Detours

Sermon Title: The God Who Calls Text: Exodus 3:1–22 Theme: Holy Ground, Divine Calling, Sacred Detour Big Idea: God’s call is an invitation to notice, to turn aside, and to respond.

Introduction: The Detour You Choose

Do you have time for a detour?

Have you ever been on a road trip and hit a detour? Picture this: you're making great time on the highway, GPS humming along, coffee in hand, when suddenly—orange signs appear.

“Road Closed Ahead. Follow Detour.”

Detours can be viewed in either of two ways. The first as frustrating. You are being forced to go on a road or roads you may not be familiar with, not able to travel the speed you desire and it is just highly inconvenient. The second, seeing it as opportunity. To go and to explore and see what you have not seen in quite some time or maybe for the very first time.

*Detours are great opportunities.

Maybe you see an old diner you have not been to for many years or the homes of old friends. Maybe you stop in and over a slice of pie at the counter make some new friends. You never know what welcoming a detour could mean.

God reveals himself by way of the detour.

Context: Moses is tending the flock of Jethro his father in law. He leads the flock “beyond the wilderness” This phrase sticks out to me. To us the term wilderness is describing a desolate unfamiliar place. But it is very interesting that Moses leads his flock beyond the wilderness. Implying that the wilderness is the familiar and now Moses pushes beyond it. Why? Why risk being where you have never been? We don’t know because the text is not focused on that particular piece. Here is what we know, Moses takes a detour and finds himself in an interesting circumstance.

He is at Mt. Horeb—God’s Mountain. We know this place as Sinai as well. Named for the Sinai bush.

God’s calling on our lives is not a forced detour. It is not the orange construction sign that demands you change direction out of obligation or fear. No—the call of God is an invitation.

It’s like seeing a bush burning in the distance and choosing to turn aside. It’s what Moses does in Exodus 3.

He didn’t wake up that morning expecting to stand on holy ground. He was tending sheep—just another day in the wilderness. But something caught his attention.

Scripture says, “Then Moses said, ‘I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.’” (Exodus 3:3)

He chose the detour. And in that moment, God called his name.

Main Point 1: Moses was about his business — and he NOTICED something odd

Moses wasn’t seeking God. He was simply at work in Midian, a barren, quiet land far from the courts of Egypt. He was doing the ordinary. But in the ordinary, something extraordinary happened—a bush that burned but wasn’t consumed.

The miracle wasn’t just in the bush—it was in the fact that Moses noticed.

In a culture of hurry and distraction, we are often too busy to recognize when God is doing something unusual in our midst. We rush through our lives and walk past the “burning bushes” God places before us.

“God rarely shouts over our busyness—He waits for us to notice Him.”

John Chrysostom once said:

“Do not wait to be compelled by hardship to draw near to God. Be like Moses—turn aside when you see the fire and seek the Lord willingly.” (Homilies on Genesis)

But noticing isn’t enough. Seeing the flame doesn’t change your life unless you turn aside. And that’s what Moses does next.

Main Point 2: Moses allowed himself to go off course — and HEARD God speak

“I will turn aside to see this great sight…” (Ex. 3:3)

Moses chose to detour. He allowed his routine to be interrupted—and only after he turned does God speak:

“When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’” (v. 4)

We want to hear God speak—but are we willing to stop long enough to listen?

Cyril of Jerusalem once said:

“The Spirit calls us each by name, not shouting, but whispering in the heart, ‘Here I am; follow Me.’” (Catechetical Lectures)

Sometimes we don’t hear God—not because He’s silent—but because we’re too committed to our own plan.

Application Prompt: Where might God be drawing your attention today? A person? A need? A whisper in your conscience?

Moses didn’t just notice. He didn’t just turn. He encountered the living God in that detour.

Main Point 3: Moses encountered God in the detour — and RESPONDED

God calls his name. And Moses says, “Here I am.”

Then God replies:

“Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” (v. 5)

The Hebrew word used here for “holy” is קָדוֹשׁ (qādôš). It means set apart, sacred, other. The ground didn’t change. Moses did. The place became holy because God was there—not because of its geography, but His presence.

To stand on holy ground means more than location—it means transformation. You can’t step into God’s presence and remain unchanged.

Then God says:

“So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh…” (v. 10)

The word for “send” in Hebrew is שָׁלַח (šālaḥ). This isn’t casual. It means to commission, to appoint, to dispatch with authority.

Moses isn’t just being asked to do something—he’s being authorized to act on behalf of the God of the universe. Yet notice what happens next:

Moses resists.

He pleads, he argues. Finally he says in 4:13, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”

Here’s the paradox of calling:

God’s calling is holy (qādôš)—but we often feel unworthy. God’s calling sends us (šālaḥ)—but we often feel inadequate.

The struggle is real. But so is the One who calls.

