In 1632 Galileo was tried by the Inquisition, found “vehemently suspect of heresy,” forced to recant, and spent the rest of his life under house arrest.  Why?   He believed correctly that the sun was the center of the universe.  He could have chosen to be accepted by agreeing with the status quo, but he chose to be misunderstood.

He joins a list of great leaders who were misunderstood.

Noah prepared for something never seen called “rain.”

After 400 years of slavery, Moses declared from God “Time to let my people go”

Jesus told the people “Your religious leaders are wrong; I have a new yoke that is easy & light.”

Paul told believers that it’s ok for Gentiles to be saved

John Wycliffe translated the Bible in the people’s language.   The Church expelled Wycliffe from his teaching position at Oxford, and 44 years after he died, the Pope ordered his bones exhumed and burned.

The German monk Martin Luther championed the authority of the individual believer.

John Wesley demonstrated that preaching can happen outside of the church, so he took the gospel to the streets, coal mines, fields and factories

Charles Parham & William Seymour preached and demonstrated that speaking in tongues is for today.

Bill Hybels proved that church services can be relevant to a non-Christian.

Easy for them to be accepted, but instead they were misunderstood.  If you want to be great, get ready to be misunderstood