Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Times Square Church - Sermons
Episode: When You Don't Understand What's Happening...Go Back to the Beginning
Speaker: Pastor Tim Dilena
Date: July 13, 2025

In this vibrant and heartfelt sermon, Pastor Tim Dilena addresses uncertainty and chaos in life—whether personal, political, or spiritual—by exhorting listeners to "go back to the beginning." Drawing from Genesis and Isaiah 45, he reminds listeners of God's creative power, sovereignty, and faithfulness. With a blend of personal stories, biblical exposition, humor, and direct pastoral appeal, Pastor Tim encourages the congregation to put their trust in a "big God" who created the heavens and the earth and is capable of handling even their most perplexing situations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Global Welcome & God's Expanding Work

• Pastor Tim gives an enthusiastic welcome to the congregation, naming dozens of nations and U.S. states in attendance both in person and online (00:01–03:00).
• He shares exciting updates about the church's outreach, including plans to add more language channels to reach up to 6 billion people worldwide.

2. The Unpredictable Path to the Sermon

• Pastor Tim recounts being “blindsided” twice recently—first, by an unexpected memory triggered by a New York sporting goods store (Paragon Sporting Goods), and then, by the Holy Spirit redirecting his sermon preparation (04:27–07:00).
• This emphasizes his faith in God's voice over his own expertise:

  "I have more confidence in the voice of God than in my own personal study. I am more confident with an empty page with the Lord's presence than a full page with my notes." —Pastor Tim (08:39)

3. Theme: Going Back to the Beginning—Genesis 1:1

• Pastor Tim anchors the message in Genesis 1:1:

  "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (09:24)

• He contrasts belief in a "big God" with belief in a "big bang," highlighting the logical inconsistency of believing everything came from nothing without a Creator.

4. Creation vs. Chance—Arguments for a Big God

• He uses witty analogies:
  • “Books don’t write themselves without authors.”
  • “Cars don’t build themselves without manufacturers.”
  • “Music doesn’t compose itself without a composer.”
• Pastor Tim pokes fun at sudden faith in God during crises (e.g., airline delays):

  "We are not responsible. This is an act of God. I go, your airline is born again." (17:53)

• Notable quotation:

  “It is absurd for the evolutionist to complain that it is unthinkable for an admittedly unthinkable God to make everything out of nothing and then pretend that it’s more thinkable that nothing should turn itself into everything.” —G.K. Chesterton (13:10)

• He tells of Antony Flew, a notorious atheist who became a theist after contemplating the universe’s fine-tuning (18:54).

5. The Fine-Tuning of the Universe as Evidence of God’s Work

• Pastor Tim recounts how specific, delicate balances in the universe (Earth's rotation, distance from the sun, the size of the moon, etc.) make life possible:

  "Someone must have gone through a lot of effort to make things just right so that you and I could be here and be alive." (15:01)

6. Biblical Foundation: Isaiah 45 and Coping with Chaos

• Isaiah 45 is explored as an example of God reminding His people—chaotic, confused, and out of options—to look back at creation for assurance (24:20–27:40).
• Notable message:

  "If God can put all this together, he can put lives together. If God can do all of this..." (21:10)

a. Frustration Over Leadership & Politics (Isaiah 45; Ezra 1)

• The Israelites were upset Cyrus, a non-believer, was in charge. Pastor Tim draws a parallel to contemporary political anxiety:

  "You may get angry, but here it is. God's in charge. When you don't understand what's going on, you gotta go back to the beginning and say, if he can create heaven and earth out of chaos, he can take care of our city right here." (24:44)

• The seemingly “wrong” leader (Cyrus) was God’s instrument in restoring Israel.

b. Confusion About God’s Methods

• Using the "potter and clay" analogy, Pastor Tim reminds listeners that we often question God’s method, forgetting His infinite perspective:

  "God, do you even know what you're doing? … [God says] I think I've done this before." (28:44)

• Relates a personal story of a Jewish rabbi reaching out after being prompted by the Holy Spirit—a reminder of God working behind the scenes.

c. When You’re Out of Options—From Superstition to Sovereignty

• Pastor Tim challenges the congregation to eschew superstitious or luck-based habits (horoscopes, lottery tickets, lucky charms).

  “I don’t live by luck. I live by faith.” (33:35)
  “When you trust God, listen to me. God takes the lottery out of life. I don't live by chance. I live by a God who doesn't break his word.” (34:04)

7. Personal Illustrations: God in the Details

• Recounts the story of being moved to different seats at a Yankees game, meeting a man (Dominic), and seeing how God orchestrated their meeting (39:56).
• Emphasizes:

  "If he can create heaven and earth, he can move our seats."

8. Creation in Chaos: The Principle Behind Isaiah’s Emphasis

• Explains why God directs people to creation in times of chaos—because God brings order from chaos, as in Genesis (42:26).
• Key quotation:

  "The God that hovers over chaos, the God that can speak light in darkness. That's what he was saying to all of us." (43:24)

9. Application and Personalized Call

• Regardless of one's situation or struggle—frustration, confusion, feeling out of options—believers are to remember God’s power to create and bring order mirrors His ability to fix, restore, and guide their lives.
• Encourages an immediate response:

  “So turn to me and be helped, saved. Everyone, whoever, wherever you are. I am God.” (King James: “Look to me and be saved.”) (46:30)

• Shares the story of Charles Spurgeon, who became a Christian due to a simple reading of Isaiah 45, highlighting the power of God to work in all circumstances (47:03).

10. Invitation to Salvation and Prayer

• With a direct, open-eyed response, Pastor Tim invites attendees to begin a relationship with God:

  "If he made the heavens and the earth, he can change your life today." (48:44)

• Moves into a prayer for those responding to the invitation (54:44).

  “I believe in a big God. He created the heavens and the earth and he can fix my life… I don't want a religion, I want a relationship.” (55:14)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s Authority Over Leaders:

  “Stop worrying about who's in office. Keep your eyes on who's on the throne.” (26:38)

• On God’s Fine-Tuning Work:

  "If he knew what the crust of the ozone layer needed to be... and if he knew, God, that the moon needed to be this size and this distance. God, you got my life in your hands." (44:16)

• On the Difference Between Creation and Redemption:

  "It takes more work to redeem man than it does to create the heavens and the earth. Creation needed fingers, but salvation needed his arm." (49:41)

• On God’s Readiness to Save:

  “Today is the day of salvation… You're not here by accident.” (48:19)

Key Timestamps

• 00:01-03:00 – Welcome and global reach update
• 04:27-09:30 – Personal stories, emotional lead-in, and obedience to the Holy Spirit
• 09:24-14:50 – Genesis 1:1, logic of creation vs. chance, and Chesterton quotation
• 15:01-18:54 – Fine-tuning argument and Antony Flew story
• 21:10-24:40 – Isaiah 45 introduction: creation as the answer for chaos
• 24:44-28:44 – Frustration over political leadership, God’s sovereignty with Cyrus
• 28:44-33:35 – When confused; potter and clay; personal outreach story
• 33:35-34:04 – Out of options: faith vs. superstition
• 39:56-42:26 – Yankees game illustration: God orchestrating details
• 43:24-46:30 – Creation and chaos principle; reflection on God’s methods
• 47:03-48:44 – Charles Spurgeon story; application to salvation
• 54:44-56:00 – Prayer for salvation

Conclusion: Takeaways for the Listener

• In times of confusion, chaos, or when life "doesn't make sense," go back to the foundation: Remember the character, power, and creative authority of God.
• Trust in a "big God," not a big bang or random chance.
• God's sovereignty extends to nations, rulers, and individuals—even to the circumstances that seat you next to a stranger who changes your life.
• When frustrated, confused, or out of options, recall that God created everything out of chaos and can bring order and hope to your story.
• The invitation to trust and "look to God" is always open, because today is the day of salvation.

For Further Reflection

• Where in your own life do you need to return to the beginning and trust in God’s creative, sustaining power?
• Are you relying on luck, superstition, or human control—or the God who orders the universe?
• What would it look like to pray, "God, if you made the heavens and the earth, you can handle my situation"?

(Summary faithfully reflects the tone, language, and teaching style of Pastor Tim Dilena, featuring his humor, bold analogies, and urgent pastoral appeal.)