the world is not worthy of them

Hebrews 11:32-38

The author speeds up the list at this point. He mentions a few names but talks more generally about all those who lived by faith through out Israel's history. At first the characteristics of these people who live by faith are epic: conquering kingdoms, administering justice, shutting the mouths of lions, quenching the fury of the flames, etc. Then the author looks behind the epic moments to reveal the cost of living by faith: torture, imprisonment, beatings, persecution, martyrdom, poverty, shunning, homelessness.
All of this was through faith in that they acted on belief in God and his promises which sometimes meant glorious victory in battle but also meant continuing in their faith in the face of opposition. We tend to think of the results of having faith as beautiful and good, and that will be the case at some point in the future, but we don't necessarily see the results of faith as being jail and torture. Here's an example of what I am trying to say: I have heard it said that some people are not healed of their diseases or injuries because they did not have enough faith. What this passage is saying is that faith is necessary to go through the disease. The person who is not healed looks forward to that day when there will be no more disease. They trust God to sustain them in the midst of their disease, knowing he could heal them if he chose but trusting him to do what is good and will bring him the most glory. That's the kind of faith that these people had in Hebrews 11.
This is the kind of faith that the author is telling me that I should have. I think that we too often see obstacles and opposition as evidence that God does not want us to go down that road. If we believe the destination and the route are from God, then we need to have faith that God will sustain us through whatever obstacles and opposition we might face. Even if I die, God will raise up someone behind me to carry on the task for the good of the kingdom of God and the glory of the King.