06 Highest One

Diane Roberts: So welcome back. Thanks. I've been looking forward to this. The first one was so we got into a lot. So so our next one, if you have not heard the song, so our next song is highest one. It's by I think it's specifically by Thrive Worship, but it's like Brian and Katie Torwald. Yeah. So like I said, pause it, go listen to that song. It's amazing. And then come back and listen to us break it down for you. So Yeah. Let me tell you a little bit about so first of all, like I said, Thrive Worship, Brian and Katie Torwall is written by both of them and Robbie Newton, Corbin Phillips. It's published under Thrive Worship under integrity music, which I think integrity music pumps out a lot of songs. I feel like I've seen a lot of different things set up. And this song is from May of 2024. Yeah. So this is relatively new. And we've actually sang it at I I only remember I remember what was actually what I remember about this song specifically is I listened to a lot of worship music. I'll listen to tons of worship music and I know I will spam you with songs. Yeah. And I could hear your voice singing. I feel like you're the one that sent this to me. And I sent it to you and it's like, You need to sing this song. You're like, I already did. I felt like yeah. I I might have, but I do remember distinctly you saying, like, let's you should sing this song for sure. I was like, You should sing this song. I can hear your voice. But I think I can hear your voice in every Katie Torwatt song. I feel like you just have you you find your kind of like yeah. Like your person that kind of matches your voice. Yes. I don't necessarily know who that is, but I know for myself like a lot of the Brooke songs hit my voice at a good level because I have a I have I can sing soprano, I have a higher voice, but I also can have a deeper voice when it comes to like the lower notes that she strong elements. She tends to sing these like really kind of emotional songs that kind that are have these lower notes that she jumps up to her belt. So I'd like to No, I agree. I'm broke your Kate. Okay. Okay. Yeah. It's like really good junior high. I broke your Kate. I love it. so when I think of the song highest one, the the things that jump out to me constantly are the is name, name, name. Your name is higher than the highest one. There's no other name higher than yours. Yeah. Name, name, name. It's all I w when you call on the is that this song too? Wait, is that the bridge, that's the bridge. That's the bridge, yeah. When you call on the name, you will be saved. yeah, so that's what I think. What about you? I feel like I have this very vertical mindset. Like when I when I have this song. Yes. Super vertical. Because all the lyrics are joining right to the like the majesty of of who God is. Mm-hmm. and and it's interesting when you think about that, when you listen to worship songs, some have a perspective of like, you know, this is what God has done for me. And it's a very like personal reflection of yes, a lot of worship songs. Yes. And I actually learned that very recently is like there's the difference between what is it, me centered worship songs. There's vertical songs. There's like lateral even, like like us relating to each other kind of songs. Mm-hmm. Was is there other versions? Like I like other different like categories almost. I think that's it. Yeah. I and it's and you're right. It doesn't it's not always obvious until you take a minute. And there's a mix. Some of them have a mix of them. I th but yes, you're right. Actually that 'cause even in the I lift my eyes It's I lift my eyes where my help comes from, I call on Jesus the highest God. So I mean that's still biblical. Yes. Right. Even the idea of like I lift my eyes, like it's drawing my whole posture up and vertical again. I actually didn't have it what didn't feel like it was broken down very well, but I think the ver first verse is in valleys low or canyons wide, at every mountain that's much too high, I will seek heaven and speak your name. There's that word seek again. I'll see Gavin and speak your name. I'll trust you're faithful and you never change. So that I would guess I would nothing really jumped out at me too much on that except the seek first the kingdom. I will seek heaven and speak your name. Let me look this one up. But I I circled and underlined, You're faithful and you never change. And yes, yes, yes. I believe That references, at least to me, I r I I was thinking of Psalm 100, so let me pull that up. where it says, Enter his gates with thanksgiving, go into her his courts with praise, give thanks to him and praise for the Lord is good, his unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. So I just think, you know, there's such power in in all these lyrics because it just speaks of almost like so many of God's characteristics. You know, like You are faithful. You never change. And not to get too far ahead, but your name is higher. You're greater. You're mighty. You know, so many facets of who God is. The lyrics just call specifically to that. Yes. And yeah, and then it jumps into your name is higher, your name is greater, your name is mighty above it all. I lift my eyes where my help comes from. I call on Jesus, the highest one. I thought of Psalm 148 and that is it's literally Psalm 148 literally is praise the Lord. Yeah that's the title of it which I love. so 14813 is let them all praise the name of the Lord for his name is very great. His glory towers over the earth and heaven. He has made pe well 14 is he has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones. The people of Israel are close to him. Praise the Lord that made me think of that. in especially in the old testament is your name is higher. So much of the name above all names. Yeah. I think that's even in Revelation. I know it's also in Philippians. I know Paul talked a lot about the the h the name above all names. