Hebrews 13:7 “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”
Teachers well know that verbal instruction is best followed by demonstrations of what has been taught. God called Pastors/Elders are charged to not only preach/teach the Word of God, but they are to also demonstrate it in their demeanor and behavior. To “follow” their “faith” is to carefully listen to what they preach/teach and watch how they put their preaching and teaching into action, and then emulate their demeanor and behavior. Pastors/Elders strive to attend every Church meeting, greet and treat everyone with lovingkindness, rush to the aid of those who are troubled, are faithful to their commitments, prayerfully read and learn and apply the Word of God, worshipfully declare the glory of our Lord with great humility, steadfastly defend the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and they stand firm in “faith” in the very face of tribulations. Also, faithful Pastors/Elders are always cloaked with humility and kindness, even in very strained situations. As these Pastors/Elders preach and teach and demonstrate the Word of God, we are to learn from them and follow their example as they follow the Lord. A Church with a faithful Paster/Elder and a membership that are “hearers” and “doers” of the Word (James 1:22) is a blessed and prosperous Church of Jesus Christ our Lord!