Human Reluctance: Moses and the Inner Battle with Calling

When Moses hears God’s voice calling him—he doesn’t leap into action. He doesn’t say, “Finally! I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life!”

Instead, what unfolds in Exodus 3:11 through 4:17 is a series of excuses, objections, and deep-seated fears—a window into the human heart when confronted by a divine calling.

Excuse #1 – “Who am I?” (Exodus 3:11)

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?”

Moses doubts his worth. He says, in effect: “I’m a nobody. I’m not qualified. I failed in Egypt. I ran away.” We often respond the same way. God calls, and our insecurities shout louder than our faith.

But God doesn’t respond by building up Moses’ self-esteem. He says: “I will be with you.” The call is not about what Moses is not—it’s about who God is.

Excuse #2 – “What if they ask…?” (Exodus 3:13)

“What is His name? What shall I say to them?”

Now Moses shifts from insecurity to uncertainty. He’s worried about credibility and authority. “I don’t have the answers. I don’t know how this will go.”

God replies with power: “I AM WHO I AM.” He is the God who is—the God who will be enough.

Excuse #3 – “They won’t believe me.” (Exodus 4:1)

“But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice…”

Now Moses anticipates rejection. Fear of failure creeps in. “What if they laugh at me? What if I step out in faith and fall flat on my face?”

God, gracious and patient, gives him signs—a staff that turns into a serpent, a hand turned leprous then healed—evidence of divine backing.

Excuse #4 – “I am not eloquent.” (Exodus 4:10)

“I am slow of speech and tongue.”

Now it’s personal inadequacy. “I don’t have the skills. I’m not good with words.”

God replies: “Who has made man’s mouth?” He reminds Moses that the Creator of his limitations is also the Author of his mission.

Final Plea – “Please send someone else.” (Exodus 4:13)

This is the raw moment—the point of surrender or retreat. Moses essentially says: “I don’t want to go.”

This is where the Hebrew word šālaḥ (to send) takes on emotional weight. Moses knows God is sending him—but he’s not ready to be sent. This is not resistance rooted in logic—but in fear, weariness, uncertainty, and maybe even shame from his past.

And yet… God still calls.

God doesn’t revoke His call. He doesn’t shame Moses for his fear. Instead, He meets him in his weakness, partners him with Aaron, and simply says, “Go.”

This is the grace of calling: God is not looking for perfection. He is looking for people who will trust Him more than they trust their fears.

God is still calling His Church—to walk in sacred obedience and surrendered courage. Moses didn’t pretend to be fearless or strong. He acknowledged his frailty, but he didn’t let it define what God could do through him.

The power behind the call is not in the one being sent—but in the One who sends.

You don’t need to be fearless. You need to be willing.

Moses was called to bring freedom to God’s people in spite of his weakness. And you, Church, are called to proclaim and live the Gospel, even in the face of fear, so that those walking in darkness might receive the light of eternity.

Gospel Connection: The One Who Still Calls

Hineni: This same response is given by Abraham, Isaac, and Samuel.

Centuries later, Jesus would echo that same divine voice:

“Before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58)

He is the same God who called from the bush—the God who now calls you. He calls you not with thunder, but with the gentle voice that says: “Come, follow Me.”

Origen of Alexandria wrote:

“God does not compel us to come to Him, but calls us by His grace.” (Commentary on the Gospel of John)

The Bible consistently shows us that God prefers to work alongside His created being to bring about His good will. Jesus later offers a plea Matthew 9:35–38 “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.””

The Church needs you, there is a call on your life—do you hear it? Will you answer?

Closing Challenge: Will You Turn Aside?

Be willing to take the detours God is providing for your life. They are an opportunity to experience the holy.

Frederick Buechner said:

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

C.S. Lewis said:

“If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”

At the foot of Mount Sinai today stands the Monastery of St. Catherine. It’s been standing there for over 1,400 years, built near what many believe to be the very place where Moses turned aside to see the bush that burned but was not consumed.

What began with one man’s willingness to stop and listen has become a site of enduring prayer, worship, and holy reverence. It’s a reminder that when God calls, it isn’t just for a moment—it’s for a life.

The call to turn aside, to listen, to respond—still echoes at the foot of that mountain. And it echoes here today, in this place, in your heart.

God’s calling isn't always comfortable—but it’s always sacred.

God’s call often begins with an interruption of your ordinary. He doesn’t force you off your road—but He invites you to turn aside.

This is what God’s call has always been: an invitation to notice His presence, to turn aside from our path, and to respond with surrendered obedience.

So I ask you:

Are you walking past the bush? Are you staying too focused on your own path to hear God’s voice? Or are you ready to say, “Here I am”—to step into the holy ground where God speaks?

Benediction:

Go now, beloved, With eyes open to see burning bushes. With hearts soft enough to hear your name. And with feet ready to walk on holy ground.

For the God who called Moses still calls you today.

Amen.