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it it is Philippians as well. It's such power in the name of the Lord. And I feel like as we sing this song It's just declaring his goodness. And as you were reading those lyrics, I lift my eyes where my help comes from. Like that's directly from scripture too. Psalm one twenty one, right? Like I lift yeah. I lift my eyes up to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord who has made heaven and earth. So yeah, it's so cool to really just take the time and sift line by line. I know. If we had all the time in the world, we literally could go line by line and point to something in scripture. And and don't which is great. feel like sometimes not with every song, but as as a worship leader and as just a worshiper. sometimes I get caught up in the repetitiveness of singing songs that I know. Right? Like, I love this song when it comes on my Spotify playlist and I sing it because I love it. But I forget as I'm singing it, the power behind the words I'm singing because I'm actually singing scripture. I know. I know. And it's so easy to just jump there almost. Too familiar. And it can get it's it's almost like if you you think about some of these like singers and artists that like actually tour, yeah, they sing these songs all the time. Yes. Not necessarily these songs, but like they'll sing the same songs all the time and they have to change it up. For this, it's like once you actually s take the time, like we're doing in this podcast, and pause and listen and read line by line. I know I'm guilty of Hey, here are here are my songs for Sunday. Okay, I know those. I'm ready to go. Right. And I'm not taking, I'll call myself out. I'm not you can call me out too. I'm taking the time, which I should, to literally break down. And and I was in the beginning, and then I think I got comfortable and was like, well, I know what I'm singing about. I still am in a posture of reverence. I'm still ushering people into the sermon. I feel like I'm still doing what I'm called to do. But I but but getting into the the granular parts of this I think are what we're supposed to do. Yes. And like you said, even just as a worshiper, as worship leaders, we should be doing I guess I shouldn't should anyway. We shouldn't we don't should on this. We don't should anyone. But if you just are a run-of-the-mill worshipper, you just love worship music, you love to sing, you love to praise God. You may not necessarily be thinking of these things as granularly as we're talking about it. But yeah, I l I love that I lift my eyes, where is my help come from? That's always been my favorite verse. And then I call on Jesus the highest one. Honestly, the name of G the Jesus' name is so important. And it is it is the highest name above all names, but it's also carries a lot of power. So when I feel like the enemy is coming at me on every angle. I know this song is sort of in the in the vein of a little it's it is more of an adoration song. I think of a good word. That's a good descriptive the I if if you call on the name you will be saved. I think of like if I call on Jesus, he's got my back. Like he's gonna come save me. He's gonna be fighting my battles for me. He's gonna be going before me. He's behind me. He's around me. Like those types of things. That's what I when I think of the name of Jesus, it has a lot more it's not flowery to me. It's very powerful. That's interesting. I because I feel like God gave me revelation about that several years ago. But like in in the course of my life, I feel like it's recent that you know I feel like I accepted the Lord when I was in middle school. I I was raised in a Christian home. And so I always knew, you know, I was raised in a church. And so I'm I'm privileged that I feel like I was able to understand faith and understand who God was. But like when I made that personal decision for myself, I feel like I I thought about salvation more so in the terms of like, okay, when I accept that Jesus is my savior, I get to go live in heaven with him, you know, almost like that's it. Yes. Whereas like As of recent, the last several years, God showed me, like, actually, when I say that I'm saving you, it means like daily. It means like when you call on the name, I will save you every single day from your anxiety, from your stresses, from your fears, from things that you don't understand. When you are fighting whatever battle it is, when you declare the name of the Lord, like I am there fighting that battle for you. It is, it is so much more than just an eternal, which obviously is part of it. I'm so thankful for that eternal salvation that I do have in heaven. But The saving is is on a daily basis. And it's not works based. It's faith based. It's I'm calling on the name of God. I am re like we were talking about in the other song that we were we were talking about with Fresh Wind is it's the repentance part of it. It's the it's it's calling on the name and repentance. It's not there's not all of these and and ands associated with it. Meaning like there's not these other things that you have to do to receive salvation. It's I am calling on the name of Jesus. I accept that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I am repenting, I am for my sins, but I also believe that there's power in the name. Yes. It's the daily calling on the name of Jesus. It's the daily digging into scripture. And and it's also not just worship on Sunday. Right. It's worship every day. Absolutely. And so it's that it's these things that