The Conservative Party leadership contender Sajid Javid has confirmed that a sermon given at a Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast made him decide to stand down as Health Secretary. His decision was the first in a wave of Cabinet resignations which eventually led to the resignation of the Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Mr Javid said he had been wrestling with his conscience for months but that a sermon by the Rev Les Isaac, founder and CEO of Ascension Trust and also a pioneer of Street Pastors, had prompted him to take action, Mr Javid said:
“I made my decision then, sitting there listening to his sermon, and I just thought, it’s about integrity, it’s about a duty. If you haven’t got confidence in the boss, you owe it to yourself and the country to tell the boss nicely that you can’t serve and that was it.”
In his sermon Rev Isaac referenced Psalm 23 :4 “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” And spoke of Jesus expecting humility in service quoting Philippians 2:8: “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross!”
Andy Flannagan was leading worship at the event which heralded the start of the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief. He said:
“During the prayer breakfast, we sang Praise my soul, the King of heaven, there were 160 MPs and 30 members of the House of Lords there, more than we’ve ever had. It’s not often you can sing those words, “angels in the heights adore Him”, when you’ve actually got angels in the heights above you looking down from the incredible carved roof of Westminster Hall. The architects put those there as an intentional reminder of where ultimate authority lies.
“As Jesus said to Pilate, you have no authority, but it was given you from above.”
From an article by Premier Christianity.