Podcast Summary: Times Square Church - Sermons
Episode: "If You Only Knew…" (January 25, 2026)
Speaker: Pastor Tim Dilena

Main Theme

This sermon explores the unseen interventions of God in our lives — the countless times He has protected, guided, or redirected us, often without our knowledge. Through biblical accounts, personal testimonies, and relatable stories, Pastor Tim Dilena encourages listeners to acknowledge God’s providence, move from a religious understanding of God to a personal relationship, and rely on the guidance and presence of the Holy Spirit, especially during life’s storms and valleys.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Opening: Welcoming the Global Community

• Pastor Tim celebrates those who braved a snowstorm to attend in-person, as well as a record online attendance from 69 nations and 20 universities.
• Affirms the church as a beacon — a “lighthouse on Broadway” — even in difficult circumstances.
• “We just felt so strongly that there would be a lighthouse on Broadway for those that were able to come.” (03:00)

2. The Hidden Interventions of God

• Shares a powerful story in Acts 25 about the Apostle Paul, where a plot to kill him is revealed only through a brief parenthesis: “At the same time, people were setting an ambush to kill him on the way.”
• Emphasizes how God often protects us from dangers we never perceive:

  “If you only knew how many times he intervened and you didn't even realize it. But as I kept thinking about it, it's probably better that you don't know how many times that God intervened. That's how good God is.” (08:49)

• Encourages gratitude for the escapes and rescues we’re aware of — and the immeasurable ones we’re not.

3. Modern Testimony: The Bulgarians in D.C.

• Relays an email testimony from visitors from Bulgaria, who were miraculously protected from a shooting near their hotel in Washington D.C. after feeling compelled to stop and pray a second time at the White House:

  “If we hadn't stopped at the White House for a second time to pray, we would have been at the shooting scene. We were two minutes away from death.” (14:05)

• They thanked God and testified upon their return home, recognizing God’s orchestrating hand.

4. Biblical Pattern: Repeated Deliverance

• Cites nine specific threats to Paul’s life in Acts, where God intervenes, sometimes through people, sometimes entirely unseen.
• The ninth instance (Acts 25) stands out because Paul is rescued from an assassination plot he never even knows about.

5. The Power of Holy Spirit-Led Decisions

• When asked if he’d return to Jerusalem (where a plot awaits), Paul responds, “I appeal to Caesar,” not simply as legal strategy but as a Spirit-inspired response (Acts 25:10-11):

  “Those four words meant you're not going to Jerusalem. You're about to go to Rome. The plan is about to be stopped. Paul is being diverted in another direction, away from 40 murderers. He thinks he is going to Rome, when actually he's being rescued by God.” (42:47)

• Stresses the importance of not grieving the Holy Spirit through bitterness, unforgiveness, or slander, which can sabotage divine direction:

  “If you are slandering someone, the Bible says, then you grieve the Holy Spirit. Then how do you say things but with the help of the Holy Spirit, if you've just grieved him?” (46:39)

6. Humorous and Inspiring Anecdotes

• Tells the story of an 82-year-old congregation member who scared off a burglar by repeatedly shouting, “Acts 2:38!” The burglar, thinking it was a weapon (“axe and two 38s”), waited for the police:

  “She was led by the Holy Ghost. That was her ‘I appealed to Caesar.’” (48:59)

7. God’s Sovereignty Over Life and Death

• Relates John Newton’s hymn: “Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come… and grace will lead me home.”
• Details Paul’s prison conditions to underscore that neither an assassination plot nor dire circumstances determine our destiny:

  “There’s an assassination plot... and neither would determine if he would die. How come? Because Jesus has the keys to death and hell… Death is his control, not Satan’s, not a disease. It’s in Jesus’ control.” (56:13)

8. Transition from Religion to Relationship

• Analyzes Psalm 23 for its shift from talking about God (“He leads me…”) to talking to God (“You are with me”) when moving from green pastures to the valley of the shadow of death (1:03:00):

  “Enough talking about God in the third person... Some of you need that personal relationship. You are real to me. You are in my life. You changed me.” (1:07:42)

• Calls those present (and listeners around the world) to make God personal — not just a religious idea, but a daily, relational reality.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Gratitude for the Unknown:

  “Once in a while, we need a little bit of a parenthesis praise... God, thank you for what I don't even know about. But I'm here today and it's a miracle that I'm here today.” (30:13)

• On the Importance of Forgiveness:

  “Some people play with bitterness... The Bible says, put those away so you can have the Holy Spirit. Because if you don’t have it, then you start making decisions that… you may end up in Jerusalem, where God goes, I would have rescued you if you just would have listened to what I said.” (46:39)

• On God’s Timing and Control:

  “Whoever has the keys decides when we leave… Cancer doesn’t determine when you die. And neither shall a plot by someone who’s put a hit on you… God Himself put those keys in the hands of the resurrected Jesus Christ.” (56:13)

• On Personal Relationship with God:

  “There’s a difference between saying ‘God is good’ and saying ‘You are good.’ That’s the difference…” (1:07:42)

• On Miracles in Everyday Life:

  “You're not here because you're something cool. You are here because God is good. That's why you're here today. You get to sing. You get to play. Because God kept you alive.” (1:14:45)

Key Segments and Timestamps

• Global Welcome and Context
  [00:00–07:00]

• Unseen Protection: The Parenthesis in Acts 25
  [09:30–14:45]

• Bulgarians’ Miraculous Story
  [14:05–20:30]

• Paul’s Nine Escapes & The Importance of Divine Direction
  [22:40–37:00]

• Power of Spirit-Led Words ("I appeal to Caesar")
  [42:47–48:50]

• Story of Acts 2:38 and Divine Humor
  [48:59–50:10]

• God’s Sovereignty Over Life and Death
  [56:13–1:03:00]

• Psalm 23: From Religion to Relationship
  [1:03:00–1:09:30]

• Invitation to Respond Personally to Jesus
  [1:14:45–1:16:10]

Conclusion & Takeaway

Pastor Tim invites all listeners, present and online, to move beyond merely knowing about God to experiencing Him personally. He reminds the congregation that each life is a miracle — preserved by God for purpose, not by luck or coincidence. The service closes with a prayer and an invitation for a relationship with Christ, and everyone is encouraged to cherish God’s ever-present guidance and protection, especially in misunderstood or unseen moments.

End Note:

“There are plots from hell, there is protection from heaven, and there must be praise from us that says, God, thank you.” (50:12)

This summary captures the heart, structure, and spirit of Pastor Tim Dilena’s sermon, organized for those who wish to grasp its deeply encouraging message — whether or not they heard the original episode.