I know I always thought about. I had like a 10 year span where I was like a lukewarm Christian. I mean, we're we've all been there. Sure. And in those 10 years, I was like, yeah, I mean, I'm fine. Yeah. But no, now that I'm like fully on board with everything, I'm at like a hundred and ten percent. My brain feels like every day is this constant. Mm-hmm. Dialogue, basically. That's the daily thing. I just was thinking about that yesterday and the whole idea of God providing manna for the day. Right. Like God does give us enough for the day. But like on the flip of that, we need to be daily seeking his presence because one time is not enough. One time of me calling on the name of Jesus is not enough for me to be constantly getting through all the different battles and struggles I'm going through. Like I constantly, every single day need to Reap that stake in the ground, refer my truth, like stand on the word of the Lord every single day, because one day is not going to be enough to carry me through. So just in the same way that God provides for me every day, I need to then daily surrender, daily remind myself, daily go back to his word, gay daily seek his truth. And that is what is gonna sustain me continually. yeah, that's that's it. We're just preaching to ourselves. Like we are. I know. I'm like, man. Stoked about this. and then so then it goes into the second verse, which is from the garden to Calvary, your blood and tears poured out for me. You hold the power of death and grave. I'm still in awe of your amazing grace. And then it goes into your name is higher. That is a pretty heavy second verse. If I would have written that second verse, I would have been like, All right, guys. The second verse, the second verse actually like. Encapsulates the whole thing. Yes. Right? Like, okay. From the garden, that is the beginning. Yep. All the way New Testament to the Calvary at the end of Jesus' like life on earth. That it time spans in that one phrase so much. Right? Like Genesis to yes, New Testament. Boom. In that one line. that yeah, your blood and tear is poured out for me. You hold the power of death and grave. I'm in awe of your Amazing Grace. You're right. That encapsulates so much of Just those three lines. I would have been like, We're done. We're done here. We're turning the song. That's the that is the whole message. That is the message from Jesus right in there. Right. And it's your blood and tears poured out for me. That's the crucifixion. That's the atonement. That's the sacrificial atonement. That's, you know, Jesus died for us, for our yeah. and you hold the power of death and grave. You know, he defeated death and he the so the power that he holds. that always makes me think of like the death whereas you're stinging, which is a different song. But yes, I mean that's in a bunch of other ones. But th yeah. I'm I don't think I've ever realized that grace. That verse two just basically articulates the whole story. Like yeah from it's literally beginning to end. Yes. And then the death and then I'm still in awe of your amazing that is the Bible in four stances. Yeah. I mean let's just wrap it up here. Yeah, so we talked about I live from my eyes where your help comes from. I call on Jesus the highest found. And then so I think this is verse three. So it says, When your glory comes riding in, eternal praise be on our lips through testimony and by your blood, yours is the name that has overcome. Now we're talking revelation, right? Yeah. And then my immediate thought was, so when your glory comes riding in. So yes, that could be revelation, obviously. But I was thinking also the the sim simplicity of him riding on the donkey. So like his glory riding in. I mean, I don't know if that's their intention. But that like the entry from the pac so the past enter entering on the in on the donkey, the future could be like return on the white horse. Yeah. Yeah. That's what I have always pictured. But I love I love the actual like parallel. So it could be beauty of right. Like he entered So he entered very lowly on a Well actually not lowly 'cause a king would enter on the when Mary entered on the donkey, right? Like yep. Riding in, so humbled, right, into a stable. And then you have Jesus' entry on Palm Sunday, right? So that was Still I mean he's on a donkey on a dirt road, but Well and and I had done research and the and riding on a donkey was actually like very royal. Yeah, okay. And so riding on a donkey was like a royal like that's what a king would do. So for him to ride on a donkey coming in and them laying their palms down was a very like king like thing for for it to happen. Yeah. I didn't know that. I was like, it's just a donkey and he's riding in on a donkey. But no, that that has a very like Key symbolic piece to it. And it's obviously very purposeful. He said, Go get the donkey, all the things. Yes. Read your New Testament. Yeah. Read your gospels. I d I never thought of that phrase. But the future, in Revelation they talk about Jesus coming back and returning on a white horse. so that is very regal. And then it could Go that way, but the eternal praise be on our lips. That's also Revelation. So the Christ's triumphant victory and his returning, where we would be singing and praising him. Mm-hmm. This next phrase always gets me through testimony and by your blood, yours is the name that has overcome. Because I think it's twofold. And that comes from Revelation 12, 11 that says, They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And I feel like There's there's two important key factors that are happening there. Obviously, the blood of the lamb is what has caused vic victory. But what spreads that good news, right? Like it is the testimony that we