to the lowest place, and God elevated and highly exalted Him to the highest place and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name. 

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV): "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death--even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Ephesians 4:8 (NKJV): "Therefore He says: 'When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.'"

Psalm 46:10 (NKJV): "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

What is the takeaway message?

I love the idea of singing a song where we are championing what God has done for Christ. The Father exalted Jesu,s and that concept is so exciting to sing about. One Name is higher, one Name is stronger, than any grave, than any throne. Christ is exalted over all. At the beginning of the book "The Knowledge of the Holy" by A.W. Tozer, it says that the most important thing about you is what you think about God. That's the first sentence. I thought about that for a month before I read any more. This song is our attempt at giving the answer to that question. 

We had about six versions of the bridge, and we were trying to reach with our voices and our hands in the air with that bridge. We'll never know the sacrifice Jesus made at the level that Jesus experienced it for us. That is mercy, that we are saved from the agony that Christ went through on our behalf. God's response was to exalt Jesus. That's our response as well. He paid the biggest price, and He is exalted over all.

Lyrics:
From heaven's throne, You came to us,
And set Your heart upon the cross,
We'll never know the sacrifice You've made.
For all our sin and all our shame,
You took the nails, You took our place,
No one else could do what You have done.

One name is higher,
One name is stronger.
Than any grave, than any throne,
Christ exalted over all.

From the grave, where death would die,
You rose again and brought us life.
You're reigning now, the Savior of the world.
You're reigning now, the Savior of the world.

One name is higher,
One name is stronger.
Than any grave, than any throne,
Christ exalted over all.
The only Savior, Jesus Messiah.
To You alone our praise belongs,
Christ exalted over all.

We'll sing Your praise,
We'll sing Your praise,
We'll sing Your praise forever.
We lift Your name,
We lift Your name,
Jesus over all.

We'll sing Your praise,
We'll sing Your praise,
We'll sing Your praise forever.
We lift Your name,
We lift Your name,
Jesus over all.

One name is higher,
One name is stronger.
Than any grave, than any throne,
Christ exalted over all.
The only Savior, Jesus Messiah.
To You alone our praise belongs,
Christ exalted over all.
To You alone our praise belongs,
Christ exalted over all.

We'll sing Your praise,
We'll sing Your praise,
We'll sing Your praise forever.
We lift Your name,
We lift Your name,
Jesus over all.

One name is higher,
One name is stronger.
Than any grave, than any throne,
Christ exalted over all.
The only Savior, Jesus Messiah.
To You alone our praise belongs,
Christ exalted over all.
To You alone our praise belongs,
Christ exalted over all.

Vertical Church Band has consistently impressed me with their mature and biblical faith and sincere desire to serve Jesus. Being a Christian father of three young daughters, these songs all reflect the yearning for Jesus to make us brave that I pray for my daughters to feel in their hearts as well. The eternal Love of Jesus is beautifully expressed in these compelling songs that seep into your heart, soul and mind.

This entire album has songs that bless and heal me as a listener. The beauty and majesty of our King Jesus is reverently captured throughout Frontiers with anthem after anthem, including "I See The Lord," "This We Know" and "Exalted Over All." Every single song could be added to your worship set. More importantly, this is an album about submitting to the Lordship of Jesus and declaring that there is no other name under Heaven by which we are saved. Jesus lived the perfect life that we can't live and died the death that we all deserve so that we could live with Him forever. We know from Romans 10:9 (NKJV) "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." 

When you sing this song, the devotional thought we should all be thinking is whether we are submitting our lives to the Truth or just singing the words. God wants us to boldly approach the Throne of mercy and grace to receive and obtain what we need from Him. When we acknowledge our identity in Christ in this song, our burdens are removed. I can't get enough of the beautifully poetic and powerful expressions of faith in this song. "Exalted Over All" is a song, a prayer and a call for revival in our hearts. I am challenged to believe these words when I sing along and believe with all of my heart: "We'll sing Your praise forever. We lift Your name, we lift Your name, Jesus over all." Amen to that!

Watch the music video below.