Worship that is accepted by Yahweh—worship which honours Yahweh as the only God—is worship that is informed by Yahweh. That is, it is Word-based and Word-driven; a heartfelt response to Yahweh’s revelation (Deut. 4:15-24; 8:18-20). In the Old Testament, Yahweh prescribed exactly how the Israelites were to worship Him, giving them specific parameters that they were to follow without deviation because they foreshadowed the Messiah. Yahweh expects reverent and obedient response to His Word. Such would be acceptable worship. By contrast, any action that is innovative or subtracted from His Word is tantamount to worshipping a false god. In other words, if Yahweh did not prescribe it, then some other god did. In the Old Testament, holiness goes well beyond ritual purity to moral purity based on the character of Yahweh Himself.
Likewise, in the New Testament, Jesus prescribed exactly how we are to worship Yahweh: "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). We cannot know Yahweh apart from His self-revelation. The only way that we can worship Him properly is by His revealing Himself to us, and He does so by His Spirit coupled with His Word. The specific parameters that we are to follow without deviation were laid down by Jesus and His apostles. How we worship is just as important as who we worship.
For those who are unaware, 1 Corinthians 11–14 constitutes a four-chapter section on congregational practice when believers gathered together. In this passage, Paul reveals his attitude about following his ecclesiological traditions: "I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly the traditions, just as I delivered them to you" (1 Cor. 11:2). The Greek word for “traditions” (paradosis) means "that which is passed on." It differs from the Greek word for "teaching" (didaché). In the context of 1 Corinthians 11, paradosis specifically refers to religious traditions regarding worship. This same Greek word in verb form is found a few paragraphs later with regard to the practice of the Lord’s Supper—that it was "passed on" from Paul to the congregation (11:23). It is significant that the word "traditions" in 1 Corinthians 11:2 is plural. Paul clearly had in mind more than the one tradition dealt with in 1 Corinthians 11a. The words "just as" in 11:2 indicate the degree of their compliance with these traditions: exactly as passed on to them. Paul praised the congregation for holding precisely to his traditions regarding worship.
Apostolic tradition is paradigmatic in nature. That is, if we observe that the apostles were pleased when a congregation followed one specific tradition of congregational practice (1 Cor. 11:2), then we would be expected to apply that approval to other patterns we see modeled by the apostles in their establishment of congregations. The Congregation, the Bride of Christ, is too eternally important to allow her to deviate from traditions established by the Lord and His apostles. Paul made it clear on several occasions that he taught the same things in all the congregations. Ponder that promptly. In fact, anyone who might disagree with his traditions, Paul silenced by appealing to the universal practice of all the other congregations: "If one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God" (11:16). This statement was designed to settle any objections. Compare this with "Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and who will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church" (4:16-17) and "as in all the churches of the saints" (11:33b).
However, not all religious traditions are good. The tradition of the Pharisees undermined God’s commands. The same word used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:2 was also used by Jesus when He asked the Pharisees, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition (paradosis)?" (Matt: 15:3), and when He said to them, "'In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commands of men.' Leaving the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition (paradosis) of men" (Mark 7:7-8). In contrast, Paul blessed the Corinthians for following his traditions. Apostolic traditions are consistent with the teachings of Jesus. Thus, holding to the traditions of the apostles is praiseworthy, as seen in Paul’s praise for the Corinthian congregation (11:2).
Likewise, the man-made traditions of Oriental Orthodox Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Catholics, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, "Calvinists," Anglicans, Anabaptists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Episcopalians, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc., are not good and undermine the commands of Yahweh. Again, if Yahweh did not prescribe it, then some other god did. Most of the religious services of these denominations are similar in structure to that of the Catholic mass, a structure that did not exist prior to Emperor Constantine. There was no such thing as a clergy/laity split. The model you and I have experienced is not the biblical model for Jesus' Congregation. Our worship does not follow His prescribed parameters. This was all modeled after the pagan religions of Rome (as well as falsely appealing to the Hebrew religion of the OT). Jesus' Congregation was never to look or function in such a manner. Hence why Jesus never gave His Congregation any temples (because we are that temple) nor a priestly caste (because we are a priesthood of believers).
Modern denominations ignorantly attempt to argue for justification of their organization and worship structure based on Moses and the Old Testament. If Jesus wanted His Congregation to look and function like the Hebrew religion, or even remotely similar to second Temple Judaism, He and His apostles would have structured it this way; but they did not. This kind of structuring did not occur until under Emperor Constantine, when the Congregation had already lost the Christianity of the apostles. With Constantine, and the subsequent "church" to follow, Jesus' Congregation was molded after the pagan religions of Rome, even dressing after the fashion of the Roman senate (as you see with Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopalians, etc.).
As such, I want you to ask yourself these questions, and ponder them carefully:
Was it from the "church" in North America that the Word of God came? No!
Was it from the __________ (insert denomination here) that the Word of God came? No!
Is the "church" in North America the only Christians the Word of God has reached? No!
Are the __________ (insert denomination here) the only ones the Word of God has reached? No!
Does the "church" in North America have the right, authority, and permission from God to do "church" any differently than what we read in the Scriptures? No!
Do the __________ (insert denomination here) have the right, authority, and permission from God to do "church" any differently than what we read in the Scriptures? No!
What does 1 Corinthians 14:37 say? Does it say that the things Paul has just told them are "a good suggestion"? "creative ideas"? "just Paul's opinion"? No!
They are "a command of the Lord."
The two questions in 1 Corinthians 14:36 were designed to keep the Corinthians in line with the practice of all the other congregations. The Corinthians had no authority to deviate from the congregational traditions established by the apostles, and neither do the __________ (insert denomination here).
"Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who walks in an unruly manner and not according to the tradition (paradosis) which they received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us..." 2 Thess. 3:6-7
"So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions (paradosis) which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us." 2 Thess. 2:15
"The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Phil. 4:9
The correct way of worshipping Yahweh is according to His Word. Remember, if you are not worshipping Yahweh according to the parameters He set forth, then that is tantamount to worshipping a false god. Jesus and His apostles did not give you or your denomination the traditions you hold to, nor did they give you or your denomination permission to alter them and to do "church" your way. So, lose your stubbornness, swallow your pride, be obedient, worship Yahweh in spirit and truth, and go serve your King