share. And so that is I'm thinking about like the Great Commission. Like God calls us to share. God calls us to go out into the world and continue to be the light, but always be talking, always be sharing our testimony, always be talking about the Lord and how and his goodness and his victory. And I just feel like That is that is how all the nations get to come to know the Lord is through the pa through the blood of the Lamb and and the power of the testimony. And I feel like we sometimes feel like at least for my own self, I miss sometimes for like the power that God has given me to be able to share. And you're putting on the helmet, putting on the belt, putting on this. And I believe the sh the the sandals or the boots or whatever. That piece I had read recently, they were talking like if you're gonna have the whole armor on of God, the shoes portion is the putting on your shoes and and the Great Commission. So it's not so if you were in battle, you wouldn't not have shoes on. Right. You have to have all of the things to protect you, not just one or the other. Yes. So when I think about like if for my if on my commission to go out. Yeah, I don't know that I share my testimony as much as I can. And and the other thing that I will say is that just because your testimony may not be this grandiose life life changing in the sense of like, well, I was, you know, had this traumatic life experience and then God saved me, it's still your testimony. It's still important and it still can help someone else or change someone's life. I know. So e so I've I have heard like young people being like, Well I don't have a really exciting testimony. I was saved when I was, you know, yeah, in fifth grade or whatever. And I that's great. That's a great testimony. And the fact that you are, you know, still a believer and you still do all of these things to, you know move the kingdom forward is all super important, but we don't think about things. I agree. And I think we think of testimony We want to have a dramatic story. I guess for me, I know sometimes I focus too much on like a specific moment, but like my testimony actually is ever evolving because of all the things God continues to do. And so I think if we allow ourselves to be open to however God's working in our life and it will continually build upon the testimony, all those pieces factor in and I never know one short one part of my story that I share how that's going to impact someone else. You're right. Like I think sometimes we downplay the impact of just sharing something that even is very simple. And I always think of testimony as like my testimony is what I how I was saved. Yeah. But testimony can be you being a mom. The testimony can be this is how I relate to my husband. This could be your testimony could be this is how God saved me in this moment. Yes. It doesn't necessarily have to be the exact moment. Like when the moment of salvation totally for salvation is is important. Yes. But there's different testimonies throughout our life. Right. How God is at work in my life and how He's changed me. Right? Right. Exactly. All those things actually. And continuing to change too. So so I lift my eyes, then if you go on the name, you will be saved. So in I'm so excited to sing this song because that phrasing alone is so important. If you call on the name, you will be saved. If you call on the name of the Lord, and then it builds and builds and builds. So to talk like music, yes, geek stuff. Yes. It's so exciting. but I think this. also goes back to the I think fresh wind in this one because it was Acts. If you call on the name you will be saved. So that's in Acts two, twenty one. Uh-huh. It also goes back to Romans ten. Is that what you have? I just pulled up yes. It's Romans ten. So I'm down in verse nine. If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you'll be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God. And it is by openly declaring your faith that you're saved. And then jumping down to verse 13, it says, For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. And Romans is Paul to the Romans. He had already planted a church there. Was that the phrase? Okay. So I and so he's trying to pull a lot of the Romans back into because they've been misled by false prophets or pr false preachers in the area. So like context-wise, that was him writing a letter to the Romans saying, You know, you don't need all of this stuff. You don't, and a lot of them were historical Jews as well. So they were saying, well, I have to be circumcised. I have to follow these sacrificial things, I have to do all these things. And he's like, No, you don't need any of that. If you just listen to me, you just need to call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved. And that is like a crazy thing for them to process. that's a crazy thing for people to process today. I won't get into it, but it's a is a crazy thing for a lot of people to process. to think that it was like two thousand years ago and they were still we still have that problem today. Yes. Because the concept of like God's grace for us is is as very like almost intangible because is it is countercultural to everything that we Yes. We feel like we have to we the the he willingly gives it to us. Yes. It's a gift. We think that we need to do something for it because we don't feel we're worthy for it or we just like yeah, everything else has a reciprocative. Yes. Work-based society like Culture where in order to do this, I have to do that or or I have to earn this, I have to work for that. And all all God asks for from us is calling on the name of the Lord. All we have to do is ask. Right. Ask, yeah. And he openly gives. And it is a gift that all we have to do