To what extent are lay people discouraged from detachment and encouraged to be sensual?

A lay person that reaches arahatship/Nibbana is said to either take up robe within 7 days or die, since that state of detachment makes household duties unbearable. Dhammapada 155-156 warns the lay youth of regret in old age from failure to accrue wealth. It feels a bit like Buddhism is gatekeeping the holy life, shoving the lay person out the door and telling them to just "do your lay stuff, like uh, have sex or something", which feels a bit disheartening. To what extent does Buddhism discourage the lay person from seeking liberation from suffering, and just encouraging them to participate in the rat race?