The preacher preaches the word with the aim to bring
attention to the God of glory, an accurate apprehension /understanding of
Scripture to the mind, a deepening affection to the heart, and a faithful
application in the life. Yet the
preacher realizes he himself cannot change the listener's "attention,
mind, heart, life" The audience may
ignore or drift from the passage, or reject and twist the meaning of the
passage, and despise the passage, and never bear fruit in accordance with the
passage. So the pastor preaches first as
an act of worship to God, an act of obedience to God, and an act of faith toward
God, leaving the results of the preaching up to the power and grace of
God. Only God can change the attention,
mind, heart, life of the soul.