is actually receive it, right? Yeah. We just have to receive it. That it is a very almost backwards, right? I think our our culture It's very backwards. And it's also different than any other religion in the world. I mean, th our God is seeking us and he wants us to come He's coming to us. We're not I mean granted, we are going to him as well, but like what other God in the world and any other religion is seeking his people and wants his people to come to him. That doesn't like that doesn't exist. I know. I know. So it's it makes it makes my brain hurt a little bit. I know. It's a very hard thing to to understand, but it it is. It is but and that's all of the Bible is about yeah. Yeah. It is. And the Sermon on the Mount. If you want something to read, read the Sermon on the Mount because that's in the gospels that That is all backward society type stuff. we don't deserve it. We there's so many things that God does for us that we just don't deserve. But as humans, we feel like we have to pay it back or we're not worthy of it, so we don't receive it. But that's a lot of what the enemy tells us too, is like we aren't worthy of it. We aren't worthy of love, we aren't worthy of forgiveness. we have a lot of shame, fear, anxiety, all those things that put a wall up between us and what God really, really wants for us. Yep. So when you finally can see that all of that is not is not from the Lord at all. You don't need any of it. and that He is giving you this salvation freely and openly because he loves you so much and He's such a good God that you're like, what why was I so worried about all this stuff? Yeah. So it it is mind blowing really. And I feel like going back to the idea of daily, right? Like daily those lies creep into me and daily I have to come back out. Daily I I feel like the enemy is so crafty in the way he makes me just question the truth that I already know about who God is or who I am, my identity in the Lord, right? Like the idea of you're not enough or you're not capable. I don't know that I even hear him say that, but like I hear of the questions of, can you really do that? Are you really qualified to do that? Do you have enough knowledge to do that? And then I start to believe those or really sink my teeth into those questions. But like actually, God never said any of those things. Here's what God did say. And I think about when Jesus was tempted, like, what did he do? He went right back to scripture. Every single time he said, It is said, the word says. And so it is so imperative that we know the truth of what God's word says to be able to counteract those. Lies and those questions. But yeah, I love the bit the the build of this bridge because you're right. It says it however many times if you call on the name, you'll be safe. But it starts off so like sweetly. Yeah. With just really her voice and a few instruments. And then there's this build. And I almost feel like it's like the mount like we're going up the mountain as you're singing this. And then you you go back into the that chorus, that declaring of your name is higher, your name is greater, as you are are singing from the mountain that you just climbed this bridge. But I mean that's really what happens. As we call on the name of the Lord and and we are saved, we gain that power. Like yeah as we're going. That's good. You know? I I do remember singing this song and I d I think I did lead this only once. And I do remember singing in that bridge and being like, I felt like I was really, really preaching to some people in that in that phrasing, because it's like, if you call on the name, you will be saved. Like I'm literally pleading with people. That's how I felt when I was singing it. So it's like the Holy Spirit through me singing these songs. And but this specific one I do recall, I remember feeling like I'm This is literally all you have to do, guys. Yes. Yes. Like you're a vessel just communicating. I'm a very emotional like worship leader. I'm more like, come on. I'm I'm more of the like I I don't I could never just stand still and sing. It's not in my nature. I'm more of like, I'm try like you I want you to feel what I feel. Yes. That's how I worship is I want that's Probably why put this podcast together. Because I want you I feel the same. I always feel like as I'm standing on I don't know, anywhere, even on a stage or wherever. But there's a l there's always like a separation physically right between where I'm standing and where people are sitting or standing. Yeah. Congr kind of a congregation. And I always feel like like how can I put my like metaphorical arm around you? I mean, like we are actually in this together. Yes. I want to worship as one. Don't watch me. Don't watch me. Like particip we are in this. I happen to have a microphone and you don't, but we are still all leading worship and worshiping and still, right? Yeah. And you're right. Like as you're it's almost like this urgency of I I'm I'm singing from an outpour of what God has placed in me and like pouring it out because God filled me in this moment with this truth. And I just want you to like tangibly receive it. Like I just want you to grasp it with me. I love it. Yeah, it's so good. Well, thank you. Yes, is there anything else that we didn't talk about with this song? I don't know. There's so much of it. I think we talked I think we got to it. Yeah. I mean, yeah. I think you're I when you said the word adoration, I feel like that was a really good description. This is a i a a great song of adoration and so much of this psalm, so much of just his majestic glory or is in this the lyrics of the song. So good. Yeah. Thanks so much for having me. I guess let's do it again. We're just pr preaching to the people today.