"The Sinner's Prayer" (independent, fundamental Baptist preaching)

Pastor Anderson argues from Luke 11:11-13 and John 4:10 that you can "ask" for a "gift". On that basis, he says that praying the so called 'sinner's prayer' is not a work.

Luke 11:
[11] If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
[12] Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
[13] If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Of course it is true that you can ask for a gift, but that has nothing to do with the question at hand, is prayer a work. The answer to that is YES. Pastor Anderson set up a straw man argument. He proved that you can ask for a gift, not that the sinner's prayer is not a work. The Bible plainly says that prayer is a work that man offers God.

Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Hebrews 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

By Pastor Anderson's reasoning, water baptism is not a work ("Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38). 

Just a quick note, the word "gift" just means to give or confer from one person to another (Webster's 1828). Offering sacrifices in the OT law was a "gift" (Matt. 5:23-24, 8:4, 23:18-19, etc.). There are different kinds of gifts even (like "free gifts").

I have suspected that Pastor Anderson has trouble with gifts ever since his "Get FREE Christmas CD!" stunt. (where you had to spend $20) --Hoss

Get FREE Christmas CD! 

Get a FREE Faithful Word Baptist Church Christmas CD while supplies last with any order from FRAMINGTHEWORLD.COM over $20! 

This will last all the way till Christmas or when they run out of CD's!