This summer, we are launching a 10 part blog series called “Nope! Jesus Didn’t Say That: A Top Ten List.” Each week, we will take a familiar phrase that people often attach to Jesus, or at least to Christianity, and ask a simple question: Did Jesus actually say that? Along the way, we will laugh a little, rethink a few assumptions, and return to the words Jesus really did speak. Because what Jesus actually said is always better, deeper, truer, and more life giving than the things we sometimes make up for Him.
#1. “Follow me, and I will bring you fame and fortune.”
Jesus said lots of great, cosmos altering, life saving, amazing, quotable things.
You’d be surprised how many things people say Jesus said, but, NOPE, Jesus didn’t say that!
Let’s start with this one:
“Follow me, and I will bring you fame and fortune.”
Nope.
Jesus never said that.
Jesus never promised that following Him would make you famous. He never promised that discipleship would come with a bigger house, a larger platform, a luxury vacation, or a bank account that finally gives you peace. Jesus is not opposed to influence. He is not against resources. He is not offended by business success, opportunity, leadership, or blessing. But He is very clear that those things make terrible gods.
If your reason for seeking a relationship with God is mostly material, it may be worth asking what god you are actually yearning for.
Jesus did not say, “Follow me, and I will make you rich.”
He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).
That is a very different invitation.
Jesus calls us out of self centered living and into kingdom purpose. He invites us to stop using God as a strategy for getting what we already wanted and start surrendering to what He wants. The goal of the Christian life is not to get Jesus to sponsor our dreams. The goal is to become the kind of people who want His kingdom more than our own.
Jesus warned us about the danger of wealth becoming our master. In Matthew 6:24, He said, “You cannot serve God and money.” Notice He did not say, “You cannot have money.” He said you cannot serve it. Money can be a tool, but it is a cruel lord. Fame can become influence used for good, but it can also become an addiction to applause. Success can be stewarded for God’s glory, but it can also quietly reshape the soul around pride, comparison, and fear.
That is why Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). The order matters. Seek first the kingdom. Not comfort. Not recognition. Not security. Not status. The kingdom comes first.
Jesus also told His followers to count the cost. In Luke 9:23, He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” That does not sound like a sales pitch for fame and fortune. It sounds like an invitation to die to the false self so we can finally become alive in Him.
The good news is that Jesus offers something far better than fame and fortune.
He offers Himself.
He offers forgiveness, freedom, peace, purpose, joy, and eternal life. He gives us treasure that cannot be stolen, ruined, taxed, inflated, or lost. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:20, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
So, no, Jesus did not say, “Follow me, and I will bring you fame and fortune.”
He said something better.
Follow me.
And